On 19 May 2026, Planta — the plant-based restaurant group that helped make vegan dining fashionable in Toronto — closed both of its Toronto restaurants, in Yorkville and on Queen Street, after a bankruptcy restructuring, and turned its attention to the United States. Rosalinda, the vegan Mexican restaurant that topped many “where to eat” lists a few years ago, has closed too. That is the first thing to know if you are searching for the vegan restaurants Toronto is known for: many of the lists online are out of date, and some of the most famous names on them are gone. The good news is that the city’s plant-based scene is in better health than those closures suggest — it has simply moved into smaller, independent kitchens and into the cuisines that have always been mostly vegetarian.
This page covers the vegan and vegetarian restaurants that were trading in October 2026, from a reservations-only tasting menu to Malaysian-Chinese comfort food on Ossington, plus Kensington Market’s plant-based cluster, the naturally vegetarian cuisines worth seeking out, and how to eat well as a vegan anywhere in the city. Prices are in Canadian dollars and were checked in October 2026; restaurants in this category open and close more often than most, so check before you travel across town for one.
Vegan and Vegetarian Toronto at a Glance
| If you want… | Go to | Area | Menu |
|---|---|---|---|
| A plant-based tasting menu for a special night | Avelo | Near Yorkville | Plant-based |
| Vegetarian Italian the Michelin Guide recommends | Gia | Dundas St W | Vegetarian |
| A plant-based Italian diner and brunch | Stefano’s Diner | Dundas St W | Plant-based |
| Upscale vegan small plates | Hawker | Kensington Market | Vegan |
| Malaysian and Chinese vegan comfort food | Fat Choi | Ossington | Vegan |
| Classic Chinese dishes, all plant-based | Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant | Chinatown | Vegan |
| A new neighbourhood favourite in the east end | La Vegan | The Danforth | Vegan |
| South Indian dosas and thalis | Udupi Palace | Gerrard India Bazaar | Vegetarian |
| Vegan and gluten-free baking | Bunner’s Bakeshop | Kensington Market | Vegan |
| Vegetarian ramen | Ramen Isshin | College St | Vegetarian options |
“Vegetarian” restaurants may use dairy and eggs; vegans should check individual dishes. Prices are before 13% HST and a tip — see our Toronto tipping guide.
The Closures You Need to Know About
Before you plan a meal around an online list, check it against these. All of them still appear in guides and blog posts, and all of them will leave you standing outside a dark window.
- Planta — both Toronto locations, Yorkville and Queen Street, closed permanently on 19 May 2026 after bankruptcy filings. The company is concentrating on the United States.
- Rosalinda — the vegan Mexican restaurant on Richmond Street West has closed.
- Vegetarian Haven — the long-running Baldwin Street restaurant closed in 2019 and still turns up in older lists.
- Kupfert & Kim — the gluten-free, plant-based bowl chain has changed its branch list. Its locations page marks the Yorkville shop at 55 Avenue Road as moved and lists 140 Spadina Avenue, 100 King Street West and 181 Bay Street; check before you go.
The pattern is telling. Large, expensive, high-rent vegan restaurants have struggled, while small independents and restaurants rooted in naturally plant-based cooking — Chinese Buddhist, South Indian, Ethiopian — have kept going. The best vegan eating in Toronto today mostly follows that second path.
How to check a restaurant is still open
Because closures in this category are so common, it is worth thirty seconds of checking before you cross the city. Look at the restaurant’s own Instagram or website for posts in the last few weeks; check that recent Google or Yelp reviews mention a visit in the last month or two; and if you are making a special trip, phone. A listing marked “temporarily closed” for months is usually permanent. Local food sites such as blogTO add a “closed” banner to their restaurant pages when a place shuts, which makes them a quick cross-check.
