I’ve lived in Kingston, ON for about 2.5 years now. In this time, I have found so many plant-based gems in the city. I often get asked for recommendations, which I love to give. For this reason, I am excited to provide you with this list of all of my favourite plant-based options in Kingston, ON!
Note that this is not an inclusive list of every plant-based option in the city — it is just my favourites! If something is not on this list, I’m either not the biggest fan (but I can be won over) or I haven’t tried it yet. I will also continually add items to this list and update it when required.
Grocery
Farm Boy
940 Futures Gate, Kingston, ON
Farm Boy is likely my all-time favourite grocery store to shop at. Their produce section is great, the store’s not overwhelmingly big, the bakery items are super fresh, and the plant-based options are unreal! Farm Boy has their own line of foods and so many of them are plant-based, including a line of cheeses (the smoked gouda and feta are my favourite), baked goods (including cookies & croissants), and basics like their own vegan mayonnaise. Lots of their items are also marked with a “vegan” symbol. Farm Boy also has a few food stations in store. My favourites are the Pizza Station (ask for the Veganza) and the Stirfry Station (they have tofu!).
Cafes
CRAVE Coffee House & Bakery
CRAVE is my go-to place when I want plant-based baked goods and coffee. They have an amazing rotating selection of vegan baked goods, sometimes including carrot and red velvet cake, cookies (I love the chocolate chip), and more. They have a variety of non-dairy milk options for your bevvys and even a vegan hot chocolate on the menu! They also have plant-based salads, bowls, and snacks like hummus & pita packed to-go.
Balzac’s
Balzac’s won my heart a while back when I went on a little vacation to Niagara on the Lake. I got an Oatmilk Cookie Latte and resultingly fell head-over-heels for the cafe. When I moved to Kingston and found out that there was a Balzac’s right down the street from me, I was so happy. To this day, they are one of my favourite coffee joints in the city. They offer a variety of non-dairy milk options for coffees — my favourites are oat or macadamia milk. For the Fall, they are currently offering a plant-based pumpkin loaf and they also carry vegan cookies year-round!
Quick Bites
Fat Bastard Burrito Co.
Fat Bastard Burrito Co. has been my go-to spot in Kingston when it comes to quick eats. The Sweet & Spicy Tofu (it’s really not too spicy) is really good – great texture and flavour for a burrito. No other burrito joint that I know of offers tofu burritos — it’s usually veggie ground (faux meat) or just a bean burrito option. Fat Bastard also offers other veggie options (sweet potato, sauteed veggie, or root vegetable), but the tofu option is my favourite. While I wish they had more plant-based sauce options, they make up for it with free guacamole! Note that they offer rice or noodles (chow mein) as an option to add to your burrito. Skip the noodles — I’m quite sure they contain egg.
Score Pizza
Score Pizza is currently my favourite quick pizza joint in Kingston. Their crust is plant-based and they offer plant-based cheese (I think it’s Violife brand?), Beyond Meat sausage crumble, and a variety of great veggie toppings!
The Grocery Basket
The Grocery Basket is my favourite spot to grab a quick snack in Kingston. They have two locations downtown Kingston, as well as a food truck! They offer a few plant-based sandwiches (a bagel sandwich, a breakfast sandwich, and a chickpea sandwich on a vegan croissant!), vegan bagels with cream cheese from a local company, smoothies, and two different kinds of vegan/gf muffins. They also have a variety of non-dairy milk options for coffee. In addition to their quick meal options, they have a whole grocery section with a variety of plant-based options as well, including chips, chocolate, vegan cheeses and meat alternatives, and even fresh, local produce.
Restaurants
Miss Bāo Restautant & Cocktail Bar
286 Princess St, Kingston, ON K7L 1B5
I have a complete bias for Miss Bāo, as I used to work there. However, it’s a completely sustainable gem with amazing plant-based options. I ALWAYS get their Tofu Bāo buns when I go — crispy deep-fried tofu tossed in (not spicy) Szechuan sauce on a soft, homemade bāo bun, topped with local veggies. However, their tofu bites and other vegan options, such as the Mushroom bāo are loved by many. They currently have mushroom wontons, which even a mushroom-disliker like myself liked!! They also have SO many vegan cocktails — they sub out the egg white in many popular cocktails for aquafaba. Definitely check them out if you haven’t yet!
Toast & Jam
I have only been to Toast & Jam a couple of times now, but they have so many great vegan options! For breakfast, they have tofu scramble, avocado toast, and a vegan breakfast sandwich (The Stacked Vegan – Marinated tofu, avocado, vegan chipotle aioli, microgreens, marinated tomatoes, and smoky portobello mushrooms served on multigrain sourdough). For lunch, I love their chickpea salad sandwich. They also have plant-based milk for coffee/tea and I found that their staff are very knowledgeable about plant-based options.
Pan Chancho
The ever-popular Pan Chancho has some incredible plant-based options. This includes a tofu scramble wrap and my all-time favourite, the Calling All Vegans. It’s basically a super-fresh bowl of greens, sweet potato, chopped veggies, nuts and seeds, avocado, and a cashew sauce on top. They also have plant-based milk for coffee (I think oat or almond?), which is perfect for brunch dates. I can’t help but also recommend their mimosas — fresh orange or grapefruit juice and your own little bottle of champagne!
