People love to call Spain the land of jamón.
Or something strongly implying that it’s not vegan-friendly – just visit any forum, especially Facebook groups.
However, Valencia, Spain’s third largest city, begs to differ.
There are over a dozen vegan restaurants in Valencia plus lots of places with vegan options.
Take that, haters.
Of course, with this many choices, you can’t try them all in a weekend. That’s why we’re here to help! With this guide, you can narrow down the most unique, traditional Valencian food – veganized, or anything that tickles your fancy, for a fantastic vegan Valencia experience.
Valencia is a great city with so much to explore in terms of food, history, culture, nature, and more. Don’t miss our guide of all the great, budget-friendly things to enjoy in the city:
Read more: 20 Amazing Things to Do in Valencia (Free and Cheap!)
Know Your Vegan Food in Valencia: Traditional Valencian Food, Veganized!
Valencia is known for two main foods: paella and horchata.
The region is the birthplace of both paella and the drink orxata (that’s Valencian spelling – horchata is the Spanish word). Make sure you don’t leave Valencia without trying both of these – as often possible!
Orxata
A sweet milky drink served cold. It’s made from xufa tubers (known as tiger nuts in the USA), not rice and cinnamon like horchata in Mexico. Orxata should not traditionally contain milk but you should probably always ask if it contains milk (lleva leche?) just to be safe. You’ll find it being sold everywhere. We ended up trying it on the beach from an organic orxata stand.
Paella
This dish is originally from Valencia but somehow has managed to become known outside of Spain as their unofficial national food. Don’t expect to find authentic paella outside of Valencia except at tourists traps.
Paella is actually the name of the very wide and shallow pan, and traditionally it’s cooked over a wood fire. For practical reasons, you can’t always expect that. However, what makes this dish so deliciously fun is how particular it’s preparation is executed with key ingredients. It’s about using a specific type of rice, like arroz bomba o redondo, along with spices like azafran (saffron) and pimentón, a Spanish smoked paprika.
Any rice mixed with vegetables isn’t necessarily paella, like the tourist traps sprinkled throughout Spain would have you believe.
Case in point: if proprietors rely on posters to show off their paella – skip it. If you can see a big paella pan proudly displaying its edible goodies – order on up.
For a great spot to grab authentic and affordable vegan paella in Valencia:
Buendía Para Llevar
We happened upon on this corner spot on the way to our house sit. This takeaway deli offered up three paellas each day and one is always vegan! Valencia is the origin of paella and while places frequently offer vegetable ones, there’s no guarantee they are vegan – always check what bouillon broth they use. This spot had a proud vegan-friendly stamp on its window and signs. Talk about vegan-friendly Valencia!
I actually spent a couple of New York City summers apprenticing under a paella master from Valencia. Each time, Ricardo would make two massive pans and one was always vegan. So I’m officially a paella snob.
The Paella pan The paella food
The rice is tender, super rich with Spanish olive oil, and so flavorfully seasoned you’ll consider grabbing another ración (portion) to-go.
With a ración at three euros, it’d be hard to beat this spot (intersection of Carrer Pere III el Gran and Carrer Dr. Sumsi) for vegan paella in Valencia. We’re budget travelers, so the price point is important to us!
Read more: 11 Budget Vegan Travel Tips for a Tasty Trip!
They seal it in a to-go container as shown in the picture above. When we last were in Valencia, we were just learning to reduce our plastic use and did not have reusable containers on us. These days, we don’t leave the apartment without our day kit of reusable items! We recommend bringing a reusable container with you to enjoy this vegan paella in Valencia – waste-free!
Read more: Eco-Friendly Packing List
This paella was so damn good, we ended up bringing four portions back to Madrid. Two of those went to our local Madrileño food critic Juan, and he much approved.
UPDATE: A few readers have confirmed that this paella place is still open – thanks guys! Google Street View still shows that it is there but others have had difficulty finding it (see comments at the bottom of this post). This map shows where it is!
Los Manchegos – Traditional Spanish Pastry Shop
A little off the beaten path, in the opposite direction of the tourist attractions, lays a little Valencian gem.
Sure, it may be out of the way, but then it’s totally worth it. The sheer amount of vegan options here is overwhelming, and feels just so damn welcoming.
Why is this such a big deal?
You might be surprised to learn that pastries in Spain tend to contain pig lard. So they’re not vegetarian even if there’s no meat, and we’ve accepted long ago that we wouldn’t be eating most Spanish pastries.
So, we were very excited to find Los Manchegos and its wealth of vegan traditional Spanish pastries in Valencia.
The employee at Los Manchegos was wearing a tee proudly proclaiming her veganism and she was happy to point out that there was a whole vegan section of a deli counter with several stuffed and unstuffed pastries.
And yes, they taste as good as they look. Crispy flaky croissants, super savory chorizo-style stuffings, along with sweet fillings as well. You may even want to plan a second visit, or take some to-go.
Our Top Vegan Restaurants in Valencia
There are 20 completely vegan restaurants in Valencia, which is quite impressive. Vegan Spain isn’t all about Madrid or Barcelona! (Though we can enthusiastically say that the vegan scene in Madrid is amazing – we’ve written a vegan guidebook all about it! Likewise, our friend Caitlin has written the vegan guidebook to Barcelona).
So here we will share places that we think are worth your vegan attention!
Nomït
This was our first meal in Valencia (besides our paella snack). After arriving at our house sit, we were hungry yet Spanish lunch hour was quickly drawing to a close.
Nomït was close-by so we ducked in for a menú del día (lunch special – learn more about this custom in our vegan guide to these lunch specials in Madrid).
The first course was a delicious and refreshing cherry tomato gazpacho, followed by herbed risotto. We were quite pleased.
The biggest treat though, was the postre, or dessert, which was quite grandiose for a menú. Usually, there’s a smaller or simpler dessert offered, but this seemed straight from la carta (the main menu). House-made cookie dough ice cream, with mango whipped cream, all drizzled with chocolate syrup. We’d definitely recommend coming just for this, but everything was delicious.
We never really had a chance to try more, as our time in Valencia was short, but if the lunch menú is anything to go by, we’re sure it’s great. Report back in the comments if you’ve eaten here!
La Mandragora – Pay what you want vegan social solidarity
At La Mandragora, expect anything but convention.
It’s technically a vegan gastronomy association and the first time you eat there you’ll need to register with your name and email at a computer on the counter.
Then you can order at the counter and help yourself to silverware. Two staff members handle all the service as the space quickly fills up with pierced and tattooed patrons. All are welcome though. We saw parents with children, groups of friends, and some solitary diners.
The food is delicious, presented in a restaurant fashion, and could rival any such establishment, despite the iconoclastic interior. Stickers in the bathroom explicitly state that Valencia is not Spain. (To learn more about the history of Spain, check out our 30 Books About Spain to Read Before Your Trip).
When you go to leave, drop whatever you think the meal was worth in the donation can at the counter. Keep in mind that the normal menú del día price is around 8-10 euros, 11-13 if you’re at a nicer place.
The Vurger
Last but especially not least, The Vurger may have been our favorite spot for vegan food in Valencia. It’s Americana fast food meets Valencian hospitality, and it’s so good we came twice, despite only a long weekend in town.
They offer burgers, hot dogs, all the usual sides, and fantastic homemade desserts.
They even have soft-serve ice cream –
Read more in our restaurant profile on The Vurger.
Vegan Valencia Nightlife: Vegan-Friendly Bars in Ruzafa
Ruzafa is one of the hip neighborhoods to go out for tapas and drinking in Valencia. We were lucky to be house sitting right in the area, so we headed out for a night of exploring the offerings for vegan tapas in Valencia.
La Tavernaire – All Vegan
As we walked up to the all-vegan La Tavernaire, the place was surrounded by a crowd happily drinking and smoking on the characteristic high tables stationed outside Spanish bars.
There were no available spots, so we slipped inside and after chatting with the friendly bartender, ordered a couple of baby beers along with papas en mojo (a potato dish from the Canary Islands) and veggie moussaka, and sat down at one of the dark wooden tables by the bar.
Unfortunately, we were a bit disappointed by the food, but the atmosphere was just as we like it – divey and punky. We recommend it for a drink and a hang but maybe not the food. We have heard they do a good vegan paella occasionally, so if you’re there when that happens, be sure to snatch it up and report back!
Note: cash only.
La Consentida
This place was our third and unexpected stop. We had passed by earlier and saw the sign out front declaring vegan and gluten-free options. We went in to ask but the bartender said they were out of vegan montaditos (little sandwiches) since they’re in such high demand, but that she could make us more. She whipped up two fresh open-faced sandwiches complete with shredded zucchini, cherry tomatoes, a mustardy sauce, and crunchy fried onions to top it off. They also had vegan samosas and a cool atmosphere.
Vegan and Vegetarian Grocery in Valencia
If you’re in Valencia for a longer period of time or want to sample some Spanish and European products, the best way to do that is by checking out a vegan grocery store. And Valencia has two! Take your pick based on what area of town you’re in – keep in mind that both are closed on Sundays.
Herbolarios Navarro: Herbolarios are health food stores across Spain; they stock plant milks and usually a refrigerator of vegan meats and cheeses. This chain has many locations across Spain, with 8 locations in the city of Valencia. If you can’t make it to one of the vegan stors, these are a great option.
Downtown Valencia.
We loved Valencia.
We felt it had just the right balance between tourism and caring for its own residents. Of course, we couldn’t try every vegan restaurant in Valencia, though we did try in the short amount of time we had! Here are a few vegan restaurants in Valencia that we didn’t get to, but that either came highly recommended or are well-known and worth a mention.
More Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Valencia
Aloha Vegan Delights: Several people recommended this vegan fast-casual spot before and after our trip. We passed by once but it was closed, and we didn’t make it a huge priority as they mostly sell burgers, sandwiches, bowls, and smoothies. Since we’d already pigged out on burgers at The Vurger and we eat smoothies and bowls most days at home, we chose to go to some other places. But it’s supposed to be very good! Keep in mind it’s a small spot with only a couple seats, so more for takeaway.
Kimpira: This restaurant is all vegan, organic, and macrobiotic as well! It came recommended by the owners of The Vurger (see above). Each day they have a changing lunch menu that they prepare to be in harmony with the climatic conditions of the day, and on Thursdays that menu is entirely gluten-free. For dinner, you can order off their regular menu, which contains dishes like lasagna, salads, a burger, and more. They also have several desserts, including chocolate mousse cake and carrot cake.
Loving Hut: You may already be familiar with this international franchise of vegan restaurants, which can be hit or miss. Other vegan travelers have raved about Loving Huts around the world. Unfortunately, our experiences at the Loving Huts in Madrid and Brighton were severely underwhelming, so we didn’t try this one. The Loving Hut in Valencia is buffet-style, so if you wanna pig out for a set price, this might be your spot. Just be forewarned that the food will be greasy!
Any others we missed? Let us know your recommendations for the best vegan food in Valencia in the comments!
Further Reading:
Guía Vegana de Valencia – Spanish language website detailing all of the vegan restaurants in Valencia and more.
Unhealthy Vegan Guide to Valencia – For your vegan Valencia junk food fix!
The Vurger: Vegan Fast Food and West Coast Americana in Valencia – our full review of The Vurger!
Things to Do in Valencia: The great thing about Valencia is that it’s small enough to see a lot of it in a long weekend, even going at a slow pace like we do!
Vegan in Spain? Check Out Our Other Vegan Spain Guides!
Ultimate Vegan Guide to Madrid
Vegan in the Basque Country: Bilbao and San Sebastian
We even wrote a book about vegan travel in Spain! Learn more about our Madrid Vegan Guidebook.
Pin me! Pin this Vegan Guide to Valencia for later!
