You know you’re at a good vegetarian restaurant when you forget that meat isn’t on the menu. The last thing you want to look at as a vegetarian is a menu full of boring pasta options and lots of tofu. But Cookies Cream takes fleisch-free dining to a whole new level, mainly thanks to its fresh, local ingredients, and its brilliant and dedicated chef.

Although opened over three years ago by club owner and nightlife impresario Cookies, the restaurant is still quite the scene, with beautiful people both herbivorous and carnivorous fill the tables for eye-catching veggie delicacies like celery gnocchi and kohlrabi maultaschen. The goal here, however, is never to succumb to the temptation of pasta- or rice-based dishes, so everything that first appears to be nudel is actually expertly cooked gemuse.

The place has earned a lot of buzz since its opening for its semi-secret location (just wander down what appears to be a dead-end alleyway next to the Westin Hotel and hope for the best). But its open kitchen—a culinary theater into which guests are invited to gaze—and welcoming staff add to a feeling of friendliness that balances out its private supper club feel. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, enjoy free entry to Cookies club downstairs.