Widely recognized as one of the top culinary destinations in the world, New Orleans is a wonderland for foodies, including those with restricted diets. Vegans fear not; while there are several vegan-only eateries here, you can also find a truly memorable vegan dining experience at a wide variety of restaurants. We’ve listed a few of our favorite spots below, but note that many New Orleans restaurants will do their best to accommodate vegans - especially with a little advance notice.
All-or-Mostly Vegan New Orleans Restaurants
As of this writing, every menu item at these places is vegan.
I-tal Garden
A local favorite, I-tal Garden serves up an impressive menu with options like crabless crab cakes and their I-tal plate with coconut curry black-eyed peas, Creole greens, crispy cauli-wings and cornbread.
Sweet Soulfood
Don’t let their cafeteria-style ordering setup fool you; everything behind the counter at Sweet Soulfood is delicious. Staples include their popular mac n’ cheese, jambalaya, collard greens, and okra gumbo, all of which are available most days of the week, but their weekly menu makes it easy to plan ahead for specials like eggplant lasagna on Tuesdays, BBQ cauliflower on Wednesdays, and stuffed bell peppers on Thursdays.
Small Mart
This mostly-vegan cafe in the Bywater has a nice selection of vegan bagels and vegan cream cheese as well as an aromatic curry and chaat bowl and more. Complete your order with a latte from Pond Coffee, located within Small Mart.
Breads on Oak
Nestled along Oak Street, this plant-based bakery and cafe is known for its wide selection of organic, artisan baked goods. Their all-day breakfast menu features housemade specials like the Pumpkin Cheddar Biscuit sandwich with a tofu scramble, as well as vegan andouille sausage and vegan quiches, while their sandwiches range from housemade burgers and their beloved Mighty Melt - a patty melt made of beetroot, mushrooms and soy protein and topped with vegan provolone, roasted tomatoes, roasted onions, and jalapenos. Don't sleep on their Muffanada, their vegan twist on the classic New Orleans muffaletta, served on an organic sesame levain roll and loaded with vegan italian ham, vegan bacon, vegan provolone, Perrone's & Sons Olive Salad, roasted tomatoes, and greens. Remember that this is a bakery, so you’re gonna want to save room for some of their amazing pastries like their stuffed brioche donuts.
Lamara Coffee & Kitchen
A beautiful little cafe tucked into a renovated century-old Mid-City house, Lamara was founded as an extension of the studio next door where stars like Eric Clapton, John Legend, Willie Nelson, Katy Perry, Mary J Blige, Common, and many others have recorded albums. Their West Coast-inspired menu is plant-based, health-focused, organic and full of color and flavor. Their all day eats include the vegan La Brea burrito with potato-poblano-chickpea hash, spinach, pico de Gallo, and chipotle mayo. Or check out their vegan Lamara burger made with a black bean, brown rice, and walnut patty, plus all the fixin's. They also have a serious selection of organic coffees and teas, and protein-packed superfood smoothies.
Good Catch Thai Urban Bistro
Good Catch Thai Urban Bistro combines casual fine dining with authentic Thai recipes, inspired by Louisiana’s bountiful Gulf, by Chef Aom of Pomelo and her team. Not only can many of their dishes be made vegan, they offer a whole menu of already vegetarian and vegan dishes for you to choose from! Enjoy Basil Fried Rice, Mushroom Krapow, Spicy Basil Eggplant, a variety of curries, and more.
Upscale New Orleans Restaurants with Vegan Options
Fancy dining doesn't exclude vegans at these restaurants.
Lilette
A beautiful, critically acclaimed uptown bistro specializing in award-winning French and Italian cuisine and impeccable service for over 20 years, Lilette has a daily vegan special on their menu that never disappoints.
Espíritu
Espíritu is a contemporary Mexican restaurant with two locations in New Orleans. They offer a variety of vegan menu items including cauliflower, mushroom tinga, and rajas tacos (three tacos: poblano, soyrizo, pickled onion, corn in a spicy verde salsa). Their tortilla soup is vegan without the queso fresco. Vegans can also enjoy appetizers like salsa and guacamole.