Plant-Based Fine Dining
Avelo
Avelo is the most ambitious plant-based restaurant in the city: a small, reservations-only dining room near Yorkville where chef Fernando Anrango cooks five- and eight-course tasting menus. Prices depend on the night. In 2026 the eight-course menu is $135 per person on Friday and Saturday and $115 on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; the five-course menu is $85 on Friday and Saturday and $70 on the other nights. Wine pairings are optional.
Those midweek prices make Avelo one of the better-value tasting menus in Toronto, plant-based or not. Verdict: the restaurant to book for an anniversary or a celebration when someone at the table is vegan — and good enough that the meat-eaters will not feel they have made a sacrifice. Book well ahead, and go midweek if you can.
Gia
Gia, at 1214 Dundas Street West, is a vegetarian Italian restaurant that the Michelin Guide recommends, which tells you how seriously it takes its cooking. Expect full-flavoured pastas and Italian plates rather than anything that tastes like a compromise. It takes reservations through Tock. Verdict: the best vegetarian dinner in the city for anyone who loves Italian food, and a natural choice for a mixed group. Our guide to the best Italian restaurants in Toronto covers the street’s other Italian kitchens.
Vegan at Toronto’s other fine-dining restaurants
You are not limited to dedicated vegan rooms for a special dinner. Many of Toronto’s tasting-menu restaurants, including some in the Michelin Guide, can prepare a vegetarian or vegan menu if they know in advance. Say so when you book rather than when you sit down, be clear about whether you eat dairy and eggs, and expect the kitchen to need at least a day or two’s notice. Our guide to Michelin restaurants in Toronto lists the city’s starred and recommended kitchens.
Casual Vegan Restaurants Worth Seeking Out
Fat Choi
Fat Choi, on the Ossington strip, serves Asian vegan food that combines Chinese and Malaysian cooking. It is run by the local family behind Soos, the Malaysian restaurant on the same street, so the flavours are rooted in real family cooking rather than in a concept. It is one of the most highly rated plant-based restaurants in the city. Verdict: the place to send anyone who thinks vegan food has to be virtuous. Ossington is also one of Toronto’s best bar streets, so it makes an easy start to a night out.
Hawker
Hawker is a good choice for a date or a dinner with friends who like to share. Verdict: order widely and share; this is food to explore rather than to order one main and stick with it.
Stefano’s Diner
Stefano’s Diner, at 1265 Dundas Street West, is a plant-based Italian diner that does the comfort-food classics: a vegan eggs Benedict, a smoked “salmon” bagel and tiramisu among them. It is a short walk from Gia, which has made this stretch of Dundas West one of the best places in the city for plant-based Italian food. Verdict: the city’s most enjoyable vegan brunch, and proof that diner food does not need meat or eggs to be satisfying.
Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant
Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant, at 666 Dundas Street West in Chinatown, serves classic Chinese dishes made completely plant-based, drawing on the long Buddhist tradition of vegetarian cooking with tofu, wheat gluten and mushrooms standing in for meat. It is casual and an easy add-on to a walk through Chinatown and Kensington. Verdict: the best place to bring a vegan who misses Chinese takeout. Our Chinatown guide covers the neighbourhood.
La Vegan
La Vegan, on the Danforth, is an Ethiopian vegan restaurant at 1450 Danforth Avenue. It is a good option in the east end, and an easy stop on a walk along the Danforth. Verdict: a strong local favourite.
Kupfert & Kim
Kupfert & Kim serves plant-based, quick-service food made with naturally gluten-free ingredients. Verdict: a reliable quick lunch if one is near you, but not worth a detour.
Kensington Market: Downtown’s Plant-Based Heart
If you only have a few hours, spend them in Kensington Market. It has been Toronto’s most vegetarian-friendly neighbourhood for decades, and it remains the easiest place in the city to eat well without meat.
- Bunner’s Bakeshop, 244 Augusta Avenue — a dedicated vegan and gluten-free bakery, open 10am to 7pm. Go early in the day for the best choice.
- Hawker — upscale vegan small plates for dinner.
