Restaurant Guides

Find Vegan Ice Cream Shops in the GTA

Care of Carla Williams Updated July 2018 Is vegan “ice cream” even ice cream? Arguably (and by that we mean technically), it is not! The important thing is we’ve got a list of local spots where you’ll find the good stuff: delicious, dairy-free concoctions that will satisfy any ice cream lover’s craving for cool. Top Picks Bunner’s Bakeshop 244 Augusta Ave. 647-350 2975  bunners.ca This all-vegan and gluten-free bake shop has two locations in Toronto but their soft serve ice cream is only available at their Kensington Market location – 244 Augusta Ave, during summer months. Enjoy the classics: Vanilla, Chocolate, and Swirl in a cone or paired with a baked treat. See their complete listing on veg.ca Cosmic Treats 207 Augusta Avenue 647-352-2207 cosmictreats.ca Toronto’s kid-friendly vegan restaurant, dessert bar, ice cream parlour and candy shop is located in the heart of Kensington Market. They feature a rotating selection of over 40 flavours of silky smooth made-in-house, small batch, premium artisanal ice cream made using… Read More

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Muskoka Round-Up

Planning a trip to Muskoka? Here are some veg-friendly spots to check out on your next cottage-country adventure. Affogato Cafe This gelato shop and bakery is teeming with vegan options that are clearly labelled! They’re located right in downtown Huntsville on the water so you can enjoy a refreshing gelato while you stroll the waterfront. The Frying Dutchman Co. Keep an eye out for the bright red vegan food truck in Huntsville because you don’t want to miss out on The Frying Dutchman! They serve traditional and modern chip truck food prepared without any animal products. Don’s Bakery of Bala Don’s Bakery has been serving customers in Muskoka fresh baked goods since 1947. The staff can help point out the vegan offerings, which include cinnamon buns, scones, Chelsea buns, and Parker house rolls, or just take a look at the ingredients listed next to each item. El Pueblito Spending time up north needn’t be all about veggie sausages roasted over the campfire. Fill your craving for Mexican food with this restaurant in Bracebridge that has many clearly labelled vegan options. Read More

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Vegan Round-Up in Thornhill

Care of Barbi Lazarus, Donor and Volunteer Resources Coordinator Updated June 2018 They say we all want what we can’t have. My parents complain that all the great vegetarian restaurants are downtown, but lately I’ve been finding that there are so many great vegan hot spots in the area where I grew up that when I’m home for a visit, I don’t have time to fit it all in. Places outside of the downtown core like Thornhill, Burlington, and Oakville, now have a large enough collection of their own vegan restaurants that more and more I’m finding myself planning day-trips (see my post on great hike ‘n dine day trip ideas here) instead of hopping on the subway or my bike to get to some of my favourite places. If you’re in Thornhill or Richmond Hill anytime soon, your problem won’t be finding a place to eat, but instead narrowing down your options to pick just one or two. Vegan Danish Bakery: No matter what part of the GTA you are from, the Vegan Danish Bakery is well worth the trip to the corner of Yonge and John Streets in old Thornhill. Read More

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Vegetarian Breakfast & Brunch Guide 2017

Looking for vegan & veg-friendly options for breakfast and brunch? You’ve come to the right place! Here you will find complete listings of the best breakfast & brunch offerings from your favourite Vegetarian Directory businesses. From healthy, energy-packed granolas to decadent scrambles with “sausage” and “bacon”, this Brunch Guide’s got something for everyone.      Belmonte Raw 1022 Queen St. E., 647-340-1218 130 King St. W. (The Exchange Tower), 647-343-6169, www.belmonteraw.com “It’s the most important meal of the day. From our trend-setting chia seed puddings to filling and hearty overnight oats, start your morning with the right fuel to take on the day.” Find options like chia pudding and overnight oats for a healthy, energy-inducing start to your day. When: Monday – Friday from 7:30am, Sat-Sun 10am (Queen St. location), Monday – Friday from 7am (Exchange Tower location) Menu: https://belmonteraw.com/collections/breakfast/breakfast      Berkeley North 31 King William St, Hamilton, 905-522-5858, www.berkeleynorth.ca Find awesome veg & vegan brunch options at Berkeley North, including the  Veg Taco with a Tumeric & Coconut Taco, Pickled Veg,… Read More

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A Guide to Vegan Ice Cream in Toronto’s Veg Village

By Barbi Lazarus, Donor and Volunteer Resources Coordinator The latest Veg Out: Toronto’s Vegetarian Podcast gave a fabulous rundown of the increasing vegan options for ice cream around the GTA. With so many options to choose from, it’s hard to decide where to go when you feel like treating yourself to something cold and creamy. Imagine what it’s like for me, famous for my sweet tooth, working just around the corner from what’s been dubbed “veg village”, where there are FIVE places serving up vegan ice cream all within a couple blocks of each other. One might wonder how they can all stay in business at the same time. Isn’t the vegan ice cream market saturated in Kensington? But once you take a closer look, you’ll realize that each place offers something unique and special, making them all worth a visit this summer. I’ve recently designated Thursday as my Veg Village treat day, so that I can make sure I try them all before fall rolls around. Here’s a little guide to what distinguishes these great options from one another. Cosmic Treats: Anyone who thinks vegans are depriving themselves has clearly never stepped into this retro style diner… Read More

