Usually my problem is that i can't get vegan cheese or chocolate but right now i only have vegan cheese and chocolate which is overall an improvement i guess but i dunno what i'm having for dinner??
I lived in Edinburgh for 4 years, but the vegan offerings have ramped up in the 2 years I've been away since. On my last two visits, in September for my viva and December for my graduation, I visited old favourites, as well as crammed in as many new places as I could. The classics The Auld Hoose I went to the Hoose almost every Monday evening for 4 years. They have a 20% discount on food on Mondays. They also have a ton of vegan options in a laid-back grungy pub atmosphere. They had vegan cheese on their GIANT nachos before it was cool. The menu changed while I was away, and these days along with their vegan chilli, vegan burrito and vegan burger they also have a fried tofu sandwich and raspberry sorbet sundae. I miss the veggie haggis and mushroom pie of ye olde days though, gotta say. But you really come for the nachos. Anteaques I practically lived in Anteaques when I ran SocieTea. They were our best sponsor, and I am as unfailingly loyal as you can be to a tea shop. They also have at least one homemade vegan tart at weekends, usually chocolate and raspberry. Rhubarb apparently briefly put in a seasonal appearance last month, but I missed it. Anyway I'm happy to eat the chocolate and raspberry tart with a pot of tea every single time I go, it's fantastic. The tea is also good. Rigatoni's I used to eat at Rigatoni's a lot. It's a lovely family-run pizza and pasta joint. It's not the cheapest, but the quality is outstanding. Over the years I developed my perfect topping combo: spicy kidney beans, artichoke, and mushrooms or olives (depending on what I was in the mood for). I went so regularly they'd remind me to remove cheese from my order if I forgot to mention it. They don't have vegan cheese, but the pizza sauce is so good it holds up a pizza all on its own. The XL is best value for money, and would usually last me one and a half to two meals. It's great cold the next day, smothered in hot sauce. Henderson's An Edinburgh veggie institution, there are now about three or four branches of Henderson's in different forms. Felicity and I went to the vegan deli version, and tried a whole bunch of stuff. It was all great. It is not particularly cheap. I've been to the main restaurant (vegetarian not vegan) for full meals a couple of times too on special occasions, and it was always really good. David Bann This is an upscale vegetarian restaurant, also generally reserved for special occasions. I've tried every vegan option on their menu at this point, and they're all good. Last time I had a late bus out of Edinburgh, Jane and I were killing time beforehand. Despite having just demolished Hoose nachos (see above), we hauled ourselves to David Bann for fancy pants dessert and coffee. We really had no space for it, but enjoyed it nonetheless. If you wanna go for a full meal you probably need a reservation, but they were good enough squeeze us in unannounced at 2130. Forrest Cafe This is somewhere between a classic and a new for me. Forrest has been around in various forms for a loooong time. The cafe is all vegetarian, with lots of vegan options or amendments. I think it's run by volunteers, and/or extremely low-paid do-gooders. I only visited a couple of times when I lived in Edinburgh, and only for coffee and cake. Recently I stopped for a meal and a few hours of laptopping. The burrito was incredible, huge, cheap, delicious, and they now have vegan cheese. There's not loads of space, but there is power and wifi if you go at none busy times. There's usually also a box of free bread by the door. New and exciting ATFresh In the newly refurbished Appleton Tower, a cafe has sprung. They have a bunch of vegan options on their small menu, including a pizza flatbread with vegan cheese. Suddenly hungry in the 15 minutes before my graduation ceremony started, I stuffed this into my face. It was about £3 and quite delicious. Herbivore Kitchen This place is great on a number of levels. Clerk St is a very handy location. It is all vegetarian and mostly vegan, and everything is well labelled. They have a good selection of cakes and drinks, and both large and small mains. They have loads of seating downstairs, so I would feel no guilt whatsoever taking my laptop there for several hours (there's wifi and power). It opened in late 2017, and I went several times over my last two visits to Edinburgh, feeling a need to try as much of the menu as possible. It has all been really good, although a turmeric latte was a bit bland. The milkshakes are elaborate and luxurious though, and the flavours have been different each time I went. The pancake stacks are pretty epic. I wanted to try the kuku but they hadn't had a delivery yet when I was there. My biggest life regret may be not staying in Edinburgh long enough to try their christmas menu. Nova Pizza An all-vegetarian pizza place in New Town. The vegan menu is so extensive it could stand alone and you wouldn't know anything was missing, over starters mains and desserts. Jane and I shared two pizzas, as well as a 4-'cheese' bruscetta to start. We were too stuffed for dessert, but a hazelnut latte went down very well. This was £40 between us. Holy Cow This place is all vegan, and hidden away behind the bus station. It's small, but the cake selection is huge. They have a bunch of different kinds of burgers. I didn't even look at the juice and smoothie menu. The chips were fantastic. It was all good. I wanted to eat everything. I took photos of all of the cakes so I could think about them more whilst eating my burger. ConsiderIt These folks used to sell handmade vegan chocolates at markets, and now opened a shop across the road from Summerhall. The Summerhall guest wifi reaches, and there's power, and a reasonable amount of space, though it's not super comfy (yet - I think it's being developed). Anyway it's a VEGAN DONUT SHOP so who cares about the seating. Felicity and I tried four between us, along with oat milk mochas. We took chocolates to go as gifts. Yeah this was good. Soul Sushi A new (to me) sushi place on Nicholson St seemed worth checking out, and they have a lot of vegan options. The veggie 'garden platter' can be veganised upon request. When I went in to pick up our order, the guy behind the counter told me they're working on introducing a lot more vegan options, including fixing their breading so it doesn't use egg. Keep an eye on this one! Bread Meats Bread Uuuugh it's a burger bar, but the vegan menu is extensive, so I guess it's good to show demand. They have branches in Glasgow, but the one on Lothian Road is the first in Edinburgh. I had an Angry Vegan, which was seitan based, with not-cheese and good salad. The spicy buffalo sauce was good too, and Felicity and I shared chips with blue not-cheese dip. Pakora Bar Exactly what the name says, this place is mostly but not all vegetarian. When we were there ordering all of the vegan things, we were told they're introducing more veggie and vegan options in the near future too. They have a haggis pakora, which you can't really say no to. We shared a variety of pakoras, and also the red bean soup which was really good. What looks like a small amount of food is surprisingly filling, and the prices are good too. It's in New Town. This doesn't cover all of the places to eat vegan in Edinburgh, and there are many that I frequented when I lived there which aren't listed. This is just a roundup of my two trips this year. Here's the HappyCow link for your convenience, and the Edinburgh University Vegetarian Society.
