While Spain is famous for its meats and seafood, there is a world of wonderful options for vegetarian and vegan travelers to explore both traditional and modern Spanish cuisine. The Spanish kitchen has always relied heavily on local vegetables, beans and eggs. Fried Padrón peppers from Galicia, the Catalan roasted vegetable melange known as escalivada, the ubiquitous tortilla española (Spanish egg and potato omelet) — there is an incredible range of vegetarian dishes to try in Madrid! For vegan visitors, Spanish menus can be a bit challenging, but there are always delicious dishes if you know where to look.

To help you plan your culinary adventure, we’ve put together the following guide to eating vegetarian and vegan in Madrid. From breakfast to tapas, we’ve got you covered with the best dishes to order as well as the restaurants who are doing them best!

Breakfast

Breakfast in Spain is traditionally not much more than a café con leche (coffee with milk) and a toasted slice of country bread. That said, abundant brunches have sprung up throughout Spain with everything from avocado toast to Eggs Benedict.

Some classic Spanish breakfast dishes that are meat-free include:

• Tostada con tomate: There are few greater pleasures than drizzling olive oil and spooning fresh tomato puree over a just-toasted baguette. Thankfully this vegan breakfast option is available at most cafés in Madrid. If you’re looking for a sweet breakfast treat you can have your tostada (toast) with butter and jam or a wide range of croissants and pastries. 

• Tortilla Española: For a heartier start to the day, try a slice of the traditional Spanish omelet. With just two or three ingredients (eggs, potatoes and sometimes onion), this vegetarian breakfast option is a must-try when in Madrid!

A quick note about milk for your café con leche. In recent years, many cafés and restaurants have started stocking soy, oat or even almond milk. If you’d like a plant-based milk in your coffee, just ask for “leche de soja” (soy milk) or “leche de avena” (oat milk).

Lunch

We love a menú del día, the set lunch menu that includes a first and second course, a drink, bread and dessert. First course options lean towards soups, salads, rice, bean, pasta and egg dishes. This is where most vegetarian options can be found. Second-course offerings are usually pork, beef, fish or chicken served with salad and potatoes. You can always order 2 first courses which will be plenty of food for a filling lunch (be sure to save room for dessert!). 

Some great vegetarian options that can often be found on a menú del día:

• Gazpacho: Spain’s iconic cold tomato soup

• Salmorejo: Gazpacho’s creamier cousin. Be sure to ask for it “sin jamón” (without jamón) since cured ham is a traditional garnish.

• Ensalada verde: A green salad. Beware of the ever-present “ensalada mixta” since it usually has tuna. You can always ask for an ensalada mixta “sin atún” (without tuna) for a crunchy jumble of lettuce, tomato, hard-boiled eggs, olives and other pickled vegetables.

• Crema de verduras: puréed vegetable soup, usually made without cream

• Revuelto: Revueltos (egg scrambles) are available throughout the year featuring seasonal vegetables like asparagus or mushrooms. They often have gambas (shrimp) so you can ask for them to be omitted. 

• Setas a la plancha: grilled mushrooms typically drizzled with garlic, parsley and olive oil

• Garbanzos con espinacas: hearty chickpea and spinach stew

For a light or on-the-go lunch, there are plenty of traditional cafés that serve bocadillos (hearty baguette sandwiches). These are simple and straightforward. Try a bocadillo de queso, a baguette stuffed with sliced manchego cheese. Maybe ask for a few slices of tomato as well. Another option is a bocadillo de tortilla francesa, a baguette filled with a plain egg omelet.

Hot tip: beware of sandwiches labeled “vegetal”. They usually have ham or tuna!

Tapas, tapas, tapas!

Tapas bars are known for their cured meats, fresh seafood and all manner of stewed, grilled and fried meat. These days, particularly in Madrid, restaurants and tapas bars are more and more prepared for vegetarian guests! Most restaurants and tapas bars have at least a few vegetarian/vegan options. If you have any questions you can ask the waiter/bartender to suggest some meat-free dishes. 

We like to say that there’s a tapas cannon: menu items that can typically be found in bars and restaurants in Madrid and throughout Spain. The following list highlights traditional tapas and raciones (larger sharing plates) from that cannon that happen to be vegetarian or vegan:

Traditional Vegan Tapas in Madrid

• Aceitunas: small dish of olives

• Pimientos de Padrón: lightly fried green peppers showered in coarse salt

• Escalivada: roasted vegetable salad with peppers, onions and eggplant (a Catalan dish that has made its way around Spain). Usually served chilled or at room temperature.

• Espárragos a la plancha: grilled asparagus

• Patatas bravas: fried potatoes with a spicy red sauce

• Parrillada de verduras: mixed roasted vegetable platter normally including eggplant, zucchini, tomato, onion and asparagus

• Ensalada verde: green salad, usually with lettuce, onions and tomatoes

• Ensalada de tomate: tomato salad with olive oil and coarse salt

• Champiñones al ajillo: garlic grilled mushrooms

• Setas a la plancha: grilled oyster mushrooms

• Salmorejo: Luxurious gazpacho-style cold soup thickened with bread (ask for it without the chopped egg and ham topping).

• Pisto: Spanish ratatouille. This is often served with a fried egg on top. If you don’t want the egg, ask for it “sin huevo”.

