Vegan Madrid

Every radial road in Spain is measured from a small stone plaque in Puerta del Sol called Kilómetro Cero (kilometre zero), and the best plant-based cooking in Madrid sits within a short walk or metro ride of it. Burgers in Chueca, sushi by the opera house, Italian in Malasaña: the whole list fits inside the old centre and one smart neighbourhood north of the Retiro park.

Madrid eats late and generously, and its vegan kitchens follow the same clock. Lunch runs from 2PM, dinner rarely starts before 9PM, and portions are built for people who intend to stay a while. These six places are all fully vegan, so you can order anything on the menu. For more cities, browse the Your Vegan Passport destinations.

Vegan Madrid at a Glance

• MadMad Vegan: best for overloaded burgers, tequeños and a craft beer in Chueca
• Shlen: best for gyozas, dosas and a pan-Asian dinner in Salamanca
• The Vegan Roll: best for fish-free sushi near the Teatro Real
• Frutas Prohibidas: best for eggs benedict and a long brunch in Conde Duque
• Pizzi & Dixie: best for mortadella pizza and Italian comfort food in Malasaña
• Vega: best for vegan burrata, croquetas and black rice in Malasaña

Best Vegan Restaurants in Madrid

1. MadMad Vegan: Stacked Burgers and Tequeños in Chueca Vegan

People come for the burgers, which are huge, juicy and carry the smoky edge of something off a proper grill. Pair one with the cajun fries or sweet potato fries. The tequeños, Venezuelan sticks of fried dough wrapped around melting cheese, are the starter everyone orders, and the battered vegan calamari arrives thin, crisp and ready for a squeeze of lemon.

After that, try the croquetas (fried béchamel croquettes) or a Dirty Philly sandwich, and wash it down with one of the beers they brew for the house. MadMad feels like a loud neighbourhood burger bar that happens to be fully plant-based, and the crowd on Calle Pelayo reflects that. I would book this first for a Friday night.

💡 Tip: MadMad opens daily from 1PM until late, so it often works for a mid-afternoon lunch when other kitchens are shut. There is a second branch at Calle Lavapiés 16 if you are staying south of Sol.

📍 Calle de Pelayo 19, 28004 Madrid | Chueca | ☎️ +34 914 44 20 77 | 🌐 madmadvegan.com | 📸 @madmadvegan

2. Shlen: Gyozas, Dosas and Peking Mushroom in Salamanca Vegan

Order the edamame and truffle gyozas first, finished with Sichuan pepper oil and toasted sesame. Then get the masala dosa, a crisp South Indian rice crepe folded around spiced potato, and the Peking duck made from crispy mushroom, rolled in pancakes with cucumber and plum sauce. The bombas de sabor (flavour bombs) are the small bites diners keep ordering again.

The baos come stuffed with fried oyster mushrooms, char siu sauce and sriracha mayo and make a good second round. Shlen takes its name from its owners, Sheetal and Len, and the menu moves happily between India, China and Japan. It is a calm, smart dinner spot in Salamanca, the city’s elegant shopping district.

💡 Tip: Shlen opens Wednesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for lunch only. A second branch at Calle de Raimundo Fernández Villaverde 16 in Chamberí is handy if you are near the Nuevos Ministerios end of town.

📍 Calle del Duque de Sesto 46, 28009 Madrid | Salamanca | ☎️ +34 623 97 91 38 | 🌐 shlen.es | 📸 @shlenfood

3. The Vegan Roll: Fish-Free Sushi by the Opera House Vegan

The Spicy Tuna Roll is the one people rave about, made without a gram of fish and still carrying that chilli kick and soft, rich bite. The Krunchy Roll and the Tempura Cheese Roll add crunch and melt, and diners describe the plates as spectacular to look at as well as to eat. Order a mix and share them around the table.

Beyond the rolls, there are baos, a spider roll, udon noodles and mochi (Japanese rice-cake sweets) for dessert. Everything is 100% plant-based, and the small team is known for warm, chatty service. The restaurant now sits on Calle de los Caños del Peral, a few steps from the Teatro Real, which makes it an easy dinner before or after a show.

💡 Tip: Book through the link on their Instagram, especially for Friday and Saturday dinners, because the tables fill up fast.

📍 Calle de los Caños del Peral 9, 28013 Madrid | Ópera | ☎️ +34 919 35 63 73 | 🌐 theveganroll.com | 📸 @theveganroll

4. Frutas Prohibidas: The Eggs Benedict Everyone Queues For Vegan

Order the eggs benedict. It comes with a runny plant-based yolk, cashew hollandaise and mushroom bacon, and it is the dish that converts sceptical friends at the next seat. If you want sweet, the pancakes with açaí and berries are the other big seller, and the carrot cake del Profeta is the slice to take with a specialty flat white.

