As the country with the highest percentage of vegans in the world, visiting Israel as vegans can be an incredible culinary experience. Thanks to an abundance of vegan dishes in restaurants, a plethora of high-quality vegan products in grocery stores, and an increased awareness of veganism in most parts of the country, and especially in Tel Aviv, traveling in Israel has never been easier for vegans. Here, we will give you a glimpse into the incredible scene of vegan food in Israel, and provide you with our list of our personal favorite vegan restaurants in the country.
The vegan food scene in Israel
With a 13% rate of vegetarians and 6% of vegans, Israel is the country with the most vegan people per capita in the whole world, and with the third most vegetarians. Through the past few years, those numbers have risen considerably, as in 2012, the rate of vegans in Israel was less than 1 percent. This meteoric rise of veganism in Israel has led to the development of a huge culture and culinary scene around it.
One of the most influential organizations regarding veganism in Israel is Vegan Friendly. This well-known association, which was founded in 2012, labels almost all vegan products and dishes in the country and organizes vegan-related events, and is the most well-known vegan organization in Israel. In the past few years, as Vegan Friendly has gained momentum, it has expanded its work to the UK and the US.
The place where the vegan scene is mostly felt is Tel Aviv, which is widely known to be the Vegan Capital of the World. During your visit here, you will find a tremendous variety of vegan restaurants, serving delicious and creative vegan food that you won’t find anywhere else. In addition, almost every non-vegan restaurant in Tel Aviv offers a few different delicious vegan dishes, providing vegans with a multitude of options for great food in the vibrant, liberal city.
Tel Aviv is also home to the Vegan Fest, the biggest vegan festival in the world. Organized by Vegan Friendly, the lovely festival is a must-visit for vegan food lovers, as it features an incredible variety of vegan dishes and products, in a happy and unique atmosphere.
Best vegan restaurants in Tel Aviv
Opa
The Opa restaurant insists on not being called a vegan restaurant, but one whose menu is simply based on fruits and vegetables. After interning at ABC KITCHEN in New York and being the chef of the pop-up restaurant “Miss Kaplan”, the chef of Opa, Shirel Berger, provides a new culinary language in Israel, which is mainly high-quality food that celebrates the products of the land and doesn’t try to artificially create vegan substitutes. Her complex cooking techniques give new creative interpretations to seasonal vegetables and fruits, which makes Opa truly one of the most unique restaurants in Israel.
Anastasia
Widely considered to be the best vegan cafe in Israel, the menu at Anastasia emphasizes superfoods and the most popular dishes there are the soba noodle salad, a tofu scrambled sandwich, a vegan polenta yolk shake, and raw vegan desserts that do not contain white sugar or gluten. The restaurant, located in Central Tel Aviv, also features a deli where you can buy great products from Anastasia’s vegan factory.
Bana
Bana Restaurant, defined as a herbal restaurant, was founded by Shlomi Bonfil, a naturopath and yoga teacher, alongside chef Ido Kleiner. Kleiner emphasizes the creative use of natural plants over the use of substitutes, creating a perfect balance between healthy food and a hedonistic experience. Most of the menu is seasonal, gluten and sugar-free, and non-fried.
Some of the best dishes in Bana are crunchy greens with baked polenta sticks and roasted portobello mushrooms with chestnut cream; smoked wheat, purple cabbage zucchini, and oregano on cashew and mint tzatziki; And a lime mesabaha with avocado on two slices of spelled sourdough.
416
A restaurant that mainly specializes in the production of vegan substitutes for meat and dairy dishes at a particularly high level. The menu of 416 is entirely plant-based, as 100% of the raw materials come from the soil and include fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts. The great chefs of 416 prepare everything on-site, including the dough, the sauces, the meat substitutes, the cheeses, and all the desserts.
The menu of 416, which is located near Sarona, is based on dishes intended for sharing at the table. Those include, among others: Roast Beef Seitan served in a chala; pineapple tofu stir-fry; Wild mushrooms, and kale in a garlic-herb marinade grilled with a touch of lemon, root cream, onion rings, and more. Don’t miss out on the great desserts of 416, which include lemon basil tart, a delicious Brownie Sunday, and more.