• Berenjena frita: lightly breaded and fried eggplant often drizzled with honey. This dish was once described to us as “Spain’s onion rings”.

• Chips de alcachofa: fried artichoke hearts

• Alcachofas a la plancha: Grilled artichokes. These are often served with diced ham on top. Be sure to ask for them “sin jamón”!

• Hummus: While not traditionally Spanish, many bars and restaurants now offer hummus as a tapa or sharing plate.

Papas con mojo (salt-crusted potatoes with a tangy dipping sauce), fried green peppers, a garlicky tomato salad and multi-colored bean and vegetable spreads are wonderful options for vegan tapas!

Vegetarian tapas and raciones

• Tortilla española/de patatas: ubiquitous egg and potato omelet (like a big frittata!) that is available at most bars and restaurants throughout the day

• Revuelto: a revuelto is like scrambled eggs for lunch or dinner mixed with other ingredients. Look for one with espárragos/asparagus, ajetes/garlic shoots or setas/mushrooms.

• Huevos rotos: Fried eggs on top of homemade French fries. Ask if they can put pimientos de padrón on top instead of ham or chorizo.

• Tabla de queso: cheese board featuring Spanish cheeses 

• Tosta de queso de cabra y cebolla caramelizada: a grilled, open-faced sandwich with goat’s cheese and caramelized onions

• Patatas alioli: fried or steamed potatoes smothered in garlicky alioli sauce

• Croquetas de boletus/setas/queso/espinacas: creamy bechamel sauce studded with mushroom, cheese or spinach which is then breaded and fried to dreamy perfection.

Hot tip: Meat and seafood can be sneaky. There can be jamón sprinkled on grilled artichokes or bits of chorizo in a garbanzo stew. Double check with the waiter if a dish is vegetarian and/or use your Google translate to review the menu.

Traditional Spanish Restaurants with great vegetarian Food in Madrid

• Mesón del Champiñón: A literal hole in the wall behind (technically under) the Plaza Mayor. They are happy to make their signature grilled mushrooms without the chorizo, but with plenty of olive oil and garlic! 

• PaellaMar: This off-the-beaten-path restaurant in Mercado Tirso de Molina beside the Madrid Río park makes an excellent vegetable paella. It’s the perfect place to try this Spanish treat in Madrid!

• Cervecería Los Gatos: The glass cases set up along the bar dazzle visitors with all kinds of tostas, beautiful toppings perched on bread. There are plenty of cheesy and veggie-loaded options to choose from at this classic tapas bar in the Literary Quarter. 

• Casa Julio: In Spain, croquetas are their own love language. This little bar in the Malasaña neighborhood specializes in the crispy on the outside creamy on the inside treats. They have an extensive croqueta list with several cheese and vegetable options. 

• Casa Gonzalez: For almost one hundred years, Madrileños have been sipping wine and eating local delicacies at this neighborhood bar in the Literary Quarter. They make lovely cheese plates and a variety of tostas (open-faced sandwiches) including vegan options with artichoke or pepper spread. 

• Pez Tortilla: With several locations around the city, this is the place to go for creative takes on tortilla, Spain’s famous egg and potato omelet. They also have a variety of croquetas and craft beer to round out the meal. 

• Casa Dani: This restaurant tucked into Mercado de la Paz near Retiro Park has what many people consider the best tortilla in the city. Go for an early lunch to beat the crowds then stroll through the beautiful Salamanca neighborhood. They offer a classic menú del día 3-course lunch menu as well!

Global Flavors

We love Spanish cuisine and our mission is to share all the best traditional bites with our guests. That said, Madrid has a thriving international food scene with wonderful options for vegetarian and vegan travelers. If you’re feeling like you need a veggie burger or are dying for crispy tofu, Madrid does not disappoint. In recent years, Madrileños have embraced global flavors and the city center has extensive offerings of international cuisine.

Here are some of our favorite places to sample the best of Madrid’s vegetarian, vegan and vegetarian-friendly global fare:

• Barganzo: For a taste of Tel Aviv in Madrid, head to this buzzing restaurant just north of Gran Via for some of the best hummus, shakshuka and fluffy pita you’ll taste outside of the holy land. 

• Vega: With internationally inspired vegan cuisine, Vega is a great choice for lunch or dinner. They even have plenty of outdoor seating on a quiet street behind Plaza de Esapña.

• Viva Burger: Nestled in the picturesque Plaza de la Paja, this local favorite has great veggie burgers, salads, wraps and sweet treats. 

• Choose: This expansive restaurant on Calle Segovia, just south of the La Latina neighborhood specializes in homemade vegan Italian treats featuring vegan cheese and other fresh ingredients. 

• La Encomienda: This no-frills vegan restaurant in the Lavapies neighborhood features an eclectic menu of international flavors and seasonal fresh dishes. 

• María Bonita: Authentic Mexican fare with several locations throughout the city. The Madrid Río location has beautiful outdoor seating with views of Madrid’s riverwalk park.

From the most traditional taverns to bustling market eateries to the newest restaurants featuring global flavors, more and more there are great vegetarian and vegan options in Madrid.

We are passionate about helping visitors to Madrid discover delicious and unusual bites! Both our De Mercados and De Tapas experiences are fully adaptable for vegetarian and vegan guests. We love sharing the amazing culinary offerings of traditional shops, markets and tapas bars. There are even some surprises along the way so everyone has plenty to taste!