Foodie Adventure Japan

Gluten-Free and Vegan Eating in Tokyo

Let’s be honest, having one dietary restriction in Japan can be hard enough as it is. But two? Well, that requires some serious research and scouting. Personally I know how difficult it is to find vegan food, but I also understand the struggle of gluten-free. My sister is celiac (she cannot even have trace amounts of gluten) so when she visited me I prepared our outings around restaurants that could accommodate both her and me. This means I also keep a careful eye out when checking menus, seeing if there are options for when she potentially visits me again! In doing that, I thought why not share some of the spots in case there are others with allergies and dietary restrictions that are similar. Here are ten restaurants that will make sure if you are both gluten-free and vegan, you will have an option on the menu!

 

West Side Cafe

Formerly called Inning Cafe, this quaint little heath-focused cafe is located right near the west exit of Shimokitazawa station. My favorite item on the menu is the soy teriyaki burger, which also is gluten-free! It comes on a charcoal bun so as not to use wheat, and the flavor and consistency of the patty is excellent. It also has many other options that are gluten-free and vegan like curry or soy chicken salsa bowl. Definitely a great stop to keep in mind if you are in the area thrifting or cafe hopping.

Gentle

Gentle is an upscale restaurant which is quite frankly one of my favorite places in Tokyo. Not only is the interior gorgeous, but the food is one of a kind and truly wonderful. It has both a lunch and a dinner course, though my recommendation would be to make a night of it and enjoy the dinner course. Each plate is inspired and I love how thoughtful the chef is. There is also an ala carte menu if that works better for you and a choice of gluten free pasta, so you will find many options sans gluten and that are vegan.

Cosme Kitchen Adaption

Cosme Kitchen Adaption has a few locations around the city, two of them being Ebisu and Omotesando. They have an extensive menu which is clearly labeled as to having many gluten free and vegan options. Some include pad Thai, curry, or taco rice bowl. Also, you have to make sure to try their fabulous parfaits. That is one of my favorites on the menu!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBo7YUHAd4h/

Peace Cafe Hawaii

Peace Cafe Hawaii is a completely vegan take-out only stand located in the basement of the new Shibuya Scramble building. I am pretty much obsessed with the place and always try to stop by when I am travelling back home through Shibuya. They offer a customized plate where you pick one main, two sides and rice or quinoa. I always go for this option and it’s quite a large portion of food for only 1000 yen! The gluten free options are clearly labelled, and it seems most of the sides are vegan and usually at least two of the mains. For the sides, I recommend trying the lomi lomi salad, it’s super refreshing and crisp!

Vegan Burger Nourish

Vegan Burger Nourish is an, obviously, all vegan burger shop. Not all the options are gluten-free, but quite a few are! It is located not in Tokyo, but just outside in Kawasaki near ShinMaruko station. They have gluten free buns so a lot of the burgers can be made gluten-free just by swapping this out. I have only tried their burgers at festivals, but they are really well done and creatively made. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CETMvFapIEF/

Falafel Brothers

Falafel Brothers is pretty much a vegan staple around town, especially now with three locations in Roppongi, Ebisu, and Shibuya.  Everything in the store is vegan, and it’s quite easy to make it gluten-free as well by just swapping out the pita for the falafel rice bowl or falafel salad. Most of the toppings seem to be gluten-free as well, but please be sure to ask. I always love their tahini special that they change often and I load up on the coconut corn if they have it!

T’s Gluten Free Kitchen

T’s Gluten Free Kitchen is completely gluten-free (you may have gathered from the name) and it also has a large amount of vegan options. The menu is clearly labelled with a range of allergens including soy and nuts. Some of the vegan plates include curry, taco rice, macaroni and cheese, ramen, and pancakes! The macaroni and cheese looks really creamy and cheesy and I love how the menu is labelled so well with the allergens! 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEJxM4rpO8P/

Revive Kitchen Three

Revive Kitchen Three has two locations, one in Hibiya and one in Aoyama. The Hibiya location is open all day while the Aoyama location is just breakfast and lunch. They are both completely vegetarian and offer shojin cuisine (temple food). It is easy for them to accommodate both vegan and gluten-free requests as well! The food looks gorgeous and in a lovely space as well.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B59boPwDq-l/

Para Taco

Para Taco is on the small streets of Daikanyama. They offer veggie tacos with fillings like tofu, avocado or veggies. There are also gluten-free tortilla options as well to fit both dietary needs. All the vegetables are organically grown and it is a great deal at three tacos for less than 1000 yen!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CD8_F4-DWfJ/

Mr. Farmer

Mr. Farmer is one of the first restaurants I found vegan options at in Tokyo, and I was so happy that its allergens are clearly labelled. There are a few locations scattered throughout Tokyo, like in Shinjuku or Omotesando. They offer large, fresh salads that can be gluten-free and vegan, and they usually have a few other plates that are both as well. Their menus change quite often, so I am always sure to check online before I go to see what they have that day.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDN3nNgAaE7/

Disclaimer: Clearly if you have serious gluten allergy, please always be sure to say so to staff and ask follow up questions. Each restaurant varies on their level of cross-contamination, so please verify before consuming food.

 

We hope you found some new bites on here that can help you on your gluten-free and vegan quest! Do you have any restaurants that are accommodating for many dietary restrictions? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Happy eating! xoxo Jackie