- The Cottage Cheese, 64 Oxford Street — a Michelin Bib Gourmand Indian restaurant that builds much of its menu around paneer; a great choice for vegetarians.
- Ramen Isshin, on College Street at the market’s northern edge — vegetarian ramen that reviewers rate the best in the Toronto area.
Our Kensington Market guide covers the rest of the neighbourhood, from the vintage shops to Pedestrian Sundays.
The Cuisines That Are Naturally Plant-Based
Some of the best vegan and vegetarian meals in Toronto are not at vegan restaurants at all. They are at restaurants whose cuisines have always been built largely on vegetables, grains and pulses.
Indian
Indian food is the easiest cuisine in the world for vegetarians. Udupi Palace in the Gerrard India Bazaar is entirely vegetarian and specialises in South Indian food — crisp dosas, idli, vada, sambar and coconut chutney — much of which is vegan as well. At North Indian restaurants, the vegetarian section is usually as long as the meat section, but vegans should ask about ghee, cream, yogurt and paneer. Our guide to the best Indian restaurants in Toronto covers the field.
Ethiopian
Ethiopian cooking has a long tradition of plant-based fasting food, and Toronto’s Ethiopian restaurants — several of them on the eastern Danforth — serve vegetarian combination platters of lentil, chickpea, cabbage and greens stews on spongy injera bread. These are usually vegan, filling and among the best-value meals in the city; just confirm that the stews are cooked without butter.
Chinese Buddhist
The Buddhist vegetarian tradition, with its tofu, mushrooms and wheat gluten, is the foundation of Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant in Chinatown. Many Chinese restaurants also have a good range of tofu and vegetable dishes, although sauces may contain oyster sauce or meat stock.
Japanese
Ramen is usually built on pork or chicken broth, which makes Ramen Isshin’s vegetarian bowls all the more valuable. Our guide to the best ramen in Toronto explains how to check what a broth is made from. Sushi restaurants nearly always have vegetable rolls, but many sauces use fish stock.
Middle Eastern and Mediterranean
Falafel, hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh and stuffed vine leaves are easy to find across the city and are almost always vegan. Greek restaurants on the Danforth have long vegetable sections too, although cheese turns up in many dishes.
Italian
Beyond Gia and Stefano’s, most Italian restaurants have several vegetarian pastas and pizzas. Pizzeria Libretto offers vegan and gluten-free options. For vegans, the main things to watch are cheese and egg-based fresh pasta; dried pasta is usually egg-free.
Vegan Brunch, Bakeries and Sweets
Brunch is a serious pastime in Toronto, and vegans are well served. Stefano’s Diner on Dundas West is the standout, with its vegan eggs Benedict and smoked “salmon” bagel. Bunner’s Bakeshop in Kensington Market covers the sweet side, with everything vegan and gluten-free. Many mainstream brunch spots also offer tofu scrambles or plant-based options — our best brunch in Toronto guide covers the wider scene.
How to Eat Vegan Anywhere in Toronto
Toronto is one of the easiest cities in North America to eat plant-based, but a few habits help, especially at restaurants that are not vegetarian.
- Use HappyCow and check recent reviews. Closures are common, and listings go stale quickly. A restaurant with no reviews in the last few months may well be closed.
- Ask about hidden animal products. Fish sauce in Thai and Vietnamese dishes; ghee and cream in Indian curries; chicken stock in soups, rice and sauces; egg in fresh pasta and many noodles; honey in dressings and desserts; butter in Ethiopian stews.
- Know that “vegetarian” is not “vegan”. Many vegetarian restaurants use dairy and eggs. Ask what can be made vegan.
- Say it plainly. “No meat, no fish, no dairy, no eggs” is clearer than “vegan” in a busy kitchen.
- Book ahead for the popular places. Avelo is reservations-only, and Gia, Fat Choi and Hawker fill up at weekends.
