Hola, Barcelona! We visited this beautiful, coastal Catalonian city on a holiday with my brother, and were all really impressed by the vegan food on offer. My brother isn't even vegetarian or vegan, and he couldn't believe how delicious some of the tasty things we tried were. So I can absolutely assure you that you won't be stuck for things to eat if you're visiting Barcelona as a vegetarian or vegan - in fact, your biggest problem might be choosing between all the tasty things nearby!
Now, there's a lot more to do in Barcelona than just eat (though this does often occupy quite a bit of our time!) Whether you're up for a football match at the Camp Nou, a day on the beach, a peruse of Barcelona's boutique and high street stores, or some sightseeing and taking in the marvellous and mind-bending Gaudi architecture, this city has so many things to do! We particularly loved the street performers on La Rambla - I used to work for arts festivals, so I have seen many a street performer in my time, but some of these really blew me away! And if you're visiting with kids, you definitely have to check them out!
Eating Vegan in Barcelona
“Barcelona is one of the best cities in the world. I love it there.” – Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Seriously, whether you're in the market for traditional Spanish cuisine, fancy a humble sandwich, some American junk food, or even impeccable vegan sushi, there's sure to be something for you not too far away. The transportation system in Barcelona is really easy to navigate, making it simple to reach even the more remote places. And the good news? We actually found the food here quite affordable: our trip to Barcelona was one of the more expensive ones we've been on recently, due to the high price of city accommodation and flights, but when it came to the food prices we were pleasantly surprised! Read on, then watch the video at the end of this blog, for more information on our top places to eat vegan in Barcelona.
1st: Roots & Rolls
C/ del Consell de Cent, 401, bajos, 08009 derecha, Barcelona, Spain
Here's a secret for you: I had never tried sushi before we visited here! I have just never been tempted by it, even when I was younger and ate fish, it never appealed to me at all. However, when Roots & Rolls appeared on the list of places we could try in Barcelona, I trusted my brother and Mike, and we gave it a try. And I was so pleased that I trusted them! I went into the restaurant pretty sure that I wouldn't like it - and I am happy to hold my hands up and say how wrong I was!
Roots & Rolls feels very fancy and upmarket inside, but the friendly service quickly made us feel at home. They have an extensive and entirely plant-based menu of sushi and makis, with delicious vegan ingredients making up the traditional sushi dishes. We sampled a few different plates to share, and honestly, all of them are absolutely delicious! My brother is a big fan of sushi and attested not only to their authenticity, but the high standard of sushi that Roots & Rolls offer. I have it on good authority that, for sushi, the prices here weren't bad either (we spent around €20 per person; this is approximately £17.20 or $22.09).
Of the exciting menu at Roots & Rolls, we started with something very familiar to me: the generous bowl of 'Popcorn' (€5.90 - approx. £5.08 or $6.51). Like southern fried chicken, the outer crumb was really tasty and well-seasoned, the cauliflower inside was soft, and I loved the regular and spicy mayos for dipping! Served warm, the popcorn was extremely moreish, light, and easy to eat. I was sad when we finished these, but to my surprise the best was yet to come! We ordered some of their gyozas too (also €5.90, for 3 pieces), which were packed with shiitake mushrooms. Though these weren't a highlight for me, that was just because of how delicious everything we tried at Roots & Rolls was: anywhere else, and these mushroom gyozas would blow me away! They were well sized, beautifully presented, and really tasty in a sweet sauce.
When it came to the main event, we ordered three types of sushi: the Geisha, the Jumpin' Jack, and the Avo Makis. The Geisha (€16 for 8 pieces - approx. £13.77 or $17.67) consisted of an avocado maki with gluten-free panko crumbs around the outside. Each roll was exquisitely topped with Heüra tartare, fermented chili sauce, chives & black quinoa rice. Wow, my first taste of sushi really impressed me! We all really liked how it had that subtle fishy taste, in a good way! The whipped texture of the topping complemented the bite and crunchiness of the heüra at the centre. It was breadcrumbed on the edge for some extra crunch, and Mike loved really loved it - it was his favourite of the things we had!
