Europe might be the single best continent on earth for plant-based travelers. Some cities have built entire vegan ecosystems – dedicated supermarkets, fully vegan bars, multi-course tasting menus, and street food that rivals anything in a non-vegan city. Other cities are getting there fast, with a new vegan spot seeming to open every month.
I’ve put together this guide after years of eating my way through Europe, plus a deep dive into what’s currently open, what’s worth your time, and which cities genuinely deserve a spot on a vegan traveler’s list. I’ve organized it by region so you can plan around wherever your trip is taking you, Western Europe, the UK and Ireland, Southern Europe, and Central/Eastern Europe.
A quick heads up before we dive in: I’ve personally verified every restaurant mentioned in this guide is currently open as of this writing. Restaurant scenes move fast, so always double check hours before you go, but you can trust that nothing here is a dead end.
Let’s get into the best vegan-friendly cities in Europe, region by region.
How This Guide Is Organized
Europe is a big place, and “best vegan cities” looks different depending on where you’re starting from. Here’s the breakdown:
- Western Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, France)
- The UK and Ireland
- Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece)
- Central and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia)
- How to pick the right city for your trip
- A few honest notes on where Europe still has room to grow
Jump to whichever region matches your travel plans, or read straight through if you’re still deciding where to go.
Western Europe: The Vegan Powerhouses
Western Europe is where the modern vegan movement really took hold. This is the region with the highest concentration of fully vegan restaurants, dedicated vegan supermarkets, and food cultures that have genuinely embraced plant-based eating as mainstream.
Berlin, Germany – The Vegan Capital of Europe
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: If there’s one city that earns the title of best vegan-friendly city in Europe, it’s Berlin. The scale of it is honestly hard to overstate: dozens of fully vegan restaurants, multiple dedicated vegan supermarket chains, vegan bars, vegan bakeries, and a culture where plant-based eating isn’t a niche lifestyle, it’s just normal.
What makes Berlin different from other vegan-friendly cities is how unpretentious it all feels. This isn’t wellness-industry veganism. It grew out of the city’s punk and counterculture roots, and that DNA is still in the food scene today – casual, a little scrappy, deeply creative, and completely lacking in pretense.
For the full breakdown of where to eat, which neighborhoods to base yourself in, and exactly what makes this city special, the complete vegan Berlin guide covers it all in depth.
Quick hits if you’re short on time:
- Kopps in Prenzlauer Berg is one of the longest-running upscale vegan restaurants in the city
- Vöner serves up vegan döner kebab that’s become a Berlin institution in its own right
- Veganz, the dedicated vegan supermarket chain, has multiple locations across the city and is worth a stop even just to see how a fully vegan grocery store operates
Amsterdam, Netherlands – Compact, Walkable, and Easy to Eat Well
Amsterdam doesn’t always get the same hype as Berlin, but it’s quietly one of the easiest cities in Europe for a vegan traveler. The city is compact enough that you can walk between neighborhoods, and the vegan restaurant density means you’re rarely more than a few minutes from a solid meal.
Vegan Junk Food Bar has multiple locations across the city and is a great option if you’re craving indulgent comfort food done entirely plant-based – loaded burgers, bitterballen, and crispy fries. It’s casual, fun, and consistently busy, so a reservation helps on weekends.
For something more elevated, Bonboon in the Jordaan district is one of the few fully vegan fine-dining restaurants in the city. It’s dinner-only, with a five-course tasting menu that changes every eight weeks, plus optional wine or tea pairings. It’s the kind of place worth booking ahead for a special night out.
Amsterdam’s progressive, eco-conscious culture extends naturally into its food scene, and the city’s flat, walkable layout makes it genuinely easy to plan a full day of eating well without much logistics required.
Paris, France – More Vegan Than You’d Expect
France doesn’t have the reputation Germany or the Netherlands has for vegan dining. Historically French cuisine leans heavily on butter, cream, and cheese. But Paris has changed significantly in recent years.
Dedicated vegan bakeries (I highly recommend Land & Monkeys), a growing number of plant-based bistros, and even vegan cheese shops have popped up across the city. It’s not Berlin-level density, but it’s no longer the vegan desert it once was. The trick in Paris is choosing your neighborhoods wisely, areas like Le Marais and Belleville have the highest concentration of vegan-friendly spots.
The UK and Ireland: Quietly One of the Best Regions in Europe
The UK doesn’t always get top billing in vegan travel conversations, but it absolutely should. London in particular has one of the most developed vegan restaurant scenes anywhere in the world.
