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15 best vegan and vegetarian restaurants and cafés in Tokyo

Vegan and vegetarian meals are now easier to find in Tokyo. Here are our favourite restaurants offering plant-based menus

Youka Nagase
Written by
Time Out Tokyo Editors
&
Youka Nagase
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Veganism is on the rise – and not just for ethical and environmental reasons. Sure, plant-based food farming emits far fewer greenhouse gases, but vegan cuisine is also getting better and better. Gone are the days when vegan dishes were all about replicating meaty flavours. Modern vegan cuisine is distinct, vibrant and delicious in its own right – and these popular vegan restaurants in Tokyo prove just that.

RECOMMENDED: Best vegan snacks and desserts in Japan

Vegan restaurants

  • Restaurants
  • Vegan
  • Takadanobaba

The American-style burgers served at Great Lakes are all 100-percent vegan. That’s right – these patties are made with plant-based ingredients, including rice, but they have a satisfying meat-like consistency. While the Ontario Burger (from ¥1,000) with lettuce, tomato, onion, ‘cheese’ sauce and specialty burger sauce is a safe option for newbies, we recommend the Superior Burger (from ¥1,000) which has cheese sauce, housemade tomato jam, marinated onions, baby leaf lettuce and a generous layer of mayo. 

Want a burger that’s not so big on the salad? Go for the Michigan Burger (from ¥500), which just has pickles, caramelised onions and cheese sauce, so you can savour the patty all the more. The best part is you can always add additional toppings and even a side of fries for extra cost.

  • Restaurants
  • Kinshicho

This spacious café a few blocks from Tokyo Skytree only serves plant-based food and dessert, all made with ingredients sourced from local organic and pesticidefree farms. The spacious warehouse-like building is a rare find in Tokyo; not only is there plenty of seating but it’s also wheelchair- and stroller-friendly. We recommend the Indian curry plate (¥1,485), which comes with two different curries, plus appetisers, brown rice and a salad, available from 11am daily. 

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  • Restaurants
  • Harajuku

Hidden among the cool restaurants of Shibuya Parco’s Chaos Kitchen, this izakaya-style restaurant serves only vegan dishes. The main dish is the mock karaage made with soy meat instead of chicken, which comes in five different flavours including grated radish, Chinese black vinegar, Sichuan style hot and spicy, sweet and sour, and teriyaki mayonnaise. The outer coating of the tapioca flour gives the chicken an extra crunch while the inside is tender and juicy.

The gyoza is also a popular item, filled with minced veggies and soy meat. You can order each separately but we recommend the teishoku (set meal) offered until 3pm which comes with a bowl of rice, soup, and pickled mustard greens for about ¥950. 

  • Restaurants
  • Daita

From baguettes and croissants to melonpan and aromatic herb focaccia, all the goodies at this vegan bakery are free from eggs, milk, butter and honey. We recommend the amazake roll, which has a naturally sweetened white bean paste mixed with amazake (a sweet fermented rice drink) in the centre of a satisfyingly chewy bread roll. The goods are baked three times a day – early morning, around midday and in the afternoon – guaranteeing bread that is fresh-off-the-oven no matter when you visit.

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  • Restaurants
  • Vegetarian
  • Ikejiri-Ohashi

This Scandinavian-style vegan café in Nakameguro serves freshly baked goods and light meals. Try the popular brown rice plate with daily main and side dishes of the day, brown rice, salad, soup and and pickles for ¥1,550 (¥1,750 on weekends). Don’t miss the bakery section right at the entrance, where you’ll find fresh-from-the-oven bagels, focaccia, muffins and cookies – all meat-, dairy- and egg-free.

  • Restaurants
  • Tsukiji

Located in Higashi-Ginza, Komeda Coffee's latest concept coffeeshop Komeda Is puts a vegan spin on the classic Japanese kissaten. It's also one of the rare cafés in the city that open early and close late – 7am to 11pm daily.  

