From Miami, Florida to the Pacific Northwest, down to the Caribbean, to all the way to the Baltics, and back down south in the good ole US, we have found amazing vegan eats.
Come on a plant-based journey across the world with us and let us inspire you!
A delicious vegan burger
Miami, Florida
To start, let’s say when you think of South Beach, Miami, and all of the food options there, you might not think of it as being a vegan-friendly destination. But, when we spent a weekend in Miami, we found it to be a vegan paradise. 🙂
We went to the hip, graffiti-covered neighborhood of Wynwood to find a couple of spots. We started off at Charley’s Vegan Taco’s CVT.
Charley’s Vegan Taco’s
This hip taco shop with a beautiful mural inside offers quite a big menu of vegan treats. The vibe was cozy as soon as you walked in the door.
It was originally started in Tulum, Mexico. Someday, we will have to make our way down to the original and report back as to which one is better!
We started off with the Mushroom Ceviche – Oyster mushrooms, sunflower seeds, avocado, garlic aioli, and cilantro sprouts.
We spent a whole summer in 2019 trying ceviche all around the states, and this version was the best we had. It was the most flavorful and creative out of any.
We then moved on to our entree portion of the meal. We decided we would share a burrito and an order of tacos.
We ordered the El Diablo burrito.
We had been craving burritos recently so this one hit the spot. It came with Abuelita’s rice, black beans, chorizo, chicharron prensado, fried plantain, jalapeños, shredded lettuce, onion, maldita sauce, garlic aioli, creamy green salsa.
The Plantains in it were a game-changer, as they always are, they added a beautiful sweetness to the spice of the Jalapenos. Such good flavor all through every bite.
For our Tacos we chose the Carne Sin Carne option. Which came with 3 tacos.
- Chicharron Prensado Taco – porkles cracklings stewed in red morita pepper sauce, served with fresh mango chutney, garlic aioli, onion cilantro
- Chicharron Verde Taco – porkless cracklings stewed in green tomatillo salsa, topped with vegan creme, onion, cilantro
- Jackfruit pulled “Pork” Taco – jackfruit in ancho pepper adobo with shredded lettuce, cured red onion, vegan creme, and creamy green salsa.
These tacos were beyond incredible. I think my favorite was the Jackfruit pulled “pork”, such an incredible flavor profile.
Overall this experience was amazing. The vibe inside is fantastic and the staff is really wonderful.
We met the head chef Bryan, he introduced himself and gave some insight into the dishes and then went back to making delicious foods. After a few minutes, he came back out to check on us and our meals to make sure we were enjoying ourselves and our food.
Very cool! Highly recommend this spot.
L’Artisane Bakery
Our next food adventure took us to North Miami Beach and L’Artisane Bakery. This place is beyond incredible. With pastries and sandwich options there is something for everyone and every hunger level.
We ended up going here two mornings in a row, with a pop in on our way back to our hotel after the beach because it was so good.
Our personal favorite was the Guava & Cream Cheese danish. A must at the bakery, the sweet and savory flavor is impossible to resist. We definitely could not and are still craving it all this time later.
Our first visit to the bakery we shared the VTE ”Vegan Travel Eats” Croissant, a beautiful breakfast sandwich with hash brown, sausage patty, Just Egg patty, shiitake bacon & aji amarillo aioli. What an amazing treat. Everything you want from a sandwich to start off your day all in one.
On our second visit, we decided to get a couple of sandwiches along with our guava and cream cheese danish.
We went with… Wild Mushrooms Croissant: this came with sautéed wild mushrooms, fresh thyme, black truffles foam, vegan parmesan cheese, mushrooms crumble.
This is such a beautifully savory sandwich and we highly recommend it. We were sad to see the last bite go.
Croque Monsieur Croissant: this came with vegan deli ham and was so delectable and delicious. If you have ever had this kind of sandwich you will be blown away by how good this one is.
Overall L’Artisane Bakery is one of the best options we have found for vegan food and pastries. It is a smaller yet cozy shop so it can be hard to find a table. But as we did on our first visit it is well worth taking it to go and eat while enjoying North Miami Beach just a short walk away.
British Columbia
Let’s go out now to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, getting here was a beautiful journey by ferry from Seattle. I definitely did not plan on getting seasick on the ride over, I highly suggest bonine or the free motion sickness medication they offer before you leave. Just in case!
One might not think I was excited or ready to get food. But quite the opposite, I was so excited to hit land and walk to get our first meal in Victoria! We dropped our luggage off in our rental car and wandered over to…
The Very Good Butchers
The Very Good Butchers in a food hall/market right in downtown this is by far the best butcher I have been to. It is a fully functional butcher shop. They butcher beans, so you can get your deli needs taken care of and order from a small menu of hot dishes they have at the shop.
