Top 4 Vegan-Friendly Cities in China
China is famed for its food culture and incredibly diverse dining options. However, is it easy to travel in China as a vegan or vegetarian?
The answer is absolutely yes! China is for sure friendly to vegans and surprisingly full of vegan eats. In fact, China has a long history of vegetarianism because of the influence of Buddhist and Taoist diet. Except for the religious practices, more and more people turn to meat-free diet to keep healthy, to be environmentally friendly, and to be of a fashion statement.
Thanks to that, plant-based restaurants offering delicious meals have been popping up everywhere in China. In this post, you’ll discover the best destinations in China for vegans and vegetarians along with some of the best places to try veggie-only meals in each destination.
Warm Note:
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, please call ahead as hours, seating and availability may change, and places may be closed.
Shanghai
Shanghai is a hyper-modern metropolis and China’s financial hub. It’s the most vegan-friendly city in China mainland with a wide variety of vegan restaurants and eateries, from high-end fine dining to down-to-earth Buddhist canteens. And more and more delicious vegetarian restaurants are opening as well. Here are an inspiration of some of the best vegetarian restaurants in Shanghai:
If Vegan
This is an all-vegan restaurant serving both Chinese and Western dishes, including Mexican and Italian options like pizza and pasta. Menus are with pictures and English description. English speaking staff is available.
Vegetarian Lifestyle
Vegearian Life Style is also known as Jujube Tree (a direct translation of its Chinese name) or Zaozi Shu (its Chinese pinyin). It specializes in mock meat dishes made from tofu, seitan, or yam. Menu has English and pictures of dishes. It has become a small chain in Shanghai now.
Godly
Founded in 1922, Godly is the most historical vegetarian restaurant in Shanghai accordingly, serving a wide range of veggie-friendly versions of traditional Chinese dishes and mock meat. Menu in both Chinese and English. Staff can speak some English. The branch on Nanjing West Road is the most popular one.
Hui Yuan Sushi Fang
Hui Yuan is a no-frills local vegetarian restaurant with meat-free Shanghainese classics and home-style dishes. Menu has English. NO English speaking staff.
Fu He Hui
Fu He Hui is a upscale vegetarian fine dining restaurant with vegetarian and vegan cuisine. It does set menus with seasonal ingredients and artful plating. Fu He Hui has held a Michelin star since 2017. Make sure to make reservation in advance.
Beijing
Beijing, the capital and the cultural hub of China, also has a great number of vegetarian and vegan eateries. There is also an vegetarian village called Xianmendong (Fairy Cave) in Changping District. Xianmendong Village has the tradition of eating vegan since ancient times, currently with 9 vegetarian-friendly Nong Jia Le (local farmers owned restaurants owned by local rural residents providing home-cooked meals). Check out some of the top vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Beijing:
Vege Tiger
Vege Tiger is a small chain with several branches across Beijing. This one in Qianmen is by far the only branch providing vegan all-you-can-eat buffet with a copious amount of delicious options. Most of the dishes have English translation, but the staff don’t speak English. There are plenty of seating, but the place can get crowded at mealtimes.
Tianchu Miaoxiang
Tianchu Miaoxiang is a well-established meat-free restaurant in Beijing serving an extensive veggie menu at very reasonable prices. Some dishes might be oily. English menu is available, but the staff don’t speak English. They also have a branch in the Tsinghua Science Park.
Blossom Vegetarian
Blossom Vegetarian operates several branches in Beijing. This one in Dongcheng won the MICHELIN Plate award, offering veganized signature dishes from around the world like the vegetarian Spanish paella. They provide an iPad to order dishes with pictures and descriptions in English.
Pure Lotus
If money isn’t a bother, Beijing has high-end vegetarian fine dining. Pure Lotus is a famed fancy vegetarian restaurant making vegan cuisine with seasonal ingredients in attractively photogenic presentation. Normally it offers set menu starting from 2,000 to 3,000 per person.
