The Best Spots For Raw Food In New York City

Whether you follow a completely 100 percent raw diet, are on a week-long detox, or simply need to balance out an indulgent weekend, sometimes raw, simple food is the best thing for our bodies. We all know the dangers of processed foods and the deep fryer, so keeping things green is never a bad idea. But just because you’re eating raw food doesn’t mean you should sacrifice taste, and with these NYC restaurants, you don’t have to. So if you’re bored of your green salad or sliced veggies with hummus, here’s a list of spots in NYC to check out for raw food.

1. Rockin' Raw

Restaurant, Vegetarian

If you’ve never thought of ‘Peruvian Creole’ food as raw food (or if you’ve never thought of that combination before at all), think again. At Rockin’ Raw in Greenwich Village, they serve a 100 percent raw menu inspired by Peruvian and Creole classics. You can get things like crab cakes, burritos, nachos, and more, but served in a completely re-invented way.

2. The Butcher's Daughter

Restaurant, Butcher, Bar, Juice Bar, Cafe, Healthy, Vegetarian

The Butcher’s Daughter isn’t just one of NYC’s most popular vegan restaurants; it’s one of the city’s most favored restaurants overall. If you come for weekend brunch, expect to wait, and if you do, you’ll be rewarded with healthy and delicious eats. And while not everything on their menu is raw, it is all vegan, and it’s all satisfying. They have a long and drool-worthy list of raw smoothies to choose from, plus tons of salads, bowls, and toasts to make any raw food eater happy.

3. Quintessence

Restaurant, Vegan, Vegetarian

Quintessence has been a staple of the East Village since 1999, and back then when veggie-focused raw food wasn’t a trend, it was a totally revolutionary addition to the neighborhood. Now it has loyal customers who adore their raw versions of things like dumplings, pasta, and burgers, and they’re still one of the only spots in NYC that serves an all-raw menu.

4. Liquiteria

Bar, Juice Bar, Healthy

Yes, it’s a chain, but Liquiteria, a cold-pressed juice bar, is still one of the few spots serving a raw menu in NYC. Come here for the smoothies or acai bowls, all of which are filling and satisfying. In a city that has everything, there are a surprisingly few number of raw food restaurants in NYC, so the fact that there’s a Liquiteria in almost every neighborhood is a comforting thought for those times when you need something raw and green.

5. Sun In Bloom

Cafe, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sun In Bloom opened in Park Slope, Brooklyn in 2010, and ever since, it’s been bringing feel-good food to its customers. Everything is ‘clean,’ plant-based, sustainable, and good for you, so you will have nothing but healthy options. The menu is also labeled with what’s raw (it is easy to tell), and their best raw foods may be their desserts.

6. Two Tablespoons

Restaurant, Mexican, American

Everything at Two Tablespoons is made from scratch and is completely vegetarian, and most of their menu is raw. Their raw desserts are particularly noteworthy; with things like raw chocolate macarons and raw mixed berry cheesecake, it might be hard to choose. On the savory end, they have raw options for every meal of the day, and the spring rolls are particularly delicious. Find Two Tablespoons at various pop-up markets during the year, or check out their first permanent location at Urbanspace Vanderbilt.

7. by CHLOE

Bakery, Restaurant, Pastry Shop, American, Vegan

There is no doubt that by CHLOE has become a favorite NYC restaurant, and if you ever pop by around lunchtime, you’ll see the line forming around the block. This vegan restaurant has converted even the most diehard carnivores into vegetable lovers, and while not everything is raw on the menu, there are plenty of options. Their salad list is long and creative, and their raw vanilla bean chia pudding shouldn’t be skipped.

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