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Welcome to meat free-ks

Vegan food on a platter. More chefs and restaurant­s are catching on to the vegan way worldwide. Vegan diets are exploding in popularity around the globe, which makes travelling as a vegan much easier, writes Elizabeth Warkentin

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FOR MANY vegans, travelling and eating out can be a frustratin­g and isolating experience. But as more chefs and restaurant­s are catching on to vegan food – even Mr Vegas Steve Wynn introduced plantbased options in his casino restaurant­s when he made the switch himself – things are changing.

Gone are the days of drab cafeteria-style establishm­ents, or restaurant­s removing the ham from a dish. Today’s vegan digs are helmed by top chefs, have smart, fashion-forward decor, and many carry impressive bar offerings.

Here are 10 cities that make travelling as a vegan a little less lonely: Turin If mayor Chiara Appendino has her way, Turin, the capital of Piemonte, will be Italy’s first official “vegetarian city”. Appendino says she wants to safeguard the environmen­t and plans to raise awareness by having schoolchil­dren learn about healthy eating and animal welfare. With more than 30 restaurant­s, cafés and shops serving vegan and vegetarian fare, Turin Tourism has published a list to help vegans navigate the culinary scene. Berlin Move over Portland – the new capital of vegan cool is Berlin. With over 50 purely vegan restaurant­s, cafés and ice cream parlours the German capital is swiftly getting a reputation. But the crueltyfre­e movement here extends beyond food. Ethically-minded vegans can also find clothing, beer and wine, and even sex toys without leather or latex, which often contains milk proteins. Annual August festival Veganes Sommerfest Berlin (which features music, games, athletics and a fashion show) attracts around 60 000 people. Helsinki Had enough of talk of pulled pork? Never fear; in Finland you can feast on pulled oats. Nyhtökaura, a meat substitute consisting of Nordic oats and broad beans, might soon become Finland’s biggest food export. Yes, really.

While exclusivel­y vegan restaurant­s are still scarce in Helsinki, vegan-friendly chefs are plentiful and vegetarian restaurant­s favour plantbased cuisine, including those pulled oats. Most cafés use oat milk, which makes a nice change from soy. The weekly publicatio­n, Helsinki This Week, has a list of recommende­d vegan and vegan-friendly restos. Tel Aviv Veganism has been on the rise for some time in Israel, but things came to a head in December 2014 when protesting Israeli soldiers threatened to revolt if the army didn’t start giving vegan options on the cafeteria menu. With nearly 5% of Israelis now eschewing meat, dairy, and eggs, Israel is now per capita the world’s biggest vegan nation. With over 400 vegan and vegan-friendly establishm­ents, Tel Aviv has become such a hotspot that even Domino’s serves animalfree pizza, and there’s the first vegan cooking school in the country, the Vegan Experience. Every September the city hosts Vegan-Fest, one of the world’s largest vegan festivals.

Shabby chic Zakaim does Persian-influenced dishes. At Nanuchka, the world’s first purely vegan Georgian restaurant, you’ll enjoy a fresh take on meat-heavy Eastern European food. Vegan staple falafel can be found virtually everywhere, but at the Veg Shawarma you can satisfy your shawarma craving secure in the knowledge that you haven’t harmed any animals. Chennai, India It’s estimated that up to 50% of the Indian population is vegetarian, and while veganism is a new concept in the West, a meat-free lifestyle has been ingrained in Indian culture for thousands of years. South Indian cuisine typically makes use of rice, pulses and coconut milk, and vegan and vegetarian dishes in Chennai’s restaurant­s abound. For an Indian fine dining experience, try the Royal Vega at the ITC Grand Chola hotel. Melbourne Australia’s second city has long been progressiv­e, but in recent years the vegan movement in Melbourne has been barrelling across the city like a train that has lost its brakes. Get your pizza fix at stylish Red Sparrow Pizza, indulge your sweet tooth at the new dairy and eggfree vegan dessert bar Girls and Boys, or enjoy a more upscale dining experience at Transforme­r. San Francisco Thanks to its healthy, hippie haven vibe, San Francisco is home to some of the best and most innovative raw, vegetarian and vegan eats in the world. There’s nothing quite like vegan Mexican food that is meant to be a meal, not just a side dish. Head to Gracias Madre in the Mission District for a scrumptiou­s, guilt-free Mexican experience. And just because you’re vegan, there’s no need to sacrifice your love of sushi. Nearby Shizen serves up innovative­ly delicious veggie rolls, nigiri, and ramen. Austin, Texas Texas, no way! Yes way. Whole Foods started here in the 1970s. If you love food trucks, be sure to stop by Guac N’ Roll, a vegan-friendly TexMex food truck. For an Austin twist on Indian grub, head to Gra’j Mahal. For afters there’s Sweet Ritual, a vegan ice cream parlour. Vancouver Satisfy both your palate and your aesthetic sense with The Acorn’s awardwinni­ng, exquisitel­y plated oeuvres; join the vegetablef­orward revolution of two self-proclaimed “plus-sized” chefs who quit meat to get healthy at stylish Heirloom Vegetarian; and shop for cruelty-free kicks, bags, belt, wallets and even chocolate at Nice Shoes. London The US arm of PETA once selected it as the most vegetarian-friendly city in the world, not only because of its 100+ vegan, vegetarian and veg-friendly restaurant­s but also because of the striking variety of meatless ethnic cuisine. London is also home to vegan tattoo parlour Fifth Dimension Tattoo.

Vegan foodies will have plenty to satisfy their discerning taste buds here. Try Manna, whose entirely vegan kitchen is inspired from round-the-world cuisine. Sara Mitterstei­ner, aka Pomodoro e Basilica, is a vegan Italian foodie who runs a street food market stall every weekend at Boiler House in Brick Lane, as well as cooking classes and a vegan supper club from her home. Lovers of “dude food” will rejoice at Deptford veggie and vegan café The Waiting Room, which serves meat-free wings, hot dogs and burgers. In January, Temple of Hackney, a fried vegan “chicken” shop owned by a former KFC-employee-turnedvega­n, opened to long queues. – The Independen­t

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