The Best Vegan and Vegan-Friendly Breakfast Spots in New York City
New York isn’t just the city that never sleeps — it’s also the city that never skips breakfast. Whether you’re a local, a tourist, or just here for the bagels, there’s no shortage of plant-based options to start your morning right.
Here’s my curated guide to vegan and vegan-friendly breakfast spots across NYC — from cozy cafés and iconic bagel shops to fully vegan diners. All tried, tested, and tofu-approved.
Please make sure to check their opening hours (on Google or Instagram) before heading out.
Especially on weekdays, it can be a bit more challenging than on weekends, but these places should be open:
Gregory´s coffee
Gregory´s is a fast-casual chain with several locations throughout the city. They offer a variety of vegan breakfast options, including their famous vegan deluxe (featuring JustEgg, Beyond meat breakfast sausage and vegan cheese), vegan burrito and and avocado toast. They also have a selection of vegan pastries and coffees to start your day off right.
Carnegie Diner & Cafe
This classic diner with two locations: one (the original one) is right across from Carnegie Hall and the second one right across from Radio City Music Hall (so even closer to Times Square) has a bunch of vegan options including vegan omlettes. Also a great spot for lunch or dinner. Opens at 7 am.
Dunwell Donuts
A great spot in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is Dunwell Donuts – while it might take a bit to get there from Manhattan, it is definitely worth the trip and the subway is right there. It is fully vegan.
The Butcher’s Daughter
The Butcher’s Daughter is a trendy vegan and vegetarian restaurant that offers a delicious breakfast menu with three locations in NYC (and more in LA). Their menu features items like vegan bagel & carrot lox, avocado toast, and acai bowls. They also have a selection of fresh juices and smoothies to help you start your day off on a healthy note.
Golden Diner
In a more quiet corner of Chinatown, Golden Diner is a hidden gem and one of my favorite places in the city – anytime of the day! You can´t go wrong with any of their items, but favorites include the breakfast burrito, Vegetalien Hero or the Mushroom Reuben Quesadilla.
UT 47
This tiny gem just off the hustle and bustle of Times Square serves a creative, Korean-inspired menu with lots of vegan and gluten free options. It is also one of the few places in the city serving Oshi salmon, a vegan salmon in a salmon eggs benedict dish – while it is quite pricey, it is a fun dish to try. The vegan eggs they use are YoEgg.
The Grey Dog
With five locations across Manhattan, The Grey Dog is a good choice for breakfast as well. Their mostly savory options include vegan breakfast bowl as well as avocado toast – all are served with poached “Yoegg”.
Last, but not least, let´s not forget about THE NYC breakfast, the bagel!
Most bagel shops will have tofu schmears (spreads) in various flavors – usually, at least scallion and veggie are available aside from plain – often sweet ones such as strawberry as well. Many bagel shops have many more and I highly recommend you check them out. Among my favorites are Tompkins Square Bagels (probably has the largest selection of vegan schmears), Zuckers bagels (try the Konscius foods salmon, which is a veganized version of a classic bagels & lox), Ess A Bagel or Baz bagels (beet horseradish is my favorite there). While the bagel carts on the streets are cute, they usually have no vegan options aside from a “naked” bagel and black coffee, so I recommend scoping out an actual bagel shop.
PSA: order ahead online (ideally right on the bagel place´s website) since they can all get very busy and you have better things to do in NYC than waiting in line! It also makes you feel quite good to walk past a line of people (that have not read this post)
Whether you’re a vegan or just looking to try something new, New York City has a wide range of vegan and vegan-friendly breakfast spots to choose from. From fast-casual chains to trendy restaurants, there’s something for everyone. So next time you’re in the city, be sure to check out these delicious and satisfying breakfasts!
Now, you are ready to head out and explore NYC and her many, many sights – here are some of my favorites!