The Jumpin' Jack (€15 for 8 pieces - approx. £12.91 or $16.57) was the one that really impressed me. Filled with Heüra, bbq jackfruit, nut lettuce, caramelised onions, sesame, alioli, homemade hoisin sauce, abd black rice, the flavours here were complex and incredibly delicious. Each portion had a nice bbq-like flavour, and like everything else at Roots & Rolls, the presentation was on point. It looked like a pumpkin, which really made us smile! Overall, the flavours went really well together, with the slight fishiness of the seaweed: the Jumpin' Jack was very, very impressive.
Lastly, the avo makis (€9 for 8 pieces - approx. £7.74 or $9.94): this traditional sushi was simple but effective. Consisting of avocado, homemade sauces, and black quinoa rice, the avocado really shone here. The rice was tasty too, adding that extra bit of chewiness contrasting the smooth - and the sauces were really delicious. With one spicy, one mild sauce, there was a great variation of flavours and textures. Thank you Roots & Rolls, for an incredible first sushi experience!
Though I can't leave this section of the blog without talking about dessert... because of course we had to have dessert! This was definitely not the plan, but having tasted the incomparable flavours here at Roots & Rolls, we had to try their avo brownie! (€6.50 per portion - approx. £5.59 or $7.18) And oh my god, it was so good! Really rich and gooey, this avocado-based brownie served warm and wow, wow, wow! The ice cream was creamy and sweet, and went really well with the generous slice of brownie. I would walk back to Barcelona to eat this again!
2nd: Vegetalia
Plaça del Fossar de les Moreres, s/n, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Vegetalia was actually the first place that we ate at in Barcelona, so it's a testament to how impressive their food was that it stuck with us in second place throughout the trip! We were impressed by the cosy, friendly restaurant and the rapid service. They actually have two restaurants in Barcelona, so wherever your sightseeing takes you, you should be able to stop there for a bite to eat - they even do a menu del dia (a weekday set menu, served during lunch hours, for a smaller price)!
I fancied something a little healthy to start off the trip on the right foot (I also knew what was to come!) so I chose the Caesar salad (€10.50 - approx. £9.03 or $11.60). This was a really delicious Caesar salad, this is one of my favourite summer dishes, but often I find that is can be quite hard to find a vegan one! The sauce was garlicky and delicious and the vegan cheese and vegan chicken were so, so tasty! But obviously they would be nothing without that fresh and crunchy veg, the mixed and flavoursome leaves, and really juicy tomatoes. I was a little confused to find pickles in the salad, and really surprised to find out that this little innovation tasted great in the dish. For me, this was absolutely a 10/10 vegan Caesar salad!
Mike went straight on the Spanish cuisine hype with the Huëra paella (€15.90 - approx. £13.67 or $17.56). He was really impressed with the selection of veg included in the dish. With peas, carrots, artichoke, and courgette, all alongside that deliciuos Huëra plant based chicken, there was so much flavour and nutrition here! It looked great, and the flavours complemented each other really nicely; the paella flavouring itself was subtle, but in a nice way, and the wedge of lemon added some optional citrusy flavour too. Mike was satisfied with this dish, but was still waiting for the perfect vegan paella in Barcelona... check out our vegan paella blog to see if we found it!!
Bonus dish!! For all you vegetarians reading, my brother tried the mushroom and asparagus risotto (€12.50 - approx. £10.75 or $13.81). The risotto was also packed with tasty veg, as well as a variety of risotto rice grains in a really thick and creamy sauce. Though its flavours were subtle, it made for a hearty and warming lunch - with a surprise cheese crisp that was a little unexpected, but made for a tasty treat. And I loved the presentation: I was sat opposite him and was convinced that it looked like a face...
3rd: Vegan Junk Food Bar
1, C/ de Manresa, 4, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
We couldn't resist checking out this absolutely iconic vegan place while we were in Barcelona: the funky decorations caught our eye, and the delicious looking plant-based junk food drew us in! The prices were a little high, but wow, for the attention to detail and instagram-worthy presentation here it was totally worth it!