This weekend I went to Mostar with Elizabeth and MB. We took the 0707 train from Sarajevo on Saturday morning. The pinky sunrise was softened by the already accumulated smog, which obscured our view from the train for at least thirty minutes before we finally crawled out of it in the mountains. The smog was still waiting on Sunday evening to greet us on our return. So.. it was a good idea to go away this weekend. Mostar was bright, clear, and less cold throughout. And the colour of that water! Officially the train arrives into Mostar at 9am, but it was after 0930 when we got there. Between three of us we paid 46km (23EUR) for an apartment a hop and a skip away from the old town. Our hosts picked us up from the train station. Mostar is small, and at least as battered by the war as Sarajevo if not more so. Abandoned buildings are striking. We went to see the famous bridge of course, and had coffee looking over the river. We went to the Hammam museum (15 mins, 4km) and inside a mosque beside the river and up the minaret (12km), which was super cool. The Bridge Museum was closed. Old town is nice to wander around, but packed up pretty early. It's not tourist season I guess. After a nap, we hiked up to the controversial cross on Hum Hill. Instead of taking a path or road around the back of the hill, we charged straight up the Mostar-side, which was rocky and steep and probably there weren't landmines but also it was a sniper stronghold so you know. Good views of town. We returned via the road, which took longer but was less perilous. Veggie food was not easy to find. Nowhere even had krompirusa. It was on the menus (but spelled krompirača??), but nobody had it. One place managed to dredge up some vegetable mush and rice for me. I ate the apple part of a tufahija (baked apple) and the others ate the cream. Turkish delight and halva were abundant. This was a high sugar weekend. We also drank a lot of Bosnian coffee. Except the next day! We headed to Teco, since it's listed on HappyCow (two other places are listed on HappyCow for Mostar; one we couldn't find and the other was clearly under new management and only had pizza). Teco is further out and by the university campus, so it was a bit of a walk. They had a vegan burger (ask for yoghurt to be excluded), three vegan cakes and a wide selection of smoothies, plus soya milk for coffee drinks. The have a glass-surround front which heated up like a greenhouse. We stayed for five hours soaking up the sun and reading. The music was also good. Then we caught the train back to Sarajevo. All photos here.
My airbnb host in Malta expressed alarm and concern when she found out I am vegan. I hadn't gone there with particularly high hopes, but there were a few places on Happycow. So without further ado... Valetta Our first night in Malta was NYE and we wandered into Valetta to find it packed and bustling. We stumbled upon Soul Foods, who were able to squeeze us in at 1900 but were otherwise full. Soul Foods is really wholesome homemade food for omnivores. The vegan main was an ayurvedic dish of lentils and grains. It was really delicious and flavoursome. Liz and I split two raw desserts; chocolate 'salami' and carrot cake. I loved them both, but they were 'too healthy' / not sweet enough for Liz. More for me. Not cheap, but justifiably so. Every time I tried to stop at Grassy Hopper, a veggie place, it was closed. We found Theobroma, a rawvegan dessert stand. I had a spectacular chilli hot chocolate with homemade almond milk (cashew is also an option; and hot chocolates come in plain, orange or white too). We picked up a peanut butter cup and a hemp seed chocolate bar ('too healthy') to enjoy later. Everything is also gluten free. Next to Theobroma is Pastahaus. We went in on Liz's instinct, and this was probably both of our favourite meals. They have a huge array of homemade pasta, and at least four without eggs. They understand and are happy to explain what's vegan, and persistently offered a vegan wine. I chose a pasta made from semolina and hemp, accompanied by an avocado and almond sauce. They have a vegetable curry sauce too, as well as basic chilli oil and tomato and basil ones which I suspect are amazing. We shared bruschetta to start. On the way to the ferry on my final evening, I stopped by Gurag. This place was somehow just what I needed; it seemed attuned to my mood. It's an all-veggie 'hangout and bar'. The space is small and was busy and loud, but they have seats downstairs. Nobody else was down there, so I had sofas and a generally peaceful laid back space all to myself. The wifi doesn't reach there, so I read for a couple of hours. They have a lot of vegan options, but upcharge (50c) for almond or soya milk in the smoothies. I chose a traditional Maltese sandwich, which at a mere 3.50EUR was a whole and hearty meal, along with a peanut butter chocolate milkshake. I took two energy balls and an orange fig brownie to go. Sliema and San Giljan There are quite a few Indian and Asian restaurants along the Sliema waterfront. We didn't try any, but it's good to know they're always an option. On a wander around the coast at Sliema, we stopped at a random waterfront place called Il Gabana, which had a falafel burger. The location was good but the burger was pretty bad. We ate twice in San Giljan. I found Naar and Two Buoys Bistro on Happycow. The first time we went, Naar was closed, and the options in Gululu (a traditional Maltese one) were more appealing than Two Buoys, so we ate there. We shared an antipasti plate of white beans, sundried tomatoes and olives. Liz followed up with risotto, and I had another anitpasti option of a small aubergine and artichoke salad thing. And lots of Maltese bread. The restaurant is nice, and everything is very clearly labelled with allergens on the menu, but the food I ate in the end wasn't super inspiring. We made it to Naar for brunch eventually, and I had an all vegan breakfast. Nothing I can't make at home, except past months in Bosnia make most of the ingredients unavailable to me so I actually haven't indulged in this for a while. Apart from everything tasting slightly sweet for some reason, it was great. Naar