Saba
Several delicious vegan options grace the menu at Alon Shaya’s Uptown Mediterranean restaurant. While their melt-in-your-mouth fluffy house-made pita and hummus are worth the trip alone, starters like the lutenitsa, roasted beets, and tabouleh are a lovely way to kick off your meal, the broccoli salad and green salad are both excellent, and the shakshuka, sans eggs, delivers just the right amount of spice, and is perfect for dipping any pita that may miraculously still be on the table.
Commander’s Palace
Widely recognized as the grand dame of Creole cuisine and fine dining in New Orleans, vegans will be pleasantly surprised at this esteemed Garden District culinary landmark. Chef Meg Bickford and her talented kitchen staff will happily accommodate vegan requests with something spectacular that will have other diners asking their servers what you ordered.
LUVI
LUVI caters to the vegan community with a lovely selection of Chinese and Japanese dishes. Start with an appetizer, like the smashed cucumbers or Sunny Q cold noodles, before diving into the vegan lover dumplings with pan fried bok choy, mushrooms and green bean noodles, or the spicy stir-fried Napa cabbage with ginger and garlic.
Casual New Orleans Restaurants with Vegan Options
Enjoy a leisurely vegan meal at the following New Orleans restaurants.
The Daily Beet
Looking to start your day on a lighter note? Look no further than the Daily Beet. The Daily Beet serves a variety of cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and light breakfast bites. Try their house acai bowl topped with goji berries, coconut flakes and a drizzle of honey, or opt for something more savory with their avocado toast made with cherry tomatoes, sea salt and chili flakes. Their rainbow bowl, made with quinoa, avocado, carrot, beet, red bell pepper, scallion, chickpea, currant, toasted almond, and zesty ginger garlic dressing, is perfect for lunch.
Meals from the Heart Cafe
This French Market gem has vegan options for breakfast and lunch that have earned it nearly perfect reviews from customers. Chef Marilyn Doucette serves up delicious vegan versions of New Orleans classic dishes like gumbo, po-boys, and crab cakes, and according to their Facebook page, she “hand selects every ingredient, every day, [and] maintain[s] one of the cleanest kitchens in the industry, 98% of what you order [from the restaurant] is made from scratch.”
The Well Cafe at Spyre
Part of a beautiful health collective space in the Garden District that includes a meditation space, gym, pool, sauna, and health practitioners offering a number of services from Ayurveda and Acupuncture to Light, Sound, and Vibrational Therapy, the Well Café offers breakfast, antioxidant-rich fresh juices, soups, salads, and protein snacks, all of which are lovingly crafted with the idea that food is medicine.
Lilly’s Cafe
Vegan options abound at Lilly’s, a quaint Vietnamese cafe that’s built a strong local following with their friendly service and consistently excellent dishes. Their vegan pho, bahn mi, and garlic tofu over rice or vermicelli are all standouts, though meeting Lilly, who is there almost every day, is worth the trip alone.
Addis NOLA
This authentic Ethiopian restaurant loves catering to vegans, and its veggie combo is an out-of-this-world delicious assortment of perfectly prepared red lentils, collard greens, yellow split peas, beets, cabbage with green lentils, potatoes and carrots, served with injera. Owners Dr. Biruk Alemayhu and her son Prince will make you feel right at home. If you’re wondering why the place smells so wonderful, it’s because they roast their own coffee beans in house, in true Ethiopian tradition.
Bearcat Cafe
This popular breakfast and lunch spot offers the best of both worlds with its good and bad cat menus. While both equally delicious and freshly prepared, the good cat menu offers full flavor with no regret. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free menu items include pancakes, tofu scrambles, black bean sausage, ranchero and much more. Pair your meal alongside one (or a few) of their specialty bottled kombuchas, teas, lemonades, limeades, and cold brews.
