TRAVEL: 7 Incredible Places To Eat Vegan In Bilbao, Spain

By

4 Minutes Read

It's easier to find vegan food in Bilbao than you may think - Media Credit:

I remember the days when it seemed chips and salad were the only options for vegans in Spain, but my last visit to Barcelona proved those days are long-gone – and it turns out Bilbao is keeping up! 

Just walking around the streets, I stumbled on a number of health foods shops (I even found Tofurky, which can be tricky to find in Bristol). 

A fair number of cafés have signs up advertising the fact that they offer soya milk. The times really are a changin’!

Lost in translation?

Language can be tricky if you don’t speak much Spanish, the Basque (Euskara) language is unrelated to the other languages of Europe or any other known language. 

If you have a bit of Spanish, you should be able to get by! ‘Yo soy vegano’ (I am vegan) is a good start along with ‘sin carne, sin huevos and sin queso’ (without meat, eggs and cheese).

Here are some of my top picks for eating vegan in Bilbao:

1. La Camelia

This is a 100 per cent vegan café on Calle Villarías 3 in Bilbao. There are a number of tables inside, or you can sit at the table outside or takeaway. 

Specialties include vegan sushi, homemade miso soup, tofu, tempeh, and seitan sandwiches, as well as hummus. They make fresh juice too, or you can have a beer. 

I tried the tempeh sandwich which comes with vegan cheese, rocket and tomato and a sweet relish (€5.50), and the sushi (€13 for six pieces, a salad or dip and a drink) – it was all lovely. 

The sushi rolls are large and stuffed with cucumber, tofu, ginger, sprouted lentils and other tasty things, and they come with soy sauce and wasabi. The seaweed salads are amazing. It makes for a very filling lunch!

2. Bohemian Lane

This vegan bakery is on Calle Carniceria Vieja 3 in the old town. It specializes in cupcakes, tarts, coffees, teas, infusions, juices, pintxos (small snacks a bit like tapas), sandwiches, and salads. 

The people who run the café are lovely, very friendly and happy to see how delighted we were to find a totally vegan cake shop! 

The woman working there the first day I went had made all the cupcakes herself, and on her recommendation I tried the carrot cake cupcake (€2.50). It was lovely and moist with a great flavor. 

On another day, we shared a slice of almond and cherry cake and apple tart – again – spot on flavor!

3. Bizu Bi 

This is in the Plazuela Santiago, again, in the old town. This place looks like a burger joint, but has a separate vegan menu! I tried the seitan fillet with sweet onion, lettuce, tomato, and French fries (€9). It was all good, and the waiter was a really nice fella! Maybe not the place for a romantic dinner, but a good place for a quick stop.

4. Muga

If you are looking for a lively, music bar with vegan food, head down to Muga on the Calle de Maria Munoz 8, in the Old Town. It’s one of the few places that stays open late – Mon-Fri 12:00pm-12:00am, Sat 12:00am-1:00am! 

It was a bit of a surprise that many of the bars seem to shut around 10.30pm, but these guys were still serving food at 10.30pm. 

They serve a few vegan pintxos, sandwiches, burgers, and salads. We had the pintxos one night, and a seitan burger another night. The burger comes stuffed in a large, crusty bread roll with pickles, salad, and vegan mayo (I think there was some ras el hanout in there maybe). It was very tasty and good value for around €5.

5. Green Bistrot

This eatery on Juan de Ajuriaguerra 13, is a few minutes’ walk from the Guggenheim. They serve various vegan pintxos, and have a small vegan menu which you can order from after 9pm. 

There are some tables inside, and few out on the pavement. 

The food was OK, the usual seitan burger etc. I had a Seitan a la jardinera con trufa negra (€8.50) – seitan steaks with a tomato sauce, some chips and salad.

6. Amorino

This ice cream shop was definitely a foodie highlight of the trip! On Iparraguirre 1, it is literally a stone’s throw from the Guggenheim. This international chain of ice cream shops offers a range of vegan sorbet flavors, such as chocolate, raspberry, mango, passion fruit, lemon, hazelnut, and lime and basil. 

I had hazelnut, raspberry, and chocolate in a small tub – it was €4.60, but was so worth it!

7. Marzana

Whatever bar, café, or restaurant you are in, it’s always worth checking the menu, as veganism is on the up and there seem to be options in the most unlikely of places. 

The bar Marzana for instance, right next door to our Airbnb apartment, had a roast veg wrap with couscous and soya yogurt dressing on the menu – it was very nice too.

This article was first published on justbloggs veganhere

READ MORE:

5 Amazing Things I Love About Vegan Travel

What In The World Is ‘Veggie Planet’? A Look At An Awesome New Vegan Travel Book

Plant-Based Cruises: A Look at 2 Awesome Options for Vegans On The High Seas

Join The Plant Based Newsletter and we will plant a tree! 🌳

We plant a tree for every signup. You’ll receive our weekly news round-up and be the first to hear about, product launches, exclusive offers and more!

© 2023 Plant Based News is a UK-based digital media outlet publishing content about veganism and plant-based living, including news and current events, health, personal transformation stories, features, and recipes. | Plant Based News Ltd, PO Box 71173, London, SE20 9DQ, United Kingdom.

buttons/scroll-to-top/scroll-to-top-small-active