After the immense success of my last vegan guides to Tel Aviv – Tokyo – Koh Phangan and Berlin – this one follows right in their footsteps! Lisbon really impressed me and managed to tick all the boxes for a great vegan city getaway! The locals were some of the nicest, most openminded and cutest people I’ve ever met in a capital, impressively fluent in English (and even Spanish so double plus for me) and I had such a wonderful time I can’t wait to be back! Also, for more travel tips on Portugal check out these two posts:
Vegan Van Tour: Portugal
If you’re following me on Instagram, you probably already saw tons of these pictures since I’ve bombarded my followers with my Portugal travels for the past month, but here’s the whole collection! 🙂 In this vegan guide to Lisbon you’ll find all my tips on where to stay, where to eat and what to do in a few days in this charming city! Of course I didn’t visit every restaurant that has a vegan option in the city, but I covered most of them! If you feel like I missed an essential one, let me know in the comments down below! If you like reading my guides please leave me a comment and follow me on my Instagram, Facebook and YouTube channels for more travel/foodie content!
Where to stay?
There are tons of options as to where you could stay in this city. Personally, I’ve stayed at 2 different places which I can all totally recommend! I’ve included options for different budgets – depending on your level of comfort and needs! Prices are per night for 2 people (might differ depending on season):
Friendly Hills Hostel
≈$70
A beautiful hostel right inside the cute little cobblestone streets of Bairro Alto. We had a really nice, private room with a queen size bed, a balcony with beautiful views and breakfast is included (vegan pancakes hellooo – yes you’ve heard that right!). The hostel is inside one of those picturesque old buildings, very charming and the rooms have a minimalist design – providing everything one might need (small desk, mirror, wardrobe). The place was a former student apartment turned hostel so it really has that homey feeling to it. The bathrooms are fully equipped and everything is very clean! You even have access to a kitchen with fridge etc. and the location is right inside one of the best neighborhoods (might get a bit louder in the evenings though).
LX Boutique Hotel
≈$180
This charming boutique hotel is such a gem in the perfect location! They’re located just opposite to the river so you can choose between river or city view. The building itself is in a pastel blue and part of the famous pink street (see photo below) which makes for colorful photos! It’s close to everything and they offer a bomb vegan breakfast that completely exceeded my expectations. I told them in advance that I was vegan and they were super open about it and bought vegan cheese, breakfast spreads, yogurts, milks, etc. especially for me! Another big plus is that they’re just a 10 second walk away from the best vegan-friendly bakery + the best vegan crepes in town! Actually one of the hotel staff members explicitly recommended the vegan crepes to me! 🙂
For more accommodations – check HERE!
Where to eat?
Zarzuela
This post wouldn’t be complete if I wouldn’t tell you where to find a vegan version of the Portuguese national treasure: pastéis de nata! 🙂 If you have no idea what a pastel de nata is, let me enlighten you. The literal translation is cream cake but it is in fact some sort of vanilla custard tart. Usually they’re obviously made with eggs and dairy but the amazing people at Zarzuela are kind enough to offer vegan and also gluten-free versions for us special people! 😉 Zarzuela is a very traditional bakery where you’ll find lots of sweet and a few savory goodies. Apart from vegan pastéis de nata they also have other vegan goodies like donut holes (which you can fill with vegan chocolate per request), filled croissants, etc. Let me just say they are a great place to stop by in the morning or during the day for your dose of sugary awesomeness. Definitely NOT healthy but definitely SO delicious! 😛 There are a few other places where you can find those little glorious tarts including Vegana Burgers, Princesa do Castelo and sometimes AO26.
Zarzuela
R. Bernardino Costa 21-23, 1200-052 Lisboa, Portugal
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Juicy Lisboa
The perfect place for a delicious breakfast or lunch! They have amazing juices, smoothies, açaí bowls, homemade flatbreads with za’atar, chia pudding, granola bowls, pb & avocado toasts, and more! The places is beautifully designed and very environmentally conscious (metal straws, etc.). It’s a little bit expensive but you get an amazing array of vegan goodies, and super fresh and high quality ingredients to give you a boost for the day!
Juicy Lisboa
Rua de S. Julião 70, 1100-048 Lisboa, Portugal
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AO26 – Vegan Food Project
Vegan dining at its best! AO26 reminds me so much of one of those amazing high class Tel Avivi vegan restaurants! It’s probably one of the best known restaurants in Lisbon and truly something special. They offer veganized local food like francesinha (basically a sandwich consisting of sausages, white toast and cheese – not my taste) and vegan junk food like ‘steaks’. My friend and I went for the special things on the menu, which, in retrospect wasn’t the best idea. The francesinha is a very weird dish by itself (meat, white toast and cheese) and the vegan version can’t really be made any better! 😀 The steak was tasty, especially the creamy mushroom sauce but taste wise I’ve had better. I would definitely choose one of their more wholesome dishes next time like risotto, soups, pasta dishes which includes more greens and fresh veggies as they looked outstanding and are very high-quality at this place. They had an awesome homemade beetroot pasta dish which I wish I had taken but oh well. So don’t make the same mistake I did and just order something for the ‘wow’ effect! 😉 Definitely recommend this place though. Oh, and also – their desserts are superb! We had a lime cheesecake which was creamy heaven! It’s very busy in the evenings and especially on the weekend so make sure to get a reservation!
