It won’t take you long to realize that meat rules the roost in Buenos Aires, with a wealth of parrilla restaurants drawing crowds for their steak-based delicacies, but that doesn’t mean that vegetarians have to miss out on all the fun. As with any metropolitan city, the vegan and vegetarian presence in Buenos Aires is growing steadily, and with it come a glut of excellent options for meat-free dining. Hoping to light up your path to the best vegetarian options around, we’ve compiled a list of ten prime locations to add to your food tour itinerary.
Artemisia Cocina Natural
Costa Rica 5893
Sometimes the food in Buenos Aires can leave you feeling a little unhealthy, but Artemisia Cocina Natural provides a perfect antidote with a variety of nutritious and delicious plates. Serving fish as well as vegetarian and vegan dishes, the restaurant’s owners pride themselves on delivering prime ingredients in a homely location, meaning you’re unlikely to be disappointed with a visit to this Palermo gem.
Buenos Aires Verde
Gorriti 5657
Palermo’s veggies are spoiled with this one, which offers a delicious selection of vegetarian and vegan meals, including their highly-praised raw menu. Their masterful kitchen crew cook up everything from lunchtime snacks and revitalising smoothies to the full dinner and dessert experience; we recommend heading for the lasagna and staying for something from the delectable cake selection. With organic ingredients and a creative approach, this Palermo Hollywood café and restaurant is one of the best we’ve taken our seat at this year.
Green Eat
Various locations
It’s usually a good sign when a restaurant is packed at lunchtime, and that’s more often than not the case at Green Eat. Offering fast food of the healthier variety, Green Eat has a good range of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as sushi for the pescatarians. Not necessarily a showstopper kind of place, the chain has a simple game plan and it executes it well: quality food made from perfectly fresh ingredients. With seven branches across the city and an eighth on the way, you shouldn’t be too far from one of these.
Sattva Conciencia Vegetariana
Montevideo 446
Perched in Centro, Sattva is hard to beat for value, with a completely vegetarian or vegan menu that mixes influences from Asia, Mexico and the local cuisine. The bright colours and elegant presentation catch they eye and the excellent flavours are bolder than you normally find in restaurants here, which is probably why it tends to be really busy by 9pm. Sattva also offers gluten-free options, a rarity in Buenos Aires.
Pizza Vegana
Various locations
Pizza’s a big deal in Buenos Aires, but as with most of the cuisine here, vegetarian choices are usually few and far between. No such problem exists at Pizza Vegana, however, where the clue is in the name. No sign of dairy here – who needs it when they vegan cheese is this good? With branches scattered across the city in all of the major districts, Pizza Vegana should be one of the first brands that you familiarise yourself with when you get to Buenos Aires.
Naturaleza Sabia
Balcarce 958
One for the special occasion, Naturaleza Sabia serves up a choice menu which will delight plant lovers with its rich variety of dishes and cosy ambience. A little pricier than some of the other options on the list, perhaps, but you get plenty of bang for your buck, with generous portions and exceptional cooking. We also found there to be good gluten-free options and extremely accommodating service, making for an excellent time all round. The seitan gets an enthusiastic nod of approval from us, and not only because you’ll struggle to find it in many places elsewhere.
Saigon
Bolívar 986
If you’re after meals packed with an abundance of fresh ingredients, Saigon’s the spot. Serving up some of the best Vietnamese food you’ll find anywhere in South America, the street food style restaurant is already a huge favourite among the San Telmo population, with a good selection of craft beers and sweet Asian beverages backing up the exceptional and versatile menu. With tofu and vegetable options for most of the available dishes, it’s one of those spots where you can go with more carnivorous friends safe in the knowledge that everyone leaves a very happy customer. We’d happily wait for a seat at the table when the food’s this good, but get there a bit earlier than normal if you want to beat the queues.
El Banco Rojo
Bolívar 866
What’s a burger joint doing in this list? Well, that’s one is easy. Especially championed by the hungover masses at the weekends, El Banco Rojo is a heaven for anyone needing to chase the previous night’s antics down with a plentiful serving of meat between bread, but it’s also home to what might just be one of the best vegetarian burgers around. With a weekly vegetarian special there’s always the option of changing things up, but we keep going back for the absolutely divine carrot and pumpkin burger, which definitely holds its own against anything else on the menu.
Wednesday market on Enrique Santos Discepolo
Enrique Santos Discepolo 1800-1900
Buenos Aires has plenty of great markets to explore, but if you’re on the lookout for vegetarian, vegan and gluten free products, the one on Enrique Santos Discepolo should be top of your list. Every Miercoles you’ll find the street bustling with vendors selling home-baked breads, vegan snacks, veggie burgers, fresh fruit smoothies and other plant-based products, and all for affordable prices too. Situated just around the corner from the Callao Subte station, the market is small but packs plenty of treats.
Vegetarian buffets
Various locations
This one’s not strictly a single location, or even a single brand, but it’s a top tip for those of you looking to explore the city. There is an abundance of vegetarian buffets all over BA, each serving a plethora of different Chinese and Argentinian style foods which you pay for by according to weight. Cheap, satisfying meals to take away? Sounds good to us. Keep your eyes peeled!
