Europe's best destinations for veggies and vegans

Looking to book a European adventure this summer? Horizons have most certainly broadened for vegetarian and vegan travellers in recent years, with all manner of exciting and innovative options becoming available.

While many European destinations already offer local specialities that happen to be meat–free, others positively excel in their breadth of offering when it comes to plant-based fare. Here, we’ve compiled some top recommendations, including places to visit and local specialities to try while you’re there. Happy holidays!

France

What to eat

While France may not traditionally be the first place you think of when it comes to meat-free morsels, things have certainly changed in recent years, particularly in cities such as Paris where you can now find everything from dedicated vegan bakeries to vegan sushi and even a plant-based cheese shop!

Where to go

On top of touring popular spots such as the Eiffel Tour, Montmartre and a stroll along the River Seine, you’ll want to head to Aujourd’hui Demain, a caféshop-bakery in the 11th arrondissement that’s an homage to vegan living. As well as serving up delectable dishes such as vegan takes on fish and chips, burgers and ramen, this concept store also has a fantastic selection of vegan clothing for you to browse, plus a vegan mini supermarket. Other Parisien highlights include Bloom, which specialises in vegan sushi and Japanese cuisine, and Jay & Joy, a ‘vegetal creamery’ that offers plant-based cheese.

Poland

What to eat

From local breads and cheeses to pickles, salads, bagels and dumplings, Polish cuisine offers more than you may expect for meat-free travellers. Be sure to look out for melt-in-the-mouth pierogi dumplings. While these are traditionally made with meat and cheese, these days you’re likely to find a number of vegetarian fillings including cheese and mushroom, sauerkraut and spinach. Other foodie highlights to look out for include veggie bigos – a cabbage stew – and zapiekanka, an impressive open baguette that’s a Polish street food staple, particularly in Krakow.

Where to go

Historic Krakow is filled with cobbled streets, medieval walls and plenty of
great options for food and drink. Hummus Amamamusi, a vegetarian and vegan café, is an ideal pit-stop for fantastic cake and a mouthwatering array of veggie and vegan options including the star of the show: houmous. Veganic restaurant is another brilliant option for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving up everything from celeriac steaks to oyster mushroom cutlets. The cocktails are delicious too! If it’s some sea air you’re after, why not head to the seaport city of Gdańsk on your travels? Guga Sweet and Guga Spicy – two cafés positioned next to one another – specialise in vegetarian and vegan fare.

switzerland

What to eat

While Swiss cuisine traditionally tends to be rather hearty – think cheese, meats and plenty of carbs – there are a number of local specialities that are options for meat-free travellers such as rostis, bircher muesli and veggie gerstensuppe (Swiss barley soup).

Where to go

Home to Haus Hiltl, the ‘world’s first vegetarian restaurant’, Zurich is a great place to visit for a slice of meat-free history. Comprising a vast buffet of more than 100 dishes, Haus Hiltl has been family-run for more than 100 years. Next door, you’ll find Hiltl Vegimetzg, a plant-based deli which houses its very own plant-based butcher’s shop. Over in Geneva, you’ll find a plethora of veggie and vegan eateries including enVie Vegan, serving up delectable burgers in colourful buns, while Green Gorilla is the place for avocado toast and colourful smoothies.

greece

What to eat

Bursting with fresh vegetables and nutritious wholegrains, the Mediterranean diet has plenty on offer for the meat-free traveller. Whether it’s a refreshing Greek salad (feta cheese optional depending on whether you’re vegetarian or vegan), or lip-smackingly refreshing watermelon, it’s no wonder Greece is such a popular destination for veggie and vegan travellers.

Where to go

Given its plethora of fresh produce, Greece for the most part should be a relatively safe bet for meat-free travellers. That said, key areas celebrated for their vegetarian and vegan offering include Thessaloniki, Athens and Kefalonia. In fact, Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki, features on many ‘best places to travel in 2024’ lists, particularly for its dynamic food scene – rOOTS restaurant and Tarantula are both strong places to start.

netherlands

What to eat

According to a market insight report compiled by the Good Food Institute (GFI) and NielsonIQ in 2023, the Netherlands is the sixth-largest plant-based market
in Europe. Unsurprisingly, you’ll find an impressive selection of meat-free options in the Netherlands and particularly Amsterdam, where you’ll come across everything from local specialities to Asian street food, jackfruit tacos and more. With 400km of cycle paths at your disposal, Amsterdam is an ideal place for a hop-on-hop-off bicycle food tour.

