Barcelona isn’t exactly known for its vegan-friendly menu. But after writer Rachel Shue’s Spanish partner decided to quit meat (and eggs, and dairy), she’s discovered a whole new culinary side to the city. Here’s where to go for vegan food in one of Spain’s gastronomy hotspots.
Not eating meat is a controversial choice in a region that prides itself on the quality of its pork and seafood. But when my partner Javier Prieto Alonso became vegan last year, his family tried hard not to take it as a blunt rejection of Spanish identity.
His father Luis is from León, where morro (pig mouth), morcilla (minced pig’s blood), and criadillas (bull’s testicles) are commonly found on menus. Meanwhile, Javier’s mother Margarita hails from Asturias, home of the cachopo—a beef schnitzel-like dish, but bigger.
Luckily, we live in the cosmopolitan and sun-drenched seaside tourist magnet that is Barcelona. It’s also the capital of Catalonia, which was awarded the World Region of Gastronomy 2025 title, a designation that recognizes Catalonia’s rich culinary heritage and focus on healthy, sustainable food, seasonable produce and innovation—including less emphasis on red meat.
Global climate change trends, animal welfare concerns, and stockpiling frenzies during the covid pandemic, all spurred Barcelona’s local government to launch the Barcelona Healthy and Sustainable Food Strategy 2030 in 2021. This city-wide approach includes goals such as: Doubling the consumption of organic local produce; preventing food loss and waste; and protecting, recovering and promoting urban and peri-urban agricultural spaces.
One strategy even involves making changes to school lunch catering to procure all produce from local suppliers, while research institutes like the Alicia Foundation are supported to develop vegan substitutes to cheese.
Calçotadas, informal meals of calçots (leek-like onions) with a sweet, tomato-based romesco sauce, are often served on long tables in neighborhood streets throughout February and March. While the smoky aroma of boniatos (roasted sweet potatoes) and castanyas (chestnuts) are available at many street corner kiosks in winter.
Ever so slowly, Barcelona locals are changing their habits, with varying reasons for doing so. My partner Javier is a software engineer who’s also meticulous about tracking his health. In mid-2024 he noticed consistently high cholesterol readings, so he decided to make some changes. “After that health scare, I started learning a lot about plant-based diets and thought it could be the answer,” he says. “I try to find ‘real’ unprocessed food; I want to eat tasty but healthy vegan food, but typical [vegan] Catalan and Spanish food can be tricky.”
Adriana Carcelén, head chef at vegan restaurant Rasoterra in Barcelona’s famed old town El Goticó neighborhood, takes a gentle approach to advocating for veganism. “Saying you shouldn’t eat meat isn’t helpful,” she tells me. “Everyone is on a spectrum in regards to eating ethically and green, which can change depending on the context; I can see that in some cases, it’s not helpful or even possible [to not eat meat].” Her menu aims to make eating plant-based more accessible, including a vegan spin on traditional Catalan-style croquettes—hers are stuffed with spinach and a wasabi vegan mayo.
My friend Karima, a Catalan of Moroccan heritage from the Costa Brava, initially found it difficult to find decent halal butchers in Barcelona. So when she first moved to the city, she found it easier to simply not eat meat.
Everything from tomatoes to artichoke, asparagus and eggplant are regular fresh staples purchased by Catalan and Spanish families, often to cook dishes like samfaina (similar to ratatouille). Legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, and white beans are common in stews, salads, and soups, like the typical cocido (stew of chickpeas).
And local festivals reflect this seasonality, so if you’re in town for any celebration—stay on the look out, because you can find vegan-friendly dishes. Calçotadas, informal meals of calçots (leek-like onions) with a sweet, tomato-based romesco sauce are often served on long tables in neighborhood streets in February and March. While the smoky aroma of boniatos (roasted sweet potatoes) and castanyas (chestnuts) are available at many street corner kiosks in winter.
Javi and I have been on a mission to find really tasty plant-based restaurants that don’t break the bank. For special occasions, we like the vintage green and mahogany decor of Velada, a restaurant that provides a little respite from the crowds between La Rambla, the iconic bustling pedestrian boulevard, and the historic Plaça de Sant Jaume plaza.
A menu highlight is Velada’s tortilla de patatas, a thick potato pancake cooked in a pan, then flipped upside down using a plate and a firm wrist. Usually made with egg, the Velada version is a little denser, without sacrificing taste or texture. The standout for me though is the rich and creamy mushroom croquettes; so good, it’s hard to believe they’re not dairy.
