Vegan Argentina | Being Vegan in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Beyond

(Last Updated On: June 11, 2020)

Without a doubt, South America is probably one of the hardest places to travel and be plant-based. While veganism and the movement towards a more sustainable style of living are on the rise, you won’t find the amount of choice you would have in Europe or Asia, but luckily this is changing. Vegan Argentina is changing and so is it’s rapidly evolving capital Buenos Aires, today, a mecca for vegan food in South America.

Argentina has one of the highest levels of meat consumption in the world. Red meat and dairy products are the core of the Argentinian diet and culture. Asados or barbecues are the heart of any event, most families eat meat daily and a single Argentinian consumes about a kilo of red meat a week on average!

Argentina is a difficult place to be a vegetarian let alone vegan, but don’t let this all put you off from exploring this amazing country.  Veganism and education about health and animal welfare are on the rise and more and more people are adopting vegetarian and vegan diets here, just like elsewhere. That means that healthy, plant-based cafes and restaurant are on the rise and the ones that I found were delicious. In fact, Buenos Aires now has one of the best plant-based eating scenes on the continent.

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This is what I generally observed when travelling around Argentina:

• Most big cities and touristy places have at least one veggie restaurant or cafe.  Buenos Aires is the exception.

• Argentinians are super helpful and generally go out of their way to make you feel welcome. I found that restaurant staff were really understanding with adapting dishes off the menu for my liking and didn’t have a problem with removing or adding ingredients. Knowledge of basic Spanish does go a long way here.

• Breakfast is definitely the most difficult meal to find vegan so try to self-cater as much as possible or bring some peanut butter.

• I didn’t find one website publishing all the vegan restaurants in Argentina, apart from Happy Cow of course. I tended to just google ‘vegan restaurant in (insert place)’ and I got some pretty good results. I used that along with the Trip Advisor app.

So here are my top tips and recommendations for being plant-based in Argentina. Even though I do outline some specific eating options for Buenos Aires, these tips are pretty useful when travelling the whole of South America.

#1 Self-catering accommodation

I try to stay in Airbnbs, apartments and hostels that have access to a kitchen. This made things so much easier in terms of making vegan food. It does mean that you’ll be putting in a little more effort in some places where vegan restaurants are sparse, but as a plant-based eater, I’m sure you’re used to that already. I love this option because it’s flexible. I could go to the local market, pick up the ingredients that I wanted to cook for the meal I was in the mood for. This is great when you’ve been eating spaghetti with tomato sauce for the last 3 days because that’s all that was available in restaurants. 

#2 Carry back up snacks

One of the beautiful things about travel is that it’s unpredictable but that’s not what I’m into when it comes to my next meal. I’ve been stranded at bus stations and hungry at the airport where there were barely any vegan options. Always have a few bags of nuts, seeds and cereal bars in your bag for backup. You can find these at local supermarkets or local health food stores (big cities only). 

#3 Plan ahead

Before moving onto your new destination, research it’s plant-based options online to find out what you’ll be working with. It’s just best to be prepared. If you know you’re off to a tiny town in the Argentine pampas then pack accordingly. Why not take extra snack bars, a tub of peanut butter or some other supplies from your nearby supermarket or health food store.

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#4 When in doubt just order ensalada completa and papas. 

The Ensalada Completa or complete salad and papas, potatoes are staples on any Argentinian menu. The salad normally comes with a variety of leafy greens and lettuce, veggies with an egg or dairy dressing on top. Order a vegan version with a side of potatoes and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal.

Need some ideas for what to see in Buenos Aires? Check out my Buenos Aires top things to do here.

#5 When in Buenos Aires… indulge

Buenos Aires now has over 60 vegetarian and vegan restaurants and many more that offer a plant-based option on their menus. The vegan eating scene here is diverse, forward-thinking and quick frankly, delicious. Check out these delicious vegan Buenos Aires spots:

Wellbar – A very trendy spot in Palermo based on healthy, gluten-free food. Dishes include banana waffles, avocado toast and chia pudding. Great breakfast option. Not exclusively vegan but has many vegan options. 

La Reverde Parrillita Vegana – Buenos Aires’ first vegan grill. Don’t miss out on the steak at the world’s steak capital. Great steaks, sandwiches and empanadas. 

Pizza Vegana – fancy an Argentina style pizza? a great gluten-free vegan pizza.

Sablee Vegana– this is a small vegan pastry store where you can pick up a breakfast pastry or some cheeky little treats. They do vegan medialunas (croissants), doughnuts with dulce de leche and some great alfajores (Argentinian style biscuits). Located in Centro.

Bio Solo Organico – this is the first fully organic restaurant in Buenos Aires. Great, chilled vibes, vibrant colourful salads and a great shop to stock up on vegan snacks. 

Hierbabuena– great salads and mushroom-based veggie burgers. Located in San Telmo. 

Buenos Aires Verde – a lovely little place that has a great lunch time meal deal. Located in Palermo Soho.

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Any comments or questions about vegan Argentina or vegan Buenos Aires? Let me know in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you.

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