Despite some menus claiming the contrary, Greek salad just doesn’t cut it when it comes to a meat-free meal. The mere absence of chicken, beef or fish does not a vegetarian dinner make. But, because veggie dishes need to work that little bit harder to impress, they’re generally more imaginative and varied in terms of ingredients, colour, texture and seasoning.

Thanks to advancements – in recipes, as well as thinking – veggie meals have graduated from spinach and feta pies to more tasty, satisfying and sustainable suppers.

So, whether you’re doing a meat-free Monday or have decided to forgo flesh altogether, have a look at our list of vegetarian dish vendors that are doing it right.

Johannesburg

Fresh Earth Food Store (Fruits and Roots)
Veg out on: Raw chocolate mousse cake, which is vegan and contains avocado, 100% cacao, agave syrup and coconut oil, with a base made from hazelnuts, coconut, dates and citrus.

Gingko
Veg out on: A gourmet burger of black mushroom with pesto and Parmesan, served with leafy salad; or a spicy carrot and tofu patty with sweet chilli sauce and leafy salad. Also available are pastas such as the pasta alla Norma with aubergine, olives and organic ricotta; or the penne with zucchini, black olive, oven-dried tomato and Parmesan.

Greenside Café
Veg out on: The Wellington nutbake with pepper mustard sauce, or the Victorino, a macrobiotic meal of wilted leafy greens, brown rice with sprouts, gomashio (Japanese condiment of roasted sesame seeds and salt), sautéed crispy tofu, grated carrots, beets and sunflower seeds, with sweet potato, butternut and spicy beans. Also popular is their Algerian pasta, served with tomato, harissa and vegetable sausage, and Italian spaghetti, gluten-free pasta or tofu spaghetti. Order the raw mango chocolate tart for dessert.

Saigon
Veg out on: Abundant vegetarian options, including vegetables, tofu and lemongrass stir-fry; red and green vegetable curry; vegetable stir-fry with black bean tofu or Chinese mushrooms; Szechuan spinach with garlic or black beans; crunchy assorted vegetables with oyster sauce; tempura vegetables; and Buddhist sweet potato and butternut yellow curry.

Shayona
Veg out on: An assortment of vegetarian pizzas and pastas, masala dosa and all your favourite curries, including potato dhal.

Spice-Burg
Veg out on: The popular pepper gobi, which is florets of cauliflower, dipped in chana flour and deep fried, served with sautéed celery and ginger, garlic and onion. Their masala dosa pancakes (made from basmati rice and white lentils soaked in water, ground into a paste and fermented overnight and then fried) are filled with spiced yellow coconut chutney, spicy tomato and onion chutney, and samba (yellow lentils dhal with mixed vegetables).

Vintage India
Veg out on: Their speciality of crackling paneer. Cubes of paneer are dunked in a batter of corn flour, spices and baking powder and deep-fried until crispy, before being soaked in a thick Szechuan curry prepared from ginger, garlic, potato, white pepper, celery leaves, coriander leaves and sesame seeds. This is served with spinach leaves that are cut into very fine strips and deep-fried until curled and crunchy. The spinach and paneer crunch in the mouth, while the spiciness of the curried sauce adds an extra crackle.    

Pretoria

Geet
Veg out on: Passion fruit chana masala, peshwari dhal makani, yellow tadkewali dhal or paneer makhani.

Namaskar
Veg out on: Paneer makhani, vegetable jalfrezi or dingri roghan josh.

Durban

Craft Trattoria
Veg out on: Gorgonzola gnocchi; wild mushroom risotto; San Anthony pizza with ricotta, basil and cherry tomatoes; trecolori gnocchi with red pepper sauce; or battered courgettes with aioli.

Earthmother
Veg out on: Thai mixed nut wraps or potato and leek soup.

Freedom Cafe
Veg out on: The exotic mushroom tart; Supersnack (hummus, baba ganoush, spicy avo salsa with toasted pita bread); Cypriot salad; or Waldorf salad.

Vintage India
Veg out on: Grilled paneer tikka with mixed vegetables; kadai paneer; or paneer tikka masala.

Vrushiks Vegetarian
Veg out on: Paneer chutney, butter paneer, lentil curry, paneer lasagne or sugar-bean curry.

Cape Town

Addis in Cape
Veg out on: Misir wot (split red lentils sautéed with onions and garlic, and slow-cooked with berbere); shimbera asa wot (home-made chickpea cakes simmered in a berbere sauce); or kek aloha wot (split yellow chickpeas sautéed with onions, garlic, ginger and turmeric).

Bertha’s
Veg out on: Vegan dishes such as the VegiTower of steamed and roasted vegetables on a base of crushed potato served with Neapolitan sauce; the vegetarian platter; or gnocchi Neapolitana.

Bolo’Bolo
Veg out on: Vegan dishes such as Brazilian black bean feijoada; Zimbabwean spinach-peanut stew served with organic pap; or fresh berry quinoa salsa with goddess dressing. For dessert, try the raw mango tart. (The menu changes daily, so these dishes might not be available at any time.)

Catharina's
Veg out on: Meat-free Mondays, when they serve a starter of asparagus, broad bean and goat’s cheese risotto with ciabatta crumbs, sautéed baby mushrooms, white truffle oil and micro herbs. Grilled brinjal and roasted onion terrine with lentil bolognaise, olive tapenade, fried capers and basil oil is served as main course, before frozen lemon parfait served with summer berry cannelloni and decadent white chocolate for dessert.

Cedar
Veg out on: A host of Lebanese vegetarian options, including cabbage leaves stuffed with braised onions, lentils, rice, parsley and mint with pomegranate sauce; and sugar bean stew with fresh tomatoes, garlic and coriander.

