Stuck on where to eat this month?

Something that struck me when looking back on our vegan-friendly list of last year was that so many of them have unfortunately closed down a year onwards - the likes of Bear Paw Deli, Yum Grub, Woke Cup café, and Thanks Plants have all shut down since we were last embarking on Veganuary. I only passed It's A Trap recently with its doors closed during the day and feared the worst, but a quick look at their socials reassured me that they are only on a brief hiatus. While there aren't as many places that solely focus on plant-based food anymore in this city, there are still plenty of spots suitable for those on a vegan diet, whether it is just for January, or if it's your everyday. Whether you're dining with fellow vegans, or just need there to be an option for you during your monthly challenge, here are some great vegan-friendly spots in Dublin for a feed.

12. Umi Falafel

Multiple locations Umi Falafel is a 100% vegetarian chain that has expanded beyond Dublin in the last couple of years, launching in Belfast as well as Cork. While feta and halloumi feature heavily in their dishes, there are plenty of completely vegan menu items to choose from, with a natural focus on falafel given the name. Umi take a huge amount of pride in whipping up their falafels fresh on the daily, soaking chickpeas in water for a 24 hour period before combining a mix of 14 spices, including cumin, onions, garlic, parsley, coriander, crushed chillies, cloves, and cinnamon. To ensure you leave feeling fala-full, there are also great vegan sides to choose from including some of the best sweet potato fries you'll find in Dublin, and I don't say this lightly. Too many restaurants serve them soggy or burnt, make the chip too thin or too thick, whereas this falafel centric eatery knows how to strike the exact right balance, achieving delicious crispiness. Go for? A yummy vegan meal on a budget Umi has six Dublin restautants, you can find the closest one to you here.  https://www.instagram.com/p/CeYYUO5MGhy/?img_index=1

11. The Purty Kitchen

Dún Laoghaire 

The Purty Kitchen is saying a warm welcome to Veganuary with a new vegan feast menu, which will be available from the January 10th to 28th.

Vegan favourites will feature on the menu, including pear and beet salad, chargrilled cauliflower steaks, and frangipane with raspberry sorbet. The menu will focus on local and seasonal ingredients, bringing fresh New Year's flavours to the table each week in January, and help you get through this monthly challenge.

As for the wine, there's no need to double check if it's vegan ahead of ordering, as all the vino designed to pair with the food will be vegan. Go for? A plant-based feast amongst like-minded pals You can avail of the Veganuary feast at The Purty Kitchen between the 10th and 28th January. 

10. McGuinness's

Camden Street, Dublin 2 Veganuary doesn't mean you have to eat carrot batons and hummus for 31 days straight (although of course, that's a huge part of the experience). When you've been out in Dublin, dancing the night away, you might find yourself with hanger at 2am, and if you're stressing you won't find anything vegan to keep you going, one of Camden Street's finest establishments will sort you out. While your friends are all digging into their pizza slices and kebabs, McGuinness's will not let you down for vegan-friendly options; they have a whole vegan menu, including vegan sides that will tide you over until you can have a real battered sausage again. Go for? Something stodgy after a night ooot on the town McGuinness's opens until late every day until late, except on Tuesdays when they close.  https://www.instagram.com/p/CZHYn9XIiVV/?hl=en

9. Token

Smithfield, Dublin 7  One of the most fun places to dine in Dublin also happens to have a few quality vegan options, not just the "token" (no pun intended) one dish that is nearly always mushroom risotto or vegetable korma. While Token tends to scream "First Date", they have several options for the plant-based masses, including a vegan chilli dog, a vegan "Big Mac", vegan tacos, and vegan garlic parm fries. They even have a vegan dessert that isn't just sorbet (I'm sorry, but sorbet should never be considered a full dessert, it's a palate cleanser if anything). To finish off your Hinge date (we kid, we kid, we know there are plenty of other people who also go to Token) you can share a portion of their vegan banoffee, made with vegan whipped cream, before heading over to the pinball machines for some friendly competition. Token has a class deal whereby you get your main, a side, a drink, and 20 tokens to use for just €36. Go for? A first date that won't compromise your plant-based diet Token closes on Mondays, but opens every other day.  https://www.instagram.com/p/CTKW7P6MH_-/

