If you’re a vegan or vegetarian visiting our fair Mother City, you deserve to have your dining and lifestyle needs catered to. It’s great news then that Cape Town has a growing vegan and vegetarian community, that is not only health conscious but environmentally conscious as well. The CBD and surrounds is home to a collection of excellent vegan eateries, and even better, many of them deliver to your door! But it would be a shame to pass up on eating out at these stylish establishments.
Sea Point’s Regent Street is home to a serene but buzzing eatery that prides itself on serving raw, organic and vegetarian cuisine. Serving plant-based and nutrient-loaded healing food, cold-pressed juices, organic coffees and teas, while focusing on dairy/sugar/gluten-free treats for your sweet tooth, Scheckter’s Raw is set on catering to your lifestyle.
Ice cream is often luxury vegans don’t have access to. But fret not! Myog in town offers multiple vegan frozen yoghurt options, a range of flavours to sate your cravings. And since they are 98% fat-free, you can do so without any guilt! Myog is one of the few ice-cream locations that offer cruelty-free desserts, and their vegan yoghurts are a big hit with the locals.
With a focus on organic vegan eating, Spirit Cafe stays as close to the source as possible, serving seasonal dishes. Eating healthy has never been easier, and they welcome non-vegan/vegetarian guests to dine with them. Their venues in Constantia and Dunkley Square offer salad buffets where patrons have a choice of seasonal delicious dishes, with some a la carte options.
If you’re looking for a unique vegan experience you’ll seldom find somewhere else, we recommend visiting Addis in Cape. An authentic Ethiopian restaurant, they showcase the rich culture, history and flavour of Ethiopian cuisine and culture in their traditional stews, salsas and other spicy dishes. They are proud to serve vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes, offering their vast range of spicy, aromatic dishes to a broad audience.
Even the most health-conscious vegan just wants to enjoy some fast food sometimes. Fried, battered, and juicy, it’s perfectly fine to enjoy it! If you’re having a craving, Lekker Vegan caters to all your junk food needs but makes them better and cruelty-free. Nuggets, burgers, fries, gatsby’s, wraps and soft-serve ice cream, you can tuck into these dishes late into the evening on weekends after you’ve been partying it up, with their restaurant on Harrington street open till 3 AM on weekends, 10 PM on weekdays.
In contrast, if you’re looking for raw, organically sourced superfoods, Raw and Roxy are dedicated to healthy raw eating, providing you with a means to rejuvenate your body through detoxing and nutrition. Visit their venue on 38 Hout Street and order their detox boxes, stock up on healthy supplies, and order your favourite raw dish or salad. Feel free to ask the owner, Beatrice, anything you wish to know about raw and healthy eating, and she’ll provide you with powerful insight on what’s all about and what it’s done for her and others.
If you suffer from any food intolerances, vegan or not, then you can find your safe haven at Plant, a 5-star vegan restaurant in the CBD. With mushroom burgers, pasta, bowls, tapas and hotdogs, all your delicious comfort foods are on hand with the reassurance that it’s organic, healthy, and cruelty-free. Plant also dedicates a percentage of its profits to charities for animals and people alike, meaning your money goes to a good cause.
For freshly pressed fruit juices, Orchard On Long in town provides organic, fresh fruit juices and boosters to get you through the day. Hydraulic plates are used to squeeze every drop from the fresh fruit without damaging or compromising the vitamins, minerals and enzymes found within, ensuring you get everything there is to get out of your drink. They also sell healthy snacks and lunches with a focus on vegan eating.
If you’re craving cruelty-free, healthy chocolate, Honest Chocolate on Wale street offers raw-cacao treats and baked treats, savoury dishes and more. Their chocolates are 100% vegan, with 60% of their baked dishes being vegan friendly. What makes their chocolates good for you is that they’re all made from unroasted cocoa beans. Roasting fills the cocoa with sugar, but unroasted beans are full of antioxidants. Full of nutrients, there are no preservatives or artificial flavours to be found in their dishes.
For vegetarians and vegans looking for the comforting tastes of India, Maharajah Vegetarian Restaurant in Rondebosch offers to die for Indian cuisine that has proven wildly popular even amongst non-vegans/vegetarians. All their dishes are vegetarian, with vegan options allowing any dish to be vegan, and they can be delivered straight to your door.
For a unique dining experience catered to vegetarians and vegans, Babylon Theatre Cafe offers a cruelty-free dinner with a show, with performances in the evenings. Not only do they have an extensive menu of cheap and cheerful Mediterranean-fusion dishes, but they also offer a broad range of hookah flavours, allowing you to savour these unique flavours at your table. It’s a taste adventure in a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
With such a broad range of vegan and vegetarian eateries, as well as many more that are vegan and vegetarian friendly, there is no shortage of places to cater to your lifestyle needs. During your stay take a trip around Cape Town to taste all the dishes these amazing places have to offer, making them a highlight of your stay. Many Capetonians are in touch with nature, making these eateries one of a kind.
