Travel Diaries: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Vegan in Barcelona

Happy Friday friends! Today I have another Travel Diaries post for you from my recent honeymoon in Barcelona, Spain! As you might know, I eat a fully vegan diet, so I always get questions about how easy it was to find vegan food throughout my travels. Luckily I've been pretty lucky so far, and I've always had an abundance of vegan restaurants and options to chose from. If you're vegan and travelling to Barcelona, then these are my top food recommendations for you!

Firstly, you can always stop by La Boqueria, a huge outdoor market, where you can pick up a fresh juice or stock up on amazing fruits. Every time we walked down La Rambla I stopped for a fresh juice - watermelon & pineapple and strawberry were my favourites.

Another good juice/smoothie spot was Smudy Juice Bar in Las Arenas Shopping Mall. I tried the Big Bang smoothie - mango, strawberry, and apple juice - so good, and very refreshing on a hot day!

Now we'll get into some great vegan restaurants, or restaurants that offer delicious vegan options. We stumbled upon this spot while walking through the streets of Barcelona, and decided to stop in to try their Vegan Dog. The toppings on the veggie dog were pickles, onions, tomato, and corn. We took our vegan dogs and ate while we walked. Be warned: these veggie dogs are packed with toppings, and are therefore a bit messy to eat, but they are very delicious! At €3.50 each, I think it was a good deal!

Address: (Plaça Diamant), Carrer de l'Or, 8, 08012 Barcelona, Spain

One of my favourite restaurants in Barcelona turned out to be Vegetalia, particularly the location in the Gothic Quarter. After seeing signs all over Barcelona for their signature dish, Paella, I was so excited to see a vegan alternative on the menu! At €8.90, I was left feeling comfortably full and satisfied. This rice dish was rich and oh so delicious! We went back a few days later and I ordered the Thai curry with tofu and vegetables (not pictured), and I have to say that I just wasn't a fan. Dylan finished off my plate, but it was just a bit too spicy yet still somehow bland for my taste. 

Address: C/ Escudellers 54, BCN
tel: +34 93 317 3331

Another restaurant that we happened to stumble upon was Hummus Barcelona, which offers vegetarian and vegan street food. The waitress was really nice and helped to translate the menu and offered suggestions. I ended up ordering the vegan shawarma with roasted veggies and sweet potato chips. OMG this meal was good! I've never had shawarma before, but this vegan version was absolutely incredible.

Address: Calle Valencia 227 (only a 6 minute walk from Gaudí's Casa Batlló!)

T. (+34)934618044

If you find yourself in the Las Arenas Shopping Mall, stop by Udon Arenas for some green rolls. You get four rolls of green algae Takaokaya with noodles, avocado, lettuce, and cucumber. Ask them to hold the mayonnaise to make the dish vegan. I've never had sushi made with noodles instead of rice before, and I have to say that I was really impressed! The four rolls cost €3.75, and made for a good midday snack. I also tried the skewered tofu, which came with two skewers of breaded tofu with Provencal herbs, served with sweet chili sauce. So good!

If you're craving a veggie burger during your time in Barcelona, then you need to stop by CatBar, which is a cat themed restaurant and serves vegan burgers and craft beers. I ordered the Black Cat burger, which is a bean burger in a bread roll with garlic veganaise, lettuce, tomato, aubergine, caramelized onion. Dylan ordered the Champion, which is a veggie burger in a bread roll with miso veganaise, grilled mushrooms, rucula, tomatoes, red onions. We both loved what we ordered, and at €6.50 each, we were happy with the value. 

Address: Boria 17 (Laietana, Metro Jaume 1)

Hours: 7:00-11:00 pm, Closed Sundays

Another vegan restaurant we enjoyed was La Matahambre, which offers takeaway food with limited seating. Dylan and I opted for the set lunch menu, which you got a glass of fresh lemonade, a main dish, and a dessert for around €10. I ordered the cannelloni as my main, and Dylan got the veggie lasagna, both served with a side salad. I tried both dishes, and absolutely loved them! For dessert, we ordered a banana chocolate cake, which was yummy and very rich. Since this restaurant does primarily cater to takeaway dishes, there really isn't much seating. We managed to find two chairs scattered around the open area, and brought them together at a desk so we could sit down to eat.

Address: Carrer de la Unió, 13, Barcelona, Spain

Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00am-10:00pm

If you're wanting a refreshing dessert, I would recommend stopping by Amorino (we went to the location in the Las Arenas Shopping Mall. The serve many different kinds of gelato, and they also had three vegan sorbets available. I ordered strawberry and mango sorbet, and it was delicious! Just what we needed on a hot Summer day in Spain.

If you're wanting to do some vegan cooking at home, then you'll want to stop by Veganoteca, a small vegan grocery store. I picked up a box of vegan chocolate chip cookies, muffins, and a vegan ice cream bar. All were very good! The cookies and the muffins were great to bring along with my during the day for a yummy snack. 

Address: c/Valldonzella, 60, 08001 Barcelona, Spain

And finally, we have Veritas, a chain of eco-friendly supermarkets in Barcelona that offered a lot of veggie and organic options. I picked up some vegan chocolate pudding and a bottle of pear juice - yum!

So there you have it, the ultimate guide to eating vegan during your time in Barcelona! I honestly found it way easier to find vegan options in Barcelona than I do here in Ottawa. While Barcelona does primarily offer a meat and seafood heavy diet, it is definitely possible to find healthy, vegan dishes in this Spanish city.