If there was one simple change you could make to improve your health, help out with the environment, reduce cruelty and save money would you do it?

Well the good news is that there is one lifestyle change that ticks all these boxes. Going vegan, or even just reducing your animal consumption in general, has huge benefits for your wellbeing, the environment and your pocket.

Hey, if it’s good enough for recent Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, then why not give it a go?

Here, we’ve gathered some of the best eats from meat-free kitchens across the country, all for your delectation.

Café Paradiso, 16 Lancaster Quay, Cork

First opened  over 30 years ago, Café Paradiso is somewhat of a mecca in terms of vegetarian eating in Ireland. The restaurant provides a six course tasting menu, available in a vegan or vegetarian format featuring such seasonal offerings as parsnip gnocchi, spring beans, parsley, basil, tomato or aubergine, greens and more.

Café Paradiso Cork

Glas , 16 Chatham Street, Dublin 

Nestled on a quiet street in a bustling part of town, Glas is a bijou veggie restaurant serving up tantalising vegan plates. A short but perfectly sweet menu consists of four starters, mains and desserts, and is fairly priced at two courses for €43 and three courses €49. The lunch and early bird menus, meanwhile, offer excellent value.

Glas

Greens and Co, 4 Henry Street, Galway 

This dog-friendly, plant-based eatery is a paradise for animal lovers and foodies alike, plating up an entirely vegan menu. Launching a brand new menu last month, highlights include veggie-centric Buddha Bowls or scintillating meat alternatives, such as the Veuben sandwich and Vish burger. A perfect option for those who want to eat their favourite meat dishes minus the cruelty.

Greens and Co Galway

Sonflour 9 Castle Street, Cork

The motto “Inspired by Italy, grown in Ireland’’ acts as Sonflour’s North Star. They aim to serve delish vegetarian and vegan food to the good people of Cork. With playful, real-capital inspired names for dishes such as ‘I Lost My Mind at the Shakey Bridge’, there’s buckets of charm at this fashionable restaurant. Our personal favourite is the ‘Prataí Prataí Prataí’ pizza, which features a triple threat of mashed sweet potato base, oven baked rooster potatoes and homemade purple potato chips, all topped with your choice of veggie or vegan cheese.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sonflour (@sonflourcork)

Leafy Greens and Co, 8 Mary Street Warrenpoint, Co. Down

The plant-based deli are also gluten-free specialists – a delightful boon for any celiacs who want to enjoy vegan foods. Leafy Greens put gut healthy dishes to the fore, with hearty and healthy curries, salads and soups all the order of the day.

Leafy Greens and Co

The Happy Pear , Church Road, Greystones, Wicklow

It would be sacrilegious to compile a list of the best vegan spots in Ireland without mentioning these Wicklow twins. The Happy Pear’s David and Steve had been travelling opposite ends of the world, when both decided to become vegan within a week of each other – the first seed of the Happy Pear. The plant-based empire now includes a café in Greystones, a readymade supermarket meal franchise, cookbooks and a podcast. The Happy Pear’s mission is simple: “Healthy eating for our planet, our bodies and our taste buds”.

The Happy Pear

The Saucy Cow , 19 Crane Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin & The Marina Market, Centre Park Road, Cork

“Big”, “Dirty”, and “Vegan” are the words The Saucy Cow use to describe themselves. Their mouthwatering offerings include the famed Buckfast BBQ Burger, widely regarded as the best vegan burger in the capital, and perhaps even the country. Also on the menu are salt and chilli hashbrowns, the hot papi fries, and the mushroom popcorn chicken bites.

Saucy Cow Buckfast burger

Antiquity Bookshop and Café , 44 Bridge Street Skibbereen, Cork

A family run vegan café and vintage book store, Antiquity has long been a hub for independent thinkers. Adding to their sustainable business model, the enterprise added a vintage shop to their repertoire earlier this month, located next door at 45 Bridge Street. Meaning you can feed yourself, decorate your house and pick up reading materials, all while helping the planet.

Antiquity Cafe and Bookshop

Cornucopia , Wicklow Street, Dublin

Situated in a stunning Georgian property across three floors is the vegan foodie haven Cornucopia. Enjoy great-tasting, healthy, vegan and vegetarian food, accompanied by a glass of organic vegan wine, craft bottled beer, a freshly made juice or artisan coffee. With dishes like smoky baked pinto beans, Jackfruit and portobello puttanesca with baked polenta and cheese sauce, and spanakopita with feta and spinach, international flavours are front and centre.

Cornucopia

Veggie Vibe Café 19a Main Street, Blackrock, Dublin

Serving up a delicious, plant-based take on the full Irish, Veggie Vibe Café is the vegan jewel in Blackrock’s crown. The café is nestled down a quaint lane way in the Blackrock Market, providing a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the main street, along with delish oatmilk flat whites. This hip joint serves all the classic offerings of Irish cafés, with vegan style.

Veggie Vibe Cafe

V Face , 30 Brunswick St N, Stoneybatter, Dublin

Offering all the mouthwatering flavours of fast food, V Face delivers sublime vegan burgers and milkshakes in their Stoneybatter joint. Special mention goes to the dessert menu, with offerings including ice cream cookie sambos, Biscoff cheesecake and choc chip cookies all available in glorious herbivore formats.

V Face

Stone Barn Café, Ballytoohy More, Clare Island, Mayo

This Clare Island destination boasts zero food miles from seed to fork. Stone Barn café takes seasonal eating seriously, as it only opens from June – August and serves the very best of summer produce. Along with their usual selection of scrumptious scones, sandwiches and soups, The Stone Barn also hosts a six-course tasting menu dinner on Monday evenings. It boasts a specially curated wine list of mostly French organic and biodynamic wines, bought directly from small vineyards.

An Lár Wicklow , Market Square, Dunlavin, Wicklow

An Lár is a vegan/vegetarian organic, plant-based cafe serving a quality, creative and nutritionally balanced menu. You can find homemade cakes, great coffees and teas, delicious lunches, Italian gelato, fermented food, and raw vegan snacks.

The Secret Garden , 4 William Street W, Galway

Nestled in a cosy corner of the City of Tribes is West, a feline friend who happens to be the Secret Garden’s celebrity cat. When you’re not busy being charmed by West, there’s a slew of delicious herbal teas, curries and sweet treats to delight in at this hip Galway spot. Despite being 10 years in business, the Secret Garden somehow still feels like a hidden gem.

The Secret Garden

Sonairte Cafe, Ninch, Laytown, Meath

Using homegrown fruit and veg from their own certified organic garden, this café attached to an ecology centre is all about pro-environment food. With Buddha Bowls, Superfood salads, and 2 for 1 on Friday drinks as part of their ‘Friday Friends’ offer, there’s plenty for both the planet and your body. In addition, make sure to visit the Sonairte Eco-Centre and stroll the Walled Garden, explore the Nature Trail and call into the centre’s Bee Museum.