The veggie movement is growing strong globally, making its way into our daily lives. Spain is no different, the revolutionisation of food here too is evolving rapidly, gradually reaching every corner of the country. With the explosion of information, product availability and varied preparations, it is no longer necessary to sacrifice enjoyment for healthy eating. Whether they are vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians or simply curious, more and more people are adopting this life philosophy and choose to omit or at least reduce animal consumption every day. We look at a study conducted by the vacation rental search engine Holidu, which reveals the 10 cities in Spain that offer the greatest number of bars and restaurants with a vegan or vegetarian menu per capita.
WORDS: MADDIE QUINN, SOURCE & PHOTOGRAPHY: HOLIDU.ES
The veggie movement is growing strong globally, making its way into our daily lives. Spain is no different, the revolutionisation of food here too is evolving rapidly, gradually reaching every corner of the country. With the explosion of information, product availability and varied preparations, it is no longer necessary to sacrifice enjoyment for healthy eating. Whether they are vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians or simply curious, more and more people are adopting this life philosophy and choose to omit or at least reduce animal consumption every day. We look at a study conducted by the vacation rental search engine Holidu, which reveals the 10 cities in Spain that offer the greatest number of bars and restaurants with a vegan or vegetarian menu per capita.
WORDS: MADDIE QUINN, SOURCE & PHOTOGRAPHY: HOLIDU.ES
1. Barcelona – 6.17 veggie restaurants / 100k inhabitants
As the saying goes, ‘in Barcelona fall in love’ and in this case fall in love with the veggies. With exactly 100 vegetarian restaurants, Barcelona takes the top ranking in Spain. A city well known for its fantastic gastronomy and emblematic dishes such as the botifarra amb mongetes, the fricandó and the carn d’olla is now also taken over by many talented chefs offering creative and imaginative vegetarian and vegan menus that can easily convert even the most reluctant.
OUR PICK: Teresa Carles (€€€)
One of the leading vegetarian restaurants. With more than 39 years of experience behind the stove, Chef Teresa Carles Borrás still maintains a constant desire for exploration and innovation with plant-based food to surprise both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
2. Granada – 6.01 veggie restaurants / 100k inhabitants
Despite meat, stews and fries being abundant everywhere, we cannot dismiss Granada when talking about plant-based restaurants. With almost as many options to dine in this fashion as Barcelona has to offer, Granada has become another benchmark veggie capital. Now the famous habas con jamón and the tortilla del Sacromonte no longer dominate the scene, making room for a variety of new, innovative dishes waiting to be discovered.
OUR PICK: Wild Food (€€€)
If you want to eat healthy without sacrificing flavour, this central veggie restaurant will conquer your heart. The menu includes acai bowls, avocado toast, vegetable croquettes, vegan donuts, cheesecakes, even pizza and more. All options are available for take away or can be delivered to your home.
3. Salamanca – 4.85 veggie restaurants / 100k inhabitants
Salamanca has a tradition of a rich gastronomy based on hearty meat dishes. Although famous for its entrecotes, steaks and other animal products, the veggie trend is also gaining ground. Now seven restaurants are dedicated to plant lovers, which for the size of its population puts Salamanca in Spain third in the ranking.
OUR PICK: El Laurel de Salamanca (€€)
Offering quality vegan dishes at a good price, inspired by typical Spanish cuisine but with a plant twist. A popular menu is available with two main dishes, dessert and a drink, which can also be ordered for delivery.
4. Tarragona – 4.56 veggie restaurants / 100k inhabitants
Tarragona is historically a port city and its gastronomy is shaped by the offerings of the Mediterranean. Its smallish population is now catered to by six restaurants with a veggie soul, giving an interesting alternative to the traditional fruits of the sea. Their talented chefs reformulated some of the emblematic dishes such as rice and noodles with a herbivorous focus resulting is a number of new but not unfamiliar variations.
OUR PICK: CReeA (€)
CReeA was born with the idea of a better and more sustainable world. The restaurant offers traditional Mediterranean vegetarian cuisine based on tapas, organic wines, organic craft beers, kombucha, fresh juices and more, and also exercises a zero-waste policy.
5. Palma de Mallorca – 4.18 veggie restaurants / 100k inhabitants
Coca de trampó, arrós brut or frito Mallorquín are all traditional in Mallorca and will be prominent on most restaurant menus. Known for its Mediterranean diet but loaded with pork fat, sausages and meat, it could hardly be an option for those who prefer not to consume animal products. But fear not! The capital of the Balearic Islands also offers 17 restaurants providing a whole new vegetarian world to discover.
