5 Brooklyn Vegan Cafes We Love

Brooklyn is known for its vegan eateries. Just Googling “vegan cafes” pulls up a wide selection of red pins all across the borough, but how do you know which ones are the best? Or which vegan cheese won’t stick to the roof of your mouth? Don’t worry, we’ve picked our top five cafes — all tried and tested — to make the process easier.

Photo: LaurenQueen.com

1. Hartbreakers

Top of the list has to be Hartbreakers, located (you guessed it) on Hart Street in Bushwick. This retro-style cafe is the perfect combination of style and substance. It’s an ideal Instagram spot, plus the food is actually good. Pick up sandwiches, salads and a selection of fries throughout the day from the friendly staff and rest happily in the assurance that every single item on the menu is vegan (yay!). What’s more, their substitutes are shockingly good, especially their seitan, which features in a range of mock-meat dishes. 

We love the Early Morning Traffic Jam sandwich, made with seasoned tofu, seitan bacon, cheddar, sauteed kale and red pepper jam, or try the Dream On salad with crispy chickpeas, grilled merguez sausage, artichoke and pink couscous. Their waffle fries are also something special, which of course come drenched in the most delicious vegan cheese.

820 Hart St, Brooklyn, NY 11237

2. Amituofo Vegan Cuisine

Head to Bogart Street in East Williamsburg for the best pan-Asian vegan cuisine in Brooklyn. Amituofo is a 100-percent plant-based Asian-inspired restaurant and cafe with an amazing menu of convincing substitutes and vegetable dishes alike. The upmarket yet relaxed atmosphere is an ideal setting for lunch with friends or a weeknight dinner to yourself. 

Our favorite items on the menu are the fried tofu, which comes perfectly marinated, and the sauteed bok choy. Aside from this, you can get everything from cream cheese wontons to barbecue imitation pork at Amituofo. Insider tip: Amituofo is also available on delivery services like Uber Eats, so you don’t even have to leave your home to enjoy it!

19 Bogart St, Brooklyn, NY 11206

Photo: EcoRDN, HappyCow.net

3. Brooklyn Whiskers

If your sweet-tooth cravings are a struggle for your veganism, don’t despair. Brooklyn Whiskers, with locations in Bushwick and Greenpoint, has the best tasting pastries to keep you straight. They specialize in plant-based sweet and savory pastries, including croissants, scones, brownies and everything else you might be craving, as well as breakfast and lunch options like bagels and doughnuts. Of course, you can get a coffee to pair with your pastry, and they even make custom birthday and cupcakes for special occasions (or sweet-tooth emergencies).

760 Bushwick Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221

4. VSpot

This latin kosher vegan restaurant and cafe is a Brooklyn institution. Founded in 2006 in Park Slope, VSpot is known for its traditional Columbian dishes made vegan, including delicious vegan arepas and empanadas. VSpot Brooklyn is an ideal place to spend an afternoon or evening sampling the possibilities of what food can be with a little imagination. We love their weekend brunch, with tacos, scrambled tofu and vegan steak (and, of course, mimosas).

156 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

5. Screamer’s Pizzeria

Giving up pizza is one of the hardest things about becoming vegan, and giving up New York Pizza makes you a saint. Luckily, Screamer’s Pizzeria has you covered. With the best vegan cheese we’ve tasted, their pizzas really hit the spot. Try a pie or grab a slice with a range of toppings to choose from, including classic cheese, white, seitan sausage and seitan pepperoni. You can even make your own pizza, mixing and matching the all-vegan toppings to your heart’s content. Find Screamer’s Pizzeria at two locations in Greenpoint and Crown Heights for your answer to a cruelty-free New York Pizza experience.

620 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222

685 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238