The cochinita pibil, a Mexican dish of slow-roasted pulled filling in achiote, here made with plants, is the savoury pick if you have already had the benedict once. Everything is made from scratch in their own workshop and the whole menu is vegan. Frutas Prohibidas means forbidden fruits, which suits a brunch this indulgent near the Conde Duque cultural centre.

💡 Tip: Frutas Prohibidas opens Wednesday to Sunday from 10AM to 6PM, with the kitchen serving until 5PM. There are no reservations, so scan the QR code at the door to join the virtual queue and get a coffee nearby while you wait.

📍 Calle del Conde Duque 26, 28015 Madrid | Conde Duque | ☎️ +34 911 52 55 33 | 🌐 frutasprohibidas.com | 📸 @frutasprohibidasbar

5. Pizzi & Dixie: Mortadella Pizza and Vegan Ossobuco in Malasaña Vegan

The mortadella pizza with pistachio is the order here, and diners say the vegan cheese is hard to tell apart from dairy. The pepperoni pizza and the calzone have their own fan club too. For something heavier, the risotto alla milanese with vegan ossobuco (braised shank, Milan style) is the most talked-about plate on the menu.

Finish with the cookie melosa, a soft, gooey cookie served with pistachio ice cream, or a tiramisu. Pizzi & Dixie is a fully vegan Italian trattoria with an old-world dining room in Malasaña, the bar-heavy neighbourhood north of Gran Vía. Gluten-free pizza and pasta are on the menu as well, which makes it an easy table for mixed groups.

💡 Tip: Pizzi & Dixie serves lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday and lunch only on Sunday, with the kitchen closed between lunch and the 8:30PM dinner opening. Book online for weekend dinners.

📍 Calle de San Vicente Ferrer 16, 28004 Madrid | Malasaña | ☎️ +34 912 65 98 87 | 🌐 pizzidixie.com | 📸 @pizzidixie

6. Vega: Vegan Burrata, Croquetas and Black Rice in Malasaña Vegan

Start with the vegan burrata and a croqueta or two, which you can order by the single piece. Then get the arroz negro, black rice cooked in the Spanish style and topped with vegan squid, the one classic Spanish dish on a menu that otherwise roams the world. Diners also name the pizza among the best vegan pizzas they have had.

The cochinita pibil tacos, quinoa dishes and the tiramisu all have fans, and the cheesefake (vegan cheesecake) is the dessert to share. Vega cooks with organic produce and pours local Madrid wine and beer. It is cosy and busy, so expect to sit close to your neighbours.

💡 Tip: Vega Luna opens daily from 1PM through to midnight, so it is a safe bet for a late lunch. Its sister restaurant at Calle del Álamo 3, near Plaza de España, runs the same kind of menu if Calle de la Luna is full.

📍 Calle de la Luna 9, 28004 Madrid | Malasaña | ☎️ +34 910 70 49 69 | 🌐 luna.govega.es | 📸 @vegarestaurantes

Madrid’s Late Clock and the Art of Sobremesa

Spain moved to Central European Time in 1940, even though Madrid lies west of Greenwich. The sun still sets late in summer, and the city simply shifted its meals to match. Lunch is the big meal of the day from 2PM to 4PM, and dinner at 9PM counts as early.

After lunch comes sobremesa, the Spanish habit of staying at the table to talk long after the plates are cleared. Nobody will rush you out, and waiters rarely bring the bill until you ask for it. Say “la cuenta, por favor” (the bill, please) when you are ready, and plan your afternoon around a slow lunch.

Vegan Madrid: What to Know Before You Go

• Many kitchens close between roughly 4PM and 8PM. MadMad and Vega usually serve through the afternoon if you get hungry between meals.
• Shlen and Frutas Prohibidas both close on Mondays and Tuesdays, so put them later in the week.
• Look for the menú del día (a fixed-price weekday lunch with starter, main, dessert and a drink), which Vega serves and which is the best-value way to eat a proper lunch.
• In ordinary Spanish bars, tortilla de patatas (potato omelette) contains egg, croquetas usually contain ham and milk, and the alioli (garlic mayonnaise) on patatas bravas is made with egg.
• Useful phrases: “soy vegano” or “soy vegana” (I am vegan) and “sin huevo, sin leche, sin queso” (no egg, no milk, no cheese).
• Every place on this list is within a short ride of Sol on the metro, and Chueca, Ópera, Noviciado and Tribunal stations cover most of them.

When to Visit Madrid

April to June and late September to October are the best months, with warm days, cool evenings and terraces full until midnight. San Isidro, the city’s patron saint festival around 15 May, fills the streets with music and picnics in the Pradera de San Isidro park.

July and August are hot, often above 35°C, and many locals leave town in August, when some independent restaurants close for their holidays. Winter is cold but sunny and dry, which makes it a good time for long lunches and museum days.

Vegan Madrid FAQ