For vegetarians, it’s often challenging to find restaurants with menu items that cater to their needs while simultaneously providing nutritious and delicious meals. Luckily, PLANTA, a newly-opened restaurant on Bethesda Row, aims to provide fine, nutritious dining as it should be; offering a plethora of flavourful plant-based meals.

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PLANTA on Bethesda Row is truly the embodiment of fine dining meeting nutritious, healthy, plant-based dining. The franchise began in 2016 when CEO Steven Salm and Co-founder and Executive Chef David Lee opened up the first PLANTA in Toronto. Since then, the company has done well, opening restaurants from New York City to Los Angeles. 

Upon walking into PLANTA’s Bethesda location, guests are entranced by the restaurant’s minimalistic architecture; neutral and simple, yet, memorable. The staff greets and ushers guests to their seats; welcoming them to the experience. The restaurants’ atmosphere harmoniously complements the already scenic and modern look of Bethesda Row. 

Prepare your tastebuds for the amazing menu, packed with flavorful, delicious plant-based options. The menu consists of items vegetarians haven’t been able to enjoy, such as their tasty ahi watermelon nigiri, baked ‘crab’ roll, spicy ‘tuna’ roll, and mushroom bacon inari, along with much more. 

Planta also offers appealing menu items that will satisfy the needs of adventurous eaters. Items such as the chicken fried mushrooms, watermelon poke, 18 carrot dog, and even charred octopus are only some of the amazing meals offered at the restaurants. The variation of meals is sure to entertain the more daring, venturesome connoisseurs of plant-based cuisine. 

Local critics are already raving about the newly-opened restaurant. Local guide Saranya Radhakrishnan wrote “I have been waiting so long for an upscale vegan-friendly place to open up in Bethesda. Service was top notch and the waiter was quite attentive. Their drinks were excellent, the baby gem Caesar and the truffle-loaded creamy udon are must-tries.”

Although Planta prides itself on being a vegan plant-based restaurant, non-vegans can also indulge in the magnificent flavors offered by Planta. Another local guide wrote “The entire menu being vegan is a plus but non-vegans wouldn’t blink an eye because the menu is very exciting and not basic in any way” and as a non-vegan, she “can’t wait to come back.” 

With vegan/vegetarianism becoming increasingly popular in today’s society, it’s no surprise that PLANTA so far has been a hit. The diet is not only environmentally friendly but prompts the eating of more nutrient-rich foods. Students have already started rushing to the restaurants’ doors, excited to engage with a diet foreign to them. Junior Alina Salim said, “I have never been aware of how many food items you could turn vegetarian, some of the things on the menu I saw and was completely shocked, they look amazing.”