Where to go

If you’re heading to Amsterdam, don’t miss Alchemist Garden, a vegan and organic raw food restaurant with an array of dishes made using locally-sourced ingredients. For delicious street food from a brand that opened in 1991 (think falafel and mushroom shawarma), don’t miss Dutch falafel bar Maoz – its Amsterdam branches became 100% vegan in 2018. For vegan ramen, Men Impossible in the Jordaan area is a top tip, while for sensational vegan pastries, Margo’s is a must!

spain

What to eat

From patatas bravas to papas aragudas, and pan con tomate to gazpacho soup, Spain is a vibrant country to explore for vegetarians and vegans alike, and boasts plenty of coastal hotspots that are sure to excite and entertain families too. Exploring local farmers’ markets, such as Barcelona’s La Boqueria, also comes highly recommended.

Where to go

According to a recent study by online travel agent loveholidays, Barcelona is the best overseas city break for vegetarians, offering more than 2,700 vegetarian-friendly restaurants. If you’re heading there, be sure to check out Sesamo. Meanwhile, the Canary Islands are always popular with holidaymakers and families, and with dishes such as papas arugudas con mojo it’s easy to see why.

More to explore

• Lisbon, Portugal Standout places to visit in Portugal’s buzzing coastal capital include Kong, which provides vegan takes on traditional Portuguese fare.
• Berlin, Germany It’s not all just meat-laden dishes in this vibrant city; Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Friedrichshain are all good neighbourhoods to explore for the
  veggie and vegan traveller.
• Reykjavik, Iceland For a small city, there are a pleasant number of meat-free options, and you can even join a dedicated vegetarian food tour to uncover some tasty gems!
• Turin, Rome, Sicily and Puglia, Italy are all great places to head for meat-free travellers, but watch out for Parmesan, Grana Padano and Gorgonzola cheese as these contain animal rennet.
• Budapest, Hungary According to recent research from loveholidays, Budapest has more than 1,400 vegan-friendly restaurants. Look out for Szabad Bisztró, which was the first vegan pub in Budapest. For a sweet treat, vegetarians should try Kürtőskalács, Hungarian chimney cakes.

We asked you…

Over on our Facebook page, we asked you for your top tips and recommendations for plant-based travel in Europe. Here are
some of your top recommendations…

“There’s tons of great veggie food in Geneva, and you can sit by the lake looking at the mountains!” Martin B.

“There’s plenty to cater for vegetarians and vegans in Kefalonia – the best food I’ve eaten on holiday.” Karen B.

“Krakow is great for vegan food. We’ve been a couple of times and I’ve eaten plenty (probably too much!). Mazaya Falafel was incredible!” Jessica B.

“Barcelona has always had some great veggie and vegan cafés and restaurants, not least the Restaurant Biocenter.” Sue D.

“Paris was wonderful: vegan breakfasts, lunch and dinners. Most supermarchés had vegan food, and most restaurants.” Krissy V.

“We are lifelong veggies/vegans in our 60s and love visiting Europe. Last year, we did our first post-retirement Interrail adventure. The best vegan place we discovered was an amazing restaurant in Lisbon called 26 Vegan Food Project. Fabulous food, super service, beautiful restaurant.” Lynne T.

“Palma. Mallorca blew me away with both the vegan options and the beauty of the city, plus easy and cheap transport around the island. Pizzeria SA COVA Palma was so good I went twice!” Andrea M.

top tips for travelling abroad

• Social media As well as the Vegetarian Society Facebook page, keep your eyes peeled across social media apps for useful hashtags, recommendations and more.

• Get appy Google Maps is indispensable when searching for meat-free eateries, as is Happy Cow.
• Shop local Local supermarkets and markets can be extremely helpful for stocking up on meat-free snacks and understanding local produce and what’s in season.
• Learn key phrases Google Translate can come in handy here, or write down key phrases such as ‘I don’t eat meat and fish’ to use if you’re somewhere where language is a barrier.
• Ask for recommendations Don’t forget to ask for recommendations – chances are that locals will be very much in the know!

This article was edited on 12 August 2024 to clarify that bigos and gerstensuppe in their traditional forms are often not vegetarian or vegan. However, vegetarian and vegan versions of these foods are readily available.