also have a vegan burger, salads, and various sides, all labelled. Good smoothie options. The location on the water is pretty fantastic too. Marsaxlokk This is a fishing village, so obviously most places specialise in fish. A few have veggie pastas, risottos, and most places have pizzas that can be de-cheesed. All of the restaurants are on the shore, and it's small enough that we could take 10 minutes to walk up and back checking all the menus before picking one. We ate at Matthew's; Liz had fish which came with an overabundence of sides (chips, salad, cooked vegetables, bread) which all appeared to be vegan and I helped with. They were pretty good. I also ate vegetable soup, which was really good. We sat outside, and it was windy, and eventually everything was covered in sand and grit. Gozo It took two buses and a ferry to get to the only fully vegan restaurant in Malta, and it was totally worth it. Green Mood in Ir-Rabat aka Victoria on Gozo (the north island) is a lovely space, serving customisable grain bowls, soup, juices and smoothies. It's comfy and there's wifi. Liz and I spent a little too long there when we arrived to Gozo. We also left with energy balls. Prices are really good; bowls between 5 and 7 EUR. We ate dinner near the Citadel at It-Tokk; I had penne arrabiata with sundried tomatoes; simple but delicious. On the way back to the bus, I grabbed a dark chocolate ice cream from Vanilla because.. how could I not. They also have a range of vegan sorbets. The post about the rest of the trip is here.
Vegan discovery of the week: I wanted scrambled tofu but all I could find was silken, so I sliced gently and fried it (gently) and it spat loads but came out exactly like fried egg white \o/ No photo, I ate it.
If you want to know what I was doing between meals, I also have a post about Prague in general. That was easier than expected. Though also more expensive than expected. I thought I could do two meals on 10-15EUR per day but had to quickly laugh that idea out of the window. But there are enough vegan restaurants that I could eat solely at vegan-only establishments and still didn't try them all. There are about 6 Loving Huts. There's lots of Vietnamese food. Here goes: Veganland A stark, canteen-like ambience, but very friendly staff. There are a couple of Veganlands; I went to one in small mall, which didn't help with the atomsphere. It's a buffet (25czk/100g) as well as a fixed menu. The buffet food is mostly Asian style, vegetables, mock meats and noodles. Some good stuff, mostly kind of greasy and junky, but satisfying. It reminded me of the terrible-but-awesome Chinese food I ate in Penang, the likes of which I haven't had in a really long time. On one occasion I had the buffet for lunch, and took away summer rolls and sushi (from the menu) to eat later. I ended up eating them for lunch the next day, and they were all good. The next time I went (it was the closest vegan place to my hostel) I had the mozzerella pizza and it was fab. All the HappyCow reviews said so, and they are right. It was the right size, and super cheesey. I also had 'homemade lemonade' which was just a syrup and they mixed it with sparkling water and this was a terrible idea. They have some raw cakes, but they didn't look particularly appetising and I didn't try them. Loving Hut Loving Huts in Prague are buffet style, 24czk/100g, and similarly Asian fare. Actually very similar to Veganland. The fixed menu is different though. I tried pho and wonton dumplings and they were both great. I didn't try the buffet. The pho was way more filling than I expected. The atmosphere, in the x location at least, was nicer than Veganland. Still pretty stark, but less canteen-y. It opened last month though, and there's no wifi currently. Pastva This is a good place to go for a fancy meal if you're feeling fancy. But they also have little one-person shelf bench things against one wall, with power sockets, so I took my laptop out and didn't feel bad about taking up space. I went around 9pm, as they're open til 11pm and I was killing time before a midnight bus. All of the food looks great. I had gnocchi with 'salmon'. I'm not sure where the 'salmon' came into it, it seemed to be a sauce made from mostly carrot and onion, but it was really nice nonetheless. People were raving about the tiramisu, but I didn't feel like it. They had some crumbly fruit cakes too. I went with a hot chocolate, which was great. Super dark and bitter, yet smooth, with cacao nibs on the top. Forky's This is a good-food and fast-food place in the old town. They have bowls of healthy Asian mixes, as well as burgers, kebabs and hotdogs. Good for a mixed crowd, or if you don't want to decide what kind of lunch you're having until you get there. I had a hotdog, which came loaded with healthy toppings including kale! And good sauce. The fries were mediocre. I took a brownie for later. The space is nice, with a vast downstairs area, lots of nooks, power and wifi. Would be a good place to work. Staff were super friendly. Plevel I planned to have a lengthy three course meal before heading to the cinema across the street, but the portions were so huge I had to skip dessert and content myself with a chai latte. I was sitting next to the cake cabinet though, and they looked fantastic. Not trying cake here may be my biggest regret. I had a starter of pea guacamole with roasted portabello mushrooms, and a main of spaghetti with tempeh and tomato. They were so good. This is also a good place for a fancy meal. Moment I managed to spend 7 hours here on the last day after my hostel checkout. The menu is extensive and great, including breakfast options, and it was tough to choose, but the HappyCow reviews hyped up the seitan and cheese bagel, so that's what I started with. The HappyCow reivews were right. A huge chunk of burger-y seitan, and a huge chunk of melty not-cheese, plus a heap of salad and pickles. They were out of bagels, but the seedy bun served its purpose. I bet their other burgers and quesedillas are amazing too. The espresso was great. I got 'homemade lemonade' here too which was also syrup with sparkling water argh, but better than at Vegan