Philadelphia had long been on my travel list but always seemed to be bumped for some other destination — I wish I would’ve come sooner.
The bustling Pennsylvania city is underrated and often overshadowed by nearby behemoths like New York City or Washington DC. Well, let me tell you, Philly has a lot to offer — a rich US history, a diversity of cultural institutions, eclectic street art, and of course, excellent vegan food!
This Philadelphia vegan travel guide is chock full of fantastic vegan restaurants, mouthwatering bakeries, shops, things to do, and so much more. You’re going to love Philly; I know it!
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Is Philadelphia Vegan-Friendly?
Heck, yes, Philly is super vegan-friendly! Like many cities, the dining scene has shifted over the last decade and many vegan and vegan-friendly places have popped up. People have shared that Philly is an entirely different veggie-loving town from what they remember.
If you were even a little worried about finding vegan food in Philadelphia, you need to stop worrying right now! You can start your day with a nutrient-packed smoothie bowl and end it with a slice of cheesy vegan ‘za or sample a selection of perfectly curated veggie dishes by James Beard nominated Chefs. Philadelphia has it all!
Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurants in Philadelphia
Vedge
1221 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
First things first, to ensure you can snag a seat at this upscale vegan eatery, make a reservation! The beautiful vegetable-forward dishes are expertly crafted by James Beard nominated chefs, Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby. The dishes all focus on local and seasonal ingredients and, I think, use a little witchcraft. From the amazing cocktails topped with aquafaba “egg whites,” to their epic Ssamjang Tofu with whipped edamame and burnt miso, you will be in awe of their creativity.
The Tasty
1401 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
At first glance, this South Philly diner is like any other old-school American diner, complete with retro décor and spinning diner chairs at the counter. But it’s 100% vegan (with lots of gluten-free options)! You can enjoy traditional American favorites like thick-cut French toast, chocolate chip pancakes, an array of scrambles with coconut bacon, tofu feta, veggies, and more, plus Philly’s signature buffalo “chicken” cheesesteak sandwich!
20th Street Pizza
108 S 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
How can you resist a slice of cheesy vegan pizza? I don’t think you can and shouldn’t! This 100% vegan pizzeria is the sister shop to the well-known Blackbird Pizza. Their menu of incredible house-made pies features creative toppings like pistachio pesto, lemon ricotta, vegan sausage, roasted seasonal greens, and so much more. You can’t go wrong with a slice of basic cheese, made with delicious cashew mozzarella, but you should also try the Balboa (pistachio pesto, lemon ricotta, roasted tomatoes, vegan sausage, arugula, and olive oil).
Luhv Vegan Deli
51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Located inside the historic Reading Terminal Market, this vegan deli is incredible! Italian hoagies, tuna salad, corned beef, and so much more — you won’t believe your eyes! They have taken old-school classics, that no one would ever expect to be vegan, and given them a cruelty-free makeover. They make many of the meats and cheeses and purchase from other local shops in the city. Stop by for breakfast and enjoy bacon, egg, and cheese on a toasted everything bagel and at lunch be sure not to miss their BLT hoagie with thick strips of veggie bacon.
Charlie was a Sinner
131 S 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Who knew sinning would taste and look this good? This classy vegan cocktail lounge and kitchen is the kind of spot where you want to get dressed up and go out with friends. Their menu features the most creative cocktails, small veggie-forward dishes, and larger ones too. Don’t miss their special Mediterranean charcuterie board — there is no better way to start a meal than with house-made vegan cheese, spiced nuts, and delicious veggies.
Hip City Veg
Multiple locations throughout Philadelphia
You don’t need Mcdonald’s when you can have Hip City! These fast-casual vegan restaurants will make all your vegan junk food needs come true. Indulge in a loaded burger, Philly cheese steak, or a 10-piece order of crispy chick’n nuggets with fries! Don’t forget to wash it down with a creamy chocolate milkshake.
PS & Co.
1706 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
If you’re vegan and gluten-free, you’ve got to make a bee-line to this fantastic Philly restaurant! The veggie-packed menu treats food as medicine at every meal. Start the day with a protein-packed amaranth porridge with fresh fruit, and come back for hearty nachos with layers of cashew cheese, black bean sofrito, and more. On the weekend, they make amazing waffles as yummy sandwiches or just on their own covered in maple syrup. I almost forgot; they also have a ton of mouthwatering desserts — you can’t resist their cakes.
