Vegan Hotspots in Spain and Where to Find Them

One of the best thing about going on holiday is sampling all the food, isn’t it? Dinner tastes that extra bit more delicious in a new surrounding, and there’s nothing like a change of scene to inspire you to try a new dish – especially if you get to enjoy it al fresco! But what do you do if you’re going on holiday to Spain (or anywhere else for that matter) when you’re committed to a vegan diet? Well, you don’t have to panic that there’ll be nothing to eat, that’s for sure. Here are some of the best vegan hotspots in Spain, but do bear in mind that vegan-friendly restaurants are springing up all over Europe. Your options are endless!

San Sebastián

You can expect there to be incredible meat and seafood dishes in this foodie region of Spain, but there’s also a plethora of vegan restaurants (or at least restaurants with vegan-friendly options) to choose from too. Start by heading to Landare (Trueba Kalea 4, 20001) if you find yourself in the area. The menu is fully vegan, and all the ingredients are locally sourced and organic too. Book ahead as this restaurant is very, very popular, and bear in mind that it’s closed on Sundays and Mondays

Madrid – photo by Joanbrebo on Flickr CC

Madrid

What about vegan options in Madrid? Well, being the capital of Spain, you’re guaranteed to be spoiled for choice: in fact, there are over 300 restaurants that offer vegan-friendly dishes. Vega is a very popular restaurant among vegan diners, and it’s a firm favourite of vegetarians and carnivores too, ranking around the top 100 restaurants in a city that has almost 10,000 restaurants to choose from. It’s a small restaurant tucked away down a quiet side-street and it serves some delicious (and occasionally unusual) vegan dishes. Tuck into Japanese sauerkraut or seaweed with mushrooms and aioli, for example, before wandering around the corner with a full belly where you’ll find yourself back in the centre of Madrid – very well fed!

Noteworthy chains

Of course, you don’t have to head to Spain’s major cities to enjoy vegan food. You may be lucky enough to find some vegan options in smaller towns and villages, and some medium sized towns and cities might even be home to one of Spain’s popular chain restaurants, such as FrescCo, Sandwich Club Café and Gino’s. All these chains offer vegan options, and they have premises up and down the country.

Jaen- Spain – photo by FiestyTortilla on Flckr CC

Villages

But what if you’re enjoying a Spanish holiday in a rural retreat? Well, rather than hunting for particular restaurants, you’d be better off frequenting the best local establishments on offer and simply choosing the vegan options from the menu. For example, most restaurants will serve coca de vidre con tomate for breakfast (a flat bread rubbed with puréed tomatoes, olive oil and garlic) and gazpacho for lunch (a cold soup consisting of blended vegetables) – just be sure to ask for it to be served “sin jamón y sin huevo” (without ham or eggs). There are likely to be a plethora of salads to choose from, and you can certainly find plenty of vegan tapas options for dinner. For example, keep an eye out for berenjenas fritas (fried aubergine), espinacas con garbanzos (spinach with chickpeas), and espinacas con pasas (spinach with raisins, occasionally served with pine nuts).

So, as you can see, there are plenty of options for vegan travellers in Spain. Enjoy!

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