land cos they also packed it full of lemon chunks and fresh mint. But yeah, must stop getting lemonade in Prague, it's not Sarajevo. I progressed to waffles, which were accompanied by a dollop of interesting cream, and shredded apple and pear, and sliced banana, drizzled with chocolate sauce. Pretty good. They have pancakes too. The yerba mate came in a proper mate cup with a metal straw. I took a tofu 'egg' wrap and a peanut butter brownie to go, for next day's bus. They got a bit squashed but survived the backpack well, and the wrap was excellent. The brownie was good, but could have been peanuttier. Compared to everywhere else, this was the cheapest. It was an excellent space to work. They have loads of seats, power and wifi. Staff were nice, and it was definitely attracting an alternative sort of crowd. Also dog-friendly, and I was much entertained by various canine vistors over the afternoon. Puro I spent a few hours over lunchtime here. There's not much seating, but another person sitting alone let me share their table. There's wifi and power, and also a few shelves of groceries. The food is good, wholesome; soups, burritos, wraps, quiches, and a good selection of cakes. I had an excellent spinach and tempeh quiche, plus almond latte and lime cheesecake. The Sweet Secret of Raw Cakes! Not strictly vegan cos they sweeten some things with honey. But all raw, all pretty expensive, and all amazing. I asked the waiter for her favourite and she directed me towards something smooth and creamy with two layers of different chocolate base, and a vanilla-bean pod filled cream layer. It was gooood. I also had a chai latte, which she cautioned me was 'spicy not sweet'. It was. Comfy seats, but not loads. Wifi and power! MoMo A very small place, with vegan cakes and serious coffee. Only a couple of seats which were occupied when I got there, so I took coffee and cake to go. A chocolate fruit cake, and a big slice at that. Vegan's In a convenient tourist location, close to the Castle. Has a lot of veganised traditional Czech food, so I was determined to max out on that. I ate a three course meal which was far too much food (half size of each course would have been perfect) and I didn't eat dinner that day. Three courses plus tea was 24EUR :o But it was great. The starter stood out from HappyCow reviews, and sounded light, and involved tempeh: bruschetta. It was a plateful though, much bigger than expected, and really delicious. I had stuffed cabbage for the main. It was rich and filling and delicious. And so was dessert - traditional dumplings. They were filled with prunes and covered in a sticky jam sauce. So heavy. I could hardly move. Also a nice space with upstairs and downstairs seating.
Finished Star Trek ToS, abruptly. Had a rushed dinner with Laurel in London at Wulf and Lamb. Took a night bus to Amsterdam; spent the day eating and wandering. Took another night bus to Prague.. cue more eating and wandering. Data migration stuff.
aka Hungry in Hungary. So many good options, for eating in, takeaway, and vegan groceries, I almost regretted getting a flat with a kitchen. In no particular order... Vegan Love Junk food and proud, a variety of burgers, not-dogs, salads, macaroni cheese and donuts. Delicious and fast, and pretty cheap, but cramped and busy. Las Vegans A food truck pretty close to where I was staying. They had a ton of different burgers and I wanted to try most of them. They also have smoothies and mango lassi. It's in a little street of foodtrucks which are open late, so it's a good place to go in nice weather with omnivores; something for everyone. Tokmag Sandwiches, soups, salads and burgers. The 'chips' are thin-sliced potato, more like crisps. Nice soft burger buns, easy to eat. Soup was good too, and I had a 'cream cheese' sandwich which was kind of boring. Only two seats, so one time I went we had to stand and juggle the food because it was pouring with rain outside. Good quality food, and close to attractions. Vegacity If I ran a vegan restaurant, the kind of food I'd serve can be found at Vegacity. A vast array of pre-made stews, soups, delicious mush, fried things, salads, sushi, vegetables, brightly coloured burgers, rainbow of smoothies and an excellent cake selection. I tried to read the signs, but then just pointed at what looks good. There are two floors of seats, and wifi; I hung out here quite a lot. I should have more food photos, I don't know what happened to them. Naspolya Nassolda Raw cake, breakfasts and snacks. Stopped for good coffee and a few hours working. Not a lot of space, but it wasn't busy. Would return for interesting granola. Vegazzi A pizza foodtruck in the courtyard of a bar. All very hip and lively at night. And omg the pizza. Amongst the best pizza I've ever had, with an interesting selection of toppings. Sweet potato and chestnut, with vegan mozzerella added, a little combo of sweet and salty, was perfection. The mushroom one also rocked hard. I tried everything on the menu over two visits with other people. All pizzas very structurally unsound. No boxes to takeaway; eat it on the spot or risk it disintegrating in the street. Both times a pizza was delayed because of an 'accident' (I think they ate it, who could blame them) or severely misshappen and came with an offer of a replacement? I said it was beautiful and ate it as it was. There are seats outside, but the bar (which also serves food) allows the pizza inside as well. Great Bistro Was... not so great. The first time I went what I thought was well before closing time, but the kitchen was finished. When I did make it to eat I found the menu limited and the prices extortionate. The food was presented to make it seem fancy, and it tasted fine.. I had a dish with porcini mushrooms which really just hold their own and are always amazing. The desserts were miniscule. I wouldn't go again. Kosmosz A good sized basement restaurant with a lot of Hungarian dishes translated to vegan. Everything I ate here was delicious, with standout goulash (not pictured) and a poppyseed pancake layer cake with a divine chocolate sauce. Istvanffi Burgers and fries which really fill the junkfood hole. Single-size