The best vegan restaurants in Miami for plant-based perfection

 Who said frying things up in loads of lard is the only way to make Cuban food? Vegan Cuban Cuisine creates plant-based and vegan alternatives of Cuban classics, so good you might mistake itthemfor the "real" thing. Yes, there are pastelitos and croquetas (made with cashew cream or chickpeas) – which you can enjoy with a cafecito and a splash of oat milk. Yes, you can score a Frita or a Cuban sandwich (filled with Beyond Meat or jackfruit). But venture out and explore other dishes, too, like  arroz imperial or "chorizo" spaghetti, and desserts like arroz con leche and flan. 

Man, talk about a glow-up. After moving into its modern and spacious new digs in 2022, Love Life Café took on a new aura as a cosmopolitan vegan restaurant, one where the bar and wine program is just as good as the eats. The superfood patty (topped with fresh guac, pickles, plant-based cheddar, kale and cilantro aioli) has blown the minds of many carnivores. It is, hands down, the best veggie burger in the city and potentially – America, too. Love Life has also perfected delicious vegan versions of burritos, hefty arepas, sushi and pizza. 

Here's the thing about Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese-inspired cuisine: you really don't need animal protein to make it taste good. Minty Z takes the dishes you crave – massaman curry noodles, chow mein, fried rice, omakase – and makes them deliciously vegan friendly, holding on to all of their traditional flavors and then some. Their smashed cucumber salad is to die for and they've got about a dozen different types of meat-less dimsum, including a dim sum feast that'll let you sample almost all.  

Juices, smoothies, bowls, coffee drinks—the plant-based menu at Manna has plenty of options for a healthy meal downtown. Can’t seem to zero in on something you like? Tap in one of the spot’s clean-eating gurus to guide you or follow our lead: Manna’s signature superfood arepa topped with avocado and hemp seeds and an iced lava latte. It’s the true breakfast of champions.

While many vegan- and vegetarian-friendly restaurants are simple order-at-the-counter affairs best suited for lunch, Planta feels immediately like something special. It’s a date-night restaurant, with the kind of spot-on service and well-executed meals less typical of places that cater to this kind of cooking. We’re talking croquetas with mushroom bacon, one of the best plant-based burgers on the planet, udon noodles in a truffle mushroom cream and broccoli so crispy you'll want it as a side to every meal.

This offshoot of Planta takes the same concept as Planta—vegan food that’ll make you even happier that you’re not eating meat—and gives it a southeast Asian tilt with chick'n fried mushroom bao sliders, a "crab" roll with hearts of palm, and truffle fried rice.

Aguacate really is like a mini sanctuary in the heart of Kendall, where not only can you take a yoga class surrounded by foliage and farm animals, but you could also brunch alfresco with vegan-friendly breakfast dishes, bowls, sandwiches and smoothies.

The Plantisserie is a regular stop for Miami vegans. Its cafeteria-style ordering system makes for a quick meal in the airy dining room or a quick stop for takeout. The options here are hearty and quite good: veggie coconut curry, mushrooms au poivre with mashed potatoes and a char-grilled portobello.

While lots of restaurants offer vegetarian options that are deep-fried and oversauced, FlyFuel Food Co. goes another direction: offering vegetarian food that's actually healthy. Grab a veggie wrap with quinoa and roasted veggies, an arugula pizza with a cauliflower crust, or the shroom bowl with roasted tofu, portabellos, and a soy peanut dressing. Currently, FlyFuel has locations in Downtown, Midtown and Aventura. 

This local chain of all-day cafés has changed the way South Florida lunches, one heaping bowl of health food at a time. Pura Vida's menu is expansive, offering plant-based and vegetarian dishes as well as vegan desserts and smoothies. Highlights include the classic avocado smash, overnight oats and the filling vegan lentil bowl. For something sweet, look no further than the vegan chocolate chip cookie—it's one of the best desserts in the city even if vegan isn't part of your vocabulary. Wash it all down with an iced matcha latte – with oat milk, of course. 

While not a full-on vegan restaurant, there are enough plant-forward dishes here for a vegan to feel like they've found their new favorite fine-dining spot. Part of a global chain founded by the late and highly acclaimed chef Joël Robuchon, Le Jardinier turns veggies into stars, like the braised leeks showered in black truffles. Yup, you’ll pay big bucks here for all this creativity, but with a charming Design District garden and a dining room that looks like it plopped down from the year 3000, this is a vegetarian-friendly spot worthy of your next birthday dinner.