Vegan food highlights from Brooklyn, New York – including Dun-Well Doughnuts and Bunna Cafe.
While we were in New York earlier this month, I knew I wanted to spend a day in Brooklyn if possible. I'd heard so many rave reviews about the shops and eateries there, I didn't know how we were going to squeeze it all in.
Like visiting NYC itself, sometimes you have to just give in to the fact that you won't be able to hit it all. Relish the moments you have and then add those missed items on the list for next time!
So we weren't able to see everything I wanted to see, but we came pretty close.
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Dun-Well Doughnuts
First up, Dun-Well Doughnuts. This adorable shop carries all-vegan doughnuts.
I am always eager to check out a place that offers fried, yeast doughnuts. Because oftentimes when it comes to vegan doughnuts, only cake doughnuts are on offer.
I'm not really into cake doughnuts. So for me, they don't really count. I'm all about classic glazed and cream filled doughnuts.
David and I each got a glazed doughnut. Then David got a jelly-filled. And I got a chocolate glazed doughnut to go.
After the first doughnut, my willpower vanished. And that chocolate doughnut was no longer for takeaway…
The doughnuts were deliciously soft, pillowy, and fresh. That said, Donut Friend still reigns as the donut king for me. However, Dun-Well makes some terrific doughnuts.
Bunna Cafe
After a couple of drinks, we ventured to Bunna Cafe, a vegan Ethiopian restaurant.
Bunna started as a pop-up restaurant, but now they have a full-time location. The space was really cool and darkly lit.
The place was hopping when we got there, and there was a 20-minute wait. We told the host we'd be happy to sit at the bar instead. But as luck would have it, after a short wait at the bar, he came over and said they had a table for us.
We got the feast for two. But it easily could have been a feast for four.
It included gomen made with kale, shiro made with ground chickpeas, a red lentil wot, Portobello mushroom tibs, a cool beet dish, fitfit made with shredded injera, and a kale salad with avocado in an olive oil dressing that worked surprisingly well with the dense wots.
I love it when a restaurant isn't afraid to break out of the mold and do something unique. All of the food tasted really fresh, crisp and bright. Nothing was oily or heavy.
They told us that they are now offering brunch on the weekends with totally different dishes. An Ethiopian brunch? Next time for sure!
Chanel | Cultural Xplorer
I live in NYC and still have yet to visit every place I want to visit in any of the boroughs so don’t feel bad, you just have another reason to come back!
Looks like you visited some delicious places – I will have to make sure to add some of these to my list 😀
Cadry
Thanks, Chanel! You live in an amazing city! I can’t wait to come back again and visit more of it.
Pj Priest
I want to try Bunna Cafe sometime. I never got to go before I moved out of NYC. Cinnamon Snail and Beyond Sushi are my favorite NYC eats! We used to frequent The Way Station because my husband is a big Doctor Who fan. Unfortunately we chose to bring everyone there after my wedding reception for the after party. As soon as I arrived the bartender came up to me, angry, accusing me of bringing in 15 people just to use the bathroom. I was so upset that happened, we never returned.
Mighty O now has some raised donuts, but they aren’t great. It’s not vegan owned and operated, and I overheard one of the owners saying they do cake donuts because eggs are required for raised donuts. So they aren’t vegan savvy.
Cadry
Oh, that’s so unfortunate about The Way Station! It’s terrible that the bartender treated you that way, especially on your wedding day. I can totally understand why you wouldn’t return after that. Plus, they can’t be surprised that people come in to see their bathroom, and they make a lot of money off of the fact that it’s an unusual feature.
I’m not a sushi fan, and so I didn’t go to Beyond Sushi, even though everyone raves about it. I did hit Cinnamon Snail, which I’ll write about later. What I ordered there was tasty but not mind-blowing. (I got the special of the day – a tempeh reuben.) So I think it was a factor of ordering the wrong thing. People seem to really love their seitan.
Lisa | Je suis alimentageuse
Great post! I’ve always wanted to visit Brooklyn, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ethiopian food, so I’ll be sure to check this out. And donuts. Toronto has a plethora of vegan bakeries that have donuts but those badboys look so good I’ll have to visit myself one day!
Cadry
Yes, Bunna is definitely worth hitting. Plus, there aren’t that many vegan Ethiopian restaurants around, and it’s so nice to see them thriving!
Kzcakes
I’d say champs is a must. I eat there once a week! Maybe next time, you should come the weekend of the vegan shop-up! You’d have a great time and get to meet a bunch of NYC based bloggers and local vegans to hang out with! I’m glad you enjoyed your time here. You’re always welcome 🙂
Cadry
That sounds like a great time! I would really enjoy that. Hopefully it won’t be another decade until I’m back! (The previous time I was there was actually 2002!)
You are so lucky to be able to eat at Champs once a week. I really wanted to try it since everyone raves about it. New York just has too many wonderful things to sample. That must be quite a burden for you! 😉
FoodFeud
Such fun!! I love to see how people outside of Brooklyn see Brooklyn.
Cadry
Yay! Your home is a very cool place indeed. 🙂
caitlingu
I’m jealous, I really want to go back to NYC, the last time I was there was in 2010 and lots of new places have opened since then (including Vaute, which relocated). I’m with you on the yeast doughnuts! I really wish I could get some exciting vegan doughnuts here (a supermarket chain sells some very inexpensive and decent vegan doughnuts which are widely available, so I shouldn’t complain, but they’re not that great or interesting in terms of flavors!).
Cadry
It seems like there’s always something awesome popping up, especially in vegan meccas like NYC and Los Angeles. It’s hard to keep up!
Jojo
I’ve been to NYC three times since I went vegan and I don’t think I’ll ever get through the whole list of places I want to visit. New places keep popping up and of course there are some places I just have to re-visit each time! I’m more of a cake doughnut person (Mighty O is my favourite) but I did enjoy some of the doughnuts at Dunwell and everyone else I’ve ever gone there with has LOVED it!
Cadry
Yes, I saw on your blog that you’re more of a cake doughnut person. We went to Mighty O about 7 years ago, and I remember being surprised that the cab ride there was about $40. So I was sorely disappointed at the end of it that they only had cake doughnuts. Totally not their fault, of course; it’s just not my preference.
Caitlin
those donuts. they look so soft and puffy and delightful. also, that ethiopian food! i would love to eat a vegan ethiopian feast. one day (soon) i hope.
Cadry
Yeah, the pictures of the doughnuts are almost too much for me now that I’m hours away from a vegan doughnut! 🙂
I saw that Bunna offers gluten-free injera, and so you should definitely seek it out the next time you’re in New York!
ameyfm
Aw! I haven’t been to NYC for 15 years – right before I went 100% vegan. I would love to go back and explore all the vegan eats. Musty grew up on Long Island, so it’s super nostalgic for him to go to NY too. It looks like so much fun.
Cadry
Oh, I hope you’re able to go sometime soon! This was my first time visiting NYC while vegan. The previous times that I visited, I hadn’t even gone vegetarian yet. They are so blessed with vegan options!
panda cookie
Ah! These are all places that have opened since I moved away. I have to get back one day.
Cadry
Definitely! It’s that way when I hear about new places popping up in L.A. too. I’m always eager to try out the new restaurants and shops in addition to visiting my old favorites.
Veganopoulous
What a fantastic lot of places you visited, I love the look of the plate for two!
Cadry
New York has such a wealth of vegan goodness! It would be an amazing place to live.