New York City's Best Vegetarian Restaurants

To be a vegetarian is to completely give up animal and dairy products; this includes seafood, milk, fish, eggs, meat and poultry. The only food that a vegetarian will consume is vegetables, grains, fruits and soy products. Over the past several decades more and more people are giving up animal and dairy products and becoming vegetarian simply because it's believed to be a healthier dietary option.

The US Department of Agriculture's livestock slaughter report in 2008 summarizes that 115 million hogs; 35 million cattle were killed for food, along with the poultry and fish that number rises to about 20-50 billion annually. Researches have shown that animals such as pigs, cows and chickens have deep emotional lives and to kill such highly developed creatures just to eat their meat is contrary to our ethical standards and the human race.

Personally my family and I are vegetarians with the exception of my husband, he cannot and will not give up meat. When I lived in New York there were several great vegetarian restaurants that are available. Most if not all of the vegetarian restaurants in New York are fabulous and specifically cater to the vegetarian, listed below are four of my favorite vegetarian restaurants that will blow your mind with all the decadent foods.

Lula's Sweet Apothecary

Lula's is located at 516 East 6^th Street New York, NY between Avenue A and B and is 100% Vegetarian. The average coast for an entree is $10 to $15 per plate and is well worth it. This restaurant does not deliver. Lula's is a smoke free environment and has four locations in NYC, Manhattan, and Manhattan below 14^th Street and in the East Village. At Lula's they make their own homemade ice cream and carry Chicago Soy Dairy soft-serve ice cream. The atmosphere is simple and casual, so when you're ready for a quick comfortable lunch, this is the place to be. Lula's is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 3pm to 10pm; Thursday threw Saturday 3pm to 11:30 pm and is closed on Mondays.

Pure Food and Wine

The Pure Food and Wine restaurant is located at 54 Irving Place New York, NY 10003 (212) 477-1010. This is a 100% vegetarian restaurant, meaning they serve only raw foods and natural wine. They are open from 5:30pm to 11:30pm and have a great selection of vegetarian dishes; my favorite was the vegetable stir-fry over yellow rice with fried plantains on the side. This is a very classy 5 star restaurant so dress up to go to this place. Reservations are highly recommended due to the high volume. The average entree is about $20 per plate, with some in the $50 range. This is a smoke free restaurant that has outdoor seating when the season permits and a great selection of wine.

Candle 79

Candle 79 is located at 154 East 79^th Street New York, NY 10021 (212) 537-7179. This 100% vegetarian restaurant is open from Monday threw Saturday for lunch at 12:00pm to 3:30pm and for dinner at 5:30 to 10:30pm. This is a very fancy restaurant and reservations are required here. The ambiance is exceptional, the service is great, but the food is the best in the world! They have wine, organic food, raw foods, gluten-free foods and a wonderful juice bar. This restaurant does serve alcohol, an entree will coast about $20 to $30 per plate.

References for this article came from maozusa.com and hangawirestaurant.com