08 Mar A Quick 101 on Dining Out With a Vegan

Is your next of kin, akin to a cucumber? Have a friend who says aubergines and not eggplants? Well then these spots are for you!

Most vegans don’t really go out. They prefer to stay home; research recipes for fair-trade kimchi and test artisanal breads for gluten. However, if you do decide to invite one of them out and they reply to your SnapChat of a root vegetable with a “thumbs up” emoji… here are a few suggestions and tips that will fill both omnivore and vegan potbellies a like (without being too vegan).

Avoid places where bearded folk with big glasses frequent for free WIFI to finish their blog. Generally these establishments sell overpriced delicatessens, such as kale cakes and quinoa flour lentil cheat balls, which will leave you wondering if your order is food or potpourri. However, a short trip out of Cape Town to Nomad Restaurant in Stellenbosch will cater for the conscious carnivore and voracious vegan. Their diverse menu offers steaks, pizzas (vegan and milked), grass-fed beef or bean burgers, and the best plant-based Jalapeño poppers this side of the boerewors curtain.

If you are able to put up with the odd bearded barista trying to explain why he chose to do his masters in Roman Numerals then I would suggest heading to Royale Eatery on Long Street. They have over 50 gourmet burgers to choose from and an All-Day-Breakfast. Your vegetarian and vegan friends will love it because their veg-menu is nearly two pages long. Trust me… that’s a big deal.

Some people’s idea of edgy is a rubric’s cube. So, you might want something gewone that is well outside the CBD. Then you can also go to familiar favourites, Col’Cacchios. Their menu offers delicious salads and pizzas. Plus you and your friends can grab Violife vegan mozzarella cheese on your pizza instead of the white stuff that comes from a cow’s p… ouch. Cheese that comes from plant milk? I dairy you to try it!

And last, but not least, you both can enjoy a Steers Burger at 4am on a Saturday morning or when “it’s Wacky Wednesday”. That is because any burger on the Steers menu can be replaced with a Fry’s patty just double check on the sauces! Who says vegans and carnivores can’t go out and paint the town red with beetroots?

In the end you want to be eating less meat; for your health, the planet and the fluffy creatures that inhabit it… plus I am vegan and need more friends. So why not try a veggie burger with a vegan pal?

Alternatively, you can always cook at home and get the vegans what they need right here.

This article was written by Brett Thompson and originally appeared on his Medium.com profile.

Brett Thompson is an animal advocate with a passion for the environment and economics; you can follow him on Instagram or Twitter.