The 5 Best Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants in Marbella

Not so long ago, eating out in Spain as a vegetarian used to be tricky, and as a vegan – well, forget it. Ah, those frequent discussions about whether jamón is meat or not (yes, really – in fact, they still happen). Those days of travelling the Iberian Peninsula living off tortilla de patatas (potato omelette), garbanzos con espinacas (spinach with chickpeas), and patatas bravas (spicy fried potatoes) – excellent tapas all, but too much of anything will bore anyone’s palate – are behind us.

Now you will nearly always find vegetarian and vegan options on restaurant and café menus in larger towns and cities, as well as eateries that specialise in creative and innovative non-meat and (less frequently) vegan dishes. This is especially true in the area around Marbella with its refined, health-conscious clientele and global outlook, where less common diets are catered to better than in other Andalucian resorts. Be aware that these are not restaurants, so they don’t stay open in the evening, in most cases.

So, if you’re staying in or around Marbella and Puerto Banus and follow a meat-free or plant-based diet, here is our selection of the five best restaurants serving good vegetarian and vegan food in Marbella neighbourhoods. Note that non-vegetarian dishes also feature on these menus, so other diners may be eating meat, but they all welcome vegetarians and vegans.

Organic Market & Food Marbella

Organic Market & Food Marbella ©

The people behind Organic Market and Food say, “From organic garden to your table with minimal environmental impact and maximum quality of products.” The extensive menu covers fresh vegetable and fruit juices and smoothies, burgers, wraps, salads and even gut-healing dishes (coconut yoghurt with chia, flax, and pomegranate seeds). The spacious dining room is light, natural and comfortable, with wooden tables and wicker chairs.

We love their nutritious bowls, which are packed full of healthy, tasty ingredients such as sprouted buckwheat, gluten-free oats, and acai berries. Also a wide selection of take-away options, handy for when you’d rather eat at home in your luxurious villa while enjoying the view. Open from 9.00 to 18.00

Address: Centro Comercial Expo 14, Avenida Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe, s/n, 29602 Marbella, Málaga.

Phone: 952 92 52 76

Website: organicmarketfood.com

Manuka

Manuka ©

This health food restaurant (manuka is a type of honey with medicinal properties), with five branches around Marbella, offers a good variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes. Breakfast offerings ranges from bowls with acai and chia to a paleo hash browns and eggs, and for lunch you’re spoiled for choice, with pad Thai, veggie burgers and tacos. The Heartbeet Wrap is heaven for vegans, with roast beets, cashew cheese, quinoa and lentils. Snacky sides include sweet potato fries, kale chips and cauliflower houmous, while tasty salads can have extras like feta and eggs added, while savoury bowls encompass noodles, curry and soup.

Manuka also has a huge selection of pressed juices, smoothies and shots for detox and glowing skin. Desserts range from the indulgent – gluten-free vegan fudge brownie – to the super-healthy – avocado and chocolate tart with an almond and date base. Each branch has an outside terrace so you can enjoy the year-round fine weather, either on a pavement, a decked terrace, or in a garden. Open from 8.30 to 21.00, except for the Banus branch whose hours are 9.00 to 23.00.

Address: Branches at La Cañada shopping centre (in the exterior part), Paseo Maritimo (Plaza del Mar shopping centre), with kids’ play area and activities, Marina Banus in Puerto Banús, Alanda hotel opposite Puente Romano, and on Avenida del Mar, close to Playa de Venus.

Website: https://www.manukamarbella.com/

The Fresh food cafe

The Fresh Food Cafe ©

More a relaxed brunch/lunch/coffee shop than a restaurant, the Fresh Food Café in Nueva Andalucia has a menu catering to many tastes: you can choose from jacket potatoes, wraps, quesadillas, among other dishes. The décor is cool and crisp, with a fresh, white interior and pleasant shaded terrace with similarly monochrome furniture.

Start your day with a full veggie breakfast, eggs Florentine, or pancakes, or feel a healthy glow with a blue spirulina breakfast bowl or porridge. Their antioxidant-filled fresh juices and shots boost your energy and immune system, and help to reduce body fat and the effects of ageing. Protein smoothies, to help build muscle, come in both dairy and plant versions. Opens from 9.00 to 19.00 Monday to Friday, and on Saturday to 18.00.

Address: Urb. Los Naranjos de Marbella, Centro Comercial, Local 1C, 29660 Marbella, Málaga. Phone: 952 90 73 64

Website: Freshfoodcafe.es

Hustle n Flow

Hustle n Flow ©

Hustle n Flow in San Pedro de Alcántara offers an excellent range of options – not to mention the great name! The fun attitude continues on the menu, with a “Dirty Croissant” filled with rocket and served with sundried tomatoes, scrambled egg and avocado, while the burrito with cheesy scramble, guacamole, black beans, and sweetcorn is a tasty and filling lunch.

This is a great brunch or lunch spot with a cheery interior featuring large windows. We love the all-day breakfast, including sweet potato, potato and carrot rosti with avocado and poached eggs. Vegans will appreciate the Beyond Burger meat-free patties, with non-dairy cheese.. Open from 9.30 to 17.00.

Address: Calle Andalucía, Calle Lagasca, Esquina, 29670 San Pedro Alcántara, Málaga.

Phone: 663 86 09 91

Website: hustlenflow.com

RACHEL’S ECO LOVE

Rachel’s Eco Love ©

At this restaurant owned by local entrepreneur Raquel Zamora, which has two branches at Marbella hotels and one stand-alone, vegetarian diners can enjoy zucchini noodles, the curiously named Divorciado Eggs (poached eggs with sprouts, spinach and avocado), fattoush salad, or a scrambled tofu wrap. The sharing plate at El Rastro, which includes houmous, olives, falafel, raw vegetables, and sweet potato chips, would be a great family option.

Bowls with delicious combinations of fruit, coconut milk or yoghurt are great any time of day, while the salads are tasty and nutritious (think kale, chickpeas, quinoa and carrot falafel). Our vegan pick: sweet potato curry, packed full of creamy goodness, with carrots and kale. Décor in each location is pretty with a terrace and elegant metal furniture; at Puente Romano, you sit next to the pool.

Each Rachel’s Eco Love has its own opening hours – Hard Rock Hotel (Rachel’s Eco Love Grab & Co) is 8.30-16.30, Puente Romano is 9.00-18.00, and El Rastro is 9.00-17.00

Address: Three branches: El Rastro (N340 km176, 5, 29602 Marbella, Malaga),  Hotel Puente Romano, and Hard Rock Hotel

Website: https://www.rachelsecolove.com/

You can rest assured that vegans and vegetarians will be well catered for in Marbella, with an ample choice of healthy yet tasty options in charming cafes and restaurants.

Fiona Flores Watson

Fiona is our local expert living in Seville, writing about life in Andalucia with all its foibles; exploring its hidden corners in cities and surrounding provinces, and finding out what makes it tick. She writes amusing tales if life an expat journalist mother with two bilingual children and a Spanish husband; helping them (and herself) to tread the path between two cultures, as an "anglo-andalusí".

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