One of the best things about culinary hubs like New York City is that you can find nearly every cuisine under the sun – from Caribbean and African cuisine to down south comfort foods. What’s even better about taking a bite from the Big Apple is chefs’ creativity, including putting vegan twists on some of these dishes.
Whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or carnivore who considers themselves a flexitarian, here are the best Black-owned vegan restaurants to try in New York City.
Bersi Ethiopian Restaurant
While most Ethiopian restaurants serve vegan and vegetarian options as additional options, Bersi’s entire menu is geared towards vegetarians and vegans. Chef Bersabeh Ayele, AKA Bersi, owns the restaurant with Hailu Woldeselassie. What’s incredible about Bersi is that the restaurant proves you don’t have to serve meat to be the best. Bersi ranks high among the best Ethiopian restaurants in NYC. While there, participating in a traditional coffee ceremony is a must if you’re visiting on a Saturday.
- Location: Brooklyn
- Owners: Chef Bersabeh Ayele, AKA Bersi, Hailu Woldeselassie.
- Cuisine: Ethiopian
- Menu Spotlight: Kategna (toasted and crispy injera pieces), Engudaye Tibs (portobello mushrooms, veggies, and spices)
- Before you go: The restaurant accepts reservations.
Black Rican Vegan
Lyana Blount started Black Rican Vegan as a lockdown hobby during the pandemic, but it has evolved into much more. The pop-up, which started in the heart of the Bronx, serves traditional Puerto Rican dishes with a vegan spin. Because Blount is on a mission to spread the joy of vegan comfort food, you can find pop-ups beyond the Bronx, including other states such as Florida and Southern California.
- Location: The Bronx, Various
- Owner: Lyana Blount
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican
- Menu Spotlight: Vegan Mofongo, Chopped Cheese Egg Rolls, Sofrito, Frozen Empanadas
Before you go: Reservations are required. The restaurant is only open for catering, meal prep, and bulk frozen items.
Cadence
Once you taste the vegan comfort soul food from Chef Shenarri Freeman and Chef de Cuisine Yamil Comrie’s at Cadence, you will find yourself booking trips to New York City just for their restaurant. Chef Freeman has fully embraced veganism since 2017, making it her mission to create fun and indulgent vegan cuisine. She opened the doors of Cadence in 2021 and, since then, has been nominated for Two James Beard awards and is a Forbes 30 under 30 recipient. Chef Comrie joined her in 2023. She also opened her second restaurant, Ubuntu, in August 2023.
- Location: Manhattan
- Owner: Chef Shenarri Freeman
- Cuisine: Southern Vegan
- Menu Spotlight: Smoked Grits, Southern Fried Lasagna, Black-Eyed Pea Garlic Pancake, Roasted Purple Yams, Jerk Mac + Cheese
- Before you go: Dining at Cadence requires reservations in advance.
Greedi Vegan
Frustrated with Brooklyn’s lack of food diversity, Latisha Daring decided to try something new after dedicating more than 20 years to the fashion industry. She combined her customer service experience and passion to bring healthy food to the community. Her goal is to increase awareness about how we eat and how it contributes to our overall well-being while proving vegan food does not have to be tasteless and boring.
The first Greedi Vegan launched in 2018, and a second location was opened shortly after.
- Locations: Bed-Stuy
- Owner: Latisha Daring
- Cuisine: Southern
- Menu Spotlight: Greedi Soul Bowl, Mini Crab Cakes, Collard Greens, Cauliflower Po Boy
- Before you go: The restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Urban Vegan Kitchen
Urban Vegan Kitchen represents the beauty and diversity you can only find in a place like New York City. Pamela Elizabeth and David Tianga created a funky menu with class, as the entirely vegan menu celebrates culturally relevant comfort foods from all over the world. Prepare for a menu featuring everything from Korean BBQ wings and street-style vegan skewers to mushroom empanadas and more.
- Location: Manhattan
Owners: Pamela Elizabeth and David Tianga - Cuisine: Fusion
- Menu Spotlight: Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Dirty Green Quesadilla
- Before you go: Reservations can be made in advance.
Urban Dessert Lab
Two sisters created what has become known as the world’s first oat-milk ice cream shop. Courtney Balgrove and Zan B.R. were inspired to start the brand because they wanted more alternative ice cream options. The menu has many options, including salted pecan, mint chocolate chip, strawberry shortcake, and more.
Additional offerings include cakes, cookies, croissants, and tartés, all encased in carefully designed and tailored packaging.
- Location: Manhattan
Owners: Courtney Balgrove and Zan B.R - Cuisine: Oat-Milk Ice Cream
- Menu Spotlight: Coffee Waffle Crunch and Cinnamon Apple Crisp
- Before you go: Desserts can be shipped nationwide.
VeganHood
VeganHood is known as the best vegan fried chicken in New York City. Not only does the team have the best fried chicken, but they’re also known for quality service. Beyond its tasty vegan treats, the owners aim to ensure guests have a memorable dining experience with family and friends. VeganHood offers an array of vegan comfort food and authentic Caribbean food.
- Location: Manhattan
- Owners: Lanise Herman-Thomas and Janine Smalls
- Cuisine: Southern
- Menu Spotlight: Fried Chicken, Shrimp & Grits, Rasta Pasta
- Before you go: The restaurant accepts takeout orders.
Thanks to Black-owned vegan restaurants in New York City, visitors can taste diverse and flavorful options unlike elsewhere in the United States. Black-owned vegan restaurants make plant-based cuisine exciting, adventurous, and, most importantly, healthy. These restaurants and their owners are all proving that vegan food can be as unique and attention-worthy as anything else.
