St. Petersburg, also known as St. Pete, is one of the most underrated cities in Florida, in my personal opinion. Located on the gulf coast of Florida, St. Petersburg is slowly becoming one of the fastest-growing cities in the state. With access to St. Pete beach, beautiful waterfront parks, and a bustling downtown life, St. Petersburg offers a lot. After many years of visiting St. Pete, I am now officially a resident of this beautiful city. Although I travel full time, I have my home base in St. Pete. One of my favorite things about this city is how great the vegan restaurants in St. Pete are. From sit-down restaurants to quick service, there is plenty to choose from. These are my favorite vegan restaurants in St. Pete and some non-vegan restaurants for great vegan food in St. Pete.
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Table of Contents
1. The Cider Press Cafe
Without a doubt, one of my favorite vegan restaurants in St. Pete has to be The Cider Press Cafe. This is the one where it all started for me. During a trip to St. Petersburg in 2017 to visit a friend, she took me to The Cider Press Cafe for lunch. We had just finished watching some vegan documentaries on Netflix and after lunch, at The Cider Press Cafe, I was officially converted. And I haven’t looked back since. This cafe will always hold a special place in my heart for this sentimental reason. But, sentimentality aside the food is actually incredible.
The Cider Press Cafe is a casual dining restaurant with some of the best vegan food in St. Pete. With everything ranging from burgers to salads to full-size entrees, you won’t be missing any animal products when you dine here. I wouldn’t say that the food here is super healthy or anything but it definitely provides comfort food vibes of all those dishes you used to love before being vegan. They have every kind of fake meat burger like Beyond and Impossible along with some really interesting dishes like vegan shrimp. If you only have the chance to visit one of the vegan restaurants in St. Pete on this list, I would make it The Cider Press Cafe.
2. Love Food Central
Love Food Central is one of the best vegan restaurants in St. Pete. Also a casual eatery, you’ll find lots of great sandwiches and salads at Love Food Central. I would say compared to The Cider Press Cafe, Love Food Central focuses a bit more on whole food ingredients and is less reliant on fake meat substitutions. My favorite item from this restaurant is their chickpea salad sandwich which is in the style of a tuna salad sandwich. Be sure to try their potato salad as well. It is amazing. They have a great outdoor dining set up along the main popular road in downtown St. Pete, Central Avenue. Also, you have to try their vegan cheese plate which is all homemade specialty artisan cheeses. It is definitely a highlight of this great place to get fantastic vegan food in St. Pete.
3. Golden Dinosaurs
Located just about a 10-minute drive outside of downtown St. Pete in the adorable town of Gulfport, Golden Dinosaurs is a vegan deli with some incredible food. Gulfport is a very cute and small walkable town with a waterfront. Golden Dinosaurs has so many of your usual deli favorites like Reuben’s, Cuban Sandwiches, chili dogs, burgers, and lots more. I’d say without a doubt the best vegan Reuben I’ve ever had was at the Golden Dinosaurs. The restaurant itself has a really chill, low-key vibe. They used to have indoor dining but ever since the pandemic started they have remained an outdoor dining location only. But they have a really nice, pet-friendly patio and plenty of places to sit. If you are in the mood for a great lunch with some really incredible vegan food, be sure to come to Golden Dinosaurs.
4. Plant Love Ice Cream
Plant Love Ice Cream shop is a bit of a newer addition to this list. This 100% vegan ice cream shop features house-made vegan ice creams from a variety of different vegan milk substitutes. They also have vegan ice cream infused with CBD if that’s your thing. The interior of Plant Love Ice Cream could definitely do with a little bit of a redesign but the ice cream is top notch. My personal favorite flavors are the pistachio and mint fudge brownie. They have rotating flavors so be sure to stop by and give them a try before they change to new ones. Plant Love also sells to-go pints that you can take home.
5. Naked Farmer St. Petersburg
Naked Farmer is not a vegan restaurant but there are vegan options here. This counter-service eatery sources all of its food from local farms with very high-quality food. They have multiple pre-designed vegan options for you or you can design your own bowl. Everything is very well labeled for what is vegan and what is not. You can design a salad or a grain bowl with whatever you want in it. This is a great option for somebody looking for a more casual dining experience while still having great, high-quality food. Definitely give this place a try for a great lunch or dinner.