DosaBar
DosaBar, located just a short walk from Hilton Beach, offers great South Indian street food, with an emphasis on dosa – the famous gluten-free Indian pancake. The menu offers dosa with 6 different fillings including chard stew, potato masala, pumpkin masala, and beetroot stew. Besides dosa, Dosa Bar also has other great South Indian dishes such as idli and dahl, Indian beer, and several types of thali.
Rainbow
Rainbow is one of the most popular vegan hamburger restaurants in Israel and offers a variety of mouth-watering hamburgers that attract vegans from all around the country. The flagship dish of Rainbow is the Sensational Burger, which is made of wheat and soy protein and is considered by many to be the best vegan burger in Israel. In addition, the menu also vegan schnitzel in a challa, sloppy joes, and hot dogs in a bun, all 100% vegan of course.
Best vegan restaurants around the country
Tofu An – Binyamina
Tofu An is the only vegan Japanese restaurant in Israel. Its location, behind an old commercial complex in the charming town of Binyamina, makes it a bit hard to find, but we assure you, it’s worth the search. Tofu An belongs to John Kamotani, a Japanese woman who immigrated to Israel 20 years ago from Hiroshima following a relationship.
When she decided to get involved in culinary, she returned to Japan and learned the secrets of making tofu, and today she serves a menu based on her delicious self-prepared tofu, which we can wholeheartedly say is the best tofu in Israel. Pro tip: don’t miss out on the Agedashi tofu, for a meal that will stay in your heart for a very long time.
Yamima – Pardes Hanna
Yamima is a Vegan buffet located in the lounge complex in Pardes Hanna, just a short drive from Caesarea. Among the dishes here, you will find shawarma seitan or tofu, hamburger in a bun, tofu steak in a bun, arais, and a special dish for the winter – chili non carne with salad and fragrant rice on the side. In the section of spreads that accompany the dishes, you can add vegan mayonnaise, onion spread with walnuts, spicy salsa, aioli, sriracha, and more.
Vegan shawarma – Jerusalem
Vegan Shawarma in the Machane Yehuda Market is one of the only 100% vegan restaurants in Jerusalem. In the restaurant, you can find a variety of vegan dishes rich in protein, self-made salads, dozens of unique sauces, and also great homemade vegan desserts.
The flagship dish of Vegan Shawarma is, of course, the Vegan Shawarma. In addition, the place has a great vegan version of the popular Jerusalem mixed grill, great juicy hamburgers made from vegetables, grilled tofu and tempeh, green falafel, thin seitan schnitzel, Ethiopian injera dishes, root vegetable fries, vegan knaffeh, and more.
Shakti – Beer Sheva
Shakti Restaurant in Beer Sheva serves delicious and varied food, with a unique menu concept that changes dished and cooking styles every day. Shakti draws inspiration from Indian, Asian, North African, and Italian cuisine. In the restaurant, you will find famous Indian dishes such as the Malai Kofta and Samosa, Italian dishes such as Lasagna and Calzone, Israeli meals such as Hriame and Mafrum, and snacks such as schnitzels and corndogs – all 100% vegan.
In addition, you can purchase a variety of sauces and spreads produced on-site at the deli of Shakti, which offers homemade almond cheese, vegan mayonnaise, “egg-like” salad, matbucha, and more.
Umm Kulthum – Haifa
Umm, Kulthum restaurant offers a wide variety of homemade vegan food with a combination of Mediterranean and Eastern flavors. The restaurant is located on Sderot Moriah in the Carmel Center in Haifa, and offers a completely vegan menu. All of the restaurant’s dishes are made from entirely plant-based materials from plants, which creates high-quality, fresh, and flavorful dishes.
Among the restaurant’s dishes, you can find a large selection of hummus dishes, as well as other great options like a great vegan Pizza Pizza, Druze Burekas, Vegan Lahmajun, and more.
