What I Ate in Philadelphia as a Vegan

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I personally love to scour a city in search for vegan options, but I know that some people much prefer to have an organized list available to them – which is why I have decided to log my travel eats on my website! I’m not a food critic, but I am a vegan foodie who likes to eat wholesome, plant-based food, plus an occasional treat or two. If that sounds like you, I would highly recommend you read further!

Note: these are all of the restaurants that I visited during my recent visits to Philadelphia, however I probably have not visited every single vegan establishment in any given city. If you are a local or have your own vegan-friendly suggestion, please let me and others know in the comments below! I would also suggest checking out Happy Cow online for a list of all vegan and veg-friendly establishments.

Bar Bombón ($$)

My friends and I visited Bar Bombón for Brunch on a Saturday. This 100% vegan establishment serves food with a Latin flair and has items such as empanadas, arepas, and more! Unfortunately the dining space is quite small and we did have to wait a while for our food (I would suggest making a reservation), but when it did finally come out, we were pleasantly surprised! I shared a stack of fluffy pancakes with pecans, maple syrup, and molasses PLUS the breakfast Huarache, which is a fried corn masa topped with tofu scramble, caramelized onion, maitake mushrooms, and a salsa roja sauce — aMAzing!

V Street ($$)

V Street is a cozy bar and kitchen that serves a variety of plant based food from around the world. They specialize in small plates, so most people order 2-3 items for a complete meal – I think this would be a great spot to go with a group of friends, that way you can try everything 🙂 I really enjoyed the grilled shishito peppers, and the cauliflower 65 is also great! The menu changes seasonally, but you can definitely expect a treat any time of year. Don’t forget to save room for dessert!

Vedge ($$-$$$)

A fine-dining restaurant with a casual, relaxed feel that celebrates the beauty of plants — now that is not something you see every day! My dinner at Vedge was easily my favorite meal in all of Philly. Like it’s sister restaurant VStreet, Vedge also focuses on small plates or “tapas” style dishes. It’s easy to tell that each plate is thoughtfully composed and presented; everything I tasted was an almost perfect balance of texture, flavor, and color. However, if for some reason you can only order one thing, you totally have to get the Rutabaga Fondue; there’s a reason why it’s the restaurant’s most popular dish.  (Note: they also have an oil free menu if you ask for it!)

Kawaii Kitty Café ($)

Have you ever heard of a “Cat Café?” If I am not mistaken, they are very popular in Japan — they are essentially, as the name would imply, cafés full of cats (so you can sip on your latte and get some cuddle time in too). Kawaii Kitty Café is a little bit different though – they teamed up with the Philadelphia Animal Wellfare Society, and all of the 9 cats that they house are available for adoption! While the café itself is not 100% vegan, they have a lot of options on their menu, including nut milks for your coffee or matcha, soup, and even vegan donuts. Just an FYI: You have to reserve your “play time” with the kitties ahead of time, but the non-cat part of the café is always open to visitors.

Blackbird Pizzeria ($-$$)

This entirely vegan pizza joint has been around before veganism was even a “social media trend.” With a semi-open kitchen, alt music oozing out of the speakers, and dark wooden tables dinged with time, Blackbird Pizzeria has a laid-back feel and would be a great spot to casually hang out with friends while you grab a bite to eat. You can order a slice of the pre-made pizzas they have in the window display, or create a pie of your own! They also make their own seitan wings — the Rootbeer BBQ flavor was my favorite.

Also Recommended: HipCityVeg

I didn’t have time to make it out here myself, but have only heard positive things about this restaurant! They focus on veganized, fast-casual food and apparently make a mean Philly Cheesesteak. They also have banana ice cream on their dessert menu!

About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. I absolutely love Vedge. One of the reasons I was okay with moving near the Philly area (always a New Yorker in my soul). I had no idea they had an oil free menu. Did you happen to take a look at said menu? You’re absolutely right about the fondue! Absolute favorite on the menu and I’m typically the one to say the dessert is usually the best when I eat out. Cool to know that you were hanging out in the city!

    1. I actually found out about the oil-free menu after I ate my dinner, so unfortunately I don’t know much about it either! I guess I’ll just have to come back and check out out, right? haha 😉 You’re lucky you live close by!

  2. I am going to Philadelphia very soon and non of my family is vegan so this is really helpful for me to have to show them that there are plenty easy vegan options! Thank you so much!!

  3. I love your travel posts! Could you do something similar for Miami–I know you go to school there, but it would be cool to get an insider’s perspective on the best vegan eats in the city 🙂

    1. I definitely can! I haven’t gone to all of the vegan spots yet actually because I usually cook at home / don’t have a lot of free time, but I will certainly get around do it 🙂