We’ve checked twelve vegetarian restaurants in Seattle and Bellevue: seven fully vegan, four fully vegetarian, and one that serves meat but marks its vegetarian and vegan dishes. None is a national chain. Eleven sit inside the city, from Pike Place Market to Greenwood, and one is across Lake Washington in Bellevue.
On each profile, we list what we checked and when. Confirm hours before you go, because small restaurants change their schedules often.
Vegetarian restaurants in Seattle by tier
- 100% vegan (7): ChuMinh Tofu & Vegan Deli, El Borracho, Kati Vegan Thai, Sushi Samurai, Vital Creations Vegan Bistro, and Harvest Beat in Seattle, plus Araya’s Place in Bellevue.
- 100% vegetarian (4): World Pizza, Cafe Flora, 45th Vegetarian Thai, and Cocoa Legato, all in Seattle.
- Marks vegetarian items (1): Adey Abeba in the Central District.
- Vegetarian-friendly (0): none so far.
- Less vegetarian-friendly (0): none so far.
We apply the tiers strictly, because each one is a promise. Only the vegan and vegetarian tiers guarantee a meat-free kitchen. “Marks vegetarian items” means the restaurant serves meat but labels its meatless dishes on the menu.
Seattle at a glance
| Restaurant | Area | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| ChuMinh Tofu & Vegan Deli | Little Saigon | 100% vegan |
| Adey Abeba | Central District | Marks vegetarian items |
| World Pizza | Chinatown-International District | 100% vegetarian |
| Cafe Flora | Madison Valley | 100% vegetarian |
| El Borracho | Pike Place Market | 100% vegan |
| Kati Vegan Thai | South Lake Union | 100% vegan |
| Sushi Samurai | Queen Anne | 100% vegan |
| Vital Creations Vegan Bistro | Fremont | 100% vegan |
| Harvest Beat | Wallingford | 100% vegan |
| 45th Vegetarian Thai | Wallingford | 100% vegetarian |
| Cocoa Legato | Greenwood | 100% vegetarian |
| Araya’s Place | Bellevue | 100% vegan |
Downtown and south: Pike Place, Little Saigon, and the International District
El Borracho sits in Pike Place Market at 1521 1st Ave. El Borracho went fully plant-based in 2021, so you can order anything on the Mexican menu. The nachos cost $12, and a seitan barbacoa taco costs $8.75. You order by scanning the QR code at your table, and you can add salsa from the salsa bar. After 5 p.m., El Borracho admits only guests 21 and older.
In Little Saigon, ChuMinh Tofu & Vegan Deli opened in 2011 and went fully plant-based in 2016. The banh mi sandwiches cost under $12, and the B1 Spicy Tofu Sandwich at $9.95 is the best seller. At the all-you-can-eat buffet, you can pick from more than 15 plant-based dishes. ChuMinh also runs a second Seattle location on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
In the Chinatown-International District, World Pizza sells slices and whole pies and never cooks meat. The potato slice costs $4.95, and a plain cheese slice costs $4.25. Vegans can order the Classic Vegan, a red-sauce pie with no cheese, for $23 at 16 inches.
Up the hill in the Central District, Adey Abeba serves Ethiopian dinner Monday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. in a Victorian house on East Union Street. Adey Abeba serves meat too, but the owners tag the vegan and vegetarian dishes on the menu. Two people can share the Vegan Feast for $31, and one person can order the $24 Vegan Sampler.
North of the ship canal: Fremont, Wallingford, and Greenwood
In Fremont, Vital Creations Vegan Bistro cooks bowls, burgers, brunch, and wings without animal products. The No Moo Steak costs $25 and comes with mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, and Brussels sprouts. For something lighter, order the $18 Bánh Mì Noodle Bowl.