As it's inspired by Japan's old-school coffeeshops, this serene café serves up classic kissaten meals and snacks throughout the day. Stop by at lunchtime for the Beppin soy patty hamburger (¥1,280), or indulge in an afternoon dessert – the housemade coffee jelly (¥680) and pancakes (from ¥1,080) are made with Japanese rice flour for a soft, chewy texture.

In the evening, a plant-based array of izakaya-style dishes like fried tofu, pasta and salads are all on the menu. Komeda Is is also the first Komeda location to offer alcoholic beverages, including vegan beer, wine and fruit liquor.

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  • Restaurants
  • Vegan
  • Shinjuku-Sanchome

Ain Soph Journey is a calming vegan paradise in bustling Shinjuku. One of now four all-vegan restaurants in the Ain Soph family, Journey boasts a relaxed atmosphere spread across two floors, where you can find a cosy corner seating for one or share a larger table with friends.

The place is famous for its ‘Heavenly Pancakes’ (¥1,710), which will fool any foodie into believing they must contain eggs and butter to reach such fluffy heights. But if you can see past the dessert menu, the set lunch and à la carte dinner menu is where Ain Soph really shines, with organic salads, soups, hearty curries, tortillas and more.

The weekday lunch set is great value from around ¥1,380 and portion sizes will satisfy even the hungriest of diners. Whether you’re a strict vegan or just craving a healthy veggie boost in between your fried chicken, Ain Soph is a great option.

  • Restaurants
  • Organic
  • Omotesando

Hailing from London, Neal’s Yard is all about organic health and beauty products with a focus on natural remedies for the body. The flagship store in Omotesando extends across two buildings, one housing the retail space and the second a café, with a leafy courtyard joining the two.

Fitted with low wooden tables and alchemist cupboards partitioning the open kitchen and the café, Brown Rice Canteen radiates genteel calm. Bundles of rice straw hang from the ceiling as a centrepiece, and even the staff appear to be dressed in natural fibres. Currently only open for lunch, they have a simple menu made up of three vegan set meals.

The two staples are the bamboo basket-steamed vegetable set (weekday ¥1,900, weekend ¥2,400; not available from July to September), consisting of ten types of seasonal veggies served with brown rice and miso soup, and the seasonal vegetable curry (weekday ¥1,600, weekend ¥2,100), also served on brown rice. The third is the dish of the day, which comes with three sides, brown rice and miso soup. Everything on offer is simple, tasty and focused on showcasing the natural produce. Just the way we like it.

Vegan ramen

  • Restaurants
  • Eating

Now you can try the gorgeous vegan ramen produced by digital art collective teamLab at the group’s interactive art exhibit in Toyosu. First opened in Kyoto, Vegan Ramen Uzu features a spicy vegan miso ramen (¥1,320) made from a combination of blended miso, doubanjiang and white sesame paste, and a vegan soy sauce ramen (¥1,320) concocted with soy sauce from established brewers Inoue Shoten. There are also two additional bowls that are exclusive to the Tokyo location, including a cold flower ramen (¥1,980) topped with beautiful edible flowers, and a vegan ramen tea (¥1,650) which uses tea, kelp and shiitake mushrooms for a rich and flavourful broth.  

You can enjoy the noodles at several indoor and outdoor installations around teamLab Planets, including ‘Reversible Rotation – Non-Objective Space’, ‘Table of Sky and Fire’, and ‘One-piece Bench’. If you want to just eat the ramen, you don’t even need a ticket to the gallery.

  • Restaurants
  • Vegetarian
  • Marunouchi

It's almost worth rerouting your trip via Tokyo Station to eat at this noodle shop. T's Tantan, an offshoot of Jiyugaoka eatery T's Restaurant, earns the rare distinction of being one of the few, and first places selling vegetarian/vegan ramen in Tokyo – or, at least, ramen that's actually worthy of the name.

The speciality of the house is Chinese-style dandanmen, served in a broth flavoured with sesame and peanut oil and available with a range of toppings. Add a side of mock meat karaage if you're feeling particularly peckish. 