Bar Bombon
133 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
You can’t miss the delicious flavors of Puerto Rico at this plant-based restaurant! The flavorful menu features an irresistible mix of tacos loaded with cauliflower and fishy hearts of palm, along with traditional dishes with a Philly inspiration, like Philly steak empanadas! On the weekend, don’t miss their special brunch menu.
Monster Vegan
1229 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Nothing scary about the tantalizing mix of vegan eats at this hot spot! The comfort food-focused menu has something everyone will love (or didn’t know they would love). Dive into a terrific selection of hearty pasta — spaghetti and meatballs, truffle alfredo, clams and linguine, and more. But, if you’re not a pasta fan, check out their hearty sandwiches and small bites — I think the whipped ricotta has your name all over it.
Unit Su Vege
2000 Hamilton St # 106, Philadelphia, PA 19130
If you’re craving Kung Pao tofu or veggie Lo Mein, there is no better place to go in Philly! This vegetarian Chinese restaurant is cooking up traditional dishes without the meat — the menu is almost entirely vegan! If you’re gluten-free, this spot is also for you, as the menu is well-marked, and the options are plentiful.
Pietramala
614 N 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
This spot is the new kid on the vegan block in Philadelphia! The small restaurant (best to make reservations) created its menu around local and seasonal produce to create veggie-forward dishes — no mock meat here. There isn’t alcohol served, but you can BYOB; there is a wine service fee per bottle.
Fitz on 4th
743 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
This intimate and modern vegan tapas restaurant is a delight for the eyes and taste buds! The sharing menu features an eclectic mix of dishes, from edamame dumplings to crab-less cakes and empanadas — there is something for everyone. The menu is also well-marked for gluten-free options, including the irresistible sausage and rigatoni!
Miss Rachel’s Pantry
1938 S Chadwick St, Philadelphia, PA 19145
If you can get a spot at one of Miss Rachel’s upcoming dinners, you better nab it before it’s gone! This chic little spot has created a buzz in Philly with its 5-course elevated comfort food menu. Expect gorgeous heirloom tomato galettes, bowls of sophisticated creamy pasta, and so much more. One note, it is BYOB.
The Nile Café
6008 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144
This is one of the OGs of the plant-based dining scene in Philly! Their vegan Soul Food menu is unstoppable — chick’n with gravy, tender collards, plantains, and much more. It’s best to visit this spot really hungry!
Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Philadelphia
Since Philadelphia has so many vegan and vegetarian restaurants, I almost skipped these four entirely but their options are really great so I figured, what the heck! If you’re trying to please a group, Tattooed Mom is an amazing option.
Tattooed Mom
530 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
This brightly colored vegan-friendly bar and restaurant will catch your attention from the street! The menu is super vegan-friendly and features impressive vegan junk food like Nashville hot chick’n sandwiches, Philly cheese steaks, vegan cheez whiz, and much more.
Vegan*ish
1214 N 52nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19131
This West Philly sandwich shop is focused on bringing healthy and delicious food to the community. Their menu features loads of vegan options (it’s almost entirely vegan), like Vietnamese-inspired hoagie, chick’n cheeze steak, veggie-packed salads, and more.
Grindcore House
1515 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 (there is a second location hooked up with the vegan bakery, Crust)
This vegan-friendly coffee shop is the perfect place to grab an oat milk latte on the run or hang out with your laptop and enjoy your coffee with a slice of cake or a chickpea salad sandwich!
Playa Bowls
1804 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
If you need a midday pick-me-up or want to start your day with a nutrient-packed bowl of superfruits, this is the place for you! These fruity bowls were created from a small pop-up with a couple of blenders on the Jersey Shore, but their popularity has launched them into nine other states and a location in the Dominican Republic. Their menu is full of a variety of acai, pitaya, coconut, banana, and green bowls packed with various fruits and their special vegan and gluten-free granola.
Vegan Bakeries, Ice Cream, & Donuts in Philadelphia
No vegan travel guide to Philadelphia is complete without sweets, right?! Along with many of the restaurants, these spots will put you in a vegan sugar coma!
Dottie’s Donuts
4529 Springfield Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Vegan donuts — can you believe it!? This donut shop would make Homer Simpson salivate! Their donut menu is simply amazing. While they do have your basic chocolate and vanilla sprinkles, they also have a rotating selection of favorites like Boston cream, cookies and cream, chocolate pistachio, and many more. Aside from donuts, they also sell a few other baked treats like coffee cake and brownies.