Chandani Indian and Vegetarian Restaurant
Veg out on: The house speciality of brinjal curry. Choose from a wide variety of vegetarian starters and main dishes.

Crush
Veg out on: Black pepper tofu and rice; soya vegetarian curry; lentil balls with tomatoes and rocket; Thai red vegetable curry; butternut and sweet potato soup; and red lentil and cumin soup. Vegan options are also available.

Deer Park Cafe
Veg out on: The vegetarian buffet every Wednesday from 6pm to 9pm and the vegan buffet every fourth Wednesday of the month. They have several vegetarian options on the usual menu, including roasted vegetable wraps; a trio of salads (couscous, Greek and beetroot); and linguine with spicy tomato sauce.

F.east
Veg out on: The vegetarian platter with potato, cheese and corn samoosas, grilled mushrooms and paneer shasilk (marinated cottage cheese skewers); or dhal makhani (black lentils, cooked in the tandoori oven in a cream and tomato gravy).

Gypsy Café
Veg out on: Vegetable spring rolls served with sweet chilli sauce, or grilled mushrooms with coriander, ginger and chilli, served on a bed of fragrant rice with wilted spinach and a tomato, coriander, chilli, ginger and garlic salsa, with a side of roasted vegetables. Also try the puff pastry tarts of tomato, basil, onion and mozzarella cheese, or with blue cheese, mascarpone cheese and spinach, served with homemade onion preserve and side salad. Penne pasta is served with coriander, ginger, garlic, chilli and mushrooms with olive oil; or order the three-mushroom pasta with a rosemary cream sauce. In winter, the menu will change to include vegetable soup, Thai green or red vegetable curry and lentil stew.

Jamaica Me Crazy
Great vegetarian options available.

Kebab Mahal
Veg out on: A platter of vegetable kebabs (maharami platter); tandoori vegetable salad; potatoes stuffed with cottage cheese, raisins and nuts, seasoned with Indian herbs and spices; vegetables samoosas; tamater dhania ka shorba (vegetable broth of tomatoes with predominant coriander and ginger flavour) or vegetable curry.

La Mouette
Veg out on: The vegetarian tasting menu with butternut squash soup; Caprese salad of bocconcini, pesto, tomato and gazpacho jelly; Moroccan-style vegetables; pickled shiitake purée, ravioli and mushroom crumble; sweetcorn risotto; and Thai-spiced mango and tamarind foam. (Menu available until end March.)

Lola’s
Veg out on: Butternut, lime, coconut and ginger soup; chilled tomato gazpacho with red pepper and cucumber; Asian-style rice noodle bowl; or falafel with hummus, salsa, tzatziki and ciabatta.

Maharajah Pure Vegetarian Foods
Veg out on: The vegetable korma, soya chicken, or the sweet potato and butternut curry.

Massimo's
Veg out on: 14 vegetarian pizzas and daily changing special salads such as roast beetroot, toasted pine nuts and seeds, rocket, spinach and hazelnut oil dressing, and spicy chick peas with feta, mint, chili and greens.

Planet
Veg out on: The vegan journey menu with dishes like marinated mushroom terrine; tomato gazpacho; bean risotto; spiced chickpea fritters; warm bean salad; nut and seed quinoa pakora; and fresh fruit terrine.

Saigon
Veg out on: Vegetable curries, or the crystal salad rolls filled with veggies and basil leaves, served with a peanut and black bean sauce.

Signal
Veg out on: Saffron-infused quinoa salad with olives, tomato, feta, roasted red onion, lemon and rosemary vinaigrette; the truffle mushroom ragout on toasted ciabatta, with poached egg and pancetta; minted pea risotto, with sous vide tomato, courgettes and camembert; or the home-made tagliatelle with grilled aubergine, tomato sauce, toasted pine nuts and Parmesan.

South China Dim Sum Bar
Veg out on: Vegetable won tons, pot stickers and turnip cakes.

Tibetan Teahouse
Veg out on: Exclusively vegan and vegetarian food. Try the sherpa’s stew with lentil balls, served on mashed potato with a tomato and onion gravy and sesame seed garnish; the sweet potato curry; or the black-eyed bean casserole with potatoes, carrots and banana. For dessert, try the vegan chocolate cake.

Vintage India
Veg out on: A large range of vegetarian curries, including palak paneer, kadhi pakodi, as well as Chinese vegetarian dishes such as Manchurian sauce with vegetables.

Yindees
Veg out on: Stir-fried vegetables with ginger, chilli, tofu, basil and soya sauce; vegetable spring rolls; tom yum vegetable soup with coriander, galangal, lemongrass and red chilli paste; or vegetable tempura.

Winelands

Babel
Veg out on: Roasted aubergine, tahini and macadamia nuts; or tart of artichoke, tamarillo, caramelised onion and chevin with fresh bloody sorrel and basil; or cauliflower with Gorgonzola and figs.

Eight at Spier
Veg out on: The courgette soufflé, watermelon gazpacho, soul food salad, or sprouted salad (which is also vegan).

Garden Route

The Veg Table
Veg out on: Slow-roasted beetroot puff pastry on horseradish crème fraîche; mushroom risotto; charred brinjal with smoked nuts; or pasta with lemon and mozzarella pesto.

Zucchini
Veg out on: ‘Gesondheid uit die grond uit’, which is roasted vegetables, sweet potato fries, fresh garden salad and an avo and mushroom phyllo roll; or the parpardelle pasta with pesto, sundried tomato, olives, aubergine and feta dressed in olive oil.

By Alicia Erasmus, Katharine Jacobs, Kelly Pluke and Linda Scarborough