Where to Eat Plant-Based in Miami & Fort Lauderdale, Florida

If you are planning to take a cruise or just visit South Florida, there are many plant-friendly restaurants to eat at.  We went on a cruise that departed from Miami, so we stayed downtown the night before. This allowed us to explore some of the dining options nearby.  Our return flight was from Fort Lauderdale, so we had the opportunity to try a lovely coffee shop and grab lunch in the Dania Pointe outdoor shopping mall. The highlights were a local Latin restaurant and a healthy chain restaurant.  The highlights were a local Latin restaurant and a healthy chain restaurant.  

The Cocinita Miami is exclusively plant-based with Latin comfort food

Downtown Miami is a bustling place with a visible fitness and active wear style.  As we searched for vegan and plant-friendly restaurants, it was clear that the ones with “service” were higher-end having a focus on steak or seafood.  Otherwise, the restaurants were healthy “fast” food, primarily self-serve, accommodating the gym rats and office workers.  Because we were there on a weekend, many of the restaurants in office buildings closed early leaving fewer choices to dine at dinnertime.

In case you make your way to Miami, here were the best plant-based options we found right downtown.

The Cocinita Miami – Latin Vegan Comfort Food

For dinner, we headed to Cocinita, a Latin street food-style spot in the Miami Riverwalk area just over the bridge. Luckily for me, it is fully vegan and offered so many options that I can’t get at home.  I miss Cuban rice and beans, and this place offered a dish that resembled what I remember.

The restaurant is casual and required us to order self-serve from a touch screen at the entrance.  That was a bit of a shock, but it became apparent that self-service is the Miami way in “fast” food style restaurants.  The space was still lovely, and the food tasted great with a lot of flavour so I would recommend checking them out if you are in the area.  After our meal we spoke to the Chef, and he was incredibly friendly.

We shared our order, opting for two appetizers. The first was Cocado Bites which are nachos with vegan sausage and guacamole.  The second was the Empanada Operada based on a Venezuelan classic containing avocado, sweet plantain and cheez.  

Cocinita Cocado Bites (nachos) and Venezuelan Empanada

We also split the Cocinita Tofu Bowl containing the classic beans and rice, avocado, sweet plantains and a tofu scramble.  It was all very tasty and filling, but if I were to order again, I think we needed some hot sauce!

Cocinita Tofu Rice and Bean Bowl

The entire menu is vegan and there are many other dishes available: soup, salads, burgers, hearty bowls, burritos and a middle eastern line up with hummus and falafels.  They serve breakfast too, offering smoothies, overnight oats, and pancakes (savoury and sweet).  

Whole Foods Market

After dinner, we popped by Whole Foods Market which was right downtown and near our hotel. It was a one-stop-shop to grab some snacks, plant-based ice cream for dessert, wine for the cruise, and bananas for breakfast.  The next morning, we stopped by the Café to get our coffee lattes with plant-based milk.

Whole Foods Café serving up coffee and tea. Source: Whole Foods website

Later that same day after exploring downtown Miami, the pop-up flea market, and strolling along the waterfront, we decided to get our lunch from Whole Foods, too.  They have an extensive prepared food section and make custom orders.  Typical plant-based options are lentil soup, curry dishes, kale or quinoa salad, fresh juices, smoothies, and vegan baked goods.

Their sushi section was primarily seafood, but they had Asian Vegetable Summer Rolls ready to go. 

Whole Foods prepared Fresh Rolls

The sushi chef was kind enough to make us plant-exclusive Avocado Maki Rolls.  It was a perfect, quick lunch before heading down to the port to board the cruise ship.

Whole Foods Vegan Avocado Maki Rolls made to order

After the cruise, we disembarked in Miami but flew home from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. With a few hours to spare before the flight, we stayed by the pool at one of the hotels and took advantage of their gym.  It was near an outlet mall with several restaurants and shops so we were able to fill up before going to the airport.  

Pura Vida – Healthy All-Day Cafe

We decided to get lunch at Pura Vida, a popular local chain known for its modern aesthetic and health-focused menu. There was a lovely patio, but we sat inside which was just as nice with a cool décor and funky vibe.

One of many Pura Vida locations in South Florida. Source: Pura Vida website

Not everything on the menu is exclusively vegan but they had several plant-based options and were also willing to make modifications to additional dishes.  We shared the Crunchy Vegetable Whole Wheat Vegetable Wrap that had sweet potato, hummus, vegetables, avocado and a tahini dressing.  The second dish we ordered was the Thai Almond Salad that was a mix of greens, cabbage, crunchy vegetables, edamame, sesame seeds and a yummy Thai Almond dressing.  

Pura Vida Vegetable Wrap and Thai Salad in the background

The food at Pura Vida was fresh and high quality. I would highly recommend this chain for a healthy meal. They have other items like Avocado toast, chia pudding and overnight oats, cold-pressed juices, smoothies, acai bowls, and specialty teas and coffee.  There are multiple locations in south Florida if you are in the area.

Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar 

Before heading to the airport, we had a drink at Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar in the Dania Pointe shopping district. It was another café with a nice vibe and aesthetic.  The doors and windows were open letting in the breeze, so we relaxed while I enjoyed a green tea.  

Inside Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar. Source: World Red Eye website

Although I personally didn’t order food because I was too full from lunch, I noticed several good plant-based options including Avocado toast on multigrain bread, overnight oats with almond milk, fresh fruit bowls, arugula or beet salad, lentil soup, and quinoa bowls. They also have a variety of plant milks available for coffee.

Final Thoughts

There were other plant-based restaurants in the area that we didn’t have a chance to experience.  It’s quite easy to eat fresh, healthy foods while travelling to South Florida because of the emphasis on fitness there.  If you decide to visit, make sure to give the places I mentioned a try because they were all top notch.

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