Vegan Ljubljana

Ljubljana closed its centre to cars in 2007, and nine years later it was named European Green Capital for 2016. That makes it a city built for walking between meals, with nearly every restaurant here a short stroll from Prešeren Square (Prešernov trg), the square with the pink Franciscan church at the heart of the old town.

The vegan kitchens follow the old town and the Ljubljanica river, from a vegan gostilna (a traditional Slovenian inn) under the castle to a sushi counter and a juice bar that opens at 7AM. Most close on Sundays, a few serve lunch only, and dinner tables go fast. For more cities, browse all the vegan travel destinations.

Vegan Ljubljana at a Glance

• Best dinner: Veganika
• Best big lunch and Slovenian wine: Gaudi&Naan
• Best burgers by the river: Grashka Deli
• Best vegan sushi: Vegashi
• Best breakfast and cake: Barbarella Juicebar
• Best polished weekday lunch: Bistro Maha
• Best takeaway lunch and raw cakes: Vanderveg

Best Vegan Restaurants in Ljubljana

1. Veganika: A Vegan Gostilna Under the Castle Vegan

Veganika calls itself a gostilna (a traditional Slovenian inn), only vegan, and the menu is built for sharing. Order the lemon soup, then the bread dumplings with garlic sauce and chimichurri. Diners keep raving about the artichoke in white wine sauce, the Brussels sprouts with tangy tahini and roasted hazelnuts, and the polenta with mushrooms.

For something heartier, the soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) are the dish people mention most, and the breaded fried tofu and grilled tempeh skewers have their own fan club. Save room for the cheesecake or the chocolate brownie. The kitchen loves garlic and bold flavours, and a list of Slovenian wines makes this my first pick for dinner.

💡 Tip: Reservations are taken only outside June to September, and in summer a queue forms on Gornji trg (Upper Square) before the 5PM opening, so arrive early. Ring before a Saturday visit, because their weekend hours change.

📍 Gornji trg 33, 1000 Ljubljana | Old Town | ☎️ +386 71 228 718 | 🌐 veganika.si | 📸 @veganika

2. Gaudi&Naan: Juicy Marbles Steak and a Four-Course Lunch Vegan

Gaudi&Naan is where people order the Juicy Marbles steak, made by a Slovenian plant-based meat company, and talk about it long after. The barbecue ribs version comes with grilled potatoes, green beans and courgette. On the lighter side, Saraswati’s house curry with chickpeas and coconut, the tempura, the gnocchi and the pad thai all get regular praise.

At lunch the menu changes daily and runs to four courses, and diners say it is so much food you can skip dinner. Finish with the chocolate tart with mango or gibanica, the layered poppy seed, walnut, apple and quark pastry from Prekmurje in the far northeast, made here entirely from plants. The wine list leans Slovenian too.

💡 Tip: The entrance is from Mali trg (Little Square), a few steps from Prešeren Square, even though the address says Trubarjeva cesta (Trubar Street). Book ahead for dinner, and remember it is closed on Sundays.

📍 Trubarjeva cesta 7 (entrance from Mali trg), 1000 Ljubljana | Center | ☎️ +386 41 662 073 | 🌐 gaudi.si | 📸 @restavracija_gaudi_and_naan

3. Grashka Deli: Oyster Mushroom Burgers by the River Vegan

Grashka Deli makes the burgers people cross town for: the oyster mushroom burger and the koji burger, built on koji (a fermented rice culture that brings deep savoury flavour). Breakfast means tofu scramble, and regulars swear the pizza is the best vegan pizza in the city. A ginger and orange lemonade or a homemade iced tea goes with all of it.

Lunch brings seasonal bowls and salads, soups like lentil, and a cheesecake that holds its own. The chiller is stocked with vegan treats and ready food to take away, so this is where to build a picnic. The tables outside sit on the bank of the Ljubljanica, the river that loops through the centre.

💡 Tip: It opens at 9AM on weekdays and closes by 7PM, earlier on Saturdays, with Sundays off. Plan a riverside lunch here and keep your dinners for Veganika or Gaudi&Naan.

📍 Trubarjeva cesta 72, 1000 Ljubljana | Center | ☎️ +386 41 575 751 | 🌐 grashka.co | 📸 @grashkadeli

4. Vegashi: Vegan Sushi Made to Order Vegan

Vegashi is the answer when you want sushi, and diners call it the best vegan sushi they have had. Order the mango avocado roll and the pickle roll, which has a devoted following. The tofu rolls come in generous portions, everything is made fresh to order, and the gyoza (pan-fried Japanese dumplings) disappear fast.

Not in a sushi mood? The poke bowl with tofu and the warm bowls are the other picks. A couple runs the place, with one of them at the stove, and the extra sauces come free. It is small and cosy, with a few tables out on Borštnikov trg (Borštnik Square) when the weather is kind.

💡 Tip: This is a daytime spot: 11AM to 6PM Monday to Thursday, until 4PM on Fridays, 1PM to 6PM on Sundays and closed on Saturdays. Order a box and take it to Tivoli Park, about 15 minutes away on foot.

