Manhattan Guide
I am pretty sure I could stay in New York for 10 years and still not discover every single vegan establishment. Virtually impossible to do so in 5 days. That’s what is so great about NYC, every time I go there are new discoveries to be made! Below I have listed all the places I went this past trip in the Lower East Side, Union Square Park, SoHo and Greenwich Village. Everything from food, clothing, yoga, groceries, and more is listed below! I hope this helps you narrow down where you should visit on you next trip or if you live in the city, this could give you some ideas on new places to try. I have also listed a map at the very bottom of this post where I have over 100 places that interested me. Couldn’t get to all of them so if you go, let me know how it was.
Stay:
The Solita SoHo Hotel
This hotel was in such a prime location. It is really close to great subway lines to get to Brooklyn, Downtown, Queens, etc and was in walking distance to all the shopping and great restaurants. There’s a Starbucks right around the corner (which you get 15% off at if you stay here) and a great convenience store one block over. It was very inexpensive for the location and they were very accommodating. We are kind of high maintenance guests and they were absolutely great. It looks kind of shady but don’t fret. Everything was good. I felt safe and clean in my room. They changed my sheets everyday (upon request), gave us extra towels, more conditioner, a plunger (lol), and held our luggage with no questions asked. The only thing I would be wary about is the elevator. It is very loud and sounds like it’s going to break, but I survived. There are stairs if you are really worried about it. After awhile though, you do get used to it.
Food:
Beyond Sushi
The first place I went after the flight in and taxi ride, was Beyond Sushi. One of the top three places this whole trip for sure. If you love the clean, Japanese aesthetic this place is for you! They have multiple locations all over the city, so chances are you can get to one fairly easily if you are staying in the city. Everything on the menu looked phenomenal! I would have loved to try everything if my stomach was 10x the size ;)
I was able to try two different sushi rolls. The Sweet Tree was great! Loved it. Black rice, avocado, roasted sweet potato, topped with micro sprouts. And I also tried The Pickle Me which was delicious as well! Pickled carrots, avocado, and black rice. The #1 thing I recommend is The Badge Dumpling. Maybe the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. Charred cabbage, roasted onions, garlic, bell peppers, carrots and sesame oil, topped with chili toasted panko and cilantro. Ummm…yes please. The last thing I tried was the citrus roasted cauliflower and broccoli. Delicious. And since we were there for brunch on a Sunday, we had a slightly different menu (the things listed above are available all the time). We got The Fava Bean Dip with seeded crisps off the brunch menu. Very good. Really enjoyed that as an appetizer.
JaJaJa
For dinner, we went to at JaJaJa. The best thing that has ever graced NYC…seriously. They are open for brunch through dinner and have a bar. Lots of interesting drinks that can all be made into mocktails if you are into that sort of thing. They have a decent size menu (all vegan) with lots of yummy things to try including gluten-free options. There are two locations in NYC, one in Brooklyn and another on Broadway which is the one I went to. Pro Tip: Make a reservation!!!! We unfortunately did not make one and had to wait there for a bit, but the wait was worth it regardless.
I would 100% recommend the Nachos. That’s the best thing I had on this trip I think. The nachos do not come with guacamole but you really must add that. Adds a great creamy element, not that they really needed it. The layers on these nachos were unreal and you got a bunch of toppings on every chip. The nachos come with their homemade vegan chorizo, fermented black beans, turmeric nut queso, spicy relish, and “sour cream”. Heaven in every bite. I also tried the Buffalo Flower Tacos. They were really flavorful and fresh. I imagine these taste just like fried chicken. The cauliflower is battered and fried and wrapped in a tortilla with shredded carrot, queso, celery, and apple blossom. Very interesting flavors. All their tacos looked good. And then lastly I got the Chorizo Burrito. Super big and probably worth sharing. The presentation was wild and super cool. It was packed full of their chorizo and cauliflower rice, fermented black beans, and guac. It was very heavy but good. It could use some more fresh veggies or something but overall it was good.
Joe & The Juice
This was not originally on my list of places to go but I went twice when I was in the city and loved it both times! It’s a little coffee shop with lots of unique juices to choose from. They juice it right in front of you and have a lot of organic ingredients. All the juice combos were very different from what I have ever seen. They juice ingredients like butternut squash, broccoli, mint, bell pepper, and passion fruit. They have 288 stores worldwide and when I landed at home I saw an ad that a new location is coming to the Pittsburgh Airport! Can’t wait! I was able to try Joe’s AMG (apple, mint, ginger), Go Away Doc (carrot, ginger, apple), and the Natural Born Joegurt which is coconut yogurt with their granola. So good. Highly recommend all those things.
XYST
This is a restaurant owned by a world-renowned plant based chef, Mathew Kenney. I have been to his pizza restaurant Double Zero and loved it. This place was no exception. Very trendy interior and very nice staff. They were not busy at all on a Monday night so if you come on weekend, you may want to get a reservation. I was able to try the Cashew Halloumi which was amazing. My favorite thing I got from there. It is served with za’atar crackers, smoked paprika, dehydrated black olive, and radishes. The presentation was stunning on everything especially that cheese. Then I got the Za’atar Roasted Carrots with pistachio yogurt and sesame. The Smoked Hummus was delicious with sumac, harissa oli and grilled pita as well. All of those were great appetizers to share.