Using mostly beans in their patties and their dogs. The flavor and texture that they have created is unreal.
This ended up being our favorite of the trip and kind of ruling our trip eating and snacking game. In our time in Victoria, we tried out…
Jackfruit Poutine: This poutine was no joke the best poutine I have had… hands down. The bbq sauce on the pulled jackfruit was so good and smoky. Fries cooked to perfection and the curds were even better here!
Mac N’ Cheeze: This was an extra cheezy mac with bread crumbs and we added jackfruit to it. Everything you want in a mac n cheeze.
We also got these deli options to go…Bangers in a Blanket: One of their delicious British style bangers wrapped in their homemade dough and cooked to perfection!
Pizza Pocket: A square pocket of goodness, It is stuffed with their homemade marinara sauce and their homemade pepperoni. What an awesome treat.
Meatball Sub: What a tasty meatball sub! On homemade focaccia roll with their cheese strips. Good to grab for a delicious on the go meal.
The portions here are way bigger but I would not recommend sharing, it is too good to only get one option!
Nassau, Bahamas
Let us take you to a small cozy spot in Nassau Bahamas! As the locals say you have to go up and over the hill from the tourist spot to get here.
Locals might also think you are druggies wandering here but they are very friendly, just be careful and keep your wits about you, and maybe do not go at night.
Eat Right Delight
This small but cozy restaurant in King David Nassau, Bahamas is a hidden gem for sure. When you enter you come into the very small dining and take out area and the menu is on the wall.
They always have specials running, so make sure to ask what the special of the day is! It has a small bench for you to sit on while you await your delicious food. Then on the wall by the window, there are two stools set up with a small shelf/table to eat on.
Once you decide what you are going to order you peek your head in through a small hole in the glass that looks into the kitchen.
Everything is made as you order by Shanique so it takes a little while but it is well worth the wait. As we were hanging out and waiting for our food we met two really great locals who turned out to be friends of ours to this day. Like our friend Cliff Riley, pictured below, a Bahamian singer sharing beautiful positivity, who sang to us while waiting for his food!
With Cliff Riley, Bahamian singer
So many good conversations happen around food. These were a couple of the best. The chef/owner Shanique is incredibly nice as well. She is always smiling as she cooks for you. I cannot wait to return to this place!
Every person who walked in the door was greeted with a smile. Most of the locals that came in seemed to know her and how delicious her food is.
Note: If you are arriving in Nassau on a cruise ship, it is walkable, around a 35-minute walk. If you walk to the market street and take a left and keep walking you will find it!
I would also recommend downloading maps.me from your app store if you have not for and downloading the map of Nassau while you are in town! Stay on the main road, Market street, on your way. Once you get there. Enjoy!
We asked Shanique to make us something she wanted us to try and to remember this place by. I am pretty sure it was a variation of the…
Thai noodles – these noodles she brought out to us had such incredible flavor. Covered in beautiful veggies and another one of her sauce creations.
We also got to sample a sliver of her pizza and it was really incredible! Thinking about it right now makes me hungry!
On our second time back, on the Keeping the Blues Alive At Sea cruise, we ordered her Spaghetti with “meat” sauce.
This was the best spaghetti we have ever had. The sauce was incredible. We did not ask for the secret ingredient that made it so tasty but we are pretty sure it had some cinnamon in it.
Everything she makes is light, we did not leave feeling too full. We felt quite good even after scarfing down the whole dish.
Spicy Mushroom Sliders (another special) – These little sliders packed so much flavor. From every bite, our noses ran and we got more and more sad every bite knowing this amazing food journey would end.
The spice mixed with her mushroom patties is one hell of a mixture. Just hope she has these when you walk in!
This is such a special spot. Feeding the folks of Nassau incredibly good food that is healthy! We cannot wait to return so we can try some more delicious food! A really special restaurant.
Tallinn, Estonia
Next stop is Tallinn, Estonia, one of our favorite cities we have been to. It has incredible history and architecture from the 1500s. Anything from castles, to modern buildings to communist-era all concrete builds. You can find it all in Tallinn. Old meets new and is bustling with tech. One of the tech capitals of Europe actually.
You have more than likely used one of their biggest contributions to tech and communication… Skype.
More than anything the people of Estonia are kind and welcoming, they want to show you how great their country is and show you a fantastic time. They also share the love with their food.