Wallingford holds two of our twelve. Harvest Beat serves a five-course vegan tasting menu with one seating per night. The Harvest Beat website lists $145 per person with either a wine or a nonalcoholic pairing. Book ahead. On North 45th Street, 45th Vegetarian Thai serves a meat-free Thai menu and tags each dish as vegetarian, vegan, or gluten free. Tom Yum and Tom Kha both cost $16.95. A few dishes use egg or cream cheese, and the Pad Kaprao comes with a fried egg unless you ask for the dish without egg.
In Greenwood, Cocoa Legato makes its own bean-to-bar chocolate. Every bar is vegan, and the cafe adds a few dairy items. Go for a snack or a drink instead of dinner: an 8-ounce drinking chocolate costs $6.25, and the Legato Salad costs $12.50.
Queen Anne, South Lake Union, and Madison Valley
Sushi Samurai in Queen Anne has served only plant-based sushi since June 2022. The Yoga Roll, with tofu, cucumber, and cilantro in sweet chili sauce, comes up in review after review.
In South Lake Union, Kati Vegan Thai sits at Thomas Street and Minor Avenue. Everything on the Thai menu is vegan, and the cooks make the Devil Wings from fried oyster mushrooms. Try the Khao Soi, a coconut curry noodle soup. Kati also runs locations in Kirkland and Redmond.
Cafe Flora has cooked in Madison Valley since 1991 and serves no meat at any time. Brunch starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and the menu changes with the season. Call (206) 325-9100 or read the current menu on the Cafe Flora website before you plan around a dish.
Across the lake in Bellevue
Araya’s Place sits on Main Street in downtown Bellevue and has run an all-vegan Thai kitchen since 1987. Regulars mention the avocado curry most. Araya’s marks gluten-free items on the menu and serves a lunch special daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
What to know before you go
Plan around reservations first. Harvest Beat requires one, and you book through OpenTable. Sushi Samurai has a small dining room, so reserve on its website for a weekend night. Kati Vegan Thai takes reservations for groups of six or more. At ChuMinh, El Borracho, and Araya’s Place, you walk in.
Watch the afternoon gap. Kati and Araya’s serve lunch until 3 p.m. and reopen for dinner at 4:30 p.m. 45th Vegetarian Thai closes from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. If you get hungry at 3:30 p.m., go to Cafe Flora on a weekday or to El Borracho instead.
If you avoid gluten, read each profile before you order. ChuMinh makes its faux meats from seitan, which is wheat gluten, so stick to the tofu dishes and the items ChuMinh marks GF. World Pizza sells a 10-inch gluten-free pizza but handles wheat in the same kitchen. Araya’s and 45th Vegetarian Thai both mark gluten-free dishes, and Adey Abeba charges $2 more for gluten-free injera.
Strict vegans have seven easy picks, and the four vegetarian spots each need one question. Cafe Flora, World Pizza, and Cocoa Legato all serve some dairy, and 45th Vegetarian Thai uses egg in a few dishes. At Adey Abeba, ask which vegan stews skip niter kibbeh, the spiced clarified butter the cooks use in many dishes.
Seattle vegetarian and vegan FAQ
Where to start
Want a long weekend brunch? Go to Cafe Flora early. For a table that mixes meat eaters and vegetarians, book Adey Abeba. Want a cheap lunch? Order the $9.95 B1 sandwich at ChuMinh Tofu & Vegan Deli. And for a special night, reserve Harvest Beat.
Where the map is thin
Twelve is a start. We have nothing yet in Capitol Hill, Ballard, or West Seattle, or in Tacoma and Everett. Just past this list, we’ve profiled Veggie Life in Kirkland, Pabla Indian Cuisine and Blossom Vegetarian in Renton, and Emmy’s Vege House on Bainbridge Island. Three all-vegan chains also have Seattle profiles: Veggie Grill, Mighty-O Donuts, and Dough Joy. We add a place only after we confirm it’s open and check what a vegetarian can order. That takes time, so the list grows slowly.
See every profile we’ve published on the restaurant directory.