I had very low expectations for the vegan food in Mendoza, but I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of restaurants and food. It is by no means a haven for vegans, but it is enough to give you variety for a week-long stay.
With a mixture of fully vegan food spots, vegetarian buffets, restaurants with vegan options (like pizza), and vineyards with vegan options.
If you are also heading to Buenos Aires during your time in Argentina, make sure to also check out my guide to the best vegan food in Buenos Aires. You may also want to check out Santiago de Chile, a vegan haven just across the border!
I hope you enjoy the vegan food offering, and of course, all the wine I’m sure you’ll be trying whilst in Mendoza!
Tacuara Real Food
- Diet: 100% vegan
- Location: Av. Colón 424, M5500 Mendoza, Argentina
If you are looking for an affordable and convenient spot in the city centre, Tacuara Real Food is a fantastic choice. It operates as a buffet where you pay per kilo, which is always a bit dangerous for me as I never know when to stop! There is so much to choose from, including lasagna, spaghetti, and various types of seitan and milanesas.
The best part about this place is the abundance of plant-based protein options, which can sometimes be hard to find whilst travelling. They even have vegan ‘cold cuts’ and traditional alfajores for dessert.
I found myself coming back several times because the opening hours are much more reliable than other similar ‘per kilo’ spots in Mendoza (mentioned at the bottom of this article).
The food options stay relatively similar each day, but there is enough variety to keep things interesting if you visit frequently. One thing to note is that the food can sometimes be a little lukewarm. I noticed a few locals getting their plates microwaved, which is a handy tip if you prefer your meal piping hot.
Animal Organic
- Diet: Vegan-friendly upon request (they serve animal products)
- Location: Alem 5170, 5528 Chacras de Coria, Mendoza, Argentina
For a truly magical experience outside of the city centre, I highly recommend visiting Ánimal Organic. This beautiful, airy winery allows you to walk the grounds and meet the resident cats and dogs whilst you wait for your meal. If you plan to visit, just be sure to request the vegan option in advance when booking your tasting or lunch.
The menu is created fresh on the day using seasonal ingredients, paired perfectly with their own natural wines. I was treated to an array of dishes, including a refreshing watermelon gazpacho, grilled mushrooms with romanesco, and fresh pasta. Whilst