New York City is a city of opportunities, with plenty of free things to do and exciting places to eat. A food lover’s paradise, there is an abundance of delicious eateries all over NYC, with cuisines from around the world. With such a wide range of options, why not choose a low-waste restaurant? It’s well known that restaurants tend to create a lot of organic and inorganic waste, but fortunately there’s a growing list of sustainable restaurants in NYC.
(PS: Looking for a place to stay too? These are the best hotels in New York City for a minimum environmental impact).
PS Kitchen is a vegan restaurant located by 8th avenue and 48th street, just a few blocks from Central Park, Hell’s Kitchen, and Times Square. It’s been featured in Vogue, Time Out, New York Post, and CBS News. All of its profit is donated to charitable organisations, and they help to create jobs for the marginalised residents of New York City.
Lighthouse BK is in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They use locally sourced, seasonal, fresh ingredients, and they recycle and compost their waste. They also work with other similar organisations to find better ways to reduce waste.
Located in Harlem right between Morningside Park and Apollo Theater, Clay represents humility and being one with the earth, hence the name “clay”. Their “from farm to table” menus change regularly according to what’s seasonally available, and they source their ingredients locally from small suppliers.
An American bistro with a rustic setting, the North Fork restaurant in Greenwich Village makes typical American meals but also serves international cuisine from places that the owners have visited. They support local farmers and source seasonal ingredients.
NYC’s first sustainable seafood restaurant, Crave Fishbar is located in Midtown East, in an elegant and upscale, but warm setting. Their seafood are sustainably farmed and sourced, and they donate to the Billion Oyster Project as well as Rescuing Leftover Cuisine to feed New York residents.
Located in Greenwich Village, Bell Book and Candle has a strict policy, which is to source organic, local, and sustainable ingredients. Their menu changes based on what’s available seasonally and from their aeroponic roof-top garden.
The list of eateries above is meant to provide some ideas on where to eat in NYC if you’re looking to limit your impact. The most important things to look for are how they source their ingredients, if their menu is seasonal, and how they manage their waste.
