London has been named the most vegan-friendly city in the world for the second year in-a-row, with Berlin, New York and health-conscious Los Angeles coming in behind it.
London is home to 125 vegan restaurants, stalls, bakeries, cafes, smoothie bars and even a vegan cheese shop called La Fauxmagerie. Places like The Temple of Seitan, with their signature plant-based chicken, and burger chain Neat Burger have helped move meat-free dining into the mainstream in recent years. Not to mention ethnic favourites like Andu Cafe with its Ethiopian vegan cuisine and Mauritian and Caribbean-inspired restaurant Rogue Vegan. Perhaps then it's not surprising that for the second year running London has been named the world's most vegan-friendly city by online vegan restaurant guide Happy Cow.
When putting the list together, Happy Cow took three factors into account: its overall impression of a city's vegan-friendliness (backed up by its team of local ambassadors); the number of plant-based restaurants within the most vegan restaurant-dense five-mile radius of the city; and the number of restaurants with vegan and vegetarian options within that area.
With its incredibly diverse range of cuisines, New York is an excellent city for vegans and it was rated second on the list, boasting a respectable 111 vegan eateries within a five-mile radius of the city. Some of Happy Cow's particular favourites include P.S. Kitchen with its artisanal menu of small and large plates and the Vegan Food Court, which hosts vegan and wallet-friendly spaces under one roof. For a more upscale experience, Blossom, Avant Garden, and XYST were all noted for their great vegan fare. As well as eateries, Happy Cow also gives a shout out to New York's vegan shoe store Moo Shoes.
Coming in third was Berlin, noted for the "world-class vegan döner kebab" at Vöner der Vegetarische Döner, 1990 Vegan Living for its Vietnamese tapas-style dishes and Cafe Vux for its budget-friendly vegan menu. It was followed by Los Angeles, home to health-conscious celebrities and, according to Happy Cow, the world's first and only Cuban vegan restaurant, Equelecua Cuban Cafe.
Completing the top 10 list were Toronto, Warsaw, Bangkok, Tel Aviv, Portland and Prague. For a more detailed report, see here.