Sneaky Pickle/Bar Brine
Although the menu has expanded to include some meat and non-vegan options, vegans still love this place for its fun and funky vibe and tasty comfort foods like vegan egg rolls stuffed with black rice, mushrooms and sweet chili aioli, a Reuben with smoked tempeh, creamy mac n cheese, and a daily bowl of food with rice, beans, and veggies. At night, the restaurant transforms into Bar Brine, with heartier mains and a wider selection of starters. They also have a truly excellent cocktail program, with one of the best martinis in town.
1000 Figs
It’s no surprise that 1000 Figs is incredibly popular, even in a town with so many great restaurants, this darling Mediterranean eatery nestled in New Orleans’ Esplanade Ridge neighborhood consistently gets everything right. You can pore over all the vegan options on the menu, but they’ve already done the work for you with their vegan falafel feast, which runs the (dinner) table with eight perfectly prepared falafel patties, hummus, baba ghanouj, pickled veggies, kale and cabbage salad, seasonal vegetables, tahini, zhoug, toum, and freshly baked bread.
Pagoda Café
This worker-owned breakfast and lunch spot is a delightful break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Located on Bayou Road, enjoy vegan options like tofu tacos, lemongrass tofu tacos, and a variety of coffee and tea beverages.
Barracuda
A funky, casual taco stand with plenty of outdoor seating, Barracuda is adored by locals who line up regularly to indulge in some of the tastiest tacos and margaritas in town. In addition to their farmer taco and veggie bowl, they’ve got a delicious mushroom taco and often feature a seasonal special, both of which can easily be veganized. You order at the counter, but the line moves quickly and the kitchen and service staff are exceptionally friendly. It’s also a great spot to bring kids.
La Macarena Pupuseria
Just steps from the St. Charles Streetcar line Uptown in the Riverbend neighborhood, La Macarena Pupuseria and Latin Cafe specializes in authentic Salvadoran and Latin American cuisine, and they’ve got an entire menu for vegans (with a couple vegetarian items). Good luck deciding what to order; one glimpse of their vegan tostadas, pupusas, tamales, salads, and bowls and you’ll want it all. Note the restaurant is cash-only, but they do have an ATM on site.
Slim Goodies
Hearty meets healthy at Slim Goodies. A classic diner, Slim Goodies prepares quintessential breakfast and brunch foods with a selection of plant-based adjustments. The Garden Slammer is a breakfast scramble served with hash browns and tofu Slimchili, and their black bean burger hits the spot for lunch.
Raw Republic
An ideal post-workout refresher or post-weekend detox, Raw Republic is a raw vegan cafe and wellness studio. No matter what you order here, chances are you’ll feel better and your body will thank you for it. Check out their impressive selection of cold-pressed juices, made-to-order superfood smoothies, and fresh breakfast bowls topped with house-made coconut buckwheat granola and activated pecan nut butter.
Vegan Pizza in New Orleans
Pizza is for everyone at these spots that cater to vegans.
Pizza Delicious
The name says it all. Pizza Delicious is just across the street from Crescent Park in the Bywater. It is loved by many not only for its delicious and ever-changing menu, but also for its wide range of dishes fit for any type of eater. Enjoy the vegan supreme pie or the vegan vodka sauce pizza. They also have seasonal vegan pasta, which at press time was their sinfully rich vegan rigatoni alla vodka (calabrian chili tomato sauce with house made almond cream, basil).
G’s Pizza
A pizza joint in New Orleans with its own vegan menu? We’re here for it. And we’re also here for not one, not two, but the FIVE vegan pizza options that grace their menu! A nice assortment of apps, salads, pasta, and burgers round out your choices but be warned, the pizza is amazing and filling. They also offer a vegan burger and vegan hummus with pita.
This is just a small taste of vegan dishes in New Orleans (see our full list here). Make sure to call ahead to any of our local restaurants and bakeries to ask about vegan-friendly options that may not be listed on their menu.