Madrid’s top six plant-based restaurants

By News Room On Mar 6, 2024

This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to Madrid

Madrid is mad about meat. The city takes pride in its regional delicacies, such as callos a la madrileña (tripe stew), bocadillo de calamares (a crusty baguette chopped in half and stuffed with fried calamari rings) and, of course, jamón ibérico. And rightly so — Spanish cuisine is rising through the ranks, frequently featuring in the top five of the world’s best. It is also among the countries boasting the most Michelin-starred restaurants, with a total of 271, making Madrid an ideal destination for a gourmet getaway.

Yet there’s a complexity to Spain’s food scene, especially the capital city’s, that often goes unrecognised. Civilisations as early as the Phoenicians and the Romans left an imprint on the Spanish diet. When Madrid was named capital by King Felipe II in the 16th century, it became a melting pot of cultures. The city’s cuisine has been shaped by the culinary traditions it absorbed from an extensive history of migrants.

Madrid’s gastronomy still shifts today. Its dining scene is continually nourished by its immigrant population, and more recently, an upsurge in plant-based diets. Traditional Spanish restaurants are increasingly making an effort to provide meat-free options. But the number of specifically vegetarian and vegan dining spots that have opened in the past decade has presented a quiet revolution, offering both Spanish and foreign cuisines, and often a fusion of both. Today, eating meatless in Madrid is an unexpected delight.

Distrito Vegano

Calle del Conde de Romanones 10, 28012 Madrid

Good for: Breakfast — its baked goods were truly a highlight
Not so good for: Big groups. It’s an intimate space
FYI: make you you arrive hungry — portions are generous
Prices: Baked goods, from €3. Dishes, €8.90–€18.90; tapas menu for two or more, €28 per person
Opening times: Tuesday–Thursday, 10am–midnight; Friday–Saturday,

10am–1am; Sunday, 10am–11pm
Website; Directions

If there is one thing I would miss in a vegan diet, it’s butter. Not just for slathering on bread, but for achieving the golden flakes of a freshly baked pastry. But at Distrito Vegano, an all-day restaurant in multicultural Lavapiés, the dairy substitute that they use for their croissants and pains au chocolat is a convincing alternative. Executive chef and co-founder Pablo Donoso celebrates this resemblance. He says they try to demonstrate through quality raw ingredients that plant-based food can be full of “flavours and nuances”, which “has nothing to envy of traditional cuisine”.

Diners equally as hesitant as I was to butter-free pastries will instead be pleasantly surprised by an array of sweet and savoury options, including a croissant delicately filled with violet cream and white chocolate, and another topped with smoked “salmon” (nori with omega-3 fatty acids and linseed oil), crushed avocado and rocket. Donoso says the menu alternates every six months. One of the most popular dishes is the homemade focaccia, a family recipe that requires a long fermentation.

Distrito Vegano began, after all, as a family project, and still very much feels like one. “[It] was born with the idea of creating a quality restaurant, which brings people closer to a concept of traditional food,” says Donoso.

Mudrá

Calle de Recoletas 13, 28001 Madrid

Good for: Innovative cuisine fusion bursting with flavour. It is also the right setting for many different occasions: business, family or otherwise
Not so good for: Those looking for an lively ambience — the atmosphere is relaxed
FYI: It was opened by renowned chef Matthew Kenney, who has established a fleet of vegan restaurants across five continents, including Mudrá’s sibling restaurant in Buenos Aires
Prices: Dishes, €14–€28
Opening times: Monday–Thursday, 1pm–4pm and 8pm–midnight; Friday–Sunday, 1pm–5pm and 8pm–midnight
Website; Directions

Mudrá takes its name from the Sanskrit word for “gesture”, which derives from mud, which translates as “delight”. The inventive merging of familiar tastes with original spicy and herbal seasonings fits perfectly into this vision — it’s no wonder the establishment has appeared for two years consecutively in the Michelin guide. Chief executive officer and founder Ricardo Gabriel Da Silva says plant-based restaurants are increasingly popping up in Madrid. However, “it may evolve more slowly than other large cities because Madrid has a long history of traditional gastronomy”, he admits.

To begin with, they surprised us with toasted sourdough bread accompanied with an oat and coconut spread. The cream tones, a contrast to the vibrantly coloured dishes we were later served, provided a deceptive burst of flavour. I then enjoyed the stir-fried rice noodles in a spiced cashew sauce, with grilled tempeh, seaweed and Brussels sprouts — the creaminess of which made me doubt I was eating vegan food. It was rich, enough so to feel satiated but by no means too full to stroll down the nearby Paseo del Prado, the city’s avenue of art. My companion went for the tikka masala cannelloni — a fascinating fusion, he said.

Artemisa (Huertas)

Calle de Ventura de la Vega 4, 28014 Madrid

Good for: Vegetarians — cheese, eggs and yoghurt are all on the menu
Not so good for: A quiet bite. It’s a favoured haunt of family groups
FYI: There is another branch just a stone’s throw from Gran Vía
Prices: Vegan menu, €5.95–€14.90. Vegetarian menu, €5.95–€15.90. Sharing platters (for two), €29.90
Opening times: Daily, 1.30am–4pm and 8.30pm–11pm
Website; Directions

Artemisa was ahead of the wave of meatless restaurants in Madrid — it started serving its healthy Spanish dishes and a variety of international food in 1990. For eight years, it has been entirely gluten-free. If you are after fuss-free dining in a laidback, homey setting, this should be your endpoint. They even have two separate menus: one for vegans, and another for vegetarians.

