The best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Dublin

The long-reigning queen of Dublin’s vegetarian and vegan restaurant scene is Wicklow Street’s Cornucopia. Once a whole food store and vegetarian café, it’s now a vegan and vegetarian restaurant set over two elegant floors and run by the second generation of McCaffertys, who foster family vibes amongst long-standing staff and regulars alike. Think plant-based breakfasts, vibrant salads, warming rib-stickers and vegan cakes. 

One of Dublin's oldest vegan and vegetarian restaurants, Govinda's on Abbey Street offers up meat-free and dairy-free takes on some classic dishes, from vegetarian lasagne and chickpea curry to indulgent carob brownies. 

In recent years, several pioneers have pushed things forward in Dublin. Down at Grand Canal Dock the vegan-friendly restaurant Nutbutter fast-tracked pulled jackfruit and cashew cream into the mainstream, and their colourful rice bowls and action-packed tacos deliver much plant-based pleasure. 

Media captionEnjoy views of Grand Canal Dock at Nutbutter.

Changing the way people think of cooking mushrooms is Dublin’s Mushroom Butcher. Once the owner of Pretend, Australian chef Mark Senn now shows off his tasty fungi creations every weekend from his food truck on the South Circular Road. Although the menu changes every week, you can expect to find a few innovative dishes that'll tickle your fancy. 

Off Grafton Street, the Michelin-listed Glas is a perfect date night choice on the south side of the city. The setting is ultra-stylish, with signature wallpapers and carefully placed foliage emphasising an atmosphere of relaxed sophistication. The menu is every bit as elegant, with some very creative cooking in dishes like rum and raisin fritters with Waldorf salad, green curry gel and bitter chocolate. Add some expertly made cocktails and a terrific wine list and you've got a memorable night out. 

Media captionEnjoy an upscale vegetarian or vegan dish at Glas.

Media credit@lesbecookin

Dubliners love falafel for a value feed, and you’ll find primo versions at five branches of Umi Falafel around the city (Umi means mother in Arabic, and these are falafel to make her proud). Dublin’s food markets have decent falafel too, alongside other veggie and vegan-friendly lunch options.

Media captionSavour Umi's delicious falafel.

Media credit@umifalafel

Don’t miss Karuna’s Kitchen (St Anne’s Park Farmer Market and Dún Laoghaire CoCo market, both of which take place at weekends) for vegetarian delights like ghee-fried samosas and spring rolls. Sprezzatura is a brilliant value Italian restaurant with plenty of vegetarian options, like their classic arancini, Cacio e Pepe or roast tomato and Irish hazelnut risotto. 

The Saucy Cow brings vegan burger heaven to Temple Bar, where their Buckfast BBQ burger is joined by seitan chicken burgers, wraps and loaded fries.

Asian eateries offer plenty of good vegetarian and vegan options for dining with a gang. Yamamori's three branches feature vegan ‘japas’ like deep-friend Agedashi Tofu and Kabocha Korokke (pumpkin croquette) as well as vegan sushi and wok specials. Also, with three city centre locations, Eatokyo's vegetarian and vegan dishes include classic noodle, rice, ramen or teriyaki dishes. 

Big Fan is Dublin’s favourite dumpling shop, and their Beyond Meat Snowflake jiaozi, Tofu Edamame bao with jade sauce, and platter of lucky crackers with yuzu tofu cream have devotees beyond their vegan fanbase. 

No country in the world puts as big an ethical, religious and spiritual premium on the avoidance of meat as India, so it's hardly a surprise that Indian cuisine focuses heavily on vegan and vegetarian dishes. Set in the thick of the action on Marlborough Street, colourful Andhra Bhavan serves up authentic, meat-free South Indian dishes packed with flavour. It's a great spot to warm your cockles over a hefty portion of aloo gobi masala or creamy saag paneer. 

If you're strapped for time and need a snack on the go, there's always Dosa Dosa in the Docklands. This food truck is known for its dosas - thin, savoury crepes that are a staple of South Indian street food. Fan favourites include potato masala dosas, but they do a range of other veggie dosas as well as a tasty channa dal chickpea curry.

Dublin’s buzzing café scene is increasingly vegetarian-friendly. It's a Trap on Aungier Street makes for a great spot to chill out with your pup. The micro-bakery serves up a selection of tasty, plant-based snacks like their Korean BBQ wrap and their cashew cheese cream cinnamon roll. In the northside seaside villages of Clontarf, Howth and Malahide, vegan jambons take pride of place in the vegan afternoon tea served at branches of Póg. 

Any good pizzeria (and Dublin has plenty) will have choices for vegetarians, but the city also has excellent vegan pizza options. On Parliament Street, Stoned Pizza's vegan section includes a Vegan Hawaiian or Vegan Meat Feast pizzas, while Di Fontaines is king of the late-night slice, with a cult-classic vegan homemade cashew ricotta with shreds of Follow Your Heart ‘Mozzarella’ and ‘Parmesan’, plus optional nutritional yeast and chili flakes. For the perfect beer pairing with your vegetarian, vegan or gluten free pizza, make it Dublin 8’s Rascal Brewing Company.

Media captionDrool over Rascal Brewing Company's delicious pizza.

Beyond Dublin’s growing battalion of dedicated plant-based establishments, there is a strong trend towards plant-forward cooking, where meat and fish are cast in supporting roles to the vegetables. These restaurants still offer plenty of vegan-friendly options, so there’s something for everyone.

Media captionTry the tasty vegetarian and vegan options at Brother Hubbard's.

Brother Hubbard, with multiple locations throughout the city (on Capel Street north of the Liffey; on South Circular Road and in Ranelagh on the south side) is ideal for meat-free mezze and inspired brunch options, as is the Middle Eastern mecca of Shouk in Drumcondra. Hen’s Teeth is a gallery-store-café with mighty vegan sambos and ras el hanout roast cauliflower; you can also get great vegan options at community-favourite the Fumbally, where you can linger by the huge windows, and Two Pups, a pet-friendly café in the Liberties that does a fabulous steaming dahl.

Dine in Dublin on a budget

Eat your way through the city without breaking the bank with these budget-friendly restaurants.