Great Vegan Restaurants in Johannesburg

It’s becoming easier and easier to eat out if you don’t like food derived from animal products, like dairy or egg. Today, vegan eateries are popping up everywhere in the city offering some creative meat-free options. Whether you’re a long-time vegan or just started your plant-based journey and looking for fresh ideas, these are our pick of the vegan restaurants in Johannesburg to try.

Have we missed any of your favourite spots? Let us know in the comments below or email editor@whatsoninjoburg.com

Kaylee’s Eatery

At Kaylee’s Eatery, only fresh, healthy, and seasonal ingredients are used to create their flavourful and full-of-goodness meals!

Kaylee’s Eatery and Market Place were started to help provide a variety of high-quality vegan products at affordable prices to help promote a healthy, happy, and cruelty-free lifestyle. Their versatile menu proves that you don’t have to miss out on your favourite dishes like mac ‘n cheese, nachos or bolognese to live a plant-based diet.

But it’s not just a vegan diet that they encourage but a vegan lifestyle. Over the years maintaining a plant-based and vegan lifestyle has become easier, though access and affordability still have their challenges. For this reason, Kaylee’s Market was started to provide a place where you can get not only high-quality vegan food but also wellness and beauty products all in one place so you can shop with peace of mind, making them one of South Africa’s leading vegan markets!

When: Monday to Saturday: 9am to 7pm | Sunday: 9am to 4pm
Where: 147 North Reef Rd, Bedfordview, Johannesburg

The Fussy Vegan

Launched in 2018, Fussy Vegan was driven to educate the public on veganism and stand up against animal cruelty in the food industry, they proudly uphold their slogan; ‘For the Animals, for the Planet, For Yourself.’

Voted the Best Vegan Restaurant in Joburg 2021, they provide well-rounded and nutritional meals determined to convince customers how delicious and comforting plant-based food can be without it having to be unhealthy.

Their menu consists mainly of vegan meals but also shares some room for vegetarian, gluten- and dairy-free options. If you ever find yourself confused about what you can and can’t eat, their cute and easy-to-read designs can be located next to each menu item, to help you choose a meal that best suits your dietary needs. See here.

Website: thefussyvegan.o.za | Email: [email protected]

Lekker Vegan

Often people associate veganism with a life of salads and wraps – and as healthy and delicious as these can be, sometimes we all crave a bit of junk food!

Fortunately, Lekker Vegan is dedicated to making you plant-based comfort foods with the best meat, cheese and dairy alternatives, so you won’t feel like you are missing out on those indulgent classics like a cheeseburger or gatsby. Most vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians choose plant-based living for health, environmental or ethical reasons so making vegan food taste like foods you are used to will hopefully make transitioning into a more plant-based diet a whole lot more lekker.

When: Monday to Thursday, 10am to 8:30pm. Friday & Saturday, from 10am to 9pm. Sunday, 10am to 8pm
Where: Pineslopes Shopping Centre, Witkoppen Rd, Fourways, Johannesburg

Website: lekkervegan.co.za | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 076 471 6541

The Vegan Chef

Established in 2019 by, Sue Gajathar, The Vegan Chef (TVC) is a Proudly South African-affiliated franchise, whose success paved the way for four branches throughout Gauteng, with an additional two in KwaZulu-Natal (Durban North and Umhlanga).

Their menu lists a broad selection of plant-based comfort and healthy foods, from vegan Southern Fried Chickn, battered Vish (vegan fish), sticky ribs and burgers, to healthy poke bowls. They are constantly attempting to push culinary boundaries and recipes for the benefit of the consumers.

You don’t have to take our word for this restaurant’s eminence. They boast accolades such as Best Vegan Restaurant Globally (voted by @Abillion -August 2021), Best Vegan Southern Fried Chickn, and Best Vegan Franchise in Africa (Lux Life UK).

When: Times will vary on store location. See here for more
Where: Sandton, Craighall, Midrand, and Pretoria. See here for more

Website: theveganchef.co.za | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 072 117 8550

Beetfresh Cafe & Restaurant

Beetfresh Café & Restaurant in Melville is an inclusive movement catering to vegans and non-vegans alike. Whether you’re looking for a place to sit down and enjoy a freshly made meal or on the run and need to grab a takeaway meal or smoothie, the team at Beetfresh is ready to help.

Their production kitchen also prepares convenient, healthy pre-packed meals delivered frozen across Gauteng. These meals are perfect if you are still working on your vegan cooking skills or just don’t have time. The prepared meals also cater to gluten-intolerant, diabetics, weight watchers, and fitness bunnies.

On the other hand, if you are confident in your cooking skills, their online shop offers pantry essentials for those who wish to create meals in the comfort of their own space.

When: Sunday to Thurday: 10am to 7pm | Friday: 9am to 6pm |
Sat: See events calendar on the site for evenings
Where: Shop 128, 4th Ave, 27 Boxes, Melville

Website: beetfresh.co.za | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 084 088 1289

Vegetarian restaurants in Johannesburg

Leafy Greens Cafe

The philosophy of the Leafy Greens Cafe is defined by respect for the earth and human health by showing you that, far from being restrictive, a vegan or vegetarian diet can open up a world of delicious, nutritious possibilities.

