4 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

One of the most inspired vegetarian restaurants in the country, Dirt Candy shines thanks to chef Amanda Cohen, who knows how to coax every bit of flavor out of vegetables—which she has described as "candy from the earth"—so that they dazzle on the plate and the palate. There's just one five-course tasting menu every night, which might include signature dishes like the build-your-own Brussels sprouts tacos, the "Tower of Terroir" deconstructed salad, or the addictive and spicy Korean fried broccoli.

At this vegan and raw eatery just a few blocks north of Central Park, you won't be tempted to ask "Where's the beef?" Mother-and-son team Brenda and Aaron Beener take tasty comfort food staples and "veganize" them. For example, the raw lasagna consists of raw zucchini, spinach, cashew cheese, and marinara sauce; the barbecue riblets are a blend of lotus root and fermented soy; and the po'boy sandwich is made with fried yam or burdock root protein that mimics shrimp or crawfish, respectively.

Sisters Lanise and Janine first opened a plant-based ghost kitchen on 135th Street to help the community during the height of the pandemic, but their food quickly became so popular that they opened up a new restaurant in the heart of Restaurant Row. They put a vegan spin on classic soul food dishes with starters and entrées named after familiar NYC neighborhoods, like the Flatbush (a vegan oxtail dish doused in West Indian spices) or the Bed Stuy Shrimp Fry (crispy vegan prawns served with homemade tartar sauce). The snug, bright green interior, decked out with cascading faux-flowers and ferns, feels welcoming, but you can also opt to sit in the patio area in the front. Try the mami empanadas, made from scratch every day (they sell out quickly) or the Golden Oreo vegan pudding while you're there.