- Look for cuisines, not just labels. South Indian, Ethiopian and Chinese Buddhist restaurants often beat dedicated vegan restaurants on both flavour and price.
Gluten-Free as Well as Vegan
If you are avoiding gluten as well as animal products, the field narrows but does not disappear. Bunner’s Bakeshop is both vegan and gluten-free throughout, which makes it a rare bakery where you can order anything on the counter. Kupfert & Kim serves plant-based food made with naturally gluten-free ingredients, though it cannot guarantee that every item is under 20ppm gluten. Cross-contact in a busy kitchen is always possible, so coeliacs should say so clearly when they order.
Groceries, Markets and Picnics
If you are self-catering or just want a picnic, Toronto makes it easy. Kensington Market is full of fruit and vegetable shops, bulk-food stores and health-food shops, and it is the obvious place to stock up on the way to a picnic in Grange Park or Trinity Bellwoods. The St Lawrence Market has produce stalls, bakeries and specialty shops, and its Saturday farmers’ market is a long-standing Toronto ritual.
Mainstream supermarkets across the city carry a wide range of plant-based milks, tofu, tempeh and meat alternatives, so self-catering vegans will rarely struggle. A picnic on the Toronto Islands, with the skyline across the water, is one of the cheapest and best meals of any trip.
A Plant-Based Day in Toronto
If you want to build a day around eating well, this route links the best of the city’s vegan and vegetarian food with some of its best neighbourhoods.
- Brunch at Stefano’s Diner on Dundas Street West — vegan eggs Benedict or the smoked “salmon” bagel.
- Head into Kensington Market, which the 505 Dundas streetcar serves. Pick up something from Bunner’s Bakeshop for later.
- Lunch at Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant on Dundas, then walk on to the Art Gallery of Ontario for the afternoon.
- Dinner on Ossington at Fat Choi, followed by a drink on one of the city’s best bar streets — or, for a big night, book Avelo’s tasting menu instead.
On a second day, head east: lunch at La Vegan on the Danforth or an Ethiopian vegetarian platter further along, then a dosa supper at Udupi Palace in the Gerrard India Bazaar.
Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants by Neighbourhood
- Dundas West: Gia and Stefano’s Diner, a short walk apart.
- Ossington: Fat Choi.
- Kensington Market: Hawker, Bunner’s Bakeshop and The Cottage Cheese.
- Chinatown: Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant.
- College Street: Ramen Isshin.
- Near Yorkville: Avelo.
- The Danforth: La Vegan, plus Ethiopian and Greek restaurants further east.
- Gerrard India Bazaar: Udupi Palace.
- Spadina Avenue and the Financial District: Kupfert & Kim, at 140 Spadina Avenue, 100 King Street West and 181 Bay Street.
Vegan Food Near the Main Sights
Most visitors spend their days around a handful of attractions, and the vegan options near them vary a lot. A rough guide:
- CN Tower, Rogers Centre and the waterfront: the immediate area is dominated by chains with one token vegan dish. The 510 Spadina streetcar from Union Station runs up Spadina Avenue into Chinatown and Kensington, where the choice is far better.
- Art Gallery of Ontario: you are a short walk from Kensington Market and Chinatown, the best plant-based area downtown.
- Royal Ontario Museum and Yorkville: lunch options are mainstream, but Avelo is nearby for a special dinner.
- St Lawrence Market and the Distillery District: the market’s produce stalls and bakeries make an easy picnic.
- Toronto Islands: food on the islands is limited and seasonal, so pack a picnic before you take the ferry.
The general rule holds across the city: a 15-minute walk or a short streetcar ride away from the busiest tourist blocks almost always improves the vegan options dramatically.
What Vegan Dining Costs in Toronto
Plant-based food in Toronto runs from very cheap to fine-dining prices. At the top, Avelo’s tasting menus cost $70 to $135 per person in 2026, depending on the night and the number of courses. Casual vegan restaurants such as Buddha’s Vegan, Fat Choi and Stefano’s cost about what any casual restaurant does, and the naturally plant-based cuisines — South Indian, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern — are among the cheapest good meals in the city.
