5 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Johannesburg (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

By Thorne Savarin, Culinary Explorer · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 8 min read

You want a plate that isn't an afterthought salad. The vegetarian restaurants in Johannesburg on this list have racked up nearly 8,922 reviews between them, and every one holds a rating of at least 4.3, so the scene splits less on quality than on style: a handful of kitchens built entirely around plants, and popular restaurants that just happen to do vegetarian food well. Knowing which camp you're booking into is the difference between a plate that's the main event and one that's an afterthought.

Short answer: The Schwarma Co in Norwood tops the list on sheer weight of evidence: a 4.5 average across 2,867 reviews, with halloumi and falafel laffa options reviewers keep coming back for. If you want food that's vegan from the ground up, The Fussy Vegan Blairgowrie (4.7, 544 reviews) is the dedicated pick. Expect casual meals from around R100, fine dining closer to R1,000.

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1. The Schwarma Co
2. Olives and Plates Wits…
3. MOD
4. Flames
5. The Fussy Vegan Blairg…
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How the five compare

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	The Schwarma Co	4.5 ★	2,867	Vegetarian Middle Eastern wraps	View ›
2	Olives and Plates Wits Club and Conference	4.5 ★	2,707	Vegetarian brunch and cakes at Wits	View ›
3	MOD	4.8 ★	1,393	Quick vegetarian-friendly burgers and fries	View ›
4	Flames	4.3 ★	1,411	Upscale dining with a dedicated vegan menu	View ›
5	The Fussy Vegan Blairgowrie	4.7 ★	544	Fully vegan meals and bakes	View ›

5 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Johannesburg (2026)

Where to eat, ranked

#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days

The Schwarma Co

4.52,867 Google reviews

The Schwarma Co is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant in Norwood that's been serving the neighborhood for two decades. It's built around build-your-own schwarma and laffa, with beef, chicken and lamb fillings alongside vegetarian versions using halloumi or falafel, plus a menu of chicken liver dishes, kebabs and salads. The restaurant recently added an upstairs sports bar and patio, so it's as much a hangout as a lunch stop.

What people praise

Halloumi and falafel laffa options that reviewers specifically call out
Generous portions with a build-your-own toppings bar (guacamole, curried potato, baba ganoush)
Consistently fresh, well-presented food across thousands of reviews
Friendly, efficient service even during busy lunch periods

Worth knowing

It's a Middle Eastern restaurant with vegetarian options, not a dedicated vegetarian kitchen
A couple of reviewers found the flavor a bit plain compared to more heavily spiced shawarma elsewhere

Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg

Rating4.5 / 5

Review volume2,867 · 97th

Confidencevery high

Recency3 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown66% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: It tops this list on volume and consistency, not because it's a vegetarian specialist. If you're vegan or strictly plant-based, the halloumi and falafel laffa are solid, but check the menu for dairy before you order.

Website +27114831776 Directions

71 Grant Ave, Norwood, Johannesburg, 2117

#2🕑 Open 7 days

Olives and Plates Wits Club and Conference

4.52,707 Google reviews

Olives and Plates is a restaurant and catering operation on the University of the Witwatersrand's west campus, part of a small local group known for breakfast, brunch and an extensive cake and pastry counter. It also handles private and corporate events, with both indoor seating and an outdoor patio. Reviewers describe it as a quiet, elegant spot that's easy to miss unless you already know it's tucked inside the campus.

What people praise

Large, well-presented cake and pastry selection for afternoon tea
Quiet, calm atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating
Reliable food quality across multiple branches, according to repeat visitors
Handles bigger groups well, including graduations and corporate lunches

Worth knowing

Prices run higher than other campus food options
Location is inside the Wits campus, which some reviewers found tricky to find the first time

Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg

Rating4.5 / 5

Review volume2,707 · 92th

Confidencevery high

Recency3 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown67% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: It's a solid brunch and cake stop with easy vegetarian-friendly options rather than a plant-based specialist. Good for a relaxed meeting or a slice of cake, not the place if you need a fully vegan menu.

Website +27113039282 Directions

7 Yale Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193

#3🕑 Open 7 days

MOD

4.81,393 Google reviews

MOD is a casual burger and fries spot at The Zone in Rosebank, right by the Gautrain station. It runs on a self-service ordering model with table service to follow up, and reviewers consistently point to the smash burgers and truffle fries as the draw.

What people praise

Near-perfect rating built on fast, friendly service
Smash burgers reviewers call some of the best in Johannesburg
Convenient location next to the Gautrain station and mall
Staff are named and praised repeatedly across reviews for attentiveness

Worth knowing

The menu leans toward burgers and fries rather than dedicated vegetarian dishes, so options for strict vegetarians are limited

Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg

Rating4.8 / 5

Review volume1,393 · 82th

Confidencevery high

Recency3 months ago

Info completenessphone · hours

Rating breakdown91% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: MOD's 4.8 average is real, but it earned its spot here as a well-liked casual eatery, not as a vegetarian kitchen. Ask staff about meat-free swaps before you sit down.

+27115686558 Directions

Shop LG05D, The Zone @ Rosebank, Oxford Rd, Rosebank, Johannesburg, 2196

#4🕑 Open 7 days

Flames

4.31,411 Google reviews

Flames sits inside the Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, with terrace seating that looks out over the city. The kitchen runs a full a la carte and brunch program alongside a dedicated vegan menu, breakfast service and afternoon tea. It's the kind of place built for a special occasion rather than a quick weekday lunch.

What people praise

A dedicated vegan menu that reviewers who don't eat meat specifically praise
Sweeping views from the terrace that reviewers repeatedly highlight
Attentive, well-trained service across most visits
Strong wine list including non-alcoholic wine options

Worth knowing

Premium pricing, with reviewers reporting R500 to over R1,000 per person
One diner noted small details like loose decor cables and a plainer everyday menu than the setting suggests

Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg

Rating4.3 / 5

Review volume1,411 · 87th

Confidencehigh

Recency6 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown67% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: If you want a proper night out with an actual vegan menu rather than a side salad, this is the pick on this list. Budget for it, and book ahead.

Website +27114816000 Directions

67 Jan Smuts Ave, Westcliff, Johannesburg, 2132

#5🕑 Open 6 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

The Fussy Vegan Blairgowrie

4.7544 Google reviews

The Fussy Vegan is a small, fully vegan takeout counter tucked inside a petrol station forecourt in Blairgowrie, with a sister location in Greenside. It's been voted Johannesburg's best vegan restaurant by local readers in past years, running on tofu bowls, burritos, sandwiches, wraps and a well-known milk tart and pecan pie.

What people praise

Everything on the menu is fully vegan, no cross-checking required
Even non-vegan reviewers say the food holds up on taste alone
Biodegradable packaging and a small loyalty program
Staff singled out by name repeatedly for friendliness

Worth knowing

On the pricier side for a takeout counter, according to several reviewers
Small space with limited seating

Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg

Rating4.7 / 5

Review volume544 · 61th

Confidencehigh

Recency7 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown76% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: This is the only restaurant on the list built entirely around vegetarian and vegan food. If that's the point of your search, start here.

Website +27607166029 Directions

Astron Energy Blairgowrie, Blairgowrie, Randburg, 2125

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How we scored these

Rating is the live Google average. Review volume measures how many customers actually rated the business, ranked against the other restaurants we compared. Confidence blends rating with volume, so a 5-star average built on a handful of reviews scores lower than a 4.5 average built on thousands. Recency checks how recently people are still leaving reviews. No business can pay to change any of these numbers.

How much does a vegetarian meal cost in Johannesburg? (2026)

Prices below come straight from what customers reported spending per person in their Google reviews, not a menu we pulled ourselves. Casual counters run cheapest, upscale hotel dining costs the most.

Job	Typical price
Casual counter or cafe meal (Fussy Vegan, MOD)	R50-R200
Sit-down lunch or brunch (Olives and Plates, Schwarma Co)	R100-R500
Fine dining with a vegan tasting menu (Flames)	R500-R1,000+

Ranges compiled from customer-reported price-per-person figures in Google reviews, verified July 2026.

Vegetarian and vegan eating across Johannesburg

These five sit in different pockets of the city: Norwood and Rosebank for a quick bite, Parktown for a campus-side brunch, Westcliff for the hotel-restaurant experience, and Blairgowrie in Randburg for a fully vegan counter. Wherever you’re starting from, Rosebank and Norwood are the easiest reach for a vegetarian restaurant near me search, since both sit close to the Gautrain line.

What to ask before you book

Do you have a dedicated vegan menu, or just vegetarian substitutions on the regular menu?
Can dishes be made without dairy, eggs or honey on request?
Is vegetarian food prepared separately from meat to avoid cross-contact?
Do you take reservations, and how far ahead should I book for a weekend visit?
What are your quieter hours if I’d rather avoid a rush?
Do you offer takeout or delivery if I can’t dine in?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner (badge and top placement), but that never changes another business’s score or position.

Are all five of these restaurants fully vegetarian?

No, and we’d rather tell you that upfront. Only The Fussy Vegan Blairgowrie is a dedicated vegan kitchen. The other four are well-reviewed Johannesburg restaurants that carry genuine, reviewer-praised vegetarian dishes, which is why they surface prominently in local searches for vegetarian dining.

How did you choose these restaurants?

We pulled the highest-rated, most-reviewed businesses that show up for vegetarian and vegan dining searches in Johannesburg, then weighed rating against review volume so a handful of five-star reviews can’t outrank a restaurant thousands of real diners trust.

How often is this updated?

We last verified ratings and review counts in July 2026. We recheck periodically as new reviews come in.

Which of these is the best choice for strict vegans?

The Fussy Vegan Blairgowrie, without much debate. Flames is the next-best option thanks to its dedicated vegan menu, though it’s a different price bracket entirely.

The bottom line

For a strictly vegan meal, go to The Fussy Vegan Blairgowrie. For a crowd-pleasing lunch with solid vegetarian options and the biggest track record behind it, The Schwarma Co is the safe default. Either way, call ahead if you have specific dietary restrictions; none of these kitchens are exclusively vegetarian except the Fussy Vegan.

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