Mike opted for the VJFB Double Cheezy Smash Burger (€9.95 - approx. £8.56 or $10.99) with a side of french fries (€3.75 - approx. £3.23 or $4.14). The burger itself was very nice, with a double burger and extra smooth and stretchy vegan cheese! The plant-based beef burger tasted good, the cheese was really convincing American style cheese: it was so melty and delicious! The pickles added an extra boost of flavour, Mike was a big fan of the pickles! Though the burger sauce was a little too sweet for his taste - it was all round a good burger, though he said he would definitely get a chicken burger next time to try that too! The french fries were pretty solid too: the highlight was the vegan mustard mayo which was really delicious! The spring onion for garnish looked pretty, but the fries could probably have done with a little more seasoning!
I picked the Iconic Rainbow fries (€13.95 - approx. £12.00 or $15.41), since it was this very dish that caught my eye when checking out Vegan Junk Food Bar in the first place! They do a range of these trays, some of which come with potato smiley faces - a big childhood memory for me - and all kinds of different vegan junk food on top. The vegan chicken was really tender with plenty of flavour, I could have eaten these for days! The fries were standard, though I kind of wish I’d had the smiley fries for the novelty! These looked really pretty, with colourful sauces, seeds and crunchy spring onions, but the sauce was a little too overpowering: the price you pay for this astoundingly photographable food, I guess!
My brother tried the Triple Trouble VFJBabies (€14.00 - approx. £12.05 or $15.46), which allowed him to try three of their signature burgers in miniature form. Though he wasn't a huge fan of the Better Baby burger (a 'better ball' with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mustard mayo) he really loved the mustard mayo served inside! The Baby Daddy burger (vegan wings with vegan cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and blue sauce) was absolutely phenomenal though, definitely the best of the three! The acidity from the pickles combined so well with the blue sauce for a powerful and flavoursome kick. And the VJFBaby was their signature burger for a reason: it tasted as good as Mike's burger, and the mini chipsticks served on the side were super cute too! Honestly, there is so much to try at Vegan Junk Food Bar: you have to give this place a try!
4th: The Dirty Vegans
Tino restaurant, C/ de Còrsega, 225, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Pizza place by night, sandwich bar by day... The Dirty Vegans is a must stop for a spectacular plant-based lunch while you're in Barcelona! Housed in a pizza joint, this friendly vegan sandwich shop has a range of different flavours of exquisite deep-filled sandwiches, as well as cookies, brownies, and vegan sausage rolls! It's worth mentioning at this point that while you can get a sandwich for €8.00 (approx. £6.88 or $8.84), there are two meal deals available too. For €12.50 (approx. £10.76 or $13.80) you can get your sandwich along with a dip, and either a sausage roll, brownie, or a cookie. The desserts usually cost €4.20, while the sausage roll is usually €4.50, so this is a great saving!
We were so pleased there were three of us on this trip - for the excellent company primarily, but it also meant that we could try a big selection of The Dirty Vegans' sandwich menu! I went for The Cheeky Caprese, and loved it! The tomatoes were really juicy and the vegan pesto was super delicious. I love pesto, and it's great to find a homemade vegan one! The vegan mozzarella and chicken made for a really really tasty combo - such a flavoursome and filling sandwich (I just wish the bread had been a little less crispy!) Mike chose The Papi Pollo, which came with vegan chicken, bacon, and guac. Everything was very tasty, and Mike thought the guac was really great... though it made the sandwich very slippery, fell apart a lot - recommend eating this with a bib! Finally, my brother tried The Spicy Senorita, which he described as "bangin'!" This was a great sandwich, which included slabs of Spanish tortilla! The bacon and spicy mayo combo tasted so good! There was a little too much sauce, which caused it to fall apart (though this might have been rookie sandwich handling!) but he would definitely recommend this sandwich!
Of course, we had to try some of The Dirty Vegans' bakes too, and we started with the sausage roll. Mike thought it tasted like pizza! Though it was very messy on the fingers (are you seeing a trend here?) it was also very, very delicious. It contained a really tasty vegan sausage within buttery soft flaky pastry, and I really liked the tomatoey Mediterranean vegetable sauce inside! Meanwhile, the brownies were so gooey and delicious, so much so that they stuck to the paper bag! The walnuts were nice and crunchy which added that extra texture - but this was still the gooiest vegan brownie I’ve ever had, and really worth trying! Top tip: grab some extra napkins! It’s gonna get messy!