London, England – A World-Class Vegan City
London has quietly built one of the most impressive vegan dining scenes on the planet. The variety here is the real standout, you can find vegan versions of practically any cuisine, from Korean to Ethiopian to classic British comfort food, often in the same neighborhood.
Mildreds is the city’s most iconic plant-based restaurant, and for good reason. It’s been serving vegetarian and vegan food since 1988, well before “vegan” was a mainstream word, and the menu has only gotten more ambitious over time. With locations across Soho, Covent Garden, Camden, King’s Cross, Dalston, and Borough Market, you’re rarely far from one no matter where you’re staying in the city. Expect dishes like kimchi fried rice, mushroom ale pot pie, and a fully vegan all-day breakfast.
London also hosts major vegan events throughout the year, making it easy to time a visit around something special. If you want to build a UK trip around a vegan event specifically, the VegFest UK 2026 guide has all the dates and details on the festivals happening across the country this year.
Dublin, Ireland – Smaller Scene, Big Heart
Dublin’s vegan scene is smaller than London’s, but it punches above its weight. The city has a handful of dedicated vegan cafés and a growing number of mainstream restaurants offering genuinely thoughtful plant-based menus. Irish hospitality also tends to make navigating dietary requests easier than you might expect, most places are happy to accommodate if you just ask.
If Ireland is part of a bigger European itinerary, the complete vegan travel guide covers the planning basics that’ll help no matter which cities you’re hitting.
Southern Europe: Mediterranean Cuisine Meets a Growing Vegan Scene
Southern Europe presents an interesting case. The traditional cuisine in this region isn’t naturally vegan the way some Asian or Middle Eastern food cultures are, but the produce, the markets, and increasingly the restaurant scenes make this one of the most rewarding regions to eat well in.
Barcelona, Spain – Markets, Mediterranean Food, and a Booming Vegan Scene
Barcelona has become one of the standout vegan cities in Southern Europe, and the combination of incredible produce markets and a rapidly growing restaurant scene makes it a genuinely exciting place to eat plant-based.
Flax & Kale is one of the city’s most well-known healthy dining spots, with a colorful, plant-forward menu spanning bowls, curries, raw dishes, and fresh juices. It’s worth knowing that Flax & Kale describes itself as “flexitarian” rather than fully vegan, about 80% of the menu is plant-based, with a small selection of fish dishes. If you want fully vegan, look closely at the menu markings, which are clearly labeled.
Beyond the restaurants, La Boqueria market near Las Ramblas is one of the great food markets of Europe, and wandering through it with a market bag is one of the best things a vegan traveler can do in this city. Mountains of fresh produce, dried legumes, nuts, and olives make it easy to put together an incredible meal even without a restaurant reservation.
Rome, Italy – Trickier Cuisine, Extraordinary Produce
Italy is the region’s most challenging stop for vegan travelers, simply because the cuisine is so deeply tied to cheese, butter, and meat-based sauces. But Rome rewards a vegan traveler who knows what to look for. The bread is extraordinary, the produce is decent, and dishes like bruschetta, panzanella, and pasta e fagioli (when made without lard, which is increasingly common) are genuinely delicious and naturally plant-based.
For the full game plan on where to eat in Rome over a few days, the 3-day Rome vegan itinerary breaks down exactly which restaurants, markets, and neighborhoods to prioritize.
Lisbon, Portugal – A Rising Star
Lisbon has quietly become one of the most exciting food cities in Europe overall, and its vegan scene has kept pace. Traditional Portuguese cuisine isn’t naturally vegan-friendly, salt cod is practically a national obsession, but the city’s modern restaurant culture has embraced plant-based dining in a big way.
Ao 26 Vegan Food Project in the Chiado neighborhood is one of the standout spots in the city – a fully vegan restaurant putting a thoughtful, elevated spin on classic Portuguese dishes, including a vegan version of the city’s famous francesinha sandwich. It’s small, cozy, and consistently rated among the best vegan restaurants in Lisbon, so booking ahead is worth it.
Central and Eastern Europe: The Region That’s Catching Up Fast
Central and Eastern Europe historically had a reputation as a tough region for vegan travelers, and generally that reputation still holds outside major cities. But several capital and second-tier cities in this region have transformed dramatically over the past few years.
Prague, Czech Republic – A Genuine Surprise
Prague isn’t the first city that comes to mind for vegan cuisine, and historically Czech food has leaned heavily on meat and dairy. But the city has experienced a real vegan boom, with new plant-based restaurants opening at a steady pace. The combination of affordability, stunning architecture, and a genuinely improving food scene makes Prague worth a serious look for budget-conscious vegan travelers.