AO26 – Vegan Food Project
R. Vítor Cordon 26, 1200-484 Lisboa, Portugal
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Veganeats Caffe
Small vegan bakery with some of the best desserts in the city! If you want to taste some Portuguese desserts that are both traditional and vegan, this is the right place to come. The cakes are absolutely drool-worthy (pineapple cake with salted caramel, sweet potato cake, chocolate cake – which is their specialty, rosquilha with peanut butter and so much more) and it’s run by an incredibly friendly family. The perfect place to have an affordable yet delicious breakfast or afternoon tea! They also sell cookies and salty snacks, which are also very very good.
Jardim das Cerejas
Possibly one of my favorite places in town as it’s crazy delicious and super affordable! I’ve found that eating out in Lisbon is much more expensive that I thought it would be. Definitely more expensive than Berlin and kind of already in the Tel Aviv range. So finding a place like Jardim das Cerejas is essential! They offer a fixed price vegan all-you-can-eat buffet of hot entrees, salads, several main dishes and sauces. They have exquisite food changing everyday from vegan lasagna, pizza, other pasta dishes, curries, etc. and the taste REALLY surprised me. I went there twice for lunch during my stay and left so full for only 8,50€ (+ another 1,50€ for a freshly squeezed OJ)! Would probably come there with my own containers for takeaway every other day if I would live in Lisbon (you even get an extra discount for takeaway). They also always have a minimum of 2-3 awesome looking vegan cakes but I never had enough space left to actually try them! 😉
This concept must be going really well for them as they opened another Jardim das Cerejas II in the city – lucky for us!
Jardim das Cerejas
Calçada Sacramento 36, 1200-022 Lisboa, Portugal
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Eight – The Health Lounge
Completely vegan cafe in the city centre. The menu includes salads, grilled sandwiches, smoothie bowls, juices, and tea/coffee. Good selection of healthy dishes, both hot and cold. Great place to come and relax while nourishing your body with some healthy vegan food! They also offer a lot of gluten-free, raw and refined sugar-free options!
The Green Affair
Cozinha de Alecrim
All vegan, homemade healthy food in a very cute and small place! 🙂 A great option to have lunch in and around Príncipe Real. The Dishes are deliciously well cooked and balanced. They have a menu of the day which changes throughout the week and offer very affordable dishes!
Princesa do Castelo
We found this little vegan place by accident after strolling through the flea market and the tiny streets around the Castelo do S. Jorge for hours. The staff was kind of unfriendly but the food was good! Found an awesome pastel de nata here and their brunch bowl (overnight fruity oats, couscous + tomato bean stew, vegan cheese and toasts) was decent. Wouldn’t go out of my way to eat at this place but it’s great if you’re in the area!
Princesa do Castelo
Rua do Salvador 64A, 1100-466 Lisboa, Portugal
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Moko Veggie Cafe
Cute little bakery & cafe with tons of vegan options, like juices, dumplings, soups, sandwiches, cakes, croissants, fake meats and cheeses, and more. Perfect for a cold and rainy day or just a quick snack (it’s a really small place)! Super friendly owners that are extraordinarily sweet and helpful! Definitely recommend if you’re in the area!
The Food Temple
Possibly one of my favorite food experiences in the city! This place came highly recommend by many of my followers and it completely blew my mind. It is a bit difficult to find but we just asked the first best stranger for directions and immediately found it. The restaurant is located in a beautiful courtyard with seating on the steps right outside. It’s very picturesque and charming. Unfortunately for us the outer seating area was completely booked for a birthday celebration but indoor was also fine. If you can, sit outdoors though (reservations come in handy here – always full and very small space)! It is such a beautiful place run by the kindest people creating mouthwatering vegan food! Dinner is served in the way of changing tapas with a daily main dish as well. It’s an open kitchen style so we were sitting less than 1 meter away from the cooks! 🙂 Everything is so fresh and tasty! The staff is amazing and you just feel like home! We had several starters including pasta and potato salad, some sort of mushroomy antipasti and a delicious green salad (it’s kind of a blur but was SO tasty) and as a main dish had a vegan seafood bowl – which is something I had never seen before anywhere else! They literally made VEGAN SHRIMP out of potato starch and algae tasting like shrimp!!! Say whaaat? They actually tested out that dish the night I was there for the first time (lucky me) and I hope they keep it on the menu as it’s divine! It comes in form of a stew filled with rice, beans, algae, vegan shrimps and all kinds of veggies. So so good. Dessert was an awesome creme brûlée and bounty bars! 🙂
The Food Temple
Beco do Jasmim 18, 1100-289 Lisboa, Portugal
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PSI
Cozy little vegetarian restaurant located in a park offering mixed Asian and international cuisine. Really nice atmosphere with very tasty food!
