The Best Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurants in Porto, Portugal

When I arrived, I didn’t expect to find many vegan restaurants in Porto. As a general rule, the food in Portugal is meaty, fishy and cheesy. But luckily, I was wrong: there’s vegetarian food in Porto in abundance!

Of course, it’s nothing like the thriving scene in Lisbon, London or Berlin so you just have to dig a little deeper…

OR, simply read my guide to the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Porto because I’ve done the work for you!

Whether you’re vegan or simply need a break from calorific meaty cuisine, I’ll share my discoveries from 3 months living in Porto.

Vegan world traveller? Read my vegan guide to Nuremberg, Germany and my vegan guide to Hoi An, Vietnam.

Porto vegan food – typical Portuguese dishes

On paper, the traditional dishes from Porto are anything but vegetarian. From meaty sandwiches drenched in cheese to an abundance of fresh seafood, you might be wondering how you’ll survive.

Although you’d expect the vegan cafes in Porto to serve world cuisine rather than Portuguese, I was pleasantly surprised to find several restaurants have ‘vegan-ifed’ the cuisine of Porto.

This means you can shovel down vegetarian food in Porto without missing franceshinas or cachorrinhos! No one escapes a carb heart attack 😉

Why should vegans miss out on the carby, calorific feast that is francesinha? Well, because the OG dish consists of steak, sausages, ham, cheese and a fried egg!

Luckily, lots of vegetarian restaurants in Porto substitute the meat for vegan meat or vegetables.

A few of the best include…

• Casanova – although it’s slightly out of the city centre, it’s worth visiting this family-run cafe serving some of the best vegetarian food in Porto. They use Seitan sausage and ‘beef’ in their francesinha, plus the sauce is well-seasoned and the ‘cheese’ is almost indistinguishable from regular cheese. The crispy fries and vegan desserts are also worth a try.
• Francesinhas Al Forno da Baixa – here you have not one but four vegan francesinhas to choose from. The cafe use tofu, Seitan and vegan cheese. If you have space, finish with a vegan dessert.
• Lado B – this is one of the most famous francesinha restaurants in Porto and, as well as the original version, they serve a mean vegan alternative with smoked tofu and vegan sausage.
• Santa Francesinha – these guys don’t hold back on ingredients! They use Seitan steak, soy chorizo and veggies including tomatoes, onions, courgette and mushrooms.

More Porto vegan restaurants

If eating the typical Porto dishes doesn’t appeal and you’d prefer world cuisine, I have plenty of suggestions. The following places serve some of the best vegan food in Porto…

DaTerra is something else! It’s easily the best vegetarian buffet I’ve been to.

Visit daTerra Baixa (the city centre branch) for a spacious cafe with tables for small and large groups. Pay €10.50 for a tasty, sit-down lunch with options including unlimited pasta, salad, quiches, savoury pastries, dips, stews… The list goes on! Pay extra for fresh juices and vegan desserts.

There’s also a branch in Mercado Bom Sucesso. This cafe is only small but you can usually grab a table or bar seat, plus the buffet is regularly restocked. I paid €8.50 here (rather than €10.50 in the Baixa one) and you also get a free drink when dining between 2 and 6pm. Note, it was cash only when I visited.

I would avoid the branch inside Mercado Beira-Rio (on the Nova de Gaia side of the Douro) because it’s a small counter without as many options as the other two locations. There’s also a daTerra in Matashinos but I’ve yet to visit.

Zen Wonderland is the place to be for colourful build-your-own vegan burgers in Porto. Choose a plain, red or blue bun (flavoured with beetroot or spirulina) and patties including black bean, Seitan Stroganoff, soy steak and BBQ jackfruit.

Customise with sauces, veggies and toppings like onion rings, pickles, nachos and crispy onions.

Although the burgers (€9.90) steal the show, there are also pancakes, tortillas and ramen alongside vegan cakes and a nice range of smoothies and shakes. Although it’s closed in the evenings, Zen is a nice lunch spot in a cute, quirky cafe.

Address: Rua das Taipas 72, 4050-597 Porto.

Opening times: 12pm-6pm, closed Sun-Mon.

Vegan cafes in Porto for pastries

Pastelerias are part of the furniture in Portugal but they can be problematic for vegans. The below vegan cafes in Porto will make a refreshing change for anyone who’s been inside a traditional Portuguese bakery and not been able to move for egg custard desserts…

Odete Bakery, Bonfim – this is the best place for vegans in Porto with a sweet tooth! They make a range of delicious desserts from flaky French croissants to gorgeous chocolate tarts, as well as freshly baked bread. Vegan or not, you won’t find better loaves nearby. Try the sourdough sandwiches or vegan pizza, washed down with vegan wine. It’s pricey but worth it.

Note – the pastel de nata at Odete is tiny so I would recommend ordering any of the other pastries instead.

DUH! Vegan – these doughnuts are amazing! This takeaway stand is found at the edge of a small Cedofeita shopping mall housing vintage stores and record stores. Browse the shops and grab a vegan doughnut for €1.80 (cash only). I went for matcha and coconut.

Pastelaria Tupi – another mention for Tupi which is surely the best vegetarian cafe in Porto where baked goods are concerned. There’s a whole separate counter for vegan pastries and they serve coffees with soya or almond milk. Everything’s affordable.

My top tip is to visit early as the pastries start to sell out towards the end of the day.

If you love smoothie bowls, head for a simple and affordable vegan brunch at My Coffee Porto. This cafe has the best location in town overlooking the Douro River. You’ll have to tackle some stairs to reach it… Persevere because it’s worth it!

The acai, red fruits and green smoothie bowls are vegan using ingredients like almond milk, peanut butter and dates.

Address: Escadas do Codeçal 22, 4000-173 Porto.

Zenith Brunch Bar & Cocktails

Still on my vegan Porto wishlist

• O Oriente no Porto – I hear the veggie food here is fresh and tasty with quality francesinhas
• Apuro Vegan Bar – in Cedofeita, this place has great reviews and serves burgers, bowls, organic wine and craft beer
• MANNA – despite being near my place, I’ve not yet made it here. This stylish cafe is known for its organic food, sourdough, matcha, natural wine and yoga classes. All the good stuff!