The Leafy Greens Cafe believes that eating well can completely change your outlook on your life, and give you renewed energy and passion. So, they’re all about keeping things raw and natural wherever possible, adding as little as they can, and taking away the same. Fresh and real food with nothing to hide, they’re determined to make things a little bit better, one plant-based dish at a time. Take a stroll through their gardens, and treat yourself to a meal that contains only real food, grown and prepared well.

The cafe is situated next to a farm, giving you not only magnificent views but a calm, tranquil environment in which to work, relax, eat and dream. There is also a kids play area so everyone is happy.

When: Monday to Sunday: 8.30am to 5pm
Where: Plot 328, Rocky Ridge Rd, Beyers Naude Dr. Muldersdrift

Website: leafygreens.co.za | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 010 595 4563

Jackson’s Real Food Market

Jackson’s Real Food Market is a small family-run restaurant and store that specialises in alternative food supply that is free of growth hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, chemically manufactured flavourings and pesticides while showcasing local farmers and producers.

You can enjoy their 100% real and organic produce at their eatery before picking up some groceries, it’s the perfect place for foodies who want to learn, taste and relax while shopping in a warm and friendly environment.

Shop online for your favourite vegan and organic brands from local suppliers and farmers with honest, old-fashioned, organic and biodynamic principles and ethos. All this to ensure that you get real food at prices that compete with other retailers.

When: Monday to Friday: 07:30am to 6:30pm | Saturday: 7:30am to 5pm |
Sunday and Public Holidays: 7:30am to 5pm
Where: 300 Bryanston Dr, Entry on St James Crescent, Bryanston |
Kyalami Corner, Cnr Main + R55, Kyalami

Website: jacksonsrealfoodmarket.co.za | Email: [email protected] | Tel:011 463 1598

Fresh Earth Cafe

At Fresh Earth creating a new understanding of health and sustainability so that a fresher earth becomes our reality is the desire that drives the business.

Their menu items are created, tried and tested by owner and nutritional chef Matthew Ballenden who loves to create the best quality meals from scratch. Fresh Earth believes that food in its purest form, untainted by artificial additives, sweeteners, colourants and preservatives, is the best-tasting and most nutritious food there is.

Besides vegetarian and vegan options, they also offer banting-friendly and gluten-free menu items including a ‘Table of Abundance’ buffet-style harvest table with fresh bakes, curries, wild rice, beautiful salads, fritters and interesting sides. You can also stock up on fresh produce in-store or order from their online shop.

When: Monday to Saturday: 8am to 5pm | Sunday: 8am to 3pm
Where: Delta Central, 74 Hillcrest Ave, Blairgowrie, Johannesburg

Website: freshearth.co.za | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 011 646 4404

Annapurni

Annapurni serves a meatless take on South Indian cuisine such as the thali, doses, idlis, vades, and a few others that are beginning to become more recognisable to the average Joburger. This restaurant in Sandton has expanded their menu to include a South Indian Bakery and Café, one of the very few spots where you can get bakes from South India which a particular clan called Iyengars picked up from the British.

You’ll find vada (a savoury fried lentil snack similar in appearance to a doughnut), wheat roti with a delicate potato curry, and a few hearty North Indian dishes.

When: Monday to Saturday: 9am to 9pm | Sunday: 9am to 8:30pm
Where: 17 11th Ave, Edenburg, Sandton

Website: annapurni.co.za | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 083 445 2080

Vegan e Meet Italy

“Sei Di Casa” translates to “You’re at home”. With this in mind, Vegan e Meet Italy found their niche in the plant-based food industry by cultivating its style of home-cooked meals with a touch of Italian love.

Having to provide meals for vegan and omnivorous clients, they took it upon themselves to obtain two separate kitchens, to avoid their strict no-food-contamination protocol.

With organically grown produce and grocery goods imported from Italy, one is bound to feel an immense and prominent quantity of cultural ambience and flavours.

When: Monday to Sunday: 9am to 9:30pm
Where: 4 Rutland Ave, Craighall Park, Randburg

Website: veganitaly.co.za | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 079 325 8486

Fruit & Roots

Since it began in 1985, Fruits and Roots wholefood emporium has become an institution of healthy eating, providing the freshest, tastiest and absolute best that Mother Nature has to offer.

They are especially proud of the in-house vegetarian restaurant, which is an integral part of the shop, flowing out into a light and airy courtyard. It is the ideal venue for a meal with like-minded food-conscious friends (or even more sceptical friends). You can enjoy a daily vegetarian buffet featuring a selection of dishes that can even inspire your cooking.

They also offer an extensive range of products that cover all aspects of leading a greener lifestyle including an extensive range of supplements, body care, and house cleaning products. Just pick up the ingredients you need from their natural and organic foods store and you’re ready to go!

When: Monday – Friday: 08:30 to 4pm | Saturday 08:30 to 2pm
Where: Hobart Corner Shopping Centre, c/o Hobart & Grosvenor Rd, Bryanston

Website: ruitsandroots.co.za | Email: [email protected]| Tel: 011 463 2928