4 New Places To Savor Vegan Fare In New York City

NEW YORK (Hoodline) - If you're jonesing for something tasty and fully plant-based, you're in luck: we've found the freshest New York City eateries to quell your cravings. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're looking for vegan food.

Hartbreakers

820 Hart St., Bushwick

Hartbreakers is an all-vegan restaurant serving up sandwiches, salads and sides from its 70s-themed space at 820 Hart St. in Bushwick. All its ingredients except breads and cheese are made in-house, per its website.

On the menu, customers will find options like the fried seitan chik'n sandwich with arugula, pickled onion, mayo, and mashed avocado, as well as waffle fries covered in vegan cheese, merguez sausage-style crumbles, and a jalapeño-cilantro aioli. (You can check out the full menu here.)

Hartbreakers currently holds 4.5 stars out of seven reviews on Yelp, indicating a warm welcome in its early days.

"Whether or not you're vegan, the food here is crazy good. The branding and decor are on point, and is totally insta-worthy," Bernie D. noted, and recommended, "Make sure to try the fried chik'n."

"This place is so gorgeous! So bright and pretty, flowers on all the tables and plants everywhere," Yelper Hadassah A. added. "I love the thunderbird and the picnic basket sandwiches."

Hartbreakers is open from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. daily.

Bive

95 Orchard St., Lower East Side

If healthy ice cream sounds like an oxymoron, a new vegan scoop shop is here to change your mind. Bive is located at 95 Orchard St. (between Broome and Delancey streets) on the Lower East Side, and specializes in gluten-free, low-calorie fruit sorbets with ingredients like aloe vera and goji berries.

Sweets enthusiasts will find combinations like peppermint, aloe vera, dark chocolate and oat milk, or passion fruit, collagen, chia seeds, coconut water and amaranth. The sorbets are served as scoops, cones, bowls or smoothies.

Yelp users are excited about Bive, which currently holds 4.5 stars out of 13 reviews on the site.

Yelper Nina L. wrote on September 29, "With great, hospitable service and a fascinating product, Bive fits in perfectly with the growing health food craze happening on Orchard Street. ... I will definitely be back to have their product as a smoothie or a bowl."

"Your typical small shop in LES but there is still seating for at least 6 people," Leona L. noted. "I was pretty impressed with the two flavors I had, I didn't think ice cream with so little sugar would taste so good."

Bive is open from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. daily.

Rip's Malt Shop

10 Clermont Ave., Fort Greene

Rip's Malt Shop is an all-vegan mom and pop malt shop from Allison and Matt Robicelli (formerly of Robicelli's Cupcake Bakery), located at 10 Clermont Ave. in Fort Greene, as we recently reported.

Its food recalls the comfort food of diners across America, from burgers (made with Beyond Burger patties) to Field Roast hot dogs, sandwiches like the mock chicken salad and the mushroom melt, and Van Leeuwen's vegan ice cream flavors served in scoops, floats, sundaes and milkshakes.

Black cherry and birch beer cane sugar sodas (with free refills) and little-known drinks like the egg cream complete the old-fashioned vibe. Rip's delivers through the Caviar service, and you can view the full menu here.

The plant-based diner is a hit so far, with 4.5 stars out of 39 reviews on Yelp.

Yelper Rhea S., who reviewed Rip's Malt Shop on October 12, said, "The burger here is meat free but tastes exactly like a conventional burger one would get at the likes of shake shack or five guys! The milkshake was also good. I'm happy I'm now able to get a guilt free cheese burger."

"A lot of toppings are also on the house, Five Guys style, including onion, sauerkraut, and their secret sauce. I tried both their Rip's Burger and their Chicago Dog, both of which were on par with the 'best rated' veggie burgers and dogs in the city," Yelper Myles C. wrote, praising the low prices.

Rip's Malt Shop is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Avant Garden

188 Havemeyer St., Williamsburg

Finally, Avant Garden's new location in Williamsburg is bringing the popular East Village spot's upscale New American vegan fare to Brooklyn in a woods-themed space, as we recently reported. Chef Tony Mongeluzzi oversees the menu in both branches.

Diners will find appetizers like avocado and crispy rice with blistered shishito peppers, carrot ginger dressing and miso glaze, and larger dishes like scorched cauliflower with toasted garlic and fried capers.

The restaurant makes sure to leave room for walk-ins, but you can also make reservations through its website.

With a 4.5-star rating out of 17 reviews on Yelp, Avant Garden has been getting positive attention.

Yelper Daniel M., who reviewed the new place on September 26, wrote, "This was the best vegan dining experience I have had in recent memory. ... They are able to create textures and flavors that most vegan places cannot. A celery root noodle with a creamy mushroom sauce was a show stopper."

Cassidy B. agreed, "This was the best vegan meal I've ever had. The thought and art put into their dishes is truly amazing. I had the Beijing Duck. It tasted wonderful and was beautiful."

Avant Garden is open from 6 p.m.–10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday and 6 p.m.–11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. (It's closed on Monday.)