Vegetarian dining in Metro Manila has outgrown the lone tofu dish at the bottom of a menu. The metro now has dedicated vegetarian restaurants, fully vegan kitchens, and mainstream cafes with serious plant-based sections, spread across a region that stretches from Quezon City and San Juan down to Makati and Taguig. This article sorts them by what a diner is likely to want, whether that is Filipino comfort food, Western dishes, a bowl of noodles, or a reliable meal close to home.
Why vegetarian dining in Metro Manila keeps growing
The scene is easier to appreciate once its scale is clear, and the places worth visiting share a few habits.
In a country where grilled meat stalls are a familiar sight, vegetarian food once felt like a niche. The listings say otherwise. Happy Cow’s directory once listed 19 vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Metro Manila, and its Quezon City page alone now carries 87 entries, a mix of restaurants, cafes, and shops. Metro Manila has a thriving vegetarian and vegan dining scene, and it now spans a wide range of prices. Vegan food no longer needs a separate corner of the dining map. Vegan options and stuff can turn up in cafes, hotel restaurants, and neighborhood kitchens, and good food at a modest price is within reach at several of the places below.
Plant-based dining here includes creative interpretations of traditional dishes. Adobo, kare kare, sisig, and lechon kawali are rebuilt with mushrooms, tofu, jackfruit, and seitan, so the recipes stay familiar even when the protein changes. Diners who miss the texture of pork or the char of grilled street food may find a version that comes close.
Atmosphere counts too. Many vegetarian and vegan spots in Metro Manila feature cozy atmospheres, from dining rooms filled with plants, crafts, and paintings to small cafes built for long conversations over coffee.
Behind the counter, in-house production is common. In-house made vegan meats, cheeses, and baked goods are standard at plant-based cafes, which means the sauces and fillings on the menu are often prepared from scratch. Some vegetarian restaurants go further and dedicate themselves to organic ingredients and clean food, often sourcing vegetables from local markets.
Vegan Filipino comfort food at Cosmic, Greenery Kitchen, and Bodhi
For diners who want familiar flavors first, these kitchens make the easiest entry point. Each adapts local dishes without losing the taste people grew up with.
Cosmic is the clearest example of a vegan restaurant built around local taste. It opened in 2018 as a vegetarian spot and became 100% vegan in 2022. It now serves vegan Filipino dishes like kare-kare and sisig, both finished with a bagnet-style crunch, alongside BBQ isaw and a few Japanese and Italian plates. Its Metro Manila branches include Bonifacio High Street Central in Taguig and Poblacion in Makati.
Greenery Kitchen, at 22 Jupiter Street in Bel-Air, Makati, specializes in flavorful vegan Filipino comfort food and offers meal plans. Its food trays also make it simple to feed a table of friends or family without ordering dish by dish.
Bodhi is a vegetarian-only restaurant with dishes around 150 PHP each. Its menu covers traditional Filipino dishes like kare-kare and adobo, often built around mock meats, and it suits a no-frills lunch on a tight budget.
Likha Diwa Sa Gulod in Quezon City is known for its affordable vegetarian meals. Open since 1999 near the Krus na Ligas market, it serves vegan palabok, tofu sisig, and its own take on vegan lechon kawali, a vegchon kawali that appeals to anyone who grew up on the original.
Western dishes, vegan desserts, and baked goods at Green Bar and iVegan
Western menus are where plant-based kitchens show their technique, since cheese, burgers, and pastries all have to be rebuilt from scratch.
Green Bar opened in 2014 as a small deli in Legaspi Village, Makati, started by sisters Jaderani and Sarada Santos. It has since grown into a restaurant, cafe, and bar that serves a variety of vegan comfort food and Western-style dishes, drawing on Southern California living and holiday cooking. Its cheeses, sauces, and vegan meats are made in-house. The Wild Thing Bacun Cheeseburger, for example, combines jackfruit, homemade seitan turkey, and house-made vegan cheese.
The pastry case is the other reason to go. Green Bar is known for vegan desserts and baked goods in classic and fun flavors, which makes it a sweet stop after a meal or a good place to pick up something for later. Plant-based cafes in the city may also prepare vegan pizzas, spaghetti with meatless sauces, and donuts, so a craving for something Western can often be met without leaving the plant-based menu. Salads on such menus can double as full meals when paired with rice, grains, or beans.
iVegan is known for its vegan sushi and burritos. Its menu leans Western, with a Chinese vegetarian section, and its plating draws praise. That range may suit a hungry group with mixed tastes.
Wild Thing Bacun Cheeseburger from Green Bar
Vegetarian-friendly restaurants for noodles, curries, and shared tables
Not every meal has to be vegan. Vegetarian friendly restaurants make the most sense for mixed groups where one person eats no meat and the rest do, and the best vegetarian restaurants for groups are the ones with a wide menu.
Corner Tree Cafe serves a diverse selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes at 150 Jupiter Street in Bel-Air, Makati. Considered a pioneer of plant-based dining in the country, it has more than 15 years behind it and draws on Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and European cooking. Arroz a la Cubana is a reliable order, and the dessert case holds a generous range of vegan desserts. The room is cozy enough for a long lunch, and diners do not need to be vegetarian to enjoy it.
Wabi-Sabi Noodle House started in 2010 and is known for its vegetarian ramen. Its Binondo location on Ongpin Street offers vegan ramen and dumplings, and most vegetarian dishes can be made vegan on request. A small grocery section sells packaged vegetarian products to take home.
Curry is another dependable category, and it can make a meatless table feel filling. Vegetarian options often include hearty curries and other comforting plates, from Indian vegetarian kitchens like Little India in Teachers Village, Quezon City, to the vegan curry at Likha Diwa. Many of these restaurants offer local Filipino comfort food and international dishes under one roof, so a group can order rice, curry, noodles, and a salad for the table.
Practical tips for a first time visit
Planning matters in a metro known for traffic. A few habits separate a relaxed meal from a long wait.
Rush hour affects Makati, Taguig, and Quezon City alike, so lunch before noon or dinner after the evening rush hour is easier on everyone. A taxi or ride-hailing car is usually simpler than driving, particularly in busy neighborhoods such as Poblacion.
Visitors arriving at the airport can head straight to their hotel and settle in before choosing a restaurant, since some of these kitchens offer delivery. Guests staying in a hotel room around the Manila Bay area can have veg meals delivered to the doorstep. Likha Diwa and The Vegetarian Kitchen offer delivery, and The Vegetarian Kitchen is known for plant-based bento sets.
Several of these restaurants have multiple locations, and menus change from branch to branch, so it is worth checking a restaurant’s Facebook page before going. Recent posts, photos, and comment sections often show current hours, new dishes, and whether a location has moved. Luckily, the check only takes a minute.
One last note on labels: vegetarian kitchens may use egg or dairy, while vegan kitchens use neither. Diners with strict preferences should ask before ordering, and staff at established kitchens can usually answer. Asking about fish sauce, shrimp paste, and egg in sauces can be especially useful with Filipino dishes, where these ingredients sometimes appear in a stew or dipping sauce.
A meal plan that fits the way you live
Vegetarian dining in Metro Manila rewards a little curiosity. Whether the goal is to satisfy a craving for sisig, find something sweet after dinner, or simply eat more vegetables during the week, plant-based kitchens now cover the full routine of city life, from a quick lunch to a family dinner to a dessert with friends. If you look forward to trying one new place a month, you will find that the scene keeps offering something worth the trip.
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