As always, 13% HST and a tip go on top of the menu prices at sit-down restaurants. For more budget-friendly options across the city, see our guide to cheap eats in Toronto.
Which Vegan or Vegetarian Restaurant Should You Choose?
- A special occasion: Avelo, midweek for the best value.
- A mixed group of vegans and meat-eaters: Gia or Fat Choi.
- Brunch: Stefano’s Diner.
- Something different: Hawker’s small plates.
- A cheap, filling lunch: Buddha’s Vegan, or a dosa at Udupi Palace.
- Treats to take away: Bunner’s Bakeshop.
- Staying in the east end: La Vegan on the Danforth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Planta still open in Toronto?
No. Planta closed both of its Toronto restaurants, in Yorkville and on Queen Street, on 19 May 2026 after bankruptcy filings, and is now focusing on the United States. For plant-based fine dining in Toronto, Avelo is the closest equivalent.
What is the best vegan restaurant in Toronto?
For a special occasion, Avelo’s plant-based tasting menus are the most ambitious vegan cooking in the city. For everyday eating, Fat Choi on Ossington, Hawker in Kensington Market and Stefano’s Diner on Dundas West are among the most highly rated. Gia is the best vegetarian restaurant and is recommended by the Michelin Guide.
Is Toronto a good city for vegans?
Yes. Even after high-profile closures such as Planta and Rosalinda, Toronto has a wide range of vegan restaurants, a plant-based cluster in Kensington Market, and large communities whose cuisines are naturally vegetarian, including South Indian, Ethiopian and Chinese Buddhist cooking. Most restaurants can adapt dishes if you ask.
Is Rosalinda in Toronto still open?
No. Rosalinda, the vegan Mexican restaurant on Richmond Street West, has closed, although it still appears in many online lists. For vegan Latin flavours, ask at mainstream Mexican restaurants, which often have vegetable tacos that can be made without cheese or cream.
How much does Avelo cost?
In 2026, Avelo’s eight-course tasting menu costs $135 per person on Friday and Saturday and $115 on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; the five-course menu costs $85 and $70 respectively. Wine pairings are extra. It is reservations-only, so book well ahead.
Where can I get vegan baked goods in Toronto?
Bunner’s Bakeshop at 244 Augusta Avenue in Kensington Market is a dedicated vegan and gluten-free bakery, open 10am to 7pm. Go earlier in the day for the best selection.
Can I get a vegan tasting menu at non-vegan restaurants in Toronto?
Often, yes. Many of Toronto’s fine-dining and tasting-menu restaurants can prepare a vegetarian or vegan menu with advance notice. Mention it when you book, say whether you eat dairy and eggs, and give the kitchen at least a day or two. For a fully plant-based tasting menu with no special arrangements, book Avelo.
Where can I find vegan brunch in Toronto?
Stefano’s Diner at 1265 Dundas Street West serves an entirely plant-based brunch, with a smoked “salmon” bagel, a smoked “salmon” Benny and tiramisu. Many mainstream brunch restaurants also offer tofu scrambles and plant-based options.
Related Toronto Guides
- Toronto food guide
- Best Indian restaurants in Toronto
- Best Italian restaurants in Toronto
- Best ramen in Toronto
- Kensington Market guide
- Toronto’s multicultural food
- Cheap eats in Toronto
- Best restaurants in Toronto
Photo Credits
Augusta Avenue in Kensington Market: Augusta Avenue at Nassau Street in Kensington Market, September 2 2026 (01) by Dillan Payne, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Masala dosa with vada: Masala Dosa and Vada by Gannu03, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Vegan cupcakes from Wanda’s Pie in the Sky: 2009 Yelp Cupcake Crawl-8 (3691312623) by Mohammad Jangda, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
