Any surprise that London is the best city to visit for vegans? We remember some fantastic vegan restaurants over 20 years ago in London – when sadly other cities didn’t even know what vegan meant! However we have visited most of the top 10 and have to agree – although most of the worst cities we haven’t even heard of!!

Luxury travel company Scenic Cruises & Tours has collected data from TripAdvisor restaurant listings in 100 major cities around the world to determine the best and worst destinations for travellers with different dietary needs.

The World’s Best Cities for Vegans  gives some really interesting insights into the cities which have the most diverse ranges of restaurants.

A vegan lifestyle is now more accessible than ever, with countless restaurants and brands offering animal-free food, cosmetics and services. Here, we explore the cities best suited for vegan food, so you can enjoy sustainable, ethical cuisine on your travels.

Vegans will feel as at home in London, Rome and New York City as they offer offer a whopping 9,000 + vegan eateries between them. Elsewhere in the top 10, Barcelona pipped Paris to fourth place, while Dubai took the seventh-place spot with its generous collection of some 1,318 vegan restaurants.

Things weren’t so rosy for Fukuoka, Yokohama and Osaka once more, while other destinations in the east, including Seoul and Macau, also disappointed with their slim pick of vegan establishments.

Meanwhile, it’s perhaps unsurprising to see the French city of Lyon also making the top 10 list of the least accommodating cities for vegans, offering just 150 options.

Some key findings include: 

  • London is the world’s best city for vegans and vegetarians, with twice as many options as New York.
  • European cities dominated top destinations for vegetarians, with 7 cities in the top 10 – while Japanese cities like Fukuoka and Osaka fared poorly.
  • Dubai proved respectable for vegan diners, with 1,318 restaurants – while gastronomic capital Lyon put on a poor show with only 150 vegan options.
  • Edinburgh appeared in the top 10 for gluten-free cities worldwide, giving gluten-free travellers 712 reasons why they’ll love Auld Reekie.
  • Sydney topped Melbourne for gluten-free dining, with over a hundred more options (763 vs 637).

Scenic Tours and Cruises tell us; “Using an index, we’ve ranked cities from best to worst overall for special dietary needs – with London coming out on top as the clear winner for restaurant diversity.”