The best – and worst – destinations for vegetarians

Being vegetarian and vegan often becomes that little bit harder when abroad. Faced with a bloodthirsty culture and the language barrier, it’s a downright nightmare.

Here we look at the 10 best and the 10 worst destinations for vegetarians.

THE BEST

Portland, Oregon, USA

Portland’s food culture reflects its progressive, artistic and green-thinking philosophy. Bridgetown is the standout US city for vegetarians and vegans (only San Francisco comes close).

London, England

Through labelling and food standards, vegetarianism is enshrined in British law (to our knowledge, India is the only other country with such laws). We can’t think of another place with so many choices and such high standards. London, as is the way with most things, has the best choice of vegetarian restaurants. Brighton is second.

Phuket, Thailand

Green, red and massaman curries can all be ordered mangasawirat (vegetarian) or jay (vegan). Lookout for the annual Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, where the only blood spilled is that of Taoists practicing self-mortification acts in honour of their gods.

Tel Aviv, Israel

A high proportion (some estimate a third) of restaurants in Israel are kosher. Why is that good news for vegetarians? Kosher laws stipulate meat and other dairy products must not be mixed, meaning many establishments are pescetarian by default. Be sure to try the falafel, hummus and bourekas.

Rome, Italy

Yes Italians love meat and fish, but there are almost endless vegetarian variations of pizza and pasta-based dishes. Strict vegetarians should be advised Italian cheeses aren’t vegetarian.

Tamil Nadu, India

Estimates say just under a third of Indians are vegetarian. It’s no exaggeration to say food without meat and fish is readily available everywhere. A green circle next to the word “Veg” marks out those restaurants that are suitable for vegetarians (a red “Non-Veg” sign is for those that serve meat – some restaurants have both). Don’t miss masala dosa or thali.

Singapore

Veggie versions of Malaysian, South Indian and Chinese dishes are here in abundance. In some cases they are fused with the indigenous Nyonya cooking style. Expect plenty of tamarind, lemongrass, galangal and coconut.

Hong Kong

It may be the home of pig’s blood, chicken feet and shark fin, but in the past 10 years Hong Kong has begun taking vegetarian and vegan diets seriously. Locals class Cantonese meat-free food as a “healthy”. Thankfully such options are much more tasty than such a categorisation would suggest. The safest bet is to eat at one of the city’s many vegetarian restaurants.

Toronto, Canada

In respect of multiculturalism, Toronto is spoken about in the same breath as London, New York and LA. The city’s diversity is reflected in its food offerings. Practically all of the world’s best vegetarian cuisines are available here in more than 150 veg-friendly eateries spread across the city.

Crete, Greece

You’d be hard pressed to find a menu in Crete (even at the most smallest of family-run joints) that didn’t have a number of tasty veg dishes. Here, it’s all about aubergine, courgette, herbs, potatoes, tomatoes, olive oil, feta cheese, hummus and tahini.

THE WORST*

Lisbon, Portugal

This legendary port city is awfully fond of its seafood.

Budapest, Hungary

Land of the goulash, Hungary’s known for its hearty foods…literally and figuratively.

Xian, China

The Chinese love a bit of tofu. They enjoy the texture and it adds to their beef dishes.

Córdoba, Argentina

Argentineans like their food like their wine – blood red.

Munich, Germany

If a pig doesn’t eat meat, then by extension bacon is suitable for vegetarians. So goes the logic for some Bavarians.

Yokohama, Japan

It may be home to 3.7 million people, and Japan’s second-largest city, but veggie-friendly it is not.

Busan, South Korea

The “vegetables are what they feed animals before they kill and serve them” philosophy is well entrenched in South Korea.

Dallas, Texas, USA

Texas is the self-proclaimed “beef capital of the world”. Need we say more?

Havana, Cuba

Vegetarianism is as foreign a concept as capitalism for Cubans – slowly creeping in, but far from established.

Hanoi, Vietnam

What’s that lurking in your “vegetable” pho? Whatever it was, it used to have a face.

*Of course, cities and countries shouldn’t be tarred with the same brush – there are always exceptions. HappyCow.net lists vegan, vegetarian and veggie-friendly eateries in many places throughout the world, including the 20 places we’ve listed above.

Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…