Juice Generation
Great place if you need a quick bite to eat when you are walking around or heading across town. All their juices looked really yummy and there are a ton of different smoothies to try. When I was in NYC the last time I got to try a lot of different things so I already knew a few things I liked such as the Almond Butter Bliss Bowl and Joyful Almond smoothie. This time, I got the Peanut Butter Split and it was so good! Basically like drinking some melted ice cream. Nothing to complain about there! HIghly recommend that smoothie. I feel like there is a Juice Generation on every street corner in New York so if you are in the city, I am sure you are very close to one at all times.
I went to a Van Leeuwen twice on this trip and once the last time. I think it’s safe to say I am a big fan of this place. Not all vegan but they have about 10 vegan flavors daily, two of which are usually specials. Certainly the best vegan ice cream I have ever tasted. Loved every flavor I sampled. They have a vegan sugar cone, offer vegan sundaes, and vegan milkshakes! I got two scoops of Mint Chip ice cream and also tried The Vegan Sundae with one scoop of mint chip, one scoop of chocolate, and it comes with walnuts, chocolate syrup, and most importantly, coconut whipped cream. 10/10. They have at least 10 locations all over New York plus an ice cream truck so no excuses to not pop into one of their adorable shops!
Pressed Juicery
This is a super trendy juice place (not as good as Joe & The Juice tbh) that has lots of juice options juiced right in front of you. A few of the locations have the pressed juice soft serve which is definitely worth trying if you are near one of those ‘special’ stores. Lots of toppings are offered for the soft serve.
by Chloe.
If you are familiar with any popular vegan ‘fast food’ restaurant, this is probably the one you know about. It is pretty popular and there are a ton of locations all across the country. I went to the one is SoHo this time and it was so cute. The design of all the stores is retro and fun. There was even a porch swing hanging from the ceiling! The staff was super fast at getting orders out at this location. Seemed like a lot of people ordered online and picked it up or got Postmates to deliver.
I was able to try the Gluten-Free Choc Chip Cookie (A+) and the Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin as my ‘premeal’. Both were delicious, as expected. The cookie had literally just come out of the oven and was so fresh. The muffin was super dense and not real sweet which I liked. Tons of lemon flavor. The Classic Burger, The Pesto Meatball, the Smashed Avo Toast and the Mac and Cheese were the main dishes that I tried. The Classic Burger is great for beginner vegans. Super simple ingredients and has all the flavor elements of regular burger. The patty is no Impossible Burger but it is full of healthy ingredients like tempeh, lentils, walnuts, and chia seeds. The pesto meatball was super filling and had so much flavor with two sauces in addition to the beet ketchup I added. The Avo Toast had so much happening. It’s not your grandma’s avo toast people! This had pomegranate seeds, citrus, crispy kale, and almond parm on top. Welcome to flavortown folks. Now that Mac and Cheese was phenomenal. 10/10 all the way. The shitake bacon was out of this world. The sauce itself was very traditional tasting and I would recommend it to anyone, vegan or non vegan.
Butcher’s Daughter
Such a great name for a vegan restaurant! I went to this place during my last visit and wasn’t able to get to it this time around but I figured I would add it here anyways because I really recommend it. There is so much on their menu I want to try but couldn’t. There’s always a next time! Read my post about my last trip here to see what I ate there before.
Ramen Hood
New L.A. fan favorite pop-up opened recently right by my hotel, obviously had to try it! An all vegan ramen place with a super casual scene and lots of delicious options. They have a few different broths to choose from and then they all come with the basic toppings. You have a whole list of add-ins to choose from which makes it easy to try something new each time you go. I got the Spicy Ramen with an added Vegan Egg. I just wanted to try the egg to see what it was like. Kind of just tasted like savory jello. Not much flavor but it’s cool they offer it. The noodles were the best part in my opinion. They are so soft and are made in house. The broth was rich and flavorful as well. I also tried the Broccoli, which was crispy broccoli with a soy chili glaze, and sesame seeds. Really tasty. Then we also tried the Pokè Tuna Balls. The tuna did not taste fishy at all. It is made mostly of beets so it’s pretty healthy. Lol. Loved the atmosphere, highly recommend even if you just get one ramen bowl and share it.
Orchard Grocer
OMG. You need to go to this all vegan grocery store. It was quite a bit out of the way for us but totally worth the travel to get there. I wish I had a kitchen or something in my hotel so I could try some of their mock meats and nut cheeses. They had a bunch of unique brands that I have never seen before. No fresh veggies or anything, mostly specialty items like high quality nut milks, new snack foods I’ve never seen before, and a ton of different candy and sweets. But the most exciting part….they have vegan SOFT SERVE! You need to go there just to taste this heavenly soft serve. It is like nothing I have experienced before. You need to add it to your bucket list of things to do before you die. Not joking. They alternate flavors but when I was there they offered peanut butter and vanilla. I got a twist of both.
