17 cafes and restaurants in Singapore to head to for vegetarian or vegan food
With recommendations from actual vegetarians and vegans
With recommendations from actual vegetarians and vegans
Whether you're looking to focus on plant-based meals or just attempting to incorporate more greens into your diet, this list of vegetarian and vegan restaurants will do right by you. While there are many options all around Singapore, a little birdie has divulged that many great vegetarian and vegan food places can be found at and around Fortune Centre. So now you know.
If you’re one to keep up with the vegan community on YouTube, and have seen the myriad of vegan cafes in Australia and the US, you will be interested to know that Afterglow by Anglow will satisfy your craving for those types of vegetarian and vegan cafe meals. The adventurous can try the Raw Pizza or Raw Crispy Lasagne, while folks who prefer warm meals can go for the Cuban Burger which features a grilled black bean burger patty.
Authentic Korean food aren’t usually meat-free. However, The Boneless Kitchen has found a way to work vegetarianism into its menu. Pick the vegan Kimchi Mandu, for a plate of dumplings stuffed with over 15 ingredients. Then, try the Dolsot Bibimbap, a mixed rice bowl topped with plenty of shredded vegetables to mix into the crispy, semi-charred rice. The dishes may not seem particularly unorthodox, but trust this Korean vegetarian restaurant to make you a convert of meatless fares.
Vegetarian restaurant Elemen doesn’t stick to one particular cuisine. Instead, it focuses on the concept of a modernised vegetarian cuisine, or what Elemen dubs an earth diet. Hence, you’ll find a range of meals inspired by different cultures. There is the Tempura Tofu with Avocado Roll, Charcoal Noodle with Butter Cream Sauce, Calzone Pizza and Asian Curry with Crispy Roti. Elemen’s intentions to be environmentally conscious translates well into its menu.
Genesis, a cosy vegan restaurant was created with a singular vision in mind: to nourish locals with wholesome, healthy sustenance. And that’s exactly what they’ve done. An array of western and oriental mains and sides are available, such as the Brazil Nut Cilantro Pasta and Fish Head Vermicelli. Local favourites made vegan include Bakuteh Rice and Chicken Rice, so you can still enjoy Singaporean delights.
Opened by the people behind Zen, another Japanese vegetarian and vegan restaurant, Herbivore offers Japanese and Western vegetarian food. With the owner himself a vegetarian and the chef a Japanese, patrons can expect authentic Japanese vegetarian grub. Find vegetarian replicas of Japanese classics like sashimi and chicken Teriyaki.
This French-Japanese vegetarian restaurant only serves set lunches and dinners. It may not surprise you to know that Joie replaces meats with mushrooms, but the quality, texture and tastes will. Meat dishes turned vegetarian are incredibly alike to the original non-vegetarian items. One of the current offerings is the Grill Summer Mushroom Steak on “Pu-Ye” Hot Stone, and its uncanny how similar it tastes to a red meat steak.
Owned by the TungLok Group that heads numerous Chinese kitchens and restaurants in Singapore, LingZhi Vegetarian offers gourmet Chinese vegetarian cuisine. Instead of preparing the dishes with gluten, mock meats, artificial colouring and additives, find meals made with organic ingredients and fresh produce here. They’ve got two convenient locations too; one at Liat Towers and another at Novena’s Velocity.
Here’s another spot to check out for a mix of western and local mains. If it isn’t its name that will assure and remind you of a homely space, it’ll be its Scandi-inspired interior. There are different Asian eats for each of the weekdays, as well as their usual menu items. Can’t decide between the two cuisines offered? Asian fusion options are available too, like the TomYam Ocean Hot Pot Set, and the Sweet & Sour Nugget Rice Set.
For all your local favourites made vegetarian, turn to Nature Cafe. There are seafood-inspired mains like the Fish Slice Noodle, Cereal Butter Prawn and Curry Fish with Rice; but what’s more interesting is that the dishes are not only made without the use of MSG, but no garlic and onions too. Not sure if that omission has more to do with flavour or sustainability (or religion, even), but either way, you’ll leave Nature with fresh breath and a satisfied stomach.
Specialising in an unlikely combination of Mediterranean and Italian cuisine, Original Sin excels at creating tasty vegetarian eats from the two relatively different fares. Italian options include the Supremo Pizza and Spanakopita (a baked, mixed vegetable ratatouille with ricotta); Mediterranean appetisers are such as the Haloumi and Falafel salad. Make your own pizza if you please; Original Sin also has vegan cheese substitutes for regular cheeses.
Another modern vegetarian restaurant, Real Food has opened a couple of outlets at various locations all across Singapore, so vegetarians have a reliable option everywhere they go. The Veggie and Cheese Bagel Sandwich and Original Banana Pancakes make great breakfast meals while Real Food’s Fried Brown Rice resembles a comforting, home-cooked dish.
To experience a creative blend of ingredients, head to Sufood. The restaurant is unconventional, kicking things up a notch with fruits and vegetables. The Chickpea Rice Burger retains an appeal with a dragon fruit-flavoured rice patty on its top, and a black rice patty on its bottom. Another unique find in the menu is Sufood’s Star Pizza with Cream Cheese & Wasabi-Tomato Sauce, which looks as interesting as it tastes.
While Tea Villa Cafe is dedicated to vegetarian cuisine, the restaurant also readily accommodates vegan diners. With mains like Falafel Burger, Bombay Sandwich, Risotto Truffle Mushroom Sauce and Enchiladas, the restaurant definitely delivers a wide variety of flavours all in one space.
The well-known vegan fast food joint has a place on this list because of their best seller, the Creamy Shrooms burger and their side of broccoli. Slices of mushrooms bathed in a cream sauce come atop the fried meat-free patty for Creamy Shrooms; the crispy pieces of broccoli has a slightly salty, char-grilled taste to it which makes it a better choice than the seaweed fries.
Singapore’s first and only vegetarian restaurant to be awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand for four consecutive years, Whole Earth prides itself on being a Peranakan-Thai restaurant that serves flavourful plant-based dishes. You’ll definitely want to try the Penang Rendang, which substitutes shiitake mushrooms for beef, and Asam Pedas Vegetable, which is as spicy as they claim.