Best plant-based food destinations in Europe
Best plant-based food destinations in Europe
Creative plant-based dining neighborhoods and organic produce markets in Europe
Europe has quickly become one of the easiest continents for plant based travel, with vegan options now showing up on menus far beyond the cities known for having a food scene.
Western and northern Europe tend to have the deepest vegan restaurant scenes, with entire neighborhoods built around plant based cafes, bakeries and full tasting menus. Around the Mediterranean, tradition already does a lot of the work, since vegetable heavy dishes, legumes and good bread have been staples there for generations, vegan label or not. Eastern Europe is catching up fast, with a new wave of vegan spots appearing in bigger cities even where the classic local cuisine still leans on meat and dairy.
Language rarely gets in the way, since most European countries have some familiarity with vegan eating even outside major cities. The destinations on our list for Europe combine well known vegan capitals with places where plant based eating has simply always been part of the local diet.
Lists by region
City in United Kingdom
Glasgow
A city of music, art and warmth
Byres Road and the West End are lined with vegan cafés, bakeries and pubs. PETA has named this the most vegan friendly city in the UK more than once. Pubs serve vegan haggis with neeps and tatties, mashed turnip and potato. Plant based Scottish breakfasts come with tattie scones.
City in Portugal
Porto
Wine, Coast and Old-World Charm
Locals argue over whose francesinha is better. It is a stacked sandwich in a beer sauce. Many cafés make a vegan version with seitan or tofu. The Bolhão Market reopened in 2022 after a restoration. Its stalls sell fruit, greens and broa, a corn bread. Caldo verde, a kale soup, is easy to order vegan.
City in Switzerland
Geneva
Where nature meets international flair
More international than most Swiss cities, the food scene here mixes Lebanese, Ethiopian and Indian kitchens full of plant dishes. Tibits runs a vegetarian buffet priced by weight near the main station. The Plainpalais market sells local vegetables twice a week. Lakeside picnics with fresh bread and fruit are easy.
City in Portugal
Lisbon
Sun-soaked streets and rich history
Since 2017, Portuguese law has required a vegan option in public canteens like schools and hospitals. In the city, small tascas serve sopa de legumes, a blended vegetable soup. Vegan bakeries make plant based pastéis de nata. Mercado de Arroios sells fresh produce. Indian and Nepali restaurants add lentil curries.
City in United Kingdom
London
A Tapestry of History and Modernity
Each January many Britons try Veganuary, a pledge to eat vegan for the month. The campaign started in the UK in 2014. Restaurants roll out new plant based menus for it. Camden Market and Borough Market have vegan street food stalls year round. Brick Lane curry houses serve dal and chana masala.
City in Italy
Milan
Fashion, Art and Historic Splendor
The Navigli canals fill with bars at aperitivo hour each evening. A drink often comes with a buffet of grilled vegetables, pasta salads and focaccia. Isola and Porta Venezia have many vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Gelato shops sell sorbetti and dairy free flavours made with fruit or nuts.
City in Italy
Florence
The cradle of the Renaissance
Tuscan cooks never waste stale bread. They turn it into ribollita, a thick bean and kale soup. Pappa al pomodoro is a tomato bread soup. Both are often vegan by tradition. Panzanella, a bread and tomato salad, fills summer menus. Sant'Ambrogio Market sells local produce and green olive oil.
City in Finland
Helsinki
Nordic charm by the Baltic Sea
Forests come right to the edge of this Baltic city. A rule called everyman's right lets anyone pick wild berries and mushrooms there. Finnish food makers invented pulled oats, a meat swap made from oats and beans. Hakaniemi Market Hall sells rye bread and lingonberries. Karelian pies with rice filling are a local snack.
City in France
Nice
Sun, Sea and Sophistication on the Riviera
Crisp and smoky, socca is a thin chickpea pancake baked in wood fired ovens in the old town. It is vegan by tradition. The Cours Saleya market sells Provençal produce every morning except Monday. Ratatouille, a stew of aubergine, courgette and peppers, comes from this region. Olive oil from the hills goes on everything.
City in Norway
Oslo
Scandinavia’s modern capital in nature’s embrace
Set at the head of the Oslofjord, the city has forests and lakes inside its limits. Mathallen food hall by the Akerselva River has vegan stalls and Nordic produce. Grünerløkka is packed with cafés that serve oat milk and plant based brunch. Late summer brings wild blueberries and cloudberries to the markets.
City in Germany
Hamburg
Port city with warehouses and the Elbphilharmonie
The smell of coffee and spice still drifts through the old Speicherstadt warehouses. Across town, the Schanze district has vegan burger joints and brunch cafés. Some harbour stands sell a plant based take on the Fischbrötchen, the classic fish roll. The Isemarkt runs under an elevated train line twice a week.
City in United Kingdom
Brighton
Seaside fun with a creative twist
An hour south of London on the coast, this seaside city has a long green streak. Infinity Foods, a workers' cooperative, has sold organic and vegetarian food here since 1971. The North Laine lanes are packed with vegan cafés and bakeries. Some fish and chip shops fry banana blossom as a plant based fish.