Vege Wonder
Vege Wonder is another fine dining option for vegetarian diners in Beijing. Awarded One MICHELIN Star, Vege Wonder offers creative vegetarian dishes with beautiful food presentation, making the most of the natural flavor of vegetables, rather than fake meat. It only serves set menus.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a true food paradise with a large variety of international cuisines and many Michelin-starred restaurants. And Hong Kong citizens consume more meat per capita than anywhere else,according to Euromonitor International.
You may be surprised to find out that Hong Kong actually has approximately 2.5 million vegetarians, including vegans and semi-vegetarians. And there are about 300 plant-based restaurants and eateries in Hong Kong. See some of the best vegetarian restaurants for you to go veg without sacrificing on flavor.
Chi Lin Vegetarian
Chi Lin Vegetarian is a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant offering Buddhist meals with low oil, sugar and salt. It’s set behind a waterfall in Nan Lian Nunnery Garden and enjoys calming views of the cascading waterfall outside. The minimum charge is HK$120 per person at lunch, HK$150 for dinner. Pre-booking is recommended.
MANA! (SoHo)
MANA is an eco-friendly vegetarian eatery offering wholesome plant-based food and operating at zero food waste. It features a vegan, vegetarian, raw and gluten-free menu and has huge range of fillings for wrap and burger.
Treehouse
Treehouse is a fast-casual eatery serving a good range of healthy vegan and vegetarian burgers, flatbreads, salads, and desserts. You can customize the wraps and bowls to create your own combo.
VEDA
Winner of 2019’s Foodie Forks Best Green Eats Editor’s Choice award, VEDA is the first hotel restaurant in Hong Kong to serve only vegetarian cuisine, operating from breakfast to dinner. The all-day dining menu features a fusion of Asian and Western flavors.
Lockcha (Hong Kong Park)
A trip to Hong Kong would not be complete without some dim sum. Thanks to Lockcha Tea House, vegans and vegetarians don’t have to miss out the classic Cantonese delicacies filled with culture. The only requirement is that each customer must order their own pot of tea.
Taipei
In 2016, Taipei was named the most vegan-friendly city in Asia by PETA Asia. In 2017, CNN listed Taipei as one of 10 best cities for vegans. With hundreds of plant-based dining options from holes-in-the-wall and vegan street food snacks to grand vegetarian buffets and Michelin-starred fine dining, Taipei is a true haven for veggies. We’ve listed some of the best places to eat vegetarian food in Taipei:
Ooh Cha Cha (Tech)
Ooh Cha Cha is the first plant-based café in Taipei and 100% vegan, serving up simple, fresh and healthy vegan diet, including rice bowls, burgers, sandwiches, raw desserts and green smoothies. Their vegan food don’t use dairy, refined sugars, or refined oils. English speaking staff is available. They also have a branch on Nanchang Road.
Hoshina (Da'an District)
Hoshina is one of Taipei’s most popular spot for udon noodles for vegetarians and meaters alike. Except for authentic Japanese vegan food, Hoshina also serves a few Taiwannese variants like Ma Po Tofu. Free tea is provided. There’s also a location in Songshan District.
Vege Creek (Yanji St)
Vege Creek is Taiwan’s second largest vegan restaurant chain after Loving Hut. You can pick and choose all your ingredients (vegetables, tofu, kelp, noodles, etc.) up front and the staff cooks them in a traditional broth brew of Chinese medicinal herbs, salt and pepper. Or have your order served dry.
Fruitful Food (Mingyao Department Store)
Fruitful Food is a upscale vegetarian buffet chain mentioned by CNN on the list of best cities for vegans in the world we mentioned before. Though it’s not an all-vegan restaurant, Fruitful Food provides a large array of vegan options. And everything is clearly marked in Both Chinese and English.
Mianto
Mianto is a cozy award-winning vegan eatery hidden in a small alley. It serves up delicious fusion vegan cuisine like pasta and pizza with strong western and Italian influence and uses natural non-GMO ingredients. Mianto provides lunch, dinner and afternoon tea.
Taste Authentic Vegetarian Food with Easy Tour China
Above is just the top cities in China for eating veggies. It’s possible to find vegetarian meals in almost every city all over China. Take a look at these handpicked vegetarian tours for inspiration:
Or you can contact us to customize your own vegetarian tour itinerary.