6. Karma
Karma Eatery is a great place to get smoothies, juices, açaí bowls, and salads. The location has moved once or twice but their new location is a bit uptown. The interior is very nice and a great place to come enjoy an açaí bowl. They do have nonvegan items as well but the majority of their smoothies and bowls are vegan. I’ll be honest, I’ve had good and bad experiences at Karma. Sometimes the açaí bowls are amazing and sometimes they are just decent. But there is also a great bar inside attached that makes some fantastic craft cocktails!
7. Driftwood Kava & Roastery St. Pete
Driftwood Kava & Roastery is a bar and coffee shop located in the Chihuly museum building. They have some fantastic coffee as well as some great vegan options. They even have vegan breakfast sandwiches. This is a great place to come grab some coffee, eat some good food and play some games. They have board games inside and also often have live music. It is a very chill atmosphere with some really friendly service. My favorite thing to get at Driftwood is their house coffee because it’s just so good.
8. HaleLife Bakery
The only bakery on this list, HaleLife Bakery is a 100% vegan bakery with everything from donuts to cakes and other pastries. While I do have a sweet tooth at times, I wouldn’t say that bakeries usually do very much for me. I’m much more of an ice cream kind of guy if I’m in the mood for something sweet. But I did try one of the donuts at HaleLife bakery. As good as it was, I wouldn’t say it tasted anything like a donut to me. It was more like a round, mini cake consistency. Not bad but nothing to write home about either. While I’m sure there are great items at this bakery, you will have to be the judge of that for yourself if you decide to go. But it definitely is nice to have a vegan bakery downtown.
My Favorite Vegan Options at Non-Vegan Places
With veganism becoming so mainstream and popular now, a lot of places have started adding a few vegan options to their menus. Along with the above-mentioned vegan restaurants in St. Pete, these places to eat below have some great options for vegans. These are only from my personal experience as I am sure there are countless other places to get vegan food in St. Pete. But be sure to check out these places.
- You can find some great vegan options at these non-vegan restaurants too:
- Black Crow Coffee Shop-My absolute favorite coffee shop in St. Petersburg, Black Crow has some great vegan pastries and even vegan cream cheese for bagels in the morning. They even roast their own coffee beans.
- Beans & Barlour-This ice cream shop specializes in alcohol-infused ice cream and they even have some vegan options. They have nonalcoholic vegan ice cream as well, but I highly recommend the infused ones.
- Paradeco Coffee Roasters-This Art Deco coffee shop has some fantastic coffee drinks with plant milks. They have some pre-made vegan chia puddings as well.
- BellaBrava-For some great Italian food with some vegan options in the heart of downtown St. Pete, definitely check out BellaBrava. They have fantastic cocktails here as well.
- The Library-This restaurant is styled to look like a library with some great cocktails and food to match. I’ve heard they also have a really good brunch with some vegan options as well.
- St. Pete Pier-The new pride and joy of St. Pete is the newly developed pier. There are some food stands along the pier that has some vegan options like a great vegan pizza option. The restaurant at the top of the pier also has a veggie burger that I believe either is or can be vegan.
- EVOS Feel Great Food-For some great grain bowls and salads with vegan options, be sure to visit this counter-service restaurant.
Best Vegan Food in St. Pete Conclusion
So as you can see from the list above, there are certainly some great vegan restaurants in St. Pete. While none of these restaurants are going to be winning any awards for innovation, I certainly have enjoyed my time exploring the vegan food scene in Saint Petersburg Florida. Along with the vegan restaurants in St. Pete that I have mentioned above, you can find great vegan options at many standard restaurants all over the city. I’m sure that there are many places to get vegan food in St. Pete that I have missed. As I continue to explore this new city that is my home base, I will update this list as I go.
I hope this guide has helped you to find the best vegan restaurants in St. Pete for your next visit. With the city growing as much as it is, I would not be surprised if new vegan restaurants start popping up all over. The downtown area of St. Pete is seeing a massive expansion with many new high-rise buildings and retail spaces going up. Hopefully, this brings in some fresh new vegan food in St. Pete. Be sure to check out my other St. Pete content here. Also, be sure to sign up for my email list to be notified of all of my upcoming blog posts. Be sure to follow me on social media as well to stay up to date with all of my travels. Thank you so much for visiting my website!
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