Hi,
I've heard that it's difficult to get vegetarian (no meat,fish,chicken) food in Spain.

We will be in Madrid, Cordoba, Seville and Granada.

Any suggestions of what to order or where to eat would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Carolyn

hey everybody



youve heard theres little vegeterian food in spain.
what?!
isnt spain home to the mediterranean and north atlantic diets?
these diets place ALOT of emphasis on seafood and vegetables(YUMMY VEGETABLES NOT BRUSSEL SPROUTS)
and olive oil,cheeses,legumes and grains,and much less of an emphasis on meats with an exception for el norte de castilla.
whoever youve gotten that imformation from is a blatent liar.

I've been to Madrid quite a few times and despite its reputation for rampant meat eating, there are a fair few restaurants that are either all vegetarian or offer a decent non meat selection.

Around the centre of the old part of Madrid there are at least half a dozen places I've visited. They're all mentioned in decent guide books and range from the budget hippy veggy to more expensive places as well as one or two Indian places..

Derek

I apologize that I can't think of the name, but if you are on Gran Via and heading toward Cibeles, make a left on Hortaleza (McDonald's/Madrid Rock would be on your right). On the left side of Hortaleza, about 1 1/2 blocks down is (or at least was as of January) a salad to go place, which has saved me so many times.
Other than that, you can always get tortilla, bread, cheese, mushrooms, olives very easily at almost any restaurant/bar/tapas/cafe. If you are going to be in a position to have a kitchen, you can go to a Champion or even downstairs at the Sol El Corte Ingles and pick up prepackaged gazpacho, tortilla, fruits, veggies, etc. Good luck!

A couple of recommendations in Madrid: Artemisa: Ventura de la Vega, 4 or Tres Cruces, 4; Chez Pomme Pelayo 4.
All three are near the center and have an economic menu from 14:00 to 16:00. There are many more but these are my favourite.

In Madrid:
I think I remember seeing a vegetarian place (Chez Pomme)on the C/Pelayo, 4 in Chueca, on the west side of the street. It was relatively crowded, so I assume the food is good. I also remember seeing a sign someplace in the alleys and plazas between Sol and the Gran Vía, closer to Gran Vía (Artemisa Tres Cruces, 4).

One of my favorite places to eat in Madrid, Arroceria Marina Ventura on Ventura de la Vega 13 has an Arroz de la Huerta with green beans, artichokes, mushrooms, peas, tomato and asparagus amongst the meat dishes. (somewhat upscale). I have not had it but I have no reason to believe it would not be as good as their other fare which is excellent!

Most tourist dives with the a-frame paella poster on the sidewalk have at least one vegie paella offering and pizza placees are a good bet if you eat cheese.

Keep in mind that most non-vegetarian restaurant workers hold vegetarians in contempt. They make our lives difficult. You may get meat anyway! :p

I'm just back from a week in Madrid. We stayed in the Huertes area and there is a very nice Tibetan restaurant in the Calle de las Huertas near the lower end, you can't miss it, it has a picture of the Dalai Lama beaming out...

It isn't a veggy restaurant obviously, but we had a vegetable meal based around noodles, rice and a curry dish and very nice it was too...

The staff were friendly aswell..

There is a vegetarian indian restaurant just off of the Calle de Atocha, in a side street where you can help yourself as many times as you like. It doesn't have a huge selection but was very good.

There is a macrobiotic restaurant somewhere between Calle de las Huertas and Calle de Atocha which has an illuminated green sign outside (La biotika - Amor de Dios, 3). I found the food a bit dull but my wife loved it..
The menu seemed to be non existent beyond the dish of the day but it's reasonable and the staff are friendly. You do tend to see a lot of worthy types with goatee beards and pony tails in there... There is also a small shop to buy food.

Hope this helps. Incidentally, I have also previously visited the restaurants others have mentioned and they are definitely worth a visit..

Derek

If you go to Valencia, try the restaurant "La Lluna, Restaurant Naturista" on c/ San Ramón 23.

Saludos everyone! I have a question concerning vegetarianism which will extend the original concern of the posting. What about vegetarian "survival" in Madrid according to the seasons? Obviously vegetarian restaurants will serve vegetarian food year-round, but I am wondering if, let's say, certain kinds of vegetables are harder to come by in the winter ... and if non-vegetarian restaurants would have less meat-free selections in the winter.

Many thanks in advance!

Churrito