If you’re in the mood for pasta, venture to the seaside El Poblenou, an old industrial area full of renovated factories and warehouses for tech startups, designers and artists, where you’ll likely find us strolling to the beach on a Saturday morning. You can catch the red L1 metro to Gloriés from Plaça Catalunya or Urquinaona or hire a bike and cycle down Gran via de les Catalanes.
Regardless of how you get to El Poblenou, make sure to find 26kg, a restaurant named for the 26 kilograms worth of pasta that the average Italian person eats in a year.
The simple red and white interior with a mix of benches and tables and wait staff in sneakers gives off diner vibes, but don’t be fooled by the casual appearances. Pasta is given a serious vegan reset here. The inspired twist on Italian classic (Lazio region, to be precise) cacio e pepe involves ravioli with activated carbon (carbon derived at high temperatures from materials like coconut husks, nut shells, and wood), pepper and vegan cheese. The striking black discs with crimped edges and bright lemon zest are soft and delicate, filled with a savory, velvety mix of truffle and mushrooms.
Ask for the “salsa aparte” or simply order the potatoes “sin aioli” (without aioli) to ensure the dish is vegan.
A 10-minute walk away towards the beach, Asian-fusion gets a vegan makeover at Desoriente with a quirky menu to match its quirky, neon-lit decor reminiscent of Asian metropolises.
The ramen soup’s dashi umami flavor and coconut milk base is so creamy and rich, I found it hard to stop slurping to taste the homemade noodles. Spongy tofu is a nice surprise, and the whole dish is topped with crispy, salty nori seaweed, raw radishes, and spring onion. A starter of grilled broccoli, tips browned and crispy, served with a dash of sesame-flavored Japanese goma ponzo and onion, makes for a simple but delicious feast.
On the northwest outskirts of the city center, toward the whimsical Gaudi masterpiece Parc Guëll, you’ll find the barrio (neighborhood)of Gràcia. This place has retained much of its village vibes, with narrow pedestrianized streets, open plaças populated by churches and clock towers, trees, and fountains.
You’ll also find the understated establishment Cal Boter, which serves up proper Catalan fare like escalivada, oven-roasted red pepper, onion and eggplant, sometimes with tomato, served with garlic, the skin usually peeled. If done properly in a wood-fired oven, the charring makes the smoky flavor intense and gives the eggplant a silky softness, contrasting with the sweet onion and pepper.
For something quick and easy, patatas bravas (Spanish fried potatoes) are a Barcelona staple despite not being typically Catalan. Plaça d’ Osca, a 15-minute metro trip from El Goticó, is a square that’s closed to traffic, lined with trees and surrounded by all kinds of bars. Vermut i a la Gábia serves up some of our favourite cubed chunks of golden-brown potato—crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, deep-fried in olive oil and served hot with a tomato-based salsa and a hint of spice. Ask for the “salsa aparte” or simply order the potatoes “sin aioli” (without aioli) to ensure the dish is vegan.
With wood panelling and a bar decorated with hanging garlic garlands and colorful sifones del agua (carbonated water siphon bottles), Vermut i a la Gábia is cozy on a cool day, but equally enjoyable with a few cold beers in the open square.
Berenjena con miel de caña is another must-taste dish that happens to come served vegan. Find a spot at the bar under the colorful undulating roof of Mercat del Santa Caterina in El Born, right beside El Goticó, and watch the camareros (waiters) whipping around to serve patrons inside and out, preparing tapas and drinks.
Berenjena con miel de caña is crispy fried slices of skin on globe, Japanese or Indian eggplant, glazed with sugarcane honey which is made by pressing the juice from the cane and boiling it until it thickens. Chef José Andrés, famed chef who is credited with popularizing tapas in the US, claims the Berenjena con miel de caña dish hails originally from the south of Spain.
Whether it’s a quick tapas snack, a long lunch of traditional plates in the sun, or a true foodie experience in a world-class restaurant, Barcelona’s range of vegan options has quietly, and deliciously, expanded beyond the sad salad and veggie burger. So plant-based travelers need not worry; there’s more to Barcelona now than butcher shops.
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Rachel is a freelance writer who has lived and worked in Laos, South Africa, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Lebanon. She lives in Spain and is originally from Melbourne/Naarm. Her first solo trip, at 22, was a nine-month overland journey from India to Turkey via Nepal, Pakistan and Iran. To this day, she's still not too bad at negotiating border crossings.