City in Sweden
Stockholm
Where islands, history and modernity meet
Södermalm has dozens of vegan cafés and plant based bakeries. Swedish meatballs come in plant versions at many restaurants, served with lingonberry jam. Burger chains offer plant burgers next to beef. The Östermalm market hall sells Nordic vegetables and rye crispbread. Summer markets fill with new potatoes and dill.
City in Austria
Vienna
A Symphony of Culture and Elegance
Market stalls on the Naschmarkt have sold fruit and vegetables since the 1700s. Today falafel, hummus and pickles line its lanes. Vegan versions of Wiener schnitzel use breaded celeriac or seitan. Some coffeehouses serve vegan apple strudel. Brunnenmarkt in Ottakring is cheaper and more local.
City in Germany
Berlin
Wall history, Museum Island and all-night clubs
Smoky seitan turns on spits at vegan döner stands in Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. In 2011 the city got Europe's first all vegan supermarket chain, Veganz. Plant based currywurst is easy to find. Many bakeries sell vegan pastries next to the classics. Markets like Maybachufer add Turkish produce and fresh herbs.
City in Sweden
Gothenburg
Where coastal charm meets cool culture
The Stora Saluhallen market hall has sold food since 1889. Its stalls are packed with Swedish berries, root vegetables and rye bread. Oat lattes are standard at fika, the daily Swedish coffee break. Haga's wooden cafés bake vegan cinnamon buns. Many lunch spots offer a vegetarian dagens rätt, the dish of the day.
City in France
Paris
The city of love, art and history
Sunday mornings are busiest at the Marché d'Aligre, a market with cheap fruit and vegetables. In Le Marais, rue des Rosiers is lined with falafel shops. Vegan bakeries now sell plant based croissants. Many bistros have added vegan dishes to their menus. Lebanese and Vietnamese places across the city have lots of plant dishes.
City in Spain
Madrid
A vibrant mix of culture and nightlife
Heavier on ham than Barcelona at first glance, the city still has easy vegan tapas. Order patatas bravas with spicy tomato sauce, pimientos de Padrón and garlic mushrooms. Malasaña and Lavapiés have many vegan cafés. Churros are usually vegan, though the thick chocolate for dipping is not.
City in Denmark
Copenhagen
Scandi-cool vibes and world-class food
In 2023 Denmark launched a national action plan to boost plant based food. The city's public kitchens already serve mostly organic produce. New Nordic chefs cook with foraged herbs, root vegetables and rye. Smørrebrød, open rye sandwiches, now come with beet and potato toppings. Torvehallerne market halls sell fresh berries and greens.
City in Italy
Rome
The Eternal City of history and charm
Simpler than most Italian kitchens, Roman cooking leans on vegetables in season. In spring, carciofi alla romana are artichokes braised with mint and garlic. The old Jewish quarter fries them whole. Pizza bianca, plain pizza with olive oil, is vegan. Campo de' Fiori market sells produce every morning except Sunday.
City in Switzerland
Zurich
A city of lakes, luxury and history
Near Bahnhofstrasse, the main shopping street, Hiltl has served vegetarian food since 1898. Guinness World Records lists it as the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world. Its buffet is priced by weight and has many vegan dishes. The same family runs Tibits, a vegetarian chain. Lakeside parks are good spots for picnics.
City in Netherlands
Amsterdam
Canals, culture and a vibrant spirit
The Albert Cuyp Market fills a long street in De Pijp with fruit, vegetable and stroopwafel stalls. Indonesian restaurants serve rijsttafel, a spread of small dishes with tempeh and gado gado, a peanut sauce salad. The Vegetarian Butcher, a plant based meat brand, started in the Netherlands in 2010. Vegan menus are common in cafés.
City in Germany
Munich
Bavarian capital of beer gardens and museums
The Viktualienmarkt began as a farmers' market in 1807 and still runs daily except Sunday. Stalls sell local cabbage, white radishes and fresh herbs. Beer gardens serve giant pretzels, which are often vegan. Plant based Weisswurst, the white sausage eaten before noon, appears on some menus.
City in Poland
Warsaw
Where history meets modern vibrance
Steam rises from plates of pierogi filled with sauerkraut and wild mushrooms. That filling is a classic of Wigilia, the meatless Christmas Eve supper. The city often ranks near the top of HappyCow lists of vegan friendly cities. Vegan bistros also serve plant based żurek, a sour rye soup.
City in Spain
Barcelona
Vibrant City of Art and Beaches
Farmers near Valls began grilling calçots, a long sweet green onion, in the late 1800s. Today outdoor onion feasts called calçotadas run from January to March. Dip them in romesco, a nutty pepper sauce. Tapas bars serve escalivada, smoky roasted peppers and aubergine. La Boqueria market has piles of fresh produce.
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