We recently traveled to Lisbon, one of the most visited cities in Europe, looking for a new vegan experience we could share with you. Even though there are many vegan options you can find in this beautiful city, we were really looking for something that stands out from the rest right away; unique places that we could always remember.
We were lucky enough to find 3 locations that were perfect for a one day itinerary, and also close to main tourist areas, so you can easily add them to your vacation plans. We will show you what we ate in one day in Lisbon.
We started our day looking for vegan breakfast, something filling and packed with flavor. Eight The Health Lounge was our first stop. Why is it called eight? Well, the co-founders built their lifestyle around eight principles: good nutrition, regular exercise, lots of water, sunshine, self-control, fresh air, plenty of rest, and trust in God.
They have an extensive menu with beautiful photos, and a very wide selection to accommodate any hunger level. This place is great for breakfast or brunch, since they have light options like smoothies and juices, but also more elaborate dishes that will leave you satisfied. We had the Asian Wonder Salad, which consists of spinach, whole grain rice, shredded carrot and purple cabbage, red peppers, cubed tofu, topped with a creamy miso cream dressing, sesame seeds, and cress. The presentation of the dish was insta-worthy, and the taste was delicious!
We also ordered a smoothie bowl (blueberries, bananas, top with granola, and seeds), and a blueberry muffin smoothie (oat milk, blueberries, bananas, and lemon zest). Both were really refreshing.
After we finished our breakfast, we headed to The Castelo de Sao Jorge.
Since we had a really filling breakfast, we were not really feeling like eating a big vegan lunch. We wanted to try some vegan pastry, and there was no better place than Zarzuela. They have a vegan version of one of the most famous and traditional desserts in Lisbon: Pasteis de Nata, which is an egg tart pastry dusted with cinnamon. This vegan "pasteis" is soy-based. You can't leave Lisbon without trying it!
Zarzuela has several vegan baked goods available, all made daily. We also tried a really appealing doughnut-like ball, called vegan Bola de Berlim, which is basically the Portuguese version of a doughnut. It was filled with vegan nutella, and had some sugar sprinkled on top.
Once we finished enjoying our pastries, we were ready to continue exploring Lisbon. This time we went to Praça do Comercio, and Arco da Rua Augusta.
After spending most of our day exploring Lisbon, we wanted to end it with a full 3-course meal. Ao 26 Vegan Food Project is the place to go if you want something more private, and a full dinner experience. This vegan restaurant is small, so make sure you make your reservation in advance; you don't want to miss this place.
We started our vegan dinner with their vegan version of street food: the Bifana, which is a famous Portuguese sandwich. This was served together with a black bun vegan burger. Both sandwiches are slider sized and come with house-made potato chips.
For our main dishes, we ordered the seitan steak with mushroom sauce, which is a seitan loin marinated in herbs and covered in a creamy sauce. It comes with sweet potato wedges and a fresh green salad.
Then we had a vegan dish that we thought we were not gonna be able to find anywhere: a vegan Francesinha! It's a sandwich, stuffed with vegan meats and covered with red sauce and melted vegan cheese on top. It has a tiny spicy kick and it is very decadent and delicious.
We couldn't leave without dessert, so we had a vegan Creme Brûlée, made with soy milk. It was just the perfect way to finish our day.
Lisbon is the kind of city that you'll always want to go back. Even thought the concept of veganism is still new to Lisbon, this city can offer you many options to choose from. You won't miss out on a few gems of traditional Portuguese cuisine since some vegan restaurants offer vegan versions of these dishes. We hoped you enjoyed this post, and we wish you happy travels!
Visit Lisbon in style! Check out our Plant Based Traveler t-shirt. Shop more vegan t-shirts at The Dharma Store.