Batter and Crumbs Café
1401 Reed St, Philadelphia, PA 19146
Whether you’re looking for a cream-filled cannoli, flaky apple turnover, or cupcakes, you’ll find it at this bright and cheerful vegan bakery and café. Also, check out their extensive coffee lineup, everything from a Nutella latte to dirty chai!
Crust Vegan Bakery
4409 Main St, Philadelphia, PA 19127
With one look at this epic lineup, you might order all of their baked treasures! The menu at this vegan bakery changes regularly but expect to find beautiful pop tarts, cakes, cheesecake, ice cream, and so much more!
Float Dreamery
1255 E Palmer St, Philadelphia, PA 19125
With one look at these magnificent vegan gelato creations, I’ll bet the first words out of your mouth will be OMG, wow! This small shop operates only on Saturdays inside Castellino’s Italian Market and concocts the most decadent vegan ice cream creations.
Lil’ Yenta’s
932 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19147 (inside the Chilly Banana)
This family-owned Jewish bakery is veganizing traditional sweets like Hamantaschen, Rugelach, latkes, challah, plus SO much more.
Vegan Market in Philadelphia
V Marks the Shop
1515 McKean St, Philadelphia, PA 19145
Whether you’re looking for a snazzy new vegan tee or faux meats and cheeses, you’ll find it at Philly’s only vegan grocery store. Even if you don’t need anything per se, you should still pop in and check out this fantastic store!
Where to Stay in Philadelphia
There are no shortages of places to stay in Philadelphia, but I did have trouble finding a vegan-friendly one (sigh)! Check out this budget-friendly spot where we stayed, but also take a look at other eco-friendly hotels in Philadelphia!
Motto by Hilton
31 S 19th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
This sleek micro-hotel is budget-friendly and has the perfect location in Rittenhouse Square. The term micro-hotel might make you think it’s a shoebox, but it’s not. It’s a comfortable size for two people to base themselves to explore the city. The hotel is newly updated and features a rooftop bar and small gym. We really enjoyed our stay here and would return.
Five Things To Do Philadelphia
Philadelphia is a super fun town packed with great vegan food, history, culture, and much more! There are plenty of things to do to keep you busy, I promise, you won’t get bored. Here are five things that I think you shouldn’t miss and if you’re traveling on a budget, check out this guide for what to do in Philly for $10!
#1 Take a walking history tour
Philadelphia is the epicenter of early American history — the start (for some) of the pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! There are many important spots throughout the city—Independence Hall, The Betsy Ross House, Liberty Bell, and many more. The easiest way to get a history refresher (because come on, who remembers everything from 10th grade US history?) is through a walking tour. There are many different tour options that vary in length and locations covered. We were short on time and did a 75-minute tour of the major sites, which worked well for us but if we had more time, I might have chosen something else. Here are two options:
Historic Philly walking tour—covers many of the historic landmarks like Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, & Carpenters’ Hall, the tour is 75 minutes.
Old City historic walking tour—similar to the first one but you also walk through the Old Town and stop by Christ Church and the Ben Franklin Post Office, the tour is 90 minutes.
#2 Eat your way through Reading Terminal Market
51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Markets have been part of Philadelphia’s identity since the time of William Penn. The Reading Terminal Market has been in operation since 1893 and today is probably just as busy as it was the day it opened. The market is a fun place to people watch, find beautiful flowers, gifts, and most importantly enjoy vegan food! Many times, markets like this are a fun place to check out, but they don’t have vegan food to eat. Well, not here! There are a few vendors to check out. First, grab one of the best vegan hoagies in town at Luhv Vegan Deli. You’ll find corned beef, Italian salami, and much more. The second stop is Nanee’s Kitchen for vegan and gluten-free traditional Indian-Pakistani dishes. It’s not 100% vegan but there are great options like Chana Masala and coconut curried cauliflower. There are also a couple of vendors selling smoothies and fresh juices.