burgers are small portions, but the prices match, so it's a great place for a substantial snack. There are also double versions, and all come with a variety of fillings. The fries are good, and they have fresh juice instead of soda. There's plenty of space and wifi, though the interior is stark and wasn't cleaned very well when I was there. For some reason this is the burger of the the month that lingers in my mind and I really want to eat again. Veggie Nyers All raw cafe with pre-made dishes in the counter, and many good looking cakes. We took a mix plate between two (some of everything, and crachers) plus smoothies and cake. Definitely healthy and delicate. Some of the little scoops of stuff were so-so, some were super delicious. Slow Foodiez Pretty pricey and I wasn't convinced they were justified. I really wanted almond cream pancakes and gnocchi, but both times I went only limited menu items were available. The chickpea omelette was passable, and they have a nice selection of raw cakes. Need to figure out what times the main menu is available though. Other stuff I walked past this place after eating at VegaCity, which looks like it just opened. Didn't get chance to go back. There's a bakery next to Tokmag called Fill Good which I wish I'd found sooner. It's only takeaway, but they have a huge range of sweet and savoury vegan baked goods. I took a bunch for my road trip, but didn't get a good photo. It was all delicious. And, when I wasn't eating...
Between night buses I spent a day in Munich. The medium sized lockers in the bus station are 2.50eur for 24 hours which seems like a pretty good deal. There was one left, so I left my backpack. I ambled indirectly into town. Noticed I was in the vicinity of Max Pett, a fancy vegan restaurant. I didn't hold high hopes of it being open on a Sunday morning, but it wasn't much of a detour to go past. It was 10 minutes before opening! And they had scrambled tofu and baked beans! I ate a really delicious breakfast on a table outside in the sun, and stayed there for about three hours. Eduroam wifi reached, the staff were friendly, and did I mention the food was great. 15eur is usually a lot more than I want to pay for breakfast... but I managed to do enough work while I was there to break even. I walked through the town center, taking pictures of churches and stuff, and generally enjoying the sun. There are a lot of green spaces. I stopped for an ice cream. Eventually got to the Bavarian State Library, which is very grand. There are large lockers in there too, and your 1eur gets refunded, so that's a good option in future. I spent a few hours in the reading room, first hiding amongst the stacks on the floor and eventually at a desk. By 1830 I started to think about food again. I'd been planning to go to Bodhi, near the bus station, but I'd planned this before the expensive Max Pett breakfast. I took a recommendation for Umi's cafe instead. Again I sat outside in the sun, and ate mushrooms and a giant spring roll from the salad counter, followed by a nougat tart. Not everything here is vegan (all vegetarian), but it's labelled well. I also had a really delicious almond milk iced coffee. And took some food to go. I hauled myself back to the bus station and boarded a bus to Krakow. Feeling the effects of the previous night, even though I'd had two seats to myself and slept not terribly, I passed out almost at once. The rest of the photos from Munich.
Compared to the size of the city, there are a lot of veg*n places to eat. Most regular coffeeshops have plant milks, and a surprising number have raw vegan cakes too. It's overall cheap. Also quite a few places have vegan ice cream options. I got chestnut from Luculus 5 minutes after hopping off the bus. Balans Bistro Busy both times I went, this all vegan place has a pretty extensive menu. I tried the quesadilla which was more beans than cheese, but still good. A plate of some of the best chips I've had outside of the UK (high praise, y'know). Another time I was really not hungry enough for a full meal and I was definitely going to get soup or/and a cake, but the day's special was a pulled jackfruit burger.. It was great. I got fluffy creamy chestnut cake to go. My sister had the soup which was spicy and had avocado floating in it, which worked surprisingly well. Vegan Kiosk A foodtruck outside Tesco. Various burgers, drinks, bananabread. Interesting burger buns. Approved. U Dobrozrutra All vegan bakery; I wish I had been able to try everything here. They also had a few groceries like nut butters. I ate a poppyseed pastry. No wifi, but a few seats and coffee as well. Foodstock All veggie, mostly vegan. One of the only places I could find open on Easter Sunday, they have gyoza, ramen and falafel and hummus. Food quality is good. I ate miso soup and gyoza, which were covered in edamame and mushrooms. A small portion, but very delicious. They also have bottomless green tea. Pestre A French crepe place, with coffees and fresh juices. They can make vegan and gluten-free crepes from almond milk and buckwheat flour, and have vegan chocolate options. I tried one with banana and blueberries, and one with 'nougat' chocolate sauce. There's wifi and lots of seating; I worked here for a whole morning. The espresso is good too. Re:fresh Need vegan junk food at 2am? No problem. I didn't go at 2am, but it was nice to know it was an option. Mid-afternoon, it wasn't busy and was a fantastic place to work, with wifi and power. I ate an absolutely fantastic quesadilla, which was just packed with not-cheese. They also have some great cakes; on another occasion I had a burger. It's good solid (omnivore) pub food, with extensive vegan options, big portions. Schoendorf Bio Cafe An omni place off the main street. I just stopped in for a coffee but ended up staying for a hot chocolate and waffles as well. Small portions, on the pricey side, but the hot chocolate was really fantastic. Good for vegan breakfast or snack, not so much for lunch. There were a bunch of places I tried to go to but didn't because they were closed when I was in the area, or were way too busy. Next time. Things I did in Bratislava that weren't eating.