5th: Bubita Sangria Bar
C/ dels Flassaders, 15, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
If you've been following our blogs, you'll already know about Bubita Sangria Bar: the incredible, fully-vegan, tapas, sangria, and paella bar that we headed to in order to try this famous Spanish dish. If you've not read our full review of the vegan paella at Bubita yet, you can find it here!
This place is serious about Spanish cuisine, and we were delighted that we could try beautifully presented paella, authentically cooked with plant-based chicken and seafood here! Bubita offer three different versions of their paella: the Vegalenciana Paella, which was packed with tomatoes, sweetcorn, artichoke, and beautifully seasoned Huëra plant-based chicken; the Marisko, which combines vegan prawns with carrots and sweetcorn for a more modern paella taste; and one Euro cheaper is the Vegetables Paella, which combines traditional paella rice with a selection of seasonal vegetables. We both preferred the plant-based chicken version, as it was more flavoursome, but these vegan paellas are all really top notch, and at €14.50 each (approx. £12.55 or $16.14)!
Fancying something different, my brother joined us to try the Clockwork Orange (€12.50 - approx. £10.76 or $13.81). This was a nice refreshing salad that contained all sorts of tasty fruits and vegetables, as well as Huëra chicken and oranges! Fresh and tasty, the components of this dish complemented each other really well, and the Huëra chicken was warm, varying the temperatures within the dish really nicely! Shout out to their fancy sangrias too - ours was so tasty, and worth every penny!
6th: Pans & Company
16 locations across Barcelona
On our last day in Barcelona, we needed a cheap, filling, and convenient lunch before we headed to the airport. So we headed to Pans & Company, a sandwich chain that we'd spotted across Barcelona - almost everywhere we looked, in fact! We had been impressed, when walking past their menus, by their big selection of vegetarian and vegan options, so we were pleased to have this opportunity to give them a try!
Now, this isn't the fanciest food - the presentation is standard, and it's not super cheap but it's all about the convenience here. To have such easy access to fast, takeaway food is a real asset! We tried two of their vegan sandwiches: Mike had the vegan brie roast chicken sandwich, while I went for the crujiente de Huëra sandwich. We upgraded the sandwiches to a meal, which came with fries and a drink, for €10.95 each (approx. £9.43 or $12.10). The vegan brie in Mike's sandwich was impressive, and the flavour went really well with the vegan chicken and soft mushrooms; the bread was super hard on the outside though, leaving him with a pretty sore mouth! My sandwich came with breaded mock chicken, which was really tasty and realistic. Though it wasn't the most complex sandwich, it was filling and flavoursome... the fries were standard, but kept us full on the flight home, and we were very grateful for the nice, big drink!
Where is your favourite place to get plant-based food in Barcelona? Are there any new places or old favourites that we've missed? Leave us a comment to let us know (and others who might be visiting too!)
Recommendations
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Where should I stay?
The most expensive thing you'll likely pay for in Barcelona is your accommodation. But there are some cost-effective solutions. If you're up for a cheap, but clean and friendly dorm, Sant Jordi Hostel Gracia is really loved within this city, with a convenient location and modern facilities. For really beautiful, boutique-style private rooms, close to some of the many attractions, try Primavera Hostel - one of the top rated hostels with private rooms in all of Barcelona!
Tours & Experiences
There is a lot to see and do in Barcelona - and because the city is pretty spread out, it can be difficult to know how to maximise your time and see everything. We are very used to organising our travel time, and still we didn't manage to see everything on our list! If you're short on time, or prefer a professional to do the planning and coordinate the travel for you, this Barcelona in One Day tour includes transportation between all of the top sights in the city! Or if that's not for you, check out some of the top-rated Viator tours below!
Please note that the tours displayed below are automatically selected for their popularity by Viator, not chosen or recommended by us. Please check whether any food or drink based tours are suitable for your dietary requirements, and any animal-based experiences are ethical, before booking!
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