Dining out at a restaurant shouldn’t come at the cost of hurting our planet. We applaud these vegan eateries, not only for helping the environment by offering plant-based menus (which in itself is a huge step), but for going the extra mile to be more eco-conscious.
From going zero waste to creating rescued food menus, integrating swap shops into their space, or simply offering biodegradable packaging, these places are setting the bar high for eco-conscious vegan eateries all around!
1. Green Common, Singapore
The Singapore branch of the Hong Kong based health food shop & plant-based eatery created by Green Monday. From the Climate Change Gallery, to the inspiring quotes, books, reusable shopping bags, and free water refills, every detail contributes to creating a more holistic mindset towards food.
“Eating is not simply an act to fill our stomachs. Every meal is an opportunity to learn about the interdependence between us and the ecosystem.” Green Common.
TeamCow Recommends: The OmniTuna and Sweet Corn Gunkarn!
2. Let’s Do Maki, London
Let’s Do Maki’s version of maki rolls is best described by regular visitors as sushi with a difference. They’re fresh, healthy, nutritious, tasty and free from preservatives, additives and refined ingredients. We love that they use plant-based meat alternatives from eco-conscious brands like OmniFoods and
use natural, compostable foodservice packaging for takeouts!
TeamCow Recommends: The Omni Crab Cake Sushi Bowl.
3. FREA, Berlin, Germany
This is the world’s first vegan and zero waste restaurant! Many of the staff also live the zero waste lifestyle themselves. Organic produce arrives at Frea without any packaging, and is scheduled daily to avoid any food spoilage or waste. We love how creatively they use leftover herbs to create flavoured oil to sell and for use in the kitchen. This place screams sustainability; the bar even has lampshades made of mycelium!
TeamCow Recommends: Their specialty 3, 4, or 5 course meals.
4. Gracias Madre, West Hollywood, USA
A farm to table restaurant, like they say, is “born out of love for Mother Earth and reverence for all mothers”. This place offers traditional Mexican cuisine, all plant-based, made from scratch using local, organic, seasonal ingredients.
TeamCow Recommends: The Flautas de Camote.
5. The Vegan Chef, Johannesburg, South Africa
They said it themselves: “We don’t believe in using vegan products that come from a box or a packet. Instead, we prepare our own unique, gourmet vegan products in our own kitchens, using love and care – and ensuring that every meal that comes out of our kitchens is prepared using fresh South African ingredients.” This place, like many others on the list, is all about local, seasonal, and plant-based for the planet!
TeamCow Recommends: The Zingy Chickn Burger made with seitan!
6. Zero Waste Hub, Edinburgh, Scotland
Besides being one of the top bakeries and vegan community cafes in Edinburgh, this place even has a rescued food shop and swap shop that sells pre-loved things. Zero Waste Hub offers a changing range of hot and cold vegan treats, all prepared in-house. Examples include vegan sandwiches, soups, coffees, kombucha, smoothies and plenty of cakes. What’s better? There’s no extra charge for non-dairy milks!
TeamCow Recommends: The cakes. All the cakes!
7. Peach, Isle of Wight, England
An all-vegan plant-based cafe, and the Isle of Wight’s first zero waste store. They stock a selection of plastic-free and refill products, alongside serving delicious vegan meals in the cafe.
TeamCow Recommends: The loaded fries – a yummy, indulgent vegan version of a true classic!
8. Copper + Cloves, Bangalore, India
This little vegan café in the heart of Bangalore city has sustainability and fair trade built into its very ethos. With a strong emphasis on local, organic, and seasonal produce, Chef Sarah churns out some of the most exciting, mouth-watering dishes. We love that they use biodegradable packaging for takeaways, and believe that it’s about time every restaurant got onboard with this practice!
TeamCow Recommends: The Asian Bowl – one of the heartiest, most flavourful salads you’ll find.
9. Earth Cafe and Market, Bali, Indonesia
Earth Cafe offers a large variety of vegan food and beverages, from smoothie bowls to scrambles, crepes, veggie burgers, and international platters. The conscious market section sells healthy food and products like bulk grains, beans, dry fruit oils, raw snacks and desserts, natural cosmetics, household products, and organic clothing. They even cater for weddings/events with carefully picked local produce, supporting the local farmers.
TeamCow Recommends: The raw vegan pizza!
10. Mother, Fremantle, Australia
Mother isn’t just a wonderful eco-conscious vegan restaurant – it’s a converted warehouse that’s a hub for workshops and film nights, with a yoga lab and a kombucha microbrewery too! The Zero Store at Mother is Australia’s largest plastic-free, zero-waste lifestyle store. The staff at the vegan restaurant make waste minimization top priority, right down to leftover table water being used to water the plants.
TeamCow Recommends: The vegan cheese plate. Definitely a must-try.
If you live in any of these places, drop by your local eco-conscious vegan eatery to celebrate Earth Month! Use the HappyCow app to find vegan food near you.
If you enjoy restaurant roundups like these, it’s time to go down that rabbit hole… Check out these places:
– 10 Fully Vegan Fast Food Chains
– 10 Must-Try Vegan Pancakes In The World
– 10 Best Vegan Taco Restaurants in the World
– The World’s 10 Best Vegan Ice Cream Shops
– Top 10 Best Vegan Pizza Places in the World
For more content on veganism, check out the rest of the HappyCow blog. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter for more great vegan content coming your way!