Mostly I cooked for myself or ate (terrible) conference food, but on a couple of occasions I ate out in Lyon... Aux Bonheurs des Chats Arriving by nightbus first thing on a Sunday morning didn't yield a lot of breakfast options. Aux Bonheurs des Chats, a vegan cat cafe, opened at 11 though, so I waited. A wonderful decision! I sat down at a window table, already occupied by a moggie who declined to move, and inched closer and closer to my laptop over the course of the morning. Everything was covered in hair. They offered brunch for 16eur which seemed a bit much, and I wasn't that hungry. I had a hazelnut chocolate brownie (big!) and a super creamy matcha latte. Hank Vegan Burger Good burgers, lots of different toppings, and coleslaw or potato wedges as a side, and some vegan cakes. Small meal deal (drink and side) or large (plus dessert) at 13 and 15eur respectively. I just ate a burger and potato wedges. Like An Elephant A trek across town and up a hill was absolutely worth it. The menu wasn't huge, which means I wasn't paralysed by choice. Between two of us, we shared two starters, two mains, and two desserts, which came to 49eur. Delicious gazpacho soup, and an avocado mush thing were the starters. The avocado mush was seated upon a cheesecake-like grount nut crust, and topped with dark chocolate flakes. It was as close to dessert as you can get without actually being sweet. The mains were seitan with bok choi and mango noodles, and a burger with baby potatoes. And the desserts were two tiny cakes; one with chocolate and one with pear. I loved all of it. It was also a nice cosy place, with friendly staff and witty signage. YAAFA Recommended for the 'potato things', and it was open late, and there is a branch not too far from the bus station, I went to YAAFA on my last afternoon. There are many falafel pita options, half of which are vegan (all vegetarian), plus homemade bottomless lemonade and iced tea, and indeed good potato things - something between wedges and US style homefries. I had a falafel pitta with orange carrot salad, and stayed there for several hours. Seating upstairs was nice. No wifi. Modjo Not far from the Part-Dieu train station and the central library is a big glass fronted cafe on a corner. Stopped in for coffee, and to enjoy sitting in the sun whilst still being inside, and spotted a chia bowl with coconut milk on the menu. It was pricey, but a nice breakfast. Un Monde Vegan I stopped by this all vegan supermarket just to see. Picked up some Vego of course, and some chocolate almond milk and tofu sausage to snack on for lunch. They have a whole arrary of fancy looking vegan cheese wheels, in good French style. Had I come here at the beginning of the week, I might have invested. I didn't do any touristing in Lyon, I was just at TheWebConf.
There are quite a lot of options in Vienna, but everything is expensive, so I mostly bought groceries and cooked. But not always.. Vegan Anker Anker is a bakery chain that's everywhere in the city. Regular branches have a few vegan things, but there's an entirely vegan Anker right in Stefansplatz Metro station. There are a couple of tables, and it's around a corner away from the bustle of the main station, so a nice place to hide away and pass the time. It's also really cheap by Vienna standards. They have a huge array of cakes and pastries of course, as well as sandwiches and other savouries. My sister (who's not vegan) got a sandwich from there for her conference lunch one day and raved about it for the whole evening afterwards. I only tried a great sticky pastry, plus an espresso, and read my kindle for a couple of hours. Elmira I went to this place cos it was relatively close to where I was staying. It's a small biomarket with a vegan cafe added on, only a couple of tables. The food is super fresh and homemade; they have a couple of salad options and a hot main dish each day, on a changing menu. I tried goulash, and a big fluffy latte. It was all good. She tried to upsell me a salad, but I wasn't hungry enough. It was hard to find somehow.. but I can't recall exactly why now. The street of the address is not actually where the entrance is, or something. Veganista An ice cream chain, these are everywhere. Great flavours, generous scoops, good prices. I tried black forest and poppyseed. Pita Box They have a big kebab-shaped lump of seitan rotating in the same way normal kebab places have meat! Wild. An extensive mostly-vegan menu, including different kebab combos and falafel. I had seitan in a pita and was able to load it with toppings from the counter myself. They have a bunch of interesting hummus flavours, including peanut (which obviously is what I had). The guy told me which things in the counter weren't vegan, which I think was just the tzatziki. HappyCow lists this as non-veg, but I'm 99% sure everything was vegetarian. Voodies A junkfood stop near Karlsplatz with a wide range of burgers and toppings. I had a Mexican hotdog, fries and homemade lemonade. Cheap and tasty. Veggiezz A wide and varied menu, mostly consisting of meat-substitute oriented dishes, the form of bowls, plates and burgers. I went with a couple of omnivores and they were both happy. It was super busy and there seemed to be only two staff, so it was a while before we got served. There are seats downstairs, too. I ate pepper steak. Most dishes are very customisable in terms of sides, sauces and add-ons. Pricey, and not huge portions, but average by Vienna standards I think. There are a few branches around the city. Harvest Cafe A super nice cosy place, my sister and I collapsed here after a long day of walking to recouperate so we wouldn't start fighting as soon as we got home. She had a hot chocolate and I had a veganised Viennese coffee, and we shared apple strudel. We were spoilt for choice on the cake front, they all looked great, but we weren't hungry enough for two. It's all vegetarian, and vegan stuff is labelled. Denn's Biomart If all else fails, there are Denn's everywhere. They usually have a cafe counter with sandwiches, pastries and cakes, as well as good coffee and smoothie options. Things I did in Vienna that weren't eating. Update: Return in June.
