Meat-free dining doesn’t need to be fun-free, as these five fantastic eateries prove with their plentiful vegan options.

Gypsy Caravan

Lot 3, 130 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby

Beginning life as a pop-up restaurant in the courtyard formerly occupied by The Street Food Collective, it seems cosy Gypsy Caravan, with its Persian-style rugs and paper lanterns, is here to stay. And blessedly, the North African, Greek and Turkish-inspired menu has been given a vegan shake-up throughout May, with daily experimentation, and a list of six vegan wines.

Hectors at Heritage Auckland

Heritage Hotel, 35 Hobson St, central city

Hotel eatery Hectors has been committed to vegan dining since 2013. Newly appointed executive chef Gerrard O’Keefe has evolved the offering with hearty plant-based dishes alongside meat and fish-centred plates for harmonious carnivore/herbivore dining. From a cold-curing bowl of soba noodles with leek, potato, capsicum, ginger chilli and miso, to a moreish raw chocolate delice with a geranium cocoa nib truffle base, for once vegos are spoilt for choice.

Tart

555 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn

In 2014, the owner of this small Grey Lynn bakery went vegan, and has since transformed it into a destination for those wishing to avoid animal products without sacrificing morning tea. Philippa Stephenson’s creamy-centred vegan almond croissants, fluffy doughnuts and savoury pies are a carb-y world away from chia seed-topped smoothie bowls.

The Burgerie

95 K’ Rd

It’s not fancy to look at, but long-standing Karangahape Road takeaway The Burgerie is dedicated to cruelty-free food with an extensive menu of soy-based vegan burgers that, some say, are better than Lord of the Fries down the road.

Moustache Milk & Cookie Bar

309 K’ Rd

Vegan cookies (double dark choc with Whittaker’s and Dutch cocoa) are a permanent menu item at Moustache these days, but there are also celebratory vegan cookie cakes stacked together with a chocolate soy ganache, and giant cookies, available to order.

This article was first published in Paperboy magazine. Follow Paperboy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and sign up to the weekly e-mail.