Are you a vegetarian and heading to Spain? Here are, IMHO and in no particular order, the top 10 vegetarian restaurants in Spain. And, as a veggie myself, I should know; having searched far and wide for them.
1.) Restaurante Ana Eva
Restaurante Ana Eva's a bijou neighbourhood restaurant located close to Valencia's botanic gardens. Catering for vegans and those following a gluten-free diet, signature starters include croquettes and tofu turns up everywhere on the menu; even in the desserts. Its residential setting houses a palm-sheltered terrace for alfresco dining.
Opening times and contact details: Open Thursday to Sunday from 1:30pm-4:00pm and 9:00pm-11:00pm. Calle Turia 49, 46008, Valencia. 963 915 369. website.
2.) Restaurante Ecológico El Maná
Restaurante Ecológico El Maná specializes in creative vegetarian cuisine lovingly prepared by chef and owner Ruth Marrero. Enjoying a prime position in the old town of Tenerife's Puerto de la Cruz, Marrero sources local, seasonal produce. Wash the house pasta and vegetable stir-fries down with help from an extensive drinks list which includes Canarian craft beers.
Opening times and contact details: Open Wednesday to Sunday from 1:00pm-4:00pm and 7:00pm-10:00pm. Calle Mequinez 21, 38400, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. 922 372 474. website.
3.) El Curry Verde Restaurante Vegetariano
El Curry Verde Restaurante Vegetariano's green in name, cuisine, and age, dating back to 2011. Visit for the finest pad thai in the Basque Country. The menu's 80% vegan, but 100% flavoured with fragrant herbs and pungent spices.
Opening times and contact details: Open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00pm-3:30pm and 8:00pm-10:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays 1:00pm-3:30pm and 8:00pm-10:30pm, and Wednesdays and Sundays (lunch only). Calle Santiago Kalea 67, 20280, Hondarribia. 943 537 779. website.
4.) Bon Lloc Restaurant
Bon Lloc Restaurant was the first vegetarian restaurant to open in Mallorca, back in 1978. These days, it's exclusively vegan; operating a kitchen free of eggs, honey, and milk derivatives. There's a four-course set menu at lunchtimes whilst sundown sees chef Tony Rodriguez offer a wider-ranging selection of dairy- and meat-less culinary masterpieces.
Opening times and contact details: Open lunch Monday to Saturday from 1:00pm-4:00pm and dinner Thursday to Saturday 8:00pm-11:00pm. Calle San Feliu 7, 07102, Palma de Mallorca. 971 718 617. website.
5.) Sanissimo Healthy Fast Food
Once upon a time, fast food meant junk food. These days, snappy snacks have got a little more sophisticated and a lot more vegetarian friendly. Located in Madrid's boho Malasaña, Sanissimo Healthy Fast Food will help your body receive its RDA of all the good things it needs around the clock.
Opening times and contact details: Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 8:00am-12:00am and Friday to Saturday 8:00am-2:00am. Calle San Vicente Ferrer 28, 28004, Madrid. 917 864 709. website.
6.) Fang i Aram
First came the ecological supermarket in 2004 followed by a yoga and pilates centre a year later. Fast forward to February 2014 and Menorca's healthy-living Fang i Aram family completed a hat-trick by opening a restaurant. Breakfast on pastries and muffins and lunch/dine on globally-inspired dishes, taking you from the couscous of Morocco to the sushi of Japan.
Opening times and contact details: Open Monday to Thursday from 11:00am-4:30pm and Friday to Saturday 11:00am-5:00pm and 7:30pm-11:30pm. Calle Gabriel Marti i Bella 11, 07760, Ciutadella de Menorca. 971 384 871. website.
7.) Teresa Carles
Looking for a buzzing place to brunch in Barcelona? Uber-stylish Teresa Carles enjoys an enviable city-centre location and a loyal, loving clientele. MedVeg is what chef Teresa Carles has specialized in, since opening her first restaurant in Lleida back in 1979.
Opening times and contact details: Open daily from 9:00am-11:30pm. Calle Jovellanos 2, 08001, Barcelona. 933 171 829. website.
8.) Restaurante Organico Kimpira
Restaurante Organico Kimpira takes its name from a Japanese expression meaning "golden peace". According to oriental mythology, this higher peace can only be attained after being well fed. Located in central Valencia, the Kimpira kitchen utilize their very own vegetable garden to prepare dishes with the slow-food philosophy very much in mind.
Opening times and contact details: Open daily from 1:30pm-4:30pm and also from 8:30pm-12:00am on Saturday. Calle Convento San Francisco 5, 46002, Valencia. 963 923 422.
9.) Twist Vegetal
It would be difficult to think of more of a no-go zone for vegetarians than Asturias in Spain, but Gijón's Twist Vegetal steers clear of offering regional meaty staples like fabada asturiana. In their place are some fairly traditional vegan and vegetarian dishes, with stuffed vegetables a fixture on the menu. Another signature dish is an Arabic salad, comprising green leaves, dried fruit, and nuts.
Opening times and contact details: Open Monday to Friday from 7:30am-3:00pm and Saturday to Sunday from 9:00am-4:00pm. Calle San Bernando 18, 33201, Gijón. 984 190 951. website.
10.) Zoe Food Las Palmas
When I moved to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 2004, it felt like I'd relocated to Green Spain. That's Green Spain as in Asturias rather than a region of Spain which loves its greens. Although potaje de berros (watercress stew) was a dish I quickly remembered to order at restaurants as well as learning how to make at home.
10 years on, vegetarian-friendly restaurants seem to have reached double figures. One of the latest and greatest exclusively vegetarian restaurants, however, is hipster hangout Zoe Food Las Palmas. The dream team running the show here are the chef Kathrin and front-of-house Celia.
Both are fluent English speakers, not that you'll see much of Kathrin who's busy creating Italian-inspired sweets and savouries with the capacity to make your mouth water on first sight. Celina's here, there, and everywhere, attending to customers with an easy grace. Indeed, so warm is the ambience it feels like you're stepping into your own house rather than a restaurant upon entering.
Opening times and contact details: Open Monday to Friday from 8:30am-8:30pm and Saturday to Sunday from 10:00am-4:00pm. Calle Domingo J Navarro 35, 35002, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 928 586 507. website.