Budapest, Hungary – Affordable and Underrated
Budapest offers one of the best value propositions in Europe for vegan travelers – a mix of classic Hungarian comfort food adapted for plant-based diets, plus a solid international street food scene. The city’s thermal bath culture and stunning Buda Castle district make it a worthwhile stop regardless of diet, and the vegan food scene has grown enough that you won’t struggle to eat well here.
Ljubljana, Slovenia – Small City, Big Green Credentials
Ljubljana might be the most underrated entry on this entire list. Slovenia’s capital has an outsized commitment to sustainability, it was named European Green Capital, has an extensive bike-share system, and recycles the overwhelming majority of its waste. That eco-conscious identity extends naturally into the food scene, with a small but genuinely good selection of vegan restaurants drawing influence from traditional Slovenian cooking as well as Asian and African cuisine.
If you are interested in learning more about eco-conscious traveling, 10 reasons to be eco-conscious while traveling is a great place to start. And if you are looking for eco-conscious travel accessories, I have you covered.
How to Pick the Right City for Your Trip
With so many strong options, the right city for you depends on what you’re looking for:
Want the easiest possible vegan trip with zero stress? Berlin and London are your safest bets, the restaurant density is high enough that you genuinely don’t need much of a plan.
Want incredible food as the main event of your trip? Barcelona and Rome offer some of the best overall food cultures in Europe, vegan or otherwise, and reward travelers willing to do a little research.
Traveling on a budget? Prague and Budapest offer excellent value, with growing vegan scenes that won’t strain your wallet.
Want something a little off the beaten path? Ljubljana and Lisbon are both rewarding choices that feel less crowded than the continent’s biggest tourist draws.
And if Europe is just one stop on a bigger trip, the guide to the best vegan travel destinations in the world covers every region worth knowing about, from Asia to Latin America to Africa.
A Few Honest Notes Before You Go
A couple of things worth keeping in mind as you plan:
Restaurant scenes move fast, and even well-established spots can close. Every restaurant mentioned in this guide was confirmed open at the time of writing, but always double-check current hours before heading out, especially for anything requiring a reservation.
And if you’re heading somewhere outside the major cities covered here, the guide on finding vegan food in any country has the strategies that work no matter how small the town or how big the language barrier.
Use HappyCow alongside this guide. Cities change fast, and HappyCow’s real-time reviews are the best way to confirm a spot is still as good as described before you make the trip across town.
Final Thoughts
Europe genuinely earns its reputation as one of the best regions in the world for vegan travel right now. Whether you want the ease of Berlin, the food-forward culture of Barcelona, the variety of London, or the quiet charm of Ljubljana, there’s a city on this list that fits almost any kind of trip you’re planning.
The continent keeps changing fast, too. New restaurants are opening constantly, more cities are catching up to the early leaders, and the whole region is trending in exactly the direction vegan travelers want it to. There’s never been a better time to book that European trip.
And if you’d rather skip the research and let someone who’s already done it handle the planning, get in touch about working together on a custom European itinerary.
Let’s plan your European trip →
What is the most vegan-friendly city in Europe?
Berlin, Germany consistently ranks as the most vegan-friendly city in Europe. The city has dozens of fully vegan restaurants, multiple dedicated vegan supermarket chains, and a food culture where plant-based eating is genuinely mainstream rather than a niche choice.
Is it easy to eat vegan in Italy?
It takes a bit more effort than in cities like Berlin or London, since traditional Italian cuisine relies heavily on cheese, butter, and meat-based sauces. That said, Italy’s produce is good, and naturally vegan dishes like bruschetta, panzanella, and pasta e fagioli make it very manageable with a little awareness of what to order.
Which European city is best for vegan travelers on a budget?
Prague and Budapest both offer excellent value for vegan travelers. Both cities have growing plant-based restaurant scenes, affordable overall costs, and enough options that you won’t struggle to eat well without spending a lot.
Are London restaurants accommodating for vegans?
Yes, extremely. London has one of the most developed vegan dining scenes in the world, with dedicated vegan restaurants like Mildreds offering full menus across multiple locations, plus countless mainstream restaurants with thoughtful plant-based options.
What’s an underrated vegan-friendly city in Europe?
Ljubljana, Slovenia is one of the most underrated picks on the continent. The city’s strong sustainability credentials extend into a genuinely good, if smaller, vegan restaurant scene, and it offers a quieter alternative to Europe’s more crowded tourist destinations.
