Healthy vegan restaurants around the world – Happy Cow

04 Nov Healthy vegan restaurants around the world – Happy Cow

Veganism is becoming more and more popular in recent years, with vegan restaurants popping up all over the world. If you’re looking for a healthy plant-based restaurant near you, Happy Cow has got your back! The website lists vegan restaurants around the world, making it easy to find tasty food wherever you are. Not only do these restaurants offer delicious vegan meals but they also serve as an excellent introduction to eating clean when cooked right. Find a vegetarian restaurant near you that excites you and takes you on an adventure.

A culinary adventure – you can explore vegan food no matter where you are at

No matter whether you are vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, reducetarian or omnivore, it is always fun to try new things. Especially in the world of cafe and restaurant dining. You might find a new dish that you absolutely love.

Or if you are vegan or vegetarian curious, you might find a vegan or vegetarian restaurant that shows you a pathway to finding the confidence to cook and eat in these ethical, environmental and healthy ways.

A vegan cafe might also inspire you to cook healthy meals at home.

Happy Cow provides listings and recommendations of vegan restaurants all over the world

happycow.net is a fantastic website that allows you to find restaurants near you that are vegetarian or vegan friendly. You can even ask it to filter restaurants so that it only shows you vegetarian or vegan restaurants near you.

One of the best features is the fact that other diners like you have rated and reviewed the restaurants, so you can get a good sense of the quality of food in each restaurant. The listings also tell you how much to expect to pay and the distance from your starting location.

If you are a vegan or vegetarian it is a great way to explore new opportunities in your local area. And if you are vegan or vegetarian-curious, it is a good way to discover the best of vegan and vegetarian dining.

Learn how to eat clean by visiting a vegetarian restaurant

Sometimes, we are vegetarian or vegan-curious for ethical, environmental or health reasons, but we aren’t really sure about how to adapt our diet to incorporate the principles of the diet.

This point of your journey is a great time to visit vegan and vegetarian restaurants. It will show you ways of cooking that you had never considered before.

I was an omnivore before I first ate at Friends of the Earth in Collingwood, Victoria, Australia. That first seasonal lunch bowl completely opened my mind. It allowed me to see how it would be possible to cook vegan food in a delicious and healthy way. And I have been moving towards a vegan diet ever since.

Some of my favourite vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Melbourne, Australia

Happy Cow has listings of vegetarian and vegan restaurants near you, but if you are ever in Melbourne, particularly in the inner-north here are some of my top recommendations from the site.

1. It goes without saying that Friends of the Earth is first on the list. It is a staple in my weekly routine. They make the most incredible lunch bowls that will make you so delightfully happy because they are so healthy and so wholesome.
2. My other all-time favourite for dinner is Yong Green Food on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy – it has the most adventurous of vegan Asian food and it is all so delicious. The kelp pad Thai and tofu katsu are highly recommended as well as the delicious, wholesome curries and stir-fries. It really is an adventure.
3. Red Sparrow Pizza is a great vegan pizza restaurant. They are a completely plant-based pizza restaurant. And they have so many tasty options. We often share a pizza and a Greek salad – they have the most delicious plant-based feta. It really is wonderful to enjoy pizza in an ethical way.
4. Fina’s 2 Vietnamese restaurant is another wonderful option on Brunswick Street. They have lots of delicious mock-meat dishes. The chicken and capsicum clay pot is to die for – a sensory explosion in the mouth with gluten chicken and a rich soy-based with a touch of sweetness that cuts through the capsicum and other vegies with aplomb.
5. Moroccan Soup Bar in Fitzroy North is another one on my favourite list. This restaurant is a social enterprise that employs migrant and refugee women to cook their delicious vegetarian Moroccan curries and dishes. It is a set menu that changes regularly, and you pay by the head, but you won’t be leaving hungry. Entree, main and dessert are all included, and it is a wonderful adventure.

These are just my top five at the moment. Looking at Happy Cow makes me realise that there are so many more vegetarian and vegan restaurants near me that I want to check out.

How to find a vegan or vegetarian restaurant near you on Happy Cow

Happy Cow is not purely a Melbourne website though. They have listings from all over the world. So whether you are in London, or New York, or Lisbon or Mexico City, or somewhere in between there is sure to be somewhere near you that you can try some delicious and healthy vegetarian or vegan cuisine.

Watch out for unhealthy vegan restaurants

One thing to look out for is the plethora of really unhealthy vegan restaurants popping up everywhere. A burger is most likely not good for you whether it is vegan or not. Especially if it is dripping in oil and vegan (or vegetarian cheese).

In particular, I am thinking of places like Lord of the Fries, which might be good as a very occasional treat, but loaded fries are laden in saturated fat and aren’t going to do your body any good whatsoever!

Ideally, you are looking for a vegan or vegetarian restaurant that does not rely on oil or sodium to make their food taste good. I am thinking of your health here. While it is true that every vegetarian or vegan meal you eat will add hours to your lifespan, it is also true that avoiding oil and sodium will also result in better outcomes in longevity.

A culinary adventure!

If you are in the mood for a culinary adventure, Happy Cow has listings and recommendations of vegan restaurants all over the world. You can also learn how to eat clean by visiting a vegetarian restaurant with your friends or family. If you want to find out where is there an option nearby, Happy Cow is happy to show you! Watch out for unhealthy vegan restaurants that may be high in oil and sodium content though – ideally, healthy food should be low-fat as well as plant-based.