Celebrate World Vegetarian Day on Oct 1 at These Great Vegetarian Restaurants

Oct 1 marks National Day in China but what you might not know is that it is also World Vegetarian Day. World Vegetarian Day was established by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977 to "promote the joy, compassion, and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism."

Whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or just trying out Meat-Free Mondays, Beijing isn’t short of great options for those avoiding meat and animal products. You'll find plenty of Chinese vegetarian restaurants in Dongcheng and Xicheng, particularly around Yonghegong, and a large number of popular western restaurants have great vegetarian and vegan dishes on their menus. These are just a few of our favorites, to help you eat your way through World Vegetarian Day in style. 

Lin’s Dining Lounge
Lin's Dining Lounge is one of Beijing's most exciting vegetarian Chinese restaurants, blending in elements of Western cooking and plating with interesting (and often delicious) results. Try dishes such as wild rice with assorted mushrooms, kung pao mushrooms, and a quesadilla stuffed with cheese, green beans, and preserved vegetables.  
Daily 10am-11pm. 2/F, New Grand Dynasty Hotel, 58 Maizidian Jie, Chaoyang District (6500 6766)
北京市朝阳区麦子店街58号北京新大宗饭店二层 

Caravan
Caravan serves a number of meat-free options from both the Moroccan and Cajun sides of their menu, including vegetarian and vegan takes on tajine, couscous, and jambalaya. Expect lots of creative specials. Go on meat-free Mondays when you can get two vegetarian courses and a drink for RMB 88. 
Sun-Thu 11am-late, Fri-Sat 11am-late. 44 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (8563 0801)
朝阳区光华路44号

Tribe Organic
While the menu is not fully vegetarian/vegan, Tribe has plenty of clearly marked options, whatever your dietary requirements. Our favorite plant-based dishes on the menu include the Power Plant Salad (vegetarian) with baba ghanoush and the All-In Smoked Tofu Grain Bowl (vegan) finished off with gochujang tofu cream.
Daily 10.30am-10pm. 107, 1/F, Bldg 3, China View, 2 Gongti Donglu, Chaoyang District (8587 1899)
朝阳区工体东路2号中国红街大厦3号楼1层107室

King’s Joy
King’s Joy serves up the most creative (and priciest) vegetarian cuisine in Beijing, compromising nothing in terms of taste or diversity despite being completely meat-free. The food is loosely Chinese, but dishes such as sushi rolls topped with slices of purple dragon fruit designed to resemble tuna bespeak international influences. If the huge menu is too daunting, King’s Joy offers a range of set menus, starting from around RMB 400 per person (expect to spend the same or more a la carte). 
Daily 11.20am-10pm. 2 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District (8404 9191)
京兆尹：东城区五道营胡同2号

Nooxo
Located in Chunxiu Lu dining destination Yu, Nooxo serves a range of dairy-free (and often plant-based and gluten-free) soups, grain bowls, and smoothies, with plenty to enjoy for vegans and carnivores alike. We love the Grainbow bowl, packed with quinoa, brown rice, coix seeds, guacamole, spinach, grilled broccoli, pickled lotus root, and much more.
Tue-Sun 10.30am-9.30pm. 2/F, Yu, 1 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (8069 8604)
朝阳区工体北路1号育膳房2层

Tianchu Miaoxiang
A very popular vegetarian restaurant in a central location (there is another branch near Tsinghua), Tianchu Miaoxiang is well-known for their fake meat dishes, as well as dishes featuring a wide range of mushrooms. Be sure to go slightly outside of peak hours; otherwise, you will have to queue alongside all the nearby office workers. 
Daily 11am-9.30pm. 260, 2/F, Bldg D, Chaowai Soho, 6 Chaoyangmen Waidajie, Chaoyang District (5900 1288)
天厨妙香素食馆：朝阳区朝阳门外大街乙6号朝外Soho大厦D座2层0260号

Punjabi
Punjabi's owner Gireesh is a vegetarian so it's perhaps no surprise that their vegetarian dishes are outstanding. Punjabi's rendition of saag paneer (Indian-style cheese with spinach) is the best we've had in Beijing and you can't go wrong with their dhal and pulse dishes, such as chole bhaturey (black chickpeas in a tangy sauce).
Daily 11.30am-10.30pm. 2/F, C-8, Lucky Street, 1 Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District (5867 0221)
朝阳区朝阳公园西路1号好运街C-82层

VegeTiger
Tucked away in a corner of Fullink Plaza in Chaoyangmen, VegeTiger serves up vegetarian versions of a range of Chinese cuisines, from northern dumplings to spicy Sichuan dishes. They are well known for their fake meat dishes, including “lamb” chuan’r, Sichuan boiled “pork” slices (shuizhu roupian), and Wuxi “pork” ribs, which are so good you won’t even miss the meat. There is also a second branch in Wudaokou. 
Daily 9.30am-9.30pm. 3/F, Fullink Plaza, 18 Chaoyangmen Waidajie, Dongcheng District (6588 7016)
素虎净素餐厅：东城区朝阳门外大街18号丰联广场3层

Root Pop
American comfort food is given an innovative vegan spin at this Shuangjing restaurant. Chef and owner Brandon Trowbridge (who previously made a name for himself at Tribe and Glo Kitchen) serves up plenty of eats here that will satisfy both vegans and their meat-eating pals, with tasty cheese and burger patty replacements that would never seem meat-free if no one told you the difference.
Daily 11am-10pm. 3-22 International Art Plaza, Pingod, Baiziwan Lu (across from Bldg 3, Today Art Museum), Chaoyang District (5826 3201)
朝阳区百子湾路苹果社区北区B座3号楼22号 （今日美术馆3号馆对面）

Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the January 2016 edition of the Beijinger magazine.

More stories by this author here.

Instagram: @gongbaobeijing
Twitter: @gongbaobeijing
Weibo: @宫保北京

Photos: Pixabay, Kyle Mulin, Nooxo, Uni You, Lin's Dining Lounge, Root Pop