T's Tantan can be found inside JR Tokyo Station, at the end of the Keiyo Street shopping arcade on the way to the Keiyo line platform – note that you'll need to buy a platform ticket to get to the shop unless you're already travelling on JR lines. If coming from outside the station, note that JR Yaesu South is the closest exit to the restaurant. 

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  • Restaurants
  • Ramen
  • Shibuya

The delicious vegan dandanmen (¥860) at this Shibuya Parco noodle joint is indistinguishable from the original meaty version. The creamy sesame broth is mixed with sansho pepper for a numbing, spicy kick, while the noodles are made from quinoa, so they’re lower in carbs and gluten. The ramen here is served in gigantic translucent cups, which fi t perfectly in one hand, so you can easily drink every last drop of broth.

Note: this restaurant is not strictly vegan but it has a vegan ramen option.

Vegan multicourse meals

  • Restaurants
  • Harajuku

Just like its name suggests, Mushroom Tokyo offers only dishes featuring mushrooms. The fungi used here are sent fresh from Katori in Chiba prefecture every day. The menu is a testament to the humble mushroom’s flexibility. Try a creamy mushroom and seafood rice gratin, a mushroom TKG (mushroom over rice with raw egg) or a hearty mushroom curry, for ¥1,200 each during lunch.

Come here for dinner and you’ll find appetisers like thinly sliced raw mushrooms topped with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt (from ¥490), and mushroom pickles (¥740). More substantial meals include crispy warm mushroom fritters (¥1,080) and a mushroom omelette (¥1,480). If you're with friends, we recommend ordering the Giga Mushroom (¥4,000), which is a mushroom as large as your face and grilled like a steak.

While many of the dishes here are plant-based, Mushroom Tokyo also offers a special multicourse menu for vegans (¥5,500 per person). It features a smoked brown mushroom dish topped with raisins and walnuts with a side of grated beets and soy yogurt, plus a creamy mushroom and sweet potato pasta, mushroom powder chocolate cake with mushroom gelato and more.

  • Hotels
  • Takanawa

Although it's not a dedicated vegan venue, this Italian restaurant on the first floor of The Prince Sakura Tower offers a fully vegan five-course meal all day. You’ll get a grilled eggplant topped with vegetable stock sauce, plus cold tomato soup and bread to start. Lunch guests will also get a penne pasta dish while dinner includes a veggie and bean lasagna with tomato ragu. The main course features a plate of seasonal vegetables with vibrant red and yellow sauce on the side to dip in. And for dessert, you’ll receive a refreshing coconut milk and mango mouse decked with an assortment of fruit and edible flowers.

Vegan sweets

  • Restaurants
  • Bakeries
  • Bakurocho

Ovgo Baker is stocked with an assortment of freshly baked vegan goods like scones, muffins, and banana bread. You’ll find classic American cookies including an old-fashioned chocolate chip and even snickerdoodles, along with Japanese-inspired matcha coconut cookies (¥290 each). There are savoury items, too, like garlic pepper scone-cookies (or scokies, as the bakery calls them; ¥400) and cornbread (¥500).  You can pair it with a cup of coffee (¥500), craft tea (from ¥450), or go for a housemade horchata offered in three flavours: plain, chai and blueberry.

  • Restaurants
  • Cafés
  • Kiyosumi

Gluten-free and vegan desserts have never looked so good. The menu at Posh is focussed on raw fruit tarts which include no additives, wheat, dairy or white sugar. Instead, the tarts are made with a mix of coconut and nuts and topped with seasonal fruit sourced from fruit sandwich specialist Daiwa Nakameguro. 

Pair your fruit tart with a fresh organic coffee or a superfood drink made with ingredients like rose powder and chaga mushrooms from Brooklyn’s Anima Mundi Apothecary. Milk-based drinks are made with your choice of oat, soy or fresh almond milk, which is made right in store.

More vegan options

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