Wildseed, Adriano Paganini’s plant-based restaurant and bar, is one of the buzziest players on the scene, with a menu of local, vegan, and seasonally-driven dishes like “neatball” masala and a rigatoni bolognese (with Impossible “meat”). The Meyer lemon cheesecake feels and tastes so genuinely cheesy you’ll think a mistake has been made.

This fully plant-based “vegan comfort food” spot’s Cow Hollow is location has temporarily closed, but its Polk spot is open for takeout and delivery. Its menu offers a bounty of mock meat offerings, like fake tri-tip, counterfeit crab cakes, and faux chicken with gluten-free waffles.

Nourish Cafe has two locations in San Francisco: one in the Inner Richmond, and another at 1030 Hyde Street in Nob Hill. Completely plant-based, the restaurants serve juice, smoothies, bowls, and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch (the Nob Hill location also offers dinner).

The Flying Falafel’s Middle Eastern menu is all vegan, and much of it is available with gluten-free options, as well. That means a “chick’n” shawarma and falafel that’s free from meat cross-contamination.

The first weekend vegan Italian comfort spot Baia opened for takeout in the massive Hayes Valley space that once housed Jardiniere, it sold out of popular dishes like its plant-based mozzarella sticks in a flash. The restaurant is the first SF spot in plant-based empire-builder Matthew Kenney’s domain, and the first outing by SF tech/philanthropy vets Kyle and Tracy Vogt, who worked with Kenney to develop the all-vegan menu.

Craving tofuna? Shizen’s vegan sushi bar and izakaya is so modern and Zen that you’ll forget all about fish. In addition to rolls filled with creamy tofu and topped with imitation fish eggs (made of tapioca), the menu offers a variety of tempura-fried veggies, bean curd skewers, and miso ramen. For now, Shizen is open only for reservations — which are available online but can be difficult to snag.

The food at Mission District craft brewery Above Ground is all plant based, from its burgers (Beyond Meat and mushroom patties are both available) to its pizza and pasta (much of which is also gluten free). If nuts are also a worry, about half of the pizza menu is also completely nut free, so this spot is an allergy sufferer’s dream. 

The owners of Gracias Madre have found themselves embroiled in numerous controversies over the years, but since its opening in 2010 the restaurant has been a standby for vegans who crave Mexican food and don’t want to grill restaurant staff on matters like bean preparation. Vegetables are the centerpiece of most dishes, and there are enough nut-cheese preparations to make some meat eaters feel like they’re not missing all that much.

In the same Mission District parking lot where you’ll find Vegan Mob’s SF food truck, you can also find Senor Sisig’s vegan outpost. The food truck serves a meat-free menu of Filipino-inspired dishes including burritos stuffed with adobo garlic rice and fries topped with your choice of protein, nacho cheese, sour cream, guac, and pico de gallo.

Cha-Ya serves some of the tastiest — and prettiest — vegan Japanese fare you can find in the city, including delicate salads, hearty noodle dishes, and inventive sushi rolls. They’re open for dine-in on a first come, first served basis. The restaurant closes at 8 p.m. but get there by 7:45 p.m. if you want to place your name on the list.

Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant has two locations in San Francisco, one in the Sunset and one in Chinatown at 839 Kearny Street. Both restaurants — which are run by a family of devout Buddhists — are are also kosher, making the restaurants a hit with those of many faiths. Where these Chinese-influenced spots really shine are their soups, all of which are made with flavorful, hearty broths that put meat-based broths to shame. (Note: When Eater SF last visited Enjoy, every item on offer was vegan, but it’s been said that items that contain a small amount of egg or dairy have appeared on the menu. Strict vegans should confirm with waitstaff before ordering.)