Shop:
MooShoes
This is a very convenient place to visit if you go to The Orchard Grocer. It’s right next door and owned by the same people. This is a super fun store to check out and even just to get ideas for vegan shoes there are in the world. It’s hard to find cute, high quality, non leather shoes sometimes but they put them all in one place. There is a lot of Matt and Nat items there and vegan birkenstocks but new brands I have never seen before too. They also have two kitties! Big mens section which is helpful sometimes and lots of vegan apparel. Super cute overall. Highly recommend just stopping in.
CW Pencil Enterprise
Well this was just the most adorable store ever. It’s a store dedicated to pencils. That’s it. Just everything that has to do with pencils. Rare pencils, pencils made in unique places, adorable pencil cases, really good erasers, and more. I got quite a collection going now! I bought a few pastel colored ones made in Japan and some original Ticonderoga. Worth every penny to support this really inspiring women-owned endeavour.
The Sill
This is a super trendy plant shop. They are so famous they are verified on Instagram! But I was surprised when I walked in because it is SO tiny! Super cute but couldn’t fit more than 10 people in there. They specialize in shipping plants so they don’t really need a huge brick and mortar store. Plus they have more than one location around town. They do however host lots of workshops and events. The store was really cute inside with plants crawling all the way up to the ceiling. Worth checking out if you are in the area and are a huge plant lady (or gentleman) like me. Their website is so cute and already convinced me to order plants. Check it out.
ABC Carpet & Home
ABC Home is such a cool store with all sorts of gift items, home decor, and kitchen essentials. I want so many things in there! Some things are really pricey and out of most people’s price range but it is really cool to just look at everything and get inspiration from it. It is an eight story building so not hard to miss. It’s a good place to walk around in between vegan feasting to walk off the food :)
Strand Bookstore
Such a fun bookstore. I love looking at books (especially their covers even though that’s breaking the rules) and seeing what new books are out. I mostly listen to books or check them out of my library but this helps me find new ones to look for. If books aren’t your thing, they have a ton of feminist and environmental issue related pins and stickers. All fun to look at. Strand specializes in rare and used books so it’s basically like thrifting your entertainment. Nothing to complain about there.
ALO Yoga
If any of you have been following me for a long time, you would know about my love for ALO Yoga wear! I didn’t even realize they had a store in SoHo until I was literally walking right past it. I love ALO because of all their unique designs and colors. The materials they use for all their apparel is such good quality for street wear or yoga. Everyone who worked at the store was very helpful and knew what they were talking about. This particular store had an upstairs with a yoga studio. Wish I could have practiced there before I left!
Outdoor Voices
I love Outdoor Voices and what they stand for as a company so it was cool seeing their store. Not necessarily a must see, but it was cool to walk around and check out stores that I order from regularly and feel the product before I buy it. It was right by my hotel so I walked by it several times over the course of the week.
Matt and Nat
OMG! I loved seeing this store. It was right next to by Chloe (makes sense) so I couldn’t not go in. They had so many bags and shoes out for display. I have been wanting to buy something from them and now I know exactly what I want to get since I got to feel them and see the colors in person. Again, not a must see but I love seeing more vegan stores like this pop up.
Wild Fang
If you love a good feminist store, you should really check this place out! The basis of the company is to make more ‘masculine’ clothing and apparel in women’s sizes. They sell jumpsuits, blazers, suits, and flannels that are in women’s sizes. I think it’s a really cool concept and I hope they spread my way. They have a few feminist t-shirts and hats. And of course some pins, stickers, and jewelry with a feminist vibe. Very cute and trendy store. Love it.
Glossier
Ummm….you need to visit the Glossier store whether you’re a fan or not. It is literally a museum and it’s amazing. If you don’t like Glossier now, you will after you visit the flagship store in SoHo. It is stunningly beautiful inside. Everyone who works there is so nice and helpful and knows the products SO well. If you have a question about anything, they know the answer.
The way it works is super cool: you walk in and go up the stairs. Every product they sell is out and is a sample to test. You are able to try any product they have and see if you want to buy it, what shade works best for you, etc. Then you find an employee (in an adorable pink jumpsuit) with an iPad and tell them what you want. I got some new vegan products to try out. I got a new Haloscope, the Stretch Concealer, and a LidStar. Very excited about these. After you tell the employee what you want, they swipe your card and you give them your name. Then you can walk around the giant Boy Brows, take selfies in the adorable mirrors, and try out more products to add to your wish list. Then a bag with your name on it will come down on a conveyor belt and they call your name. You get one of their famous pink pouches, stickers, and all the products you bought! That’s it. That’s the production. I loved every aspect of how extra that is. You need to go. No question about it.
So that was the trip. It was amazing in so many ways. I love making these guides and hope to do many more in the future.