#3 Hang out at The Cherry Street Pier and/or Spruce Street Harbor Park
121 N Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Right on the Delaware River, this hip spot is the perfect place to hang out any time of the day! It is open year-round and depending on when you visit, you’ll find yoga classes, art markets, live music, food trucks, and more. Right on the water is The Garden at Cherry Street Pier, this is the best place to relax and order a drink. Only a half-mile away from Cherry Street Pier is The Spruce Street Harbor Park—if Cherry Pier is too busy or you’re just looking for another fun hang out, come here! Also, right on the riverfront, you’ll find hammocks that you can rent for an afternoon siesta, a beer garden, and food from local restaurants (there are a couple of vegan options!).
#4 Shop like a local through the Italian Market
919 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
This is America’s oldest outdoor market, spanning 10 blocks down 9th Street. Even though the bustling market is home to many Italian delights including hand-made pasta and infused olive oils, you’ll also find other great options like Mexican tacos, Korean barbeque, and Vietnamese pho. One could really say that it’s more of an international market! Aside from the restaurants and shops, the street is lined with vendors selling produce, fruit, plants, and just about anything else you can imagine.
#5 Relax in East Fairmount Park
2839 W Glenwood Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19121
The park is home to The Philadelphia Museum of Art, which you should check out, but there is so much more to explore just outside the building! The park covers 650 acres on both sides of the Delaware River. If you like to work up a sweat, check out the 26-mile Schuylkill River Trail or the well-known Boxer’s Trail which is a 3.8-mile gravel and dirt trail. For less adventure, check out the beautiful Fairmount Park Horticulture Center which includes a greenhouse, Japanese, and Butterfly Gardens. Also, don’t miss the 19th-century boathouses on Boathouse Row—at night the buildings are set aglow with beautiful lights. There is a lot to explore here, make sure you give yourself at least a few hours.
Getting Around Philadelphia
Getting around Philadelphia is relatively easy thanks to its public transportation system (SEPTA— Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority), compact layout, and bikes! No matter if you’re just hanging out in the city or need to head to New York City or Washington DC, it should be fairly headache-free!
Getting From The Airport (PHL) to The City Center
If you are arriving in Philly by air, you have a couple of options to get to the city center. The first and the most efficient is to grab a Lyft or Uber. If the traffic is light the ride is less than 15 mins. and depending on the time of day it will run you about $30.
The second option is to jump on the train. SEPTA provides service from the airport to the city center and trains run every 30 minutes between the hours of 5:07 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. (if you’re going to the airport the line from the city center runs from 4:52 a.m. to 11:52 p.m.). The train stops at the following stops: Eastwick, University City, 30th Street, Suburban, Jefferson, and Temple University. From there you can connect to other SEPTA buses, trolleys, or regional rail to get to your destination. The one-way ticket costs $6.75 (it is more expensive if you don’t buy the ticket before boarding). You can grab the train at terminals A, B, C+D, and E+F.
The third option to get to the city center from the Philadelphia airport is by bus. There are three bus routes (37/108/115)—you can grab the bus just outside of baggage claim. The fare is a tad cheaper than the train and will cost $2.50 for one-way, but make sure you have the exact change.
Getting Around Philadelphia
If you’re only interested in seeing the main sights, my suggestion is to walk. The city center is easy to navigate and it’s compact, most of the major sights are within easy walking distance. But if your feet need a rest or you want to get out of the city center the SEPTA bus, subway, and trolley lines can help you get around.
If you think you’re going to need transit more than a few times, then I suggest you purchase a one-day or three-day convenience pass. The one-day pass is good for 8 trips for $9 and the 3-day pass is good for 24 trips for $18. The passes can be used on the bus, trolley, or subway, it is not valid on regional rail.
If you don’t think you’re going to use transit that much, then I suggest you purchase tickets as you go. One-way tickets for the bus, subway, and trolley are $2.50, you can purchase them at kiosks inside the subway station or pay with exact cash on the bus or trolley. One important note, if you buy a single ticket, it doesn’t include a transfer. So, for instance, if you need to take the subway to one spot and then hop on the bus you have to buy another ticket. Transfers (only the first one) are only available with SEPTA Keycards, but if you’re only visiting the city for a few days, I don’t think you need to worry about buying one.
One other option is to hop on an Indego bike. The bikes are located throughout the city. You just need to download the app, buy a pass, and away you go! A 24-hour bike pass is $12, but the rides can’t exceed 30 mins. or you’ll be charged .15 a minute. The bike just needs to be docked and then you can take it back out again.
When planning your transit routes, Google Maps is great for finding the quickest way to go, but you can also download the SEPTA app to determine routes and get real-time alerts for delays and route changes.