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Toronto’s Veg Village

By Moreen Murray, TVA member and volunteer At Barbi’s request and in the spirit of her guide to Vegan Alley about Bloor West, I am following up with my own little guide to what my husband and I call the Veg Village…Kensington Market. A popular spot for tourists and locals alike, we consider it our “supermarket” – where we go to get fresh fruits and vegetables and everything we need to make delicious vegan meals. After working up an appetite shopping, it’s great to have somewhere to stop and let someone else do the cooking. When we travel it’s not often you have the convenience of many veg restaurants in such a small area without having to travel partway across the city. The only example I am able to come up with is perhaps on the Upper West Side of New York City, on Columbus and Broadway avenues. Approaching the market from our home base of King and Bathurst we usually enter off Dundas at Denison and one of our favourite spots on the corner is… GREENS VEGETARIAN – 638 Dundas Street West. **Greens gives TVA members 10% off We started going here during previous ownership and now… Read More

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Welcome to Toronto’s Vegan Alley

By Barbi Lazarus, Donor & Volunteer Resources Coordinator When my partner and I are planning a visit to a new city, it usually goes a little bit like this: Create a Google earth map of all the vegetarian restaurants we want to go to, then look up hotels near the biggest concentration. More often than not, this is relatively easy, with several must-visit restaurants clustered in one neighbourhood. I imagine this would be somewhat difficult for people visiting Toronto. It seems that the largest concentration of vegetarian and veg-friendly restaurants, bakeries and cafes is emerging not in any sort of tourist hot spot with hotels and attractions nearby, but instead it’s happening off the beaten path in the west end of the city, where accommodations are few and far between (or maybe non-existent?). Well, move over Kensington Market! Someone recently referred to the stretch of Bloor Street between Christie and Lansdowne as “Vegan Alley”, and I’ve made it my mission to make this phrase catch on. When I imagine myself as a newbie tourist in Toronto, I envision being overwhelmed by the vegan options in this neck of the woods and wishing there were a nice Hampton Inn & Suites nearby… Read More

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Veg Options Around Stouffville & Uxbridge

Also be sure to click here for our full directory of veg and veg-friendly businesses in York Region.   Places for Shopping Bulk Barn: Located at 304 Toronto Street South, Uxbridge or 1070 Hoover Park Drive, Stouffville Find handy ingredients like quinoa, flours, dried beans and legumes, hemp, chia and flax seeds, etc. Nature’s Emporium: Newmarket. This is a massive, grocery-store size health food store, a great option for groceries and also features buffet-style vegan meals you can take home! TVA members receive a discount on groceries. Today’s Natural Solutions: 307 Toronto St. S., Unit #1, Uxbridge, 905-862-3270 Places for Dining with Vegetarian Options The Bar Café and Organic Market: thebarcafe.ca Corner of Main and Toronto Streets in Uxbridge all local and organic produce, great lunch café with vegan/veg options Nature’s Emporium: Newmarket In addition to being a massive, grocery-store size health food store, they also have a vegetarian buffet where you can get a large plate of vegan food of your choice for about $10-$12. TVA members receive a discount! Thai Villa: 1076  Hoover Park Drive, Stouffville, 905-642-8298 Specify no fish sauce Thai… Read More

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The Great Toronto Pizza Roundup

By Barbi Lazarus, Donor and Volunteer Resources Coordinator For a lot of people making the journey from omnivore to vegan, the last animal product they stop eating is cheese. Numerous people have written about it’s addictive qualities and whether you believe that’s true or not, for whatever reason many people love the taste of cow’s cheese and keep eating it long after they’ve stopped eating meat or eggs. Fortunately in today’s world, or at least in today’s Toronto, if giving up cheese pizza is your only obstacle to going vegan it’s a piece of cake (or a slice of pizza). This Saturday has apparently been declared Vegan Pizza Day (join the Facebook event here) and there is absolutely no shortage of places to go or order in from if you want to join in the fun and celebrate. That’s because vegan pizza options have been growing in Toronto for years, and have especially exploded in the last 18 months. It all started over a decade ago when Amato’s began selling vegan slices. Well before the days of Daiya Cheese, they simply omitted the cheese but not the flavour, and to this day they sell their… Read More

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Vegetarian Patio Guide 2014

  Lettuce Love Café After a brutal and seemingly endless winter, it’s finally time for what we’ve all been fantasizing about for months… patio season! Here you’ll find all of your favourite Vegetarian Directory businesses that have outdoor seating. Bask in the glorious warmth of summer while enjoying some of the finest vegetarian and vegan fare the GTA has to offer! Click on the business name for a full listing. -d = offers a discount to Toronto Veg Card holders. Don’t have the card? Click here to get one! The Annex HodgePodge – d 258 Dupont St., 416-513-1333, www.theannexhodgepodge.com This mom and pop style café offers gourmet vegan soups, innovative salads, freshly squeezed juices, vegan wraps, desserts and grilled sandwiches. Small street side patio with seats for 4. The Beet Organic Café – d 2945 Dundas St. W., 416-916-2368, www.thebeet.ca Eco-friendly restaurant serving up sustainable fare with many delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes to choose from. There is also a patio, weekend brunch, take-out deli counter and seasonal organic produce. Butler’s Pantry Café… Read More

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