Enjoy vegan food at these top spots in Wynwood — Photo courtesy of iStock / Hagen Production
Wynwood is known as Miami’s hippest neighborhood. Beautiful street art, craft coffee infused with CBD, and local food trucks all abound in this small-but-alternative enclave of the city.
And where there are young artistic types and cool bars, you can bet there’s vegan food. The neighborhood has seen an explosion in recent years when it comes to vegan food options, and while foodies can find delicious vegan food all over Miami, Wynwood is a must-visit for both the people-watching and the taste buds.
Bunnie Cakes
“I am so proud of our neighborhood. When I started six years ago, our street was deserted, not pretty at all – but year after year, we have seen so many new businesses coming to the area, bringing more life and improvements and giving us vegan options that did not exist before,” Mariana Cortez, owner of the all-vegan Bunnie Cakes, tells 10Best.
In addition to making truly beautiful custom-order cakes and selling cupcakes in Cuban-inspired flavors like passion fruit and guava, the area’s Latin influence is also strong when it comes to Bunnie Cakes’ most popular orders.
Their vegan Cuban sandwich is a favorite, as is their take on tres leches (a moist sponge cake made with three different types of plant-based milks). Visitors should also try their key lime pie gelato.
Plant Miami
On the upscale end, Plant Miami is some of the best vegan food we’ve tried. Though pricey, Plant delivers when it comes to flavor, ambiance and presentation – all of which are impeccable.
Part of their upper hand is supreme freshness. Plant Miami’s owner Karla Dascal also owns a local farm, giving the restaurant a direct line to the freshest produce possible.
You can try to just stop in and sample their craft cocktails, like the S&S Margarita made with mezcal and chipotle salt, or even a CBD cocktail – but don’t be surprised if you end up staying for dinner. If you do, be sure to order the mamey asado with yucca mash. Plated to look like steak tartare, it is truly a feast for the eyes and taste buds.
The beet tostada (with truffle macadamia ricotta and shaved truffles) is also wonderfully decadent and – according to my not-yet-totally-vegan-friend – delivered the best vegan cheese they’ve ever tasted.
But Plant isn’t trying to recreate meat or dairy so much as invent entirely new dishes. “Rather than try to mimic non-vegan dishes by altering or processing the ingredients to transform them into something else, we prefer to create dishes that allow the ingredients to shine through and stand out in as close to their true form as possible,” Dascal says.
Charly’s Vegan Tacos
If you’re looking for a medium-casual meal, Charly’s Vegan Tacos is probably your best bet in Wynwood. The ambiance is hip, indoors or out, and the flavors are on point. Its owner is clearly a master chef, proudly announcing on the menu his mission to reinvent his grandmother’s traditional Mexican dishes using only plant-based meats and cheeses made from scratch.
Ordering a couple of taco love trios is the way to go if you want to taste as many varieties as possible, like yuba carnitas (yuba stewed in chipotle garlic adobo) or chicharron prensado (stewed in red morita pepper sauce, served with fresh mango chutney and garlic aioli).
However, you really can’t go wrong tasting any traditional meat dish that you want a made-from-scratch vegan version of (we’re talking chorizo, carne asada and much more). Burrito and elote-lovers, vegan ceviche skeptics and nacho-cravers will all find dishes to satisfy their tastes as well.
Chef Chloe and the Vegan Cafe
Chef Chloe Coscarelli (the creator of the NYC-famous By Chloe) has now opened up Chef Chloe and the Vegan Cafe in Wynwood. You can stop in for a casual Caesar salad, nachos, truffle avocado toast, or the coconut-based soft serve flavor of the day, served up in a real coconut.
This spot is also known for its freshly-baked cookies and cupcakes.
Roots n Seeds Cantina
If you want to sample some local food trucks after a few drinks, see if you can spot Roots n Seeds Cantina. They have unique vegan Latin options that locals swear by, including a buffalo toston tempeh sandwich made with homemade coleslaw and guacamole.
Mora Pizza
If you have the munchies, Mora Pizza is probably your richest vegan option. It’s a stationary truck locals love for New York-style vegan slices, buffalo “chicken” wings and vegan grilled cheese sandwiches (which you can also get on top of your pizza). Hey, why not?
Nabati
New but notable to the vegan ice cream offerings in Wynwood is Nabati, owned by Ola Kayal, a graduate of Switzerland’s Culinary Arts Academy. Kayal tells 10Best she seeks to sell a healthier ice cream, made without refined sugars in truly unique flavors you won’t want to miss like raspberry thyme, pumpkinseed butter and black sesame.
Love Life Cafe
Another Wynwood staple worth mentioning is Love Life Cafe, which wears its compassion proudly (visitors can read Spanish or English titles from a lending library while they wait, with books ranging on everything from ethical veganism to Buddhism). While the cafe is a little on the pricey end for casual dining, there’s something for everyone on this menu, and this is the kind of place that just oozes good vibes.
Sure, you can try a smoothie bowl or inventive burgers, but you might as well taste the items that are more uniquely Miami: the breakfast criollo (made with scrambled “egg,” jackfruit carne, black beans and a plant power arepa), the Cuban burrito (stuffed with items like fried plantains and their take on sofrito), and even a guava rose cheesecake for dessert.
Della Bowls
Finally, one Wynwood vegan standout is temporarily closed but promises to relocate soon, and is definitely worth mentioning. Be sure to check Instagram for updates on Della Bowls – a truly delicious spot where you can build your own flavorful and healthy(ish) bowl. In the meantime, you can still order a bowl for delivery!