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Last Updated on March 5, 2024 by Lauren Melnick
Calling all plant-based lovers! Cape Town is the vegan mecca of South Africa.
Whether you’re living in Cape Town or visiting, you don’t need to worry about surviving on a salad or mixing a bunch of veg sides when you go out.
Throw a rock, and you’ll hit a vegan restaurant or vegan-friendly cafe with delicious, innovative options that’llkeep you coming back for seconds and thirds.
Ready to tuck in? Here are the best vegan restaurants in Cape Town!
Psst…Want more Cape Town travel tips? Check out these other posts:
- 10+ Best High Teas in Cape Town You Need to Try ASAP
- 15+ Amazing Airbnbs in Cape Town for Your Next Getaway
- 12 Secluded Cabins Near Cape Town That Are Perfect for Escaping Reality
- 15+ Irresistible Day Trips from Cape Town
- 10+ Affordable Restaurants in Cape Town with a View
Table of Contents
- Plant
- Maharajah Pure Vegetarian Cuisine
- Bamboo Plant Power
- Scheckter’s Raw
- Honest Chocolate Cafe
- Madama Taitou
- The Poke Co
- Oh My Avo
- Unframed Ice Cream
- Fat Cactus
- The Sunshine Food Sprouting Co
- Nourish’d
- Wild Sprout
- Our Local on Kloof
- Plushi
Plant
With all the vegan options on this list, it might be overwhelming to decide where to go first. I recommend starting your vegan gastronomy journey at Plant Cafe. Situated in Camps Bay, Plant is a 100% gourmet vegan restaurant in Cape Town.
Its menu is filled with tasty smoothies, a range of main meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus an assortment of freshly baked desserts.
Plant also makes its own dairy-free cheese, eggless mayo, tasty mushroom biltong, and smokey tempeh bacon.
What to Eat
- Mexican Mash-Up
- Potato and Cashew Curry
- Spicy Mushroom Rice Paper Roll
- Vegan Cottage Pie
- Vegan Lasagne
Read More: 20+ Most Instagrammable Places in Cape Town
Maharajah Pure Vegetarian Cuisine
Maharajah Restaurantis one of the best vegan-friendly restaurants in Cape Town. Serving up delectable Indian cuisine from R120.00 for a main meal, it’s a budget-friendly plant-based option tucked away in Rondebosch or Tamboerskloof.
The menu at Maharajah is jaw-dropping.
The curry menu alone offers a range of options. It’s possible to come here every day and be able to try something different.
One thing to be aware of is that Maharajah does not serve alcohol, but they do have one of my all-time favourite drinks that I lived off in India – Mango Lassi!
What to Eat
- Chilli Bites
- Mango Lassi
- Vegetable Korma
- Mix Veg Curry
Bamboo Plant Power
Bamboo Plant Power is a 100% vegan restaurant in Cape Town with a naughty twist.
If you’re not in the mood for a buddha bowl, swap it out for some mouthwatering vegan junk food. Start your morning off with an Egg Cheeze Muffin or reward yourself after a challenging week with their vegan caramel cheesecake.
…And that’s not all.
Bamboo also offers gluten-free options for almost everything on its menu.
What to Eat
- Miso Caramel Pecan Pie
- Avocado and Mozzarella Toast
- Mexican Bowl
- Carrot Hot Dog
- Buffalo Wings
Scheckter’s Raw
Scheckter’s Raw is serves some of the best vegan food in Cape Town. Its team of chefs whip up unique plant-based treats and main meals that you won’t find anywhere else in the city.
Hop onto their Instagram page, and you’ll see the insane amount of detail they put into creating beautiful dishes that look as good as they taste.
My favourite part of their menu is their guilt-free desserts! Do not miss the opportunity to indulge in their decadent Snickers Smoothie or Bar!
What to Eat
- Vegan Scrambled Eggs
- Pumpkin Pie Flapjacks
- Poke Bowl
- Falafel Wrap
- Trump Dog
- Snickers Smoothie & Bar
Honest Chocolate Cafe
If you are looking for something sweet head on over to Honest Chocolate Cafe. It’s a small chocolate dessert cafe on Bree street that specialises in vegan and non-vegan desserts.
There’s also a secret gin bar at the back!
Besides coming here for a sugar fix, it’s also a great cafe to spend an hour or two catching up on some work. The WiFi is fast, the coffee is strong, and you can slowly work your way down the list of the best vegan desserts in Cape Town.
What to Eat
- Bon-bon truffles tasting board
- Honest dark chocolate cake
- Banana Bunny Chow
- Iced Chocolate Milk
- Salted Caramel Tart
Read More:
Madama Taitou
Madame Taitou consistently serves up some of the best vegan Ethiopian food in the city. Located in the heart of Cape Town’s CBD, the restaurant is beautifully decorated and serves up an authentic cuisine experience.
Their menu splits up their dishes into vegan, vegetarian, and non-vegetarian, making it easy to choose the perfect meal for your diet.
If you can’t decide, I recommend going with one of the platters. It will give you a chance to taste a little bit of everything, and there’s a good chance you’re going to have leftovers.
What to Eat
- Vegan Platter
- 3 Course Set Vegan Menu
- Shimbera Asa Wot
- Kek Alicha
The Poke Co
The latest food trend to hit Cape Town is poke bowls. There are quite a few restaurants that have sprung up over the last couple of months, but my favourite is The Poke Co.
I will always order a bowl from them if I’m near Loop Street or close enough to get one via Uber Eats.
My favourite thing on their menu is the option to build your own bowl.
My vegan bowl usually includes: Sticky rice, tofu, toasted almond flakes, house shoyu, carrots, edamame, pickled ginger, mung bean sprouts, avocado, and pineapple.