8. Urban Health

Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Urban Health is a health conscious café with options for all kinds of eaters, whether you're vegan, veggie, pescatarian, or none of the above. Their brunch menu is available all day (a trait I love in a café) and they also serve salads, wraps, juices, soups, as well as some delicious baked goods. While Urban Health isn't completely vegan, they have some great vegan-friendly breakfast and lunch options, including granola, acai bowls, a vegan breakfast wrap, scrambled tofu, and vegan protein pancakes. Plus, the staff at Urban Health are some of the friendliest you will come across, and this small space beneath the Ranelagh Luas bridge will transport you somewhere more akin to LA than Dublin 6 with its greenery. Go for? The tofu scramble Urban Health opens on weekdays from 8am to 3pm, and on weekends from 9am to 4pm  https://www.instagram.com/p/CnEkJC9LFzH/?img_index=1

7. Nutbutter

Grand Canal, Dublin 2 & Smithfield, Dublin 7 Here I am, once again, to talk to you about my lord and saviour, Nutbutter. No Dublin restaurant has been such a staple in my life, and thankfully my Veganuary journey doesn't stop me from dining there - if anything, it opens up so many more doors that I might have been ignoring in favour of their spiced chicken or Irish brisket. Seeing as they are a self-proclaimed flexitarian spot, nearly all of the Nutbutter dishes can be made plant-based by swapping out the meat or fish for plant-based coconut bacon, jackfruit, or watermelon sashimi. On a semi-unrelated note, and this cannot be overstated enough, whoever is in charge of the music at Nutbutter is a cool cat, and the tunes infinitely elevate the mood - if you thought vegan food couldn't be cool, you haven't dined here yet. Go for? The jerk jackfruit tacos Nutbutter opens daily until 9:30pm. https://www.instagram.com/p/C0tkRtLMU6W/?img_index=1

6. Glas

Chatham Street, Dublin 2 Looking for a vegan friendly location that is befitting of a special occasion? Chatham Street's Glas is the kind of sophisticated, trendy restaurant that you could see Samantha dragging Carrie and the gang to in Sex and the City, even featuring on the Michelin Guide in 2022.  Glas is a haven for vegetarians and vegans, one of the few restaurants in Dublin that doesn't serve meat or fish at all. They serve vegan dishes such as ale braised cabbage, miso parsnip, and king oyster mushroom, but many of their vegetarians dishes can be made vegan if you let the staff know that is your preference. The menu is seasonal, only using local produce in order to create dishes that are both flavoursome and full of texture (something that can be lacking in vegan food). Many of the vegan friendly restaurants on this list tend to be more casual, so Glas proves that a restaurant that predominantly serves vegetables can be worthy of a birthday or anniversary too. Go for? An occasion meal Glas opens seven days a week for dinner, and for lunch on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays https://www.instagram.com/p/C0G5acus8_y/

5. V-Face

Stoneybatter, Dublin 7  One thing I know I'll be craving during the month of January is dirty fast food, and V-Face is where I'll be looking to settle that craving. This D7 spot began as a pop-up in a pub before launching as a sit-down restaurant, the brain child of Sarah Boland, who's mission was to open Dublin's first vegan burger bar, a mission she was successful in. The menu consists of "animal" burgers, made with plants, as well as sides including loaded fries, cauliflower wings, and even dairy-free milkshakes. Something we love to see is that V-Face have a ton of meal deals to help with the ever present cossy livvy crisis, so you can have your vegan cheeseburger and eat it too. Go for? You're craving an Eddie's V-Face opens from midday daily.  https://www.instagram.com/p/Czq-2SQMNYB/

