Portuguese Food & Drink: Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants in Portugal
Vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Portugal are growing in number and popularity. Not just in Lisbon and Porto, but also in other Portuguese cities, too, specialist non-meat restaurants are appearing along with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options on menus.
Twenty-five years ago it was hard to find a vegetarian restaurant in Portugal. That is no longer the case.
See a listing of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Portugal.
History
In the mid-1990s I was on a TAP flight from Heathrow Airport in London to Lisbon Airport. I had pre-booked a vegetarian meal on the flight which never arrived.
I asked the burly Portuguese steward with a classic, macho moustache where my meal was and he replied: "There are no vegetarians in Portugal!"
Fortunately, this is no longer the case and the larger cities and the Algarve have a number of restaurants offering meat-free meals.
In the 1990s I spent my time searching fruitlessly for the few vegetarian restaurants listed in the Lonely Planet Guide.
Back then some no longer existed or were frustratingly closed after lengthy walks through the streets peering at an inadequate map. Now with Google maps, GPS and smart phones it is no problem to find any restaurant you wish to dine at.
In 1995 I ended up eating mostly in good quality Indian and Chinese restaurants. Both of these Asian cuisines did and still do offer some superb vegetarian food.
What has changed in the last quarter of a century? As awareness has risen of the health benefits of cutting back on red meat especially, both for yourself and for the planet as a whole, more and more young Portuguese are incorporating vegetarian food into their daily diets.
Portugal offers some superb cuisine much of it based around fish and meat but now there are some great vegetarian and vegan places to eat too.
Many of the staples of Portuguese food: bread, cabbage, carrots, grapes, olives, olive oil, potatoes and wine are all vegetarian and so, so delicious!
Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants in Lisbon
Choose from some of the best vegetarian restaurants in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. If you wish to add your restaurant or business to this list for free please contact us. (Se deseja adicionar o seu restaurante ou empresa a esta lista gratuitamente, contacte-nos)
Lisbon Vegan Restaurante
Rua de Arroios 175
1150-053 Lisbon
Tel: 920073339
www: facebook.com/lisbonvegan
Alameda or Anjos are the nearest stations on the Lisbon metro.
Organi Chiado
Calçada Nova de São Francisco 2
Lisbon 1200-288
Tel: 216065121
www: organi.pt
Baixa/Chiado is the nearest station.
Orteá Vegan Collective
Rua Dom Luís I 19
Lisbon 1200-109
Tel: 936 217 616
www: facebook.com/Orteavegancollective
Cais do Sodré is the nearest station.
A Tasca Vegana
Rua Ferreira Borges 149
1350-130 Lisbon
Tel: 935 914 024
www: atascavegana.pt
Rato is the nearest station.
Alfarroba
Rua Tomás Ribeiro, 28
Lisbon, 1050-230
Tel: 932 881 545
www: facebook.com/restaurantealfarroba
Picoas is the nearest station.
Kong
Rua do Cruxifixo 30
Lisbon, 1100-183
Tel: 21 346 0076
www: kongveganfood.com
The Green Affair
Chiado Branch
R. Serpa Pinto 15A
Lisbon 1200-443
Tel: 969 398 228
Saldanha Branch
Av. Duque de Ávila 30A
Lisbon 1000-141
Tel: 967 472 286
www: facebook.com/thegreenaffairpt
The Food Temple
Beco do Jasmim 18
Lisbon 1100-289
Tel: 218 874 397
www: thefoodtemple.com
Vegan restaurant located in the Mouraria district of the city.
Arkhe
Boqueirão do Duro 46
Lisbon 1200-163
Tel: 211 395 258
www: arkhe.pt
Contemporary vegetarian/vegan cuisine by chef João Ricardo making use of both local and seasonal ingredients. Walking distance from Cais do Sodré Station.
Porto Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants
Em Carne Viva
Av. da Boavista 868
4100-421 Porto
Tel: 932 352 722
www: facebook.com/emcarneviva
Casa da Musica is the nearest station on the Porto metro.
Arvore do Mundo
Rua Duque de Loule, 228
Porto 4000-324
Tel: 223244513
www: facebook.com/CasaArvoredoMundo
São Bento Station is about 10 minutes on foot.
Kind Kitchen
Rua do Bonjardim, 302
Porto, 4000-115
Tel: 221130928
www: facebook.com/kindkitchenporto
Aliados is the nearest station.
Root & Vine
Rua do Choupelo, 39
Cais de Gaia
Vila Nova de Gaia
Tel: 220 121 200
www: wow.pt
Guimarães Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants
Cor de Tangerina is a recommended lacto-ovo vegetarian restaurant with garden seating on the road to Guimarães Castle.
Cor de Tangerina
Largo Martins Sarmento, n.º 89 - 1.º andar
4800-432 Guimarães
Tel: 966 876 165
www: cordetangerina.pt
Donna Veggie
Avª dos, R. dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra 71
4810-260 Guimarães
Tel: 253 724 234
www: facebook.com/Donna-Veggie
Faro Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants
Mel & Limao
Largo do Pé da Cruz
8000-154, Faro
Tel: 289 143 522
www: facebook.com/melelimaovegan
Vegan Box
Rua Cruz das Mestras n°4
8000-261, Faro
Tel: 914 850 748
www: facebook.com/veganbox.pt
Outro Lado
Travessa da Madalena 6
8000-461, Faro
Tel: 911 000 359
www: facebook.com/Restoutrolado
Póvoa de Varzim Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants
Veggie Mercearia & Cafetaria
R. Frei Sebastião de São Luís 2a
4490-639 Póvoa de Varzim
Tel: 252 696 011
www: facebook.com/veggiemerceariacafetaria
Matosinhos Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants
Terrárea
Rua de Brito Capelo 1211
4450-078
Tel: 223 170 414
www: facebook.com/Terrareahome
Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants in Braga
Gosto Superior
Praça Mouzinho de Albuquerque 29
4710-301 Braga
Tel: 253 217 681
www: facebook.com/gostosuperior.pt
Hibiscus
Largo de Sao Francisco 32, Pavilhao 3
Tel: 253 254 137
www: facebook.com/Hibiscus.Braga
UniVegetariano
Rua Nova de Santa Cruz 63
4710-409 Braga
Tel: 933 054 400
www: facebook.com/univegetariano
Shanti
Rua Nova de Santa Cruz 21 A
4710-409 Braga
Tel: 932 238 436
www: facebook.com/shanti.restaurante.vegetariano
Soul
Av. Central 162 Loja 6
4710-229 Braga
Tel: 925 702 277
www: facebook.com/soulalimentacaosaudaveledobem
Madeira Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants
Fala Fala
Arcadas São Francisco 18
9000-069 Funchal, Madeira
Tel: 291 652 365
www: facebook.com/Fala-Fala
Évora Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants
Salsa Verde
Rua do Raimundo, 93A
Évora
Tel: 266 743 210
www: salsa-verde.org
Salsa Verde in Évora in the Alentejo is a recommended vegetarian restaurant a short stroll from the town's many attractions. Based on the concept of vegetarianism Salsa Verde seeks to integrate the traditional flavors of Alentejo cuisine, using much-loved aromatic herbs to diversify the flavors.
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