OUR PICK: Temple Natura Café Garden (€€)
A vegetarian fusion restaurant but also with vegan options such as Pad Thai, raw bowls or baked sweet potatoes. The experience is topped off with a dessert of cocoa and matcha cake or carrot cake with cashew milk. When times allow, they also organise Yoga, Pilates and other relaxation sessions.
6. Santiago de Compostela – 4.10 veggie restaurants / 100k inhabitants
Galician cuisine has a reputation as one of the best in our country, and especially that of Santiago de Compostela which is exquisite, varied and healthy. The Galician octopus, the empanadas and the lacón are well known dishes but when we search beyond the traditional, we can find as many as four restaurateurs within a fairly small distance who have switched out the norm. They even include some unusual plants in their offerings that are native to this land such as the Lourenzá beans, the special Galician turnip greens or the famous Bergantiños potatoes.
OUR PICK: Alice in Wonder Pie (€)
This pastry shop was transformed totally vegan back in 2019 by a group of master pastry chefs. They offer a wide variety of baked goods such as croissants and brownies, as well as coffee, sandwiches and vegan cheese pizza. Their cakes are described by their customers as super impressive.
7. Valencia – 4.06 veggie restaurants / 100k inhabitants
Valencia is a Mediterranean city that has everything needed to become a reference for the veggie culture, operating one of the best orchards in Europe. Whether mandarins, artichokes, tomatoes or onions, top-quality local ingredients are a constant stream of supply to as many as 32 plant-based restaurants, various of them creating 5-star dishes from these fresh vegetables.
OUR PICK: The Vurger (€€)
Does anyone think that fast food is not suitable for vegans? The Vurger shows us that this is not the case. This plant-based fast-food restaurant has been serving vegan burgers, fries and ice cream since 2017.
8. Girona – 4.04 veggie restaurants / 100k inhabitants
Girona is a mandatory stop when visiting Catalonia. It’s a land of contrasts where the sea and the mountains mix creating a very special culture and gastronomy. Varying from the most traditional restaurants serving surf and turf to world-renowned ones offering the best in avant-garde cuisine, it is not surprising that you can also find some opting to adapt to a plant-based philosophy.
OUR PICK: Bionèctar (€€)
Bionèctar is a project that was born with the intention of promoting conscious eating. It is described as an eco-gastronomic space where you can enjoy healthy plant-based food. It is 100% certified organic food, locally sourced and respectful to the environment.
9. Santa Cruz de Tenerife – 3.93 veggie restaurants / 100k inhabitants
The typical Canarian food has little to do with that of the peninsula; its cultural roots and climate are very different and this reflects in its gastronomy too. Its dishes are influenced by powerful flavours of African and Latin American descent which also put a stamp on its expanding veggie culture. You can find eight plant-based restaurants in Tenerife that turn native dishes such as papas with mojo, the gofio or the frangollo into authentic delicacies for lovers of vegetarian food.
OUR PICK: Via Organica (€€)
Via Organica is a small family-run vegetarian restaurant using only organic products. Their philosophy is based on the hygienist diet, which is defined as the means of curing diseases and maintaining optimal health through the correct combination of foods. So, if you are in Tenerife, make sure to savour some of their best dishes.
10. San Sebastián – 3.76 veggie restaurants / 100k inhabitants
There is nothing more mesmerising in Basque gastronomy than seeing a bar full of pinchos! San Sebastian has a colourful landscape that includes cheap taverns as well as Michelin star restaurants and the Donostian cuisine have been exported to all corners of the world. Among so much talent here, there are also some who specialise in creating exquisite dishes based on the flora of this world.
OUR PICK: KM.0 (€€)
You are what you eat is the motto of this small vegetarian restaurant that offers a vegan and vegetarian menu including cannelloni, pizza, falafel, with a little fusion twist. True to their name, they only use local products and promise a healthy and tasty treat every time.
+1 MARBELLA
Although Marbella was not included in the study, we know and experience the veggie trend evolving on our doorstep. Gastronomic diversity is already established here to cater for a large and discerning cosmopolitan population and many restaurants have already adopted, even if only partially, some form of plant-based concept. To our delight, many offer vegetarian and vegan dishes of the creative kind and there are some excellent options out there for exclusively healthy dining.
OUR PICK: Manuka (€€)
To eat is a necessity but to eat intelligently is an art! – says Manuka, which is a flexitarian restaurant offering clean, healthy and wholesome food free of refined sugar, GMO and additives. The menu includes many creative plant-based dishes as well as ones made with gluten-free, free-range and organic ingredients produced in the most ethical way possible. All their take-away packaging and straws are sustainable too!
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Holidu is a German vacation rental search engine that allows travellers to book ideal accommodation for the lowest price. The company also helps vacation rental owners multiply their bookings with less work through its software and service solution under the Bookiply brand. For more information, see www.holidu.es and bookiply.es