1
The Lil Organic Kitchen
955 Elgin St. W.
Cobourg, Ont.
905-373-6009
Located inside the TNS Health Food Organic Supermarket in Cobourg, this “lil” kitchen boasts a hot buffet and a salad bar with a ton of fresh selections for lunch and dinner. They also have a menu with a handful of vegan sandwiches, wraps and smoothies, and everything is available to go or to eat in their cozy dining area.
It’s worth a visit just to try their enormous, perfectly crisped samosas accompanied by house-made mango chutney.
2
Lola’s Coffee House
74 Main St.
Brighton, Ont.
613-475-0711
This coffee shop is a local favourite that serves up breakfast, lunch and excellent baked goods when you’re craving something sweet in the middle of the afternoon. With everything homemade and the ingredients locally sourced, this charming shop is continually adding vegan options to its menu.
Pair a soy matcha latte with their amazing vegan grilled cheese followed up by a gluten-free date square and you’re set for lunch.
3
Market and Smør
39 King St. E.
Cobourg, Ont.
905-269-1614
There are a ton of wholesome options awaiting customers at Market and Smør, and those options—and the market—continue to expand. While they don’t offer in-house dining yet, they stock hard-to-find products such as Beyond Meat sausages, and you can take home their ready-made salads and meals, which include a tangy vegan butter chicken and vegan shepherd’s pie.
Insider tip: They also have a location right on Cobourg Beach which operates through summer and serves up delicious smoothies and snacks.
4
Olympus Burger
55 Mill St. S.
Port Hope, Ont.
905-885-4637
If you’re looking for a hearty meal, this is your go-to. This award-winning burger joint offers not one, but three vegan burger options: The Hera, with portobello mushrooms and roasted red peppers; The Aphrodite, with sauteéd mushrooms, guacamole and grilled pineapple rings; and The Demeter, a black bean patty with caramelized onions (just ask them to hold the cheese on this one).
5
Rey Ray’s
145 Rose Glen Rd. S.
Port Hope, Ont.
289-691-6669
This well-loved and local favourite food truck serves up Mexican tacos and a variety of Latin comfort foods. Vegan options include fried avocado tacos, the Mexican salad with pico de gallo, grilled corn, and cucumbers, sweet potato fries and tortilla chips with fresh guacamole.
Insider tip: follow them on Facebook to find out about specials and even the occasional DJ set!
6
Antonia’s Bistro
28 Doxsee Ave. S.
Campbellford, Ont.
705-632-0505
Though the menu doesn’t appear to offer many vegan options, Antonia’s takes hospitality to the max by adjusting dishes for vegan diners—and they’ll do it happily. A cozy spot that serves up homestyle breakfast, lunch and dinner, this bright and cheerful restaurant near the Trent River is a hot spot for tourists and locals.
7
The Woodlawn Inn Restaurant
420 Division St.
Cobourg, Ont.
905-372-2235
For those in search of the fine dining experience, The Woodlawn Inn has been serving exceptional food in an elegant atmosphere for more than 30 years. While they do have some vegan options already on the menu, the restaurant is also pleased to customize any of their dishes to your liking.
Try their portobello, eggplant and roasted vegetable tower with Indian tomato chutney and puy lentils, accompanied by a selection from their renowned wine cellar. 