4. Flip Burger

George's Street Arcade, Dublin 2 For the days you spend roaming around George's Arcade, contemplating that tragus piercing, or having a gander through the independent boutiques to feel as cool as everyone else shopping at the arcade, you're going to need a feed, and luckily another class vegan burger spot resides within these walls. If you're doing Veganuary, or just trying to cut back on meat, Flip Burger, from the creative minds at Blazing Salads, will sort you out.  Like V-Face, Flip Burger also have dairy free milkshakes, burgers, fries, as well as vegan whipped ice-creams. If you're hoping to add a little bit of health to your plate (hey, it happens to even the most indulgent eaters amongst us), Blazing Salads now operate at the same location as their sister site. And if you're saying to hell with healthy eating, there's always the vegan cheese which you can add to your burger or fries for just €1.50 extra. Go for? A post-shopping meal Flip Burger opens Monday to Saturday between 11am and 6pm.  https://www.instagram.com/p/C06QvheMANm/

3. It's A Trap

Aungier Street, Dublin 2 With Drumcondra's Bear Paw Deli closing in April of 2023, there's been something of a gap when it comes to vegan pastries. Luckily It's A Trap is still with us, opening in November 2019 as a plant-based micro patisserie and coffee spot. Perhaps the most famous item on the menu is the vegan cinnamon bun, which takes a total of 48 hours to go from the raw ingredients to final product. There's only ever a small batch available to ensure the freshness of the product, so if you step within the pink walls and spot the sugary swirls for sale, don't skip the chance to try one. It's A Trap also does breakfast and lunch wraps, with the choice of Korean BBQ marinated seitan strips, Gochujang and sesame dressing, spring onions, sliced cabbage and spinach, or an all-day breakfast wrap, put together with seitan sausage chunks, baked beans, Irish flat mushrooms, hash browns, sun-dried tomatoes and BBQ sauce. Go for? Vegan cinnamon buns It's A Trap opens daily and is dog friendly if you have your pooch with you. https://www.instagram.com/p/CeYVuRFMk9G/

2. The Saucy Cow

Crane Lane, Temple Bar  One of the few sole vegan locations left in Dublin is The Saucy Cow. While they finished up their vendor at Eatyard in October 2022, their brick and mortar offering in Temple Bar is a staple for plant-based, and non plant-based eaters alike in this city. This colourful little spot does vegan fast food like no other in Dublin, ideal if you don't always want to eat a mountain and veg and fruit, but are devoted to the plant-based lifestyle. They do beyond meat smash burgers, loaded fries, as well as wraps and sambos, and this saucy restaurant have garnered so much popularity, you can now find them in Cork too. With the loss of Yum Grub and Vegan Sandwich Co, The Saucy Cow's USP as a dirty vegan takeaway is all the more important to Dublin.  If we had to recommend something in particular, it would be the salt and chilli hash browns that look nothing short of stunning. A whopper vegan-friendly spot to try in January. Go for? Fast food style vegan food The Saucy Cow opens 12.00 to 21.00 Wednesday to Sunday.  https://www.instagram.com/p/Co9zswxMZsp/?img_index=1

1. Cornucopia

Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 When you consider the sheer amount of vegan restaurant closures in this city, it's a credit to Cornucopia that they have been making vegan food for nearly forty years, and remain a staple for the plant-based masses in Dublin. What used to be a toy shop in the 1920s has evolved into one of Dublin's most well known restaurants, even beyond its position as a key veggie and vegan eatery. They have a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu available, full of vegan friendly classics such as scrambled tofu, seitan sausage rolls, jackfruit puttanesca, and more. There is tons of indoor seating, and everything on the menu is designed to be comfort food, warming for the tummy and the soul. Cornucopia does employ the odd meat-alternative ingredient, but for the most part relies on the deliciousness of veg and lentils, which is where plant-based food truly shines. You can check out the whole menu here. Go for? The vegan chicken caesar wrap Cornucopia opens daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 8am.  https://www.instagram.com/p/CyTFcZ4se9Z/?img_index=1 Header images via Instagram / Token & / Nutbutter READ ON: - 16 Dublin spots where you can go for food and a boogie - 12 Dublin bakeries we'd wake up at the crack of dawn for - Our top 7 food and drink trend predictions for Ireland in 2024