📍 Borštnikov trg 1, 1000 Ljubljana | Center | ☎️ +386 69 722 755 | 📸 @vegashi.ljubljana

5. Barbarella Juicebar: Tofu Sandwiches, Cheesecake and Cold-Pressed Juice Vegan

Barbarella Juicebar is the breakfast stop, and the tofu sandwiches are what regulars keep coming back for. The chiller is loaded with chia puddings, banana bread and slices of cake, and the raspberry cheesecake and peanut butter cake get the loudest praise. A savoury quiche and the açaí bowls round out a very full counter.

Cold-pressed juice is the foundation, with smoothies, porridge, granola and matcha or turmeric lattes alongside. Everything on the menu is plant-based, and daily lunches change through the week. Seating is limited, so treat it as grab-and-go, with a few outdoor tables if you want to linger over coffee on Slovenska cesta, the main road through the centre.

💡 Tip: It opens at 7AM on weekdays, the earliest on this list, and at 9AM on Saturdays; Sundays are closed. Grab a juice and a slice of cake here before a morning at the Central Market.

📍 Slovenska cesta 38, 1000 Ljubljana | Center | ☎️ +386 64 256 554 | 🌐 barbarella-juicebar.si | 📸 @barbarellajuicebar

6. Bistro Maha: Seasonal Plates at Lunch Vegan

Bistro Maha is the polished lunch on this list, with a menu that changes with the seasons and plates that look like they belong at dinner. Diners order the cauliflower soup, the plant-based filet mignon and the sweet potato wedges with the skin on. Polenta, quinoa and a burger fill out the menu, all cooked light on oil and big on flavour.

The two-course lunch with a glass of house wine is the move, and diners call it great value for cooking this careful. The kitchen uses organic and sustainable ingredients where it can. The restaurant is calm and nicely decorated, a good reset between museums, and it sits a short walk from Prešeren Square.

💡 Tip: Maha serves lunch only, 11:30AM to 4PM on weekdays, and closes on weekends. Book a table through the website if you want to eat at the busiest time of day.

📍 Nazorjeva ulica 3, 1000 Ljubljana | Center | ☎️ +386 31 884 844 | 🌐 bistromaha.si | 📸 @bistromaha

7. Vanderveg: Daily Takeaway Lunches and Raw Cakes Vegan

Vanderveg is a takeaway kitchen in the Bežigrad district north of the centre, and the oat and quinoa patties are what regulars rave about. Each day brings one main, a soup and a mixed salad, and the full daily lunch of all three costs under €15. Locals who have eaten here for years call it the most delicious vegan food in town.

The other reason to know the address is cake. Raw vegan cakes come in flavours like Snickers, Bounty, tiramisu and Ferrero Rocher, made to order with two working days’ notice. Everything is for pickup or delivery through Wolt, so there is nowhere to sit; take lunch to a park or back to your apartment.

💡 Tip: It is open only Tuesday to Thursday, 11AM to 3PM. Order online or ring ahead, and get a cake order in early if you are celebrating anything.

📍 Palmejeva ulica 26, 1000 Ljubljana | Bežigrad | ☎️ +386 70 154 333 | 🌐 vanderveg.si | 📸 @vanderveg.si

Plečnik’s Ljubljana Between Meals

The architect Jože Plečnik reshaped his home city between the two world wars, and in 2021 his Ljubljana works joined the UNESCO World Heritage list. Walk from Gaudi&Naan to the Triple Bridge, where he added two footbridges either side of the old stone crossing, then along his colonnaded Central Market on the riverbank.

His National and University Library on Turjaška ulica (Turjak Street), with its patchwork façade of brick and stone, is a few minutes from Vegashi. Nearby, Križanke, a former monastery he turned into an open-air theatre, hosts the summer Ljubljana Festival. Spend a morning on Plečnik, then sit down to lunch at Bistro Maha on a weekday.

Vegan Ljubljana: What to Know Before You Go

• Sundays are quiet. Veganika, Gaudi&Naan, Grashka Deli, Barbarella Juicebar, Bistro Maha and Vanderveg all close, so Vegashi (1PM to 6PM) is your Sunday meal.
• Bistro Maha and Vanderveg serve lunch only and Vegashi closes by 6PM, so build days around a big lunch and book dinner at Veganika or Gaudi&Naan.
• Open Kitchen (Odprta kuhna), the Friday street-food market on Pogačarjev trg (Pogačar Square) beside the Central Market, runs from spring to autumn and has plant-based stalls among the dozens of cooks.
• Slovenian classics lean on pork and dairy: jota (bean and sauerkraut stew) usually comes with smoked pork, and štruklji (rolled dumplings) are usually filled with cottage cheese. Leave the traditional dishes to the vegan kitchens on this list.
• Wolt delivers from most of these kitchens, which helps on a rainy evening or a Sunday.
• Ljubljana’s tap water is safe to drink and there are public drinking fountains around the centre, so carry a bottle.
• The city pairs well with a coast trip: Vegan Split is about five hours away by road and Vegan Venice about three.

When to Visit Ljubljana

May, June and September are the sweet spot, with warm days, café tables out along the Ljubljanica and Open Kitchen running on Fridays. July and August bring the Ljubljana Festival to Križanke and the biggest crowds, and Veganika stops taking reservations from June to September, so arrive at 5PM sharp.

December is the other great month, when the centre is strung with lights and the festive fair lines the riverbanks with mulled wine stalls. Winters are cold and often foggy, so plan long indoor lunches and save the castle views for clear mornings.

Vegan Ljubljana FAQ