We found a few amazing options but our favorite by far was Tru Kitchen, we went twice and made friends with the owner and a few of the staff. We genuinely miss our friends and the wonderful food they shared with us.
Tru Kitchen
Tru Kitchen is outside of Oldtown Tallinn, about a 15-minute walk. It is in an old industrial-looking warehouse, which by the time we go again I am sure will be hip and painted in some funky way. When you walk in you are immediately transported to another place.
Plants all over, a few couches along the wall, incredible music vibes, and super friendly Estonians ready to help you out. The owner, Kristo Rosenvald, became a friend of ours very quickly.
Each time we came in he personally greeted us and had nice conversations as long as he could. Then there was the food, what dreams are made of.
Pita Sandwitch (their spelling) – Normally I would not have ordered this sandwitch except that the owner and a few other of our new friends told us it was the favorite menu item. Naturally we had to try and holy hell we were not disappointed, until the end, when it was gone of course.
Served with Voner (a vegan version of doner), roasted carrots, portobello, and a miso mayonnaise. It left us wanting to get 5 more for our journey, but we were too full and let it be a dream to have again.
Tumeric Chickpea omelet was our introduction to beetroot. It was used at every vegan restaurant in the baltic states and is incredibly good. Along with beetroot it came with pickled fennel and green pesto. Another simple dish done perfectly and just bursting with flavor. From the first bite I was sad watching it disappear with every bite.
Grand Leaven Breakfast Sandwitch (their spelling) – this sandwitch comes on local bread from a bakery right across the alley from Tru, it is remarkable how fresh it is. Topped with Kimchi, a perfectly cooked portobello, an avocado, and vegan cheese and served open face, this sandwitch has so much flavor in every bite.
Its only flaw is that it is hard to concentrate on what part is the best because it is all so incredible. 🙂
After our few times here to chat, eat, have tea, and play backgammon, we felt right at home. We had a hard time leaving this magical city.
We will be back and when we do, the first place we will head to is Tru to see our friends and share a beautiful meal.
Traveling Europe in January we noticed a trend in a lot of locals, Veganuary, this was a lot of Europeans way to start off the year with a nice cleanse for their body.
Even though we were seeking out these type restaurants, a lot of others had a couple of special dishes in order to meet Veganuary’s needs. It makes it more accessible to travelers who might be in a mixed travel party of vegans and non-vegans.
Nashville, Tennessee
Last but not least, come on back with us to our hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. A city full of incredible cuisine, maybe not so known for their vegan offerings.
The Southern V
One restaurant, in particular, The Southern V, will keep you far from feeling deprived of wonderful Southern cookin’. Open since 2017 in the location they are in now they aim to be the staple for southern cuisine in Nashville! Their menu has so many amazing options but these were our favorites.
Nashville Hot “Chicken” – This seitan based Hot chicken is incredible. The spice they bring is hot enough for you to feel it but not be overwhelmed. As a staple in Nashville cuisine this dish is up there with any in the city, better I would think!
BBQ Jackfruit Nachos – This beautiful “American” sized plate of jackfruit nachos was out of this world. Enough jackfruit to cover any chip you can find under the beautiful toppings. Mix and match the veggies you would like and enjoy this incredible dish.
Turnip Greens – Whoa! Talk about flavor, these greens will blow you away. Incredible spice and flavor will make you sad when they are gone.
Mac N “Cheese” – This mac was some of the best I have ever had, and believe me as a picky eating kid Mac N’ Cheese was one of my few food groups that I ate out of. The thick and creamy sauce with amazing texture and taste. Your friends who are scared of vegan food would never know the difference, probably would say this was better.
Southern V has all the fixings you are looking for in a down south meal right here in Nashville.
Conclusion
I think people get the wrong idea when it comes to veganism. What you have to give up, what you miss out on. But in fact, you are not missing out on anything.
Chefs work that much harder to get past the stigma to get people into the restaurant and then make incredibly creative and delicious food to keep people coming in.
We have found some of the most creative food while traveling and experienced a rich culture within the vegan community.
No matter where you travel there is always somewhere to find a plant-based meal if you look hard enough, and that looking is part of the fun and beautiful way to get to know the culture where you find yourself.
We hope you enjoyed our plant-based wander around the world! Peace signs up!
Author Bio
My name is Nik Sheasby, I am half of the wanderlustmoonduo. I have toured with bands for the last 13 years while traveling for myself on the downtime. I started my travel later in life but dove in head first once I was able to. I love immersing myself into new cultures and meeting new people. Traveling has been my life and also saved my life. I want to share my world, seeing our beautiful world, with you. Spread love and humanity. Peace Signs up!
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