O Antigo Talho
I came to this little vegan gem just about 5 minutes before it closed but I’m so glad I didn’t miss it. It’s a great little cafe on the first floor with a eco-friendly – fair fashion store on the ground floor. The lovely staff went out of his way to improvise some delicious food as he ran out of a lot of ingredients already since it was the end of the day but it was still so tasty! It’s a super cozy place offering delicious vegan wraps, kombucha, cakes, salads, soups, quiche and so much more. I have no idea how they make that quiche but it was the best damn quiche I’ve ever had in my life! they also really ace the salads at this place! This would definitely be one of my regulars if I’d live in Lisbon. It also has a great atmosphere and is the perfect little vegan cafe to get some work done while munching on some amazing food!
O Antigo Talho
Av. Duque de Loulé 85, 1050-089 Lisboa, Portugal
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Scoop n’ Dough, Amorino Gelato & Myiced Baixa
Great options for vegan ice cream to cool down during those hot days in the city! Scopp ‘n Dough is a relatively new place that comes highly recommended by local vegans so make sure to check it out when you’re in the area! I think Amorino is an international chain with a few stores in Lisbon. They make the ice cream in a flower shape and usually serve it with a macaron on top but unfortunately that is not vegan. The dark chocolate, strawberry and passionfruit were super tasty though!
Myiced Baixa is a great place for some vegan froyo!
Sama Sama
Best vegan crepes I’ve ever had! Yep – I’ve said it! These are so damn good! I went to Sama Sama just before 12:00 when their menu changes apparently so I still got the ‘Hannah’ crepe which was filled with avocado, tomato, seeds, vegan cheese and I added extra sprouts! This was a fully delicious and nourishing meal right there for 7€ so it’s a great ‘cheaper’ find in the city! 😉 And if you’re really smart you stop for a vegan pastel de nata at Zarzuela after since it’s just 10 meters away! 🙂
Sama Sama
Tv. Corpo Santo 7, 1200-131 Lisboa, Portugal
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Dona Flor Cafe
Vegan bistro inside a eco-friendly concept store serving tea, coffee, and snack foods like pizza, toast, pie, quiche, and sandwiches. Great place for breakfast or lunch (try the brunch plate), with wonderful homemade food and a cosy atmosphere. They also offer smoothies, juices, salads and cakes. There are gluten-free options for the sandwiches and cakes.
Farm Food Ink Cafe
Charming little places serving Israeli/Arab cuisine with the best falafel in Lisbon. They also serve hummus, sabich, tahini, cauliflower, shakshuka, and many fresh juices (everything can be requested vegan). Lovely atmosphere with amazingly friendly staff!
Pizzeria Romanio al Taglio
Not the best vegan pizza I’ve ever had since it’s without vegan cheese but very interesting topping options and a great takeaway options right in the city center! Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to the other great vegan pizza place in Lisbon called ‘Primo Basilico’ but if you get the chance – make sure to check them both out!
Pizzeria Romanio al Taglio
Rua da Conceição 44, 1100-154 Lisboa, Portugal
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Primo Basílico
R. dos Remédios 37, 1100-441 Lisboa, Portugal
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My Mother’s Daughters
Lovely cafe serving healthy food using whole food ingredients! The perfect place for a great brunch full of fresh juices, quiches, vegan yogurts, tartines, soups, ‘eggs benedict’, teas and pies! Decorated with a lot of love and attention to detail using recycled items. Very big plus for using seasonal veggies and fruits and focussing on reducing waste! Awesome place with great food!
O Botanista
All vegan restaurant run by the same owner as AO26, however with a different angle. Mostly wholesome unprocessed foods that are homemade! Lovely atmosphere, friendly service, and amazing food (superb desserts). Anything your heart could desire from matcha lattes to mushroom tempeh burgers, bruschetta, hash browns, waffles, black pasta with mushrooms and truffled asparagus, chocolate mousse and lemon tart. Definitely a great spot for a breakfast or lunch!
What to do?
There are SO many fun things Lisbon has to offer so below you’ll find a small collection of my favorite activities & places to go! I love that Lisbon is such a walkable city and you can almost do anything by foot! Fair enough I walked about 10-15 km each day which made up for all of the great vegan feasts I had! 🙂
- Go to the flea market ‘Feira da Ladra’
- Explore the small streets of Chiado and Bairro Alto
- Visit the Botanic Garden
- Check out the fair fashion store ‘Fair Bazaar’ and vintage second hand store ‘A Outra Face da Lua’
- Visit the Museum of Azulejos (or simply find them throughout the city)
- Buy some local handmade ceramics at LX Factory, Ceramicas na Linha or ICON Life & Style
- Walk up to a Miradoura for breathtaking city views
- Hang out in the bars of Bairro Alto
- Enjoy the sunset at the river front of Praca do Comercio
- Take a carreira through the city
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