What to Eat
- Poke Burrito
- Build Your Own Bowl
- The Garden Gate Bowl
Oh My Avo
Okay, Oh My Avo isn’t technically a vegan restaurant in Cape Town. It’s a pop-up shop that you’ll find at the city’s top food markets at the Old Biscuit Mill and Oranjezicht.
But it deserves a spot on this list because it’s that good.
The only thing on the menu is avo on toast, but if you take a quick glance at their Instagram, you’ll see it’s not as basic as it sounds. The travelling avocado bar designs beautiful slices of toast and throws on a ton of delicious toppings.
My favourite option at the moment is their cranberry and balsamic vinegar option. It’s usually made with feta, but you can ask them to leave any dairy products off when you place your order.
Unframed Ice Cream
The thing I miss the most since becoming vegan is ice cream. Unlike other parts of the world, getting hold of ice cream that isn’t glorified sorbet has been tough.
But things are slowly starting to change in Cape Town. Unframed is an artisanal ice cream shop that offers three vegan flavours every day.
The flavours are continuously changing, and vegans aren’t limited to “coconut” or “vanilla”. My personal favourite is their salted caramel, and you can also add a whole bunch of delicious toppings!
Fat Cactus
If there’s one vegan-friendly restaurant in Cape Town that I don’t shutup about, it’s Fat Cactus. I make a point to go there every time I get back home from a trip.
How did Fat Cactus steal my heart? By offering vegan cheese substitutes!
You can enjoy authentic Mexican dishes like enchiladas, nachos, and quesadillas guilt free! With three branches around Cape Town, beautiful decor and jugs of margaritas, it’s a great place to visit with a group of friends for a big dinner or lunch.
What I usually do is order a bunch of different plates and do a tapas-style meal. With so many good things on the menu, it’s a delicious way to try all their vegan food at once!
What to Eat
- Grilled Veg Mexicana Fajita
- The Vegan Tacos
- Grilled Veg Mexicana Burrito
- Grilled Veg Enchilada
- Frozen Mangorita
The Sunshine Food Sprouting Co
The Sunshine Food Sprouting Co Vegan Café is a tiny vegan cafe on Main Road, Sea Point. Filled to the brim with fresh fruit and vegetables, this is the perfect place to grab fresh juice and a bite to eat!
Although the menu is small in size, it more than makes up for in flavour.
From scrumptious sprouts to cultured lemon sauce, you can’t go past the cafe’s renowned vegan burger! Head into the cafe on your lunch break or grab a bite on uber eats
What to Eat
- Cafe’s Renowned Vegan Burger
- Bunless Burger
- Veggie Ritto
- Citrus Royale Smoothie
Nourish’d
Listen.
Nourish’d has incredible vegan food, but the service is slow.
Come here when you have time to spare, not when you’re in a rush.
With that out of the way, let’s dive into the food.
Nourish’d is a plant-based cafe and juicery, Sign up for one of their juice cleanse programs to restore balance to your gut and improve your digestion.
On the cafe side, you’re spoilt for choice.
Expect delicious smoothie bowls, toasted sandwiches, waffles, bowls and organic fair-trade coffee.
My go-to? The Moonshine Bowl or Matcha Waffles.
What to Eat
- Making Me Cacao Smoothie Bowl
- Sultry Salmxn Bagel
- Jack Me Off Burger
- Cauli Me Burrito
Wild Sprout
Wild Sprout is a vegan-friendly cafe in Kenilworth and a grocery store. While you wait for your delicious plant-based meal, browse the fresh produce, dairy and meat alternatives, and add some snacks to your pantry back home.
If I lived closer to Kenilworth, I’d probably spend the bulk of my salary here. The food is incredible, the coffee is a solid 10/10, and the vibes are immaculate.
For those with food intolerances or on a strict diet, Wild Sprout’s menu has icons for gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, refined sugar-free, and banting. The menu also states where you can turn a non-vegan meal into a vegan one and any allergens.
Besides the menu, it’s a remote worker haven. Grab a table outside in the shade, and you can easily spend a couple of hours here getting a solid chunk of work done.
What to Eat
- Vegan Breakfast Croissant
- Hemp Jacks
- Vegan Club Sarmie
- Wild-Mex Bowl
- Superfood White Hot Chocolate
- Fig and Pecan Loaf
Our Local on Kloof
Our Local is my go-to vegan-friendly bunch spot in Cape Town. Located on bustling Kloof Street and tucked away in an unsuspecting corner is a room full of plants, antiques, and the best vegan shakshuka in the city.
The only downside?
Our Local is a busy spot, and the vegan options are limited.
If you want to come here for dinner, put in a reservation. Brunch is equally busy, so get here early!
Another thing that’s unique about Our Local is the seating. While some of the tables are separate, there is also a communal dining experience. It’s a wonderful way to meet new people, especially if you come here as a solo traveller or remote worker.
Plushi
Ever had plant-based sushi?
What about vegan sushi in a bento box you can take to the beach?
Well, that’s what you can expect from Plushi and then some.
While it’s not a traditional brick-and-mortar vegan restaurant in Cape Town, it’s a unique way to experience the city’s plant-based food scene.
Browse the online menu, build your box, and take it with you to one of Cape Town’s beautiful beaches.
The cherry on top?
This is no ordinary vegan sushi.
Nay nay.
You’re not ordering basic avocado maki. You’re ordering beautiful creations like a “salmon” rose made from carrot or a bok choy crunch. Plushi’s delicious twist on the traditional California Roll.
If you’re an adventurous eater, order the mystery roll of the month.
What are your favourite vegan restaurants in Cape Town? Hit me up in the comments below, I’d love to go check them out!
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Eating vegan in Cape Town has never been easier or more delicious! Here are the best vegan restaurants in town to get your ethical eats fix!