Wanting to taste an assortment of Artemisa’s signature dishes, we shared the vegetarian starter platter. I polished off the spinach and feta tart, then moving on to a boletus croquette — perfectly crispy on the outside and nice and soft, but not mushy, on the inside. The fried courgette bites stuffed with a smooth vegetable pâté and cabrales sauce (made with a blue cheese from the north-west region of of Asturias) will make you want to return for more.

The menú del día (menu of the day) is €14.95 and changes every day. The three-course prix fixe (which also includes a glass of wine, beer or soft drink) usually offers a few different dishes to choose from, such as a green soy stew or a creamy leek soup to start, a tasting platter or stuffed courgette for the main, and a slice of chocolate cake or a Greek yoghurt with chia and blackberry compote for dessert. It can be catered to vegans or vegetarians — and is always coeliac-friendly.

La Hummuseria

Calle de Hernán Cortés 8, 28004 Madrid

Good for: Hummus-lovers will find few better places. Fresh batches are made throughout the day
Not so good for: A formal business lunch or dinner
FYI: The menu of the day is offered Monday to Friday until 4.30pm (except during holidays) and includes a drink, harira soup or potatoes in za’atar pesto, hummus or white beans with rice, and a coffee, tea or dessert for €13.90
Prices: Dishes, €7.50–€12.90
Opening times: Daily, 1.30pm–11pm
Website; Directions

The hummus from here is unforgettable, really — I’ve struggled to find another that’s on par. Its co-founder, Lotem Gaziel, calls their recipe “a labour of love”, involving blending overnight soaked chickpeas with high-quality tahini, fresh lemon juice and a secret blend of spices, and it’s served warm, which complements its light, fluffy texture.

A good way to approach the menu here is to share a couple of dishes, but bear in mind, the portions are generous. The menu offers a selection of Middle Eastern “slow foods”, a process that focuses on savouring traditional cuisines by promoting sustainability and the use of local ingredients. This served as Gaziel and his partner and co-founder Shai’s inspiration for opening La Hummuseria in 2015. Middle Eastern cuisine is “full of strong flavours and fresh ingredients”, he says.

While the signature dish is, of course, the classic hummus, it can be ordered plain or with a selection of toppings, and is always served with warm pita. We ordered hummus with grilled cauliflower and almonds, while Gaziel described the shakshuka (poached eggs in a tomato sauce) as another “star dish”. La Hummuseria is not the place to go if you are on the hunt for an adventurous vegetarian culinary experience. But the food is never bland — it is packed with flavour, filling and, for the health-conscious, also deeply nutritious.

Bite Me Café

Plaza de la Beata María Ana de Jesús 2, 28045 Madrid

Good for: A quick snack to go
Not so good for: A private chat — a lot of the seating is communal
FYI: Doughnuts can be ordered in advance to avoid queueing, and it does home deliveries
Prices: Doughnuts, €2.50-€5.50
Opening times: Daily, 10am-8.30pm
Website; Directions

For me, Bite Me Café is all about the vegan doughnuts. The selection changes every week, with flavours varying from Baileys “buttercream” and carrot cake to nacho and beans and jalapeño popper. The café also serves breakfast and snacks such as toast and bagels, made from its homemade dough.

It’s an ideal spot if you are just looking for a quick bite. It is busy behind the counter, but staff are friendly and happy to share recommendations. The brick-lined room brightened with warm lights is cosy and, while I must say I am sometimes unconvinced by the communal-seating uprising, I opted for the long wooden table. It was busy enough to turn to others for a chat and intimate enough to allow for a quick read.

I had a mouthwatering pistachio banoffee doughnut with a London Fog, a strong cup of Earl Grey topped with steamed oat milk (in this case) and sweetener that here is served with a sprinkling of dried lavender on top. The drinks at Bite Me Café are just as creative as the doughnuts, with special effort put into pretty presentation.

Choose

Calle de Segovia 17, 28005 Madrid

Good for: Traditional Italian cuisine with a plant-based spin
Not so good for: The experimental
FYI: Tables are nicely distributed and there are several dining rooms, so discretion is almost guaranteed
Prices: Dishes, €14-€22
Opening times: Daily, 1pm-midnight
Website; Directions

If you are eager for the familiarity of a pizza or a comforting bowl of pasta, this is the place. Choose is Spain’s first vegan Sicilian restaurant and wine bar, which opened its doors, bravely, in June 2020. Its menu is oozing with the island’s best dishes, from arancini al ragù and carciofi (artichokes) alla Siciliana to paccheri al pistacchio. It’s in La Latina, one of Madrid’s oldest neighbourhoods, and a short walk from the Royal Palace. I was met with traditional Italian hospitality, which fits in well with a city as welcoming as this.

I ordered the gnocchi with a gorgonzola sauce, topped with courgette and a plant-based take on shrimp (made of potato starch, konjac powder, seaweed and soy protein), and sprinkled with chives and vegan parmesan. I went for this option because I was sceptical about plant-based gorgonzola, not to mention fish-free shrimp. Nonetheless, I was amazed. The “gorgonzola” (made of coconut oil, starch and tapioca) was creamy with pleasing umami notes. The “shrimp” offered a faint taste of the seaside and a satisfying crunch.

At Choose, they hope to preserve the essence of Sicilian gastronomy while protecting animals and marine life. Here, they reimagine and refashion well-known Italian favourites with vegan ingredients to help create a more sustainable future, where the art of cooking is not diminished.

Who in your opinion does the best plant-based food in Madrid? Tell us in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter

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