I'm in a small bakery in Krakow who usually has several vegan things, but today they only had two muffins left. I ate one, and took the other to go for later. Now I'm sitting here sipping my espresso and some more vegans came in and there's no cake for them. I feel bad but not bad enough to give them my spare muffin. Which, by the way, is an amazing blueberry and lemon giant monster cake and I'm excited to eat it again later.
I only spent a day and a half in Krakow. There are a few good vegan options around. Krowarzywa A burger and hotdog joint, with great salads and toppings, homemade lemonade and bottled sodas. I had seitan pastrami, plus vegan cheese as an extra, and lemonade for less than 5eur. The burger is big. There are also potatoes, and other drink options that look great. The 'meat' part of the burger is also covered by many options, from seasonal roasted vegetables to tofu. You can have it as a wrap or a salad bowl, too. It was crazy busy when I was there between 2 and 3 pm, and I had to wait in line both to order and for the food. They give you a beeper. I'm really happy to see a fully vegan place like this so busy, including families with young kids, and old people. There's enough space to sit, even when busy, a toilet, English menu, and staff are friendly. No wifi. Sweet Life A small bakery, with a few vegan cake options. Opens early. I went here before my train out, as it's so close to the station. They said they usually have more vegan cake, but on this occasion only two lemon and blueberry muffins were in the display. I bought one to eat with my coffee, and one to go. HappyCow said they had pies, so I'd been hoping to get lunch there to take on the train. This was one of the best muffins EVER. It was huge, super moist, lemony and fruity and just.. so good. Later two more vegans came in and there was no cake for them, but I had no regrets. There are lots of seats, and wifi so I got my laptop out. A bit later I noticed a sign on the wall for 'life bowls', including one with tofu. I enquired; they usually have egg, but they were happy to make it without. I had to wait for the kitchen to open at 11. I ate half and took the rest to go. This was also great, lots of flavours and textures, all good. The chef came to ask me how I liked it. Ice cream and juice Loads of places sell vegan sorbets, including some interesting flavours. I didn't eat any, but I audited every ice cream place I passed. There are also tons of fresh juice bars. I had a nice orange, elderflower and mint concoction from Frankie's. Watch out, some places put yoghurt in their smoothies. The rest There's another burger place, a vegan kebab place, and a couple of bistros, listed on HappyCow. Hopefully I'll pass through again and get to try them.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. A VEGAN ICE CREAM SHOP JUST OPENED IN SARAJEVO. IN. SARAJEVO. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. STAND BY FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
I stayed a month in the Trójmiasto (Tri-City) area on the north coast of Poland. The three cities, Gdynia, Sopot and Gdansk, are connected by a handy fast train, or stunning walks along beaches or through the woods. There were plenty of veg*n places to eat, and I didn't get to try everything on HappyCow. But here's what I did try: Gdynia i Krowa Kala A vegan burger bar right outside the SKM exit of the main Gdynia train station. I went there a few times due to convenience on my way back from the city center. It's open late, and has a lot of varied options. No English menu, however, and staff didn't seem keen on translating anything for me. Since it was all vegan, I picked at random. There's wifi, but no power that I could see (I didn't look very hard) and not much seating. (I never saw it full though.) I tried a seitan burger one time, and a tofu grill another time. Both pretty decent. Full of salad and sauces, and hard to eat. The bread is toasted, which doesn't help. They also offer pita though (and gluten-free bread). The fries were particularly good, seasoned with something a little spicy. On another occasion I got 'pierogi samosa', because I had to know... and they were neither pierogi nor samosa. More like mini deep fried cornish pasties stuffed with samosa vegetables? A big portion though, and they travelled well. They have different desserts here every day, too. One time I got a really great jam-filled doughnut. If I ever get back there, I want to try the pita with deep fried oyster mushrooms. They were out when I asked for it. I got a falafel pita instead, with distinctly non-traditional falafel, but still good (the next day, in Amsterdam). Bio-Pierkarnia A chain of eco-bakeries, with multiple branches in all three cities (though not all of the branches listed on HappyCow actually seem to exist). I mostly went to the one next door to i Krowa Kala, for obvious reasons. It's not all vegan, but about one third of their cakes, pastries and desserts are. The one by Gdynia station also has a wide range of vegan grocieries, and takeaway sandwiches and salads, some of which are vegan. Good prices. My favourite cake was an amaranth chocolate slice, which I will continue to fantasise about for years. It's nothing special generally I think, I just have a special taste for that particular kind of cake. On other occasions, I had a fruit tart, chocolate orange muffin, ... Bioway A canteen-y sort of place in town, all vegetarian and the staff were able to tell me what was vegan. Pretty hearty and healthy stew-type options which were all pre-prepared. More stuff on the menu, but I was lazy to find out what it was. Not overly exciting, but good for want of anything else. Veganica I spotted this place in Gdynia; it wasn't on HappyCow. Felt pretty new, staff still seemed to be finding their feet. I'd just eaten, so I had a random smoothie. It was.. pretty bad. I saw her putting water in, which was an obvious red flag. So yeah, needs work. Maybe the food