Some days, all you want is a big burger with loads of toppings, and ideally served with a side of not-so-healthy fries.
Thankfully, hundreds of incredible different vegan burgers can be found across the UAE.
Long gone are the days when decent vegan burgers were hard to come by. Today, many restaurants, bars and takeaways offer a choice of creative, interesting and unique plant-based burgers that taste even better than the real thing.
Hearty and filling, yet still sustainable and good for the planet, the below are some of the best places in the UAE to get your burger fix.
Black Tap, Dubai and Abu Dhabi
There are few UAE burger joints more iconic than USA brand Black Tap, and its vegan black burger is just as colossal and authentically American as the rest of the menu. Topped with pickled onions, spicy salsa verde and a generous helping of vegan mayonnaise, you can elevate it even further by adding avocado, mushrooms and other extra toppings, or have it with a gluten-free bun or an Impossible meat-free patty instead.
If you somehow have room left over at the end, the ultra extravagant and very ridiculous vegan cake shake is another must-try. Best shared, it comes with a whole slice of vegan chocolate cake balanced on top. Fun, funky and very family-friendly, a visit to Black Tap is always the ultimate treat.
Bloom Vegan Kitchen, Delivery Across UAE
Bloom is many people’s go-to place for a cheeky vegan takeaway. You can’t make a bad choice on the extensive menu, but the vegan burgers are without a doubt one of the highlights. Choose from the ‘Vegan Don’t Bite Burger’ with guacamole and jalapeno, or stray away from the usual predictable toppings and try the ‘Mushbloom Burger’ with hummus, truffle oil and mushrooms. All delivered in 90 percent recyclable packaging and priced just AED39 per burger, it’s really hard to beat.
Café 302, Downtown Abu Dhabi
Ask any Abu Dhabi resident where to go for excellent vegan food, and they’ll almost certainly say Café 302. Offering an extensive vegan menu and many unbeatable daily deals, it’s always busy on any day of the week with remote workers, families and groups of friends. The multiple plant-based burger options include sweet potato and black bean, red lentil and cauliflower, quinoa, beetroot and white bean, Beyond Meat and more.
Oh, and don’t even think about leaving before you’ve tried the vegan chocolate cake.
Common Grounds, Various locations, Dubai
A must for all the avocado lovers out there, the avocado burger at hip and funky Common Grounds is a legendary dish. An irresistible tribute to the world’s trendiest superfood, it stars an avocado and chickpea patty, vibrant beetroot hummus, pickled onion and vegan mayo, all sandwiched in a light and fluffy vegan potato bun. If you’re really trying to be well behaved, you can swap the bread for a lettuce wrap, and the sweet potato fries for green salad. With six branches in Dubai and counting, its plant-based breakfasts, salads, wraps and snacks are equally marvellous.
Love Vibe, Dubai & Abu Dhabi
Despite being as pink and girly as Barbie land, female Emirati-founded Love Vibe isn’t just made to look good on Instagram. The towering signature vegan burger offers a Kim Kardashian-approved Beyond Meat vegan patty topped with caramelized mushrooms and onions, creamy avocado, and truly excellent homemade vegan cheese. Served with your choice of fries, it’s the ultimate weekend treat.
@lovevibecafe.
i am Burger, Media City, Dubai
Offering just five different burgers, fries and shakes, i am Burger favours quality over quantity. Started as a takeaway service that appeared at markets across Dubai, it recently opened its first tiny restaurant in Media City. Offering two options with Impossible meat – the Impossible Chief, named after the founder’s rescue dog, and the Impossible Cheese – both simple and no-frills dishes offer everything you want from a good burger. As an added bonus, its social media content is pretty funny, too.
@iamburgerdxb.
Little Erth by Nabz&G, JLT, Dubai
A true pillar of the JLT community, Little Erth hosts workshops, sound healing sessions and other wellness-focused events. Offering an almost entirely vegan friendly menu, it makes absolutely everything from scratch, even down to the sauces to the nut milks. The quinoa, kidney beans and sweet potato Buddha Burger is a constant best seller, while the mammoth, charcoal-bap based ‘Bean-well’ Burger has a legion of loyal fans.
@nabzandg.
Sweet Greens, Abu Dhabi and Delivery Across UAE
Specialising in meal plans and healthy comfort food alternatives, Sweet Greens is renowned for its great value all-you-can-eat breakfasts and pasta and pizza nights. Its dedicated vegan menu includes the Asian-influenced satay tofu burger with sriracha, avocado and peanut butter (it works, honestly), and the BBQ ‘Veganese’ burger, also with spicy sriracha and pickled cucumbers. If those don’t tickle your fancy, there’s also homemade vegan pizzas, wraps, poke bowls, quesadillas and more. Available to eat in at the cute and cosy restaurants in Rihan Heights and Reem Island, you can also arrange delivery right to your sofa.
