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When I first moved to Spain, I noticed that the country seems to be obsessed with jamón (ham) and I thought ‘boy this isn’t going to be easy'. After being in Madrid for a while, I realised there are actually many vegan and vegetarian Spanish dishes and appetisers to be had here! They may not have meat, but they still represent the authentic local culture of food! Here in Madrid are some of my favourite traditional tapas dishes which are either vegan or vegetarian!
1. Tortilla de Patatas
The tortilla of Spain is round, thick and made of eggs and potatoes. It's similar to an eggy hash-brown in my opinion. I’m allergic to egg so vegan option it is! The one at ‘Distrito Vegano’ is home-made with great taste and texture. They make it from chickpea-based binder as an egg substitute. It can take a long time to make one of these from scratch, so Spaniards take advantage of this tapas when going out for a drink!
Locate - ‘Distrito Vegano’ - Calle del Dr. Fourquet, 32,
2. Sangria
Sangria has got to be one of the most popular drinks in Spain consisting of red wine and cut fruit. Sometimes it can contain other ingredients or alcohol. In the trendy bar ‘Ojala’ is a fake beach in their downstairs restaurant, which makes up for Madrid not having one. What a perfect way to drink sangria! They have a choice of red and white sangria, both with delicious fresh fruits and also a variety of vegetarian dishes on the menu if your feeling peckish!
Locate - ‘Ojala’ - Calle San Andres, 1
3. Croquetas
Croquetas are basically fried balls filled with béchamel cheese. They normally contain ham, however, you can get various vegetarian versions with espinacas (spinach) champinones (mushroom) and queso (cheese) or all 3 if you're lucky! I recommend visiting ‘B13’ to try their delicious vegan croquetas!
Locate - ‘B13’ - Calle de la Ballesta, 13
4. Pimientos de Padron
These green peppers are one way to get your five a day when you're in Madrid. They tend to be quite mild and not overly spicy. They’re sautéd in olive oil and seasoned with lots of salt. My favourite pimientos de Padron that I’ve tried so far in Madrid are from ‘Cava Baja 17’, not to mention the staff are super friendly!
Locate - ‘Cava Baja 17’ - Calle de la Cava Baja, 17
5. Gazpacho
Gazpacho tends to be served more in the summer and each restaurant will provide their unique kind. Gazpacho is a cold vegetable puree that you normally drink by the glass. In the neighbourhood of La Latina, the restaurant ‘La Taberna Sanlucar’ is Andalucian style. They transport fresh ingredients from the South which makes their Gazpacho fresh and delicious!
Locate - ‘La Taberna Sanlúcar’ - Calle de San Isidro Labrador, 14
6. Patatas Bravas
These potatoes are truly fantastic, drenched in bravas sauce which is a little spicy, and sometimes alioli; a garlic type mayonnaise! The potato’s are cut into miss-shaped pieces, then deep-fried. Some are made with a meat-based broth, so don’t forget to ask if it's veggie before you order it! (‘¿Es apto para vegetarianos?’). I like the patatas bravas from ‘Las Bravas’ as their potato’s are not too oily and their signature sauce as just the right kick of spice!
Locate - ‘Las Bravas’ - Pje. de Mathéu, 5
7. Champiñones a la Plancha
Not everyone likes mushrooms, but if you love them as much as I do champiñones a la plancha is a tapas you must try! They are normally grilled with garlic and olive oil. You can find many mushroom restaurants and tapas bars that serve this dish. ‘ Mesón del Champiñon’ have been cooking their famous mushrooms for more than 50 years, so trust me when I say this place is worth trying!
Locate - ‘Mesón del Champiñon’ - Cava de San Miguel, 17
8. Tinto de Verano
Tinto de verano is similar to sangria, but more simple; it tends to be of half red wine and half fizzy lemonade. At ‘El Respiro’ in the Chueca neighbourhood you can get a free tapa with your refreshing tinto de verano; its a traditional and really friendly bar and restaurant. Make to sure to ask for a vegetarian tapa with your drink!
Locate - ‘EL Respiro’ - Calle de las Infantas, 34
9. Churros
In case you didn’t know, churros are a sweet fried tapas but dipped in Spanish hot chocolate, these are next level and my favourite food here in Madrid! If you're going to go anywhere for churros, go to ‘San Gines, the most popular churreria in Madrid! The prices are pretty reasonable too considering it's so popular, so its worth having a try!
Locate - ‘San Gines’ - Pasadizo de San Ginés, 5
10. Berenjenas Con Miel
This is a really popular tapas in Andalusia; its a fried eggplant with cane honey. Its got a delicious contrast of sweet and savoury flavours and the one at ‘Casi Toni’ tapas bar is a dish you must try on their section of vegan and vegetarian options!
Locate - ‘Casi Toni’ - Calle de la Cruz, 14
Let me know where in Madrid you’ve had your favourite tapas and drinks! If this is your first trip to Spain or Madrid and you're wanting to order some of these tasty treats, here is some Spanish vocab that might help you when communicating your dietary requirements!
- Soy vegano - I am vegan.
- Soy vegetariano - I am vegetarian.
- Yo no puedo comer - I can’t eat…
- Carne - Meat
- Pescado - Fish
- Marisco - Seafood
- Leche - Milk
- Huevo - Egg
- Miel - Honey
- Verduras - Vegetables
- Soja - Soy
- Almendras - Almonds
- Nueces - Nuts
- Gluten - Gluten
- Lactose products - Productos Lacteos
- Fruta - Fruit
‘Spain is a fascinating mix of people, languages, culture and food, but if there is one thing all Spaniards share, it's a love of food and drink.’
- Jose Andres
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