is better. (All veggie, not all vegan). Tlok A nice cafe for working, which always has one vegan cake on offer, and takes coffee very seriously. I spent a morning there. Sopot There's a GreenWay here right off the pier. A convenient location, but I never ended up in Sopot over a mealtime, so I didn't go there. Kulki Anulki An organic icecream shop with a few vegan options, not far from the beach. I asked for a recommendation and was told to try the banana and dark chocolate together. I never eat two scoops of ice cream of any kind, and I wouldn't normally go for banana. But I did as suggested, and it was incredible. The banana by itself was way better than I expected, and coupling with the bitter chocolate brought out some kind of amazing tang. Gdansk Vege Port This was hands down my favourite place. I went there a bunch of times. On some occasions, I took the train all the way to the suburbu of Wrzeszcz just to eat here, then left again. Or I looked for excuses to pass through Wrzeszcz on my way to or from an adventure. It's all vegan, and they have an exceptional pizza menu. There are also other dishes, a combination (not fusion) of Polish and Italian. The homemade lemonades are good too; one time there was rhubarb. They also have cake and ice cream. My favourite pizza was one with not-chicken, pickled cucumber, and crispy onions. Pickles on a pizza! Revolutionary. The cheese was delicious and melty always, and the more ordinary pizza toppings were perfectly cooked. They have a range from very simple to fairly unusual options. I also tried gnocchi bolognese and 'rollo', a not-chicken wrap. Atmosphere is nice (wifi, power), it was rarely busy, and the staff are super friendly (maybe because they saw me so frequently). Once I stopped by just before closing and they were cashing up, but they still made me a pizza and let me stick around another 20 minutes to eat it. I took a non-vegan local on one occasion, who subsequently return without me, with other non-vegans, who were similarly impressed. I think this may be a tie for my favourite ever vegan pizza, with Vegazzi in Budapest. Avocado There are two branches of Avocado that I went to, and whilst definitely the same mini-chain, they had quite different menus. I went to one at dinner time and one at lunchtime though, so maybe that was a factor. Both good. Within walking distance of Brezno beach is a large space, with a really big and varied dinner-type menu. I ate creamy coconut tofu and fresh spinach curry, and a really fantastic cake. I picked the cake for it's fluffy coconut exterior, and to my surprise and delight the inside revealed itself to be layers of chocolate and sour cherry. I could be convinced that this was a magic cake that adapts to the desires of the eater. The other Avocado is in Wrzeszcz. It's on the same street as the vegan supermarket, and Fukafe, and the other side of the station from Vege Port. Location is top, but the space is much much smaller. I ate deep fried pancakes, stuffed with lentils and spinach, with a really good side salad. The cakes looked good too, but Fukafe next door has a wider range of fancier ones, and was calling me. Fukafe A wide range of fancy cakes and coffees. Not cheap, but quite spectacular and unusual selection, so worth it. A nice atomosphere (wifi, power) to hang around for a while, too. I tried an iced latte, and a spinach cake. On another occasion I went in for a cookie but they had none, so I took a coconut energy ball to go instead. It was the only thing that would travel well, though I wouldn't normally go for that as they are so often disappointing. This one however, even after a day of sitting in my backpack on buses, was really great; moist and rich. Spozyvczak An all-vegan supermarket in Wrzeszcz. It has all the usual stuff, at all the usual (highish) prices. I stocked up on Vego, and they also have a freezer full of great looking ice creams, though I never got one (having always passed by after stuffing myself at Fukafe or Vege Port). Atelier Smaku A gormet vegan gluten-free foodtruck. I finally got vegan pierogi from there; they weren't great, but they were cheap and filling. You can also buy them from the vegan supermarket to cook at home. No English menu, but it is on the website. Guga Spicy Guga Spicy sits beside Guga Sweet, by the river in Gdansk. Guga Sweet is a bakery, and was closed when I stopped by, but on request they ran across to fetch desserts from there in Spicy. It was really expensive, and clearly in a generally expensive area of the city. I passed by chance on the Long Night of Museums, surprised to find them open after 10pm. I ate summer rolls (on the menu as spring rolls, which is misleading... I love spring rolls, I only like summer rolls). They were good anyway. I followed with a giant bowl of udon packed full of vegetables, seaweed, and tofu. I took a coconut 'bounty' cake to go, which was fantastic for breakfast the next morning. Manna68 A nice fairly formal restaurant, close to the touristy area of Gdansk, I was randomly wandering different streets on my way to the train station (to go to Wrzeszcz for Vege Port) when I passed this place by chance. I'd seen it on HappyCow, but not felt inspired to seek it out. But since I was there, I stayed. It's not cheap, but not unreasonable. I ate mole chilli, which was not spicy, but quite chocolatey. They have a brownie on the menu which can get you a free coffee if you guess six ingrediants.. I was tempted, but went with a chocolate mousse instead. It was disappointing! It had good toppings - almonds and pomegranate - but should have been darker and richer. The espresso was ridiculously tiny. Oh also for some reason in the the bathrooms the audio playing was a Spanish language learning tape (phrases repeated in English then Spanish) but with really bizarre sentences. Couldn't tell if real. If you want to know what I did in Poland when not eating, try my posts from May.
Vegan in Trójmiasto (Gdynia / Sopot / Gdansk)