Over the past five years, first-tier cities in India have seen a massive rise in plant-based cafes and businesses that offer vegan products. This phenomenon has trickled down to second-tier cities, with many restaurants offering vegan options. Since India has always been a vegetarian-friendly country, adopting a vegan lifestyle is relatively easy. Food and beverage chains that offer vegan options, such as Baskin Robbins, Blue Tokai, Fab Cafe, and Starbucks, are prevalent throughout India. But if you want to know which city in India would be best to enjoy a happy vegan life, check out our list below!
Mumbai
Mumbai offers a wide range of vegan cafes and restaurants and a growing number every year. Being the second-most populous city in India, Mumbai has no dearth of businesses selling plant-based meat and dairy products. Some of the best vegan cafes are Earth Cafe, Earthlings Cafe, Aharveda, GoodDo, Bodhi Cafe, Chaap Ki Chhap, and Imagine Cafe. Online vegan marketplaces such as Vvegano and The Produce Company and physical stores such as Rare Earth in Khar are massively popular among the vegan community for their extensive selections. New businesses such as Tempeh Di Mumbai have also made inroads, offering delicious tempeh and tofu at affordable prices.
Mumbai also hosts Ahimsa Fest, the biggest vegan festival in India, every year to promote nonviolent and compassionate living. All the food and products at the festival are vegan.
Bangalore
Bangalore, India’s IT hub, also impresses as a vegan destination. JustBe Cafe offers pizzas, chocolate, chia pudding, veggie lasagna, and more! Bangalore also boasts excellent cloud kitchens Vegan Heat, Sampoorna Ahara, and Squash Foods, as well as India’s most popular plant-based dairy brand, Goodmylk. There are also many vegan- and vegetarian-friendly restaurants, such as Burma Burma, Hatti Kaapi, The Pizza Bakery, Chinita, Infinitea, California Burrito, Fresh Pressery, Candice’s Gourmet Sandwiches, and Bakingo.
One can find delicious dairy-free desserts and other products at small business, such as Pibbles, A Little Dipsy, Lucky Vegan, That Vegan Place, Homemade Beku, Jus’Amazin, Crave by Leena, Millie Mitra, Dittoo, Pudducakes, and Angelo Vegan Cheese. And Hello Tempayy, a recent addition to Bangalore’s vegan scene, offers flavoured tempeh.
Those wanting to go on an online shopping spree can check out Vegan Dukan.
Chennai
Earth Story, Chennai’s first vegan lifestyle store, sells plant-based meat, ice cream, and chocolate, as well as cruelty-free cosmetics and accessories. The city also features several vegan-friendly restaurants, including Ashvita Nirvana, Pumpkin Tales, Lyfe by Soul Garden Bistro, The Brew Room, Asian Station, Flower Drum, Mezze, Wild Garden Cafe, Mearth Cafe, Les Amis, and VB Signature.
Delhi
The nation’s capital offers many fantastic vegan-friendly restaurants, such as Elysian Delights, Roadhouse Cafe, Nut & Bowls, Kiara Soul Kitchen, Greenr, Travel Yoga Cafe, Burma Burma, Better Burger, Getafix, Nom Yum, and Rose Cafe.
Goa
India’s smallest yet most tourist-friendly state offers plenty for vegan travellers. Located en route to the Ozran beachfront in Vagator, Bean Me Up serves tasty vegan food, fresh juices, and specialty beverages and has a bed and breakfast, yoga space, and conscious boutique. Other interesting vegan and vegan-friendly options include Okapi Vegan Kitchen, Blue Planet, Zest Cafe, Shanti Cafe, Bodhi Greens, Shantaram Raw, Prana Cafe, Cantine Indienne, Radhas Cakes N’ More, Garden of Dreams, Gratitude Cafe, Bibhitaki, Vee, Vegan Veda, Kefi, Magic Park, Svasti, Earth Belly, FresH2O, Little World, Karma Cafe (Palolem), Cow Corner, Kopi Desa, The Tribe, Plant Happy, and The Mill.
Saraya—restaurant, eco resort, and art cafe—features an array of delicious plant-based dishes inspired from around the globe.
Vegan store Saukhyam offers exciting organic and healthy lifestyle products.
Hyderabad
Most would be surprised to know that the city of Nawabs, Hyderabad, mainly known for its non-vegetarian cuisine, is home to some of the best vegan food as well. The Terrassen Cafe—Poets & Oats is a 100 percent vegan restaurant, cafe, and bakery that offers pizza, burgers, smoothies, and sandwiches. If you’re craving something sweet, try The Lush Gaze, a gourmet dessert home bakery that makes customised cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, chocolates, dips, and more! For shoppers there’s Alt Mart and Plantarium, a vegan cafe and store aiming to make veganism accessible and affordable.
Kolkata
Ubuntu Community is Kolkata’s first 100 percent vegan and eco-friendly community cafe. The ON Cafe and The Flaming Bowl offer vegan options as well. VegaNation located in Siliguri, roughly 600 kilometres from Kolkata, is the first vegan restaurant in the eastern part of India. Vegan World is India’s first exclusively vegan distribution company that deals directly with vegan brands and supplies essential products to retail stores and to homes via delivery partners like Swiggy. Although Kolkata doesn’t have many exclusively vegan cafes or restaurants, there are plenty of veg-friendly restaurants and a fairly strong vegan community, making exploring veganism here worthwhile.
Pune
Pune is probably one of India’s most vegan-friendly cities, with thriving plant-based cafes, such as One O Eight Lifestyle Cafe, Granny’s Bowl, Geo Bistro, Back to the Basics, Malaka Spice, Yogi Tree, Bell Peppers, Saima Bakery, Paashh, CraveLok, Cafe Pondi, Verde and Co, and Santé Spa Cuisine.
Cloud kitchens, such as Ekta’s Kind Kitchen and The Real Green Kitchen, are a favourite among Punekars for takeaway.
Besides the cafes mentioned above, several other vegan-friendly cafes are featured on local food-delivery apps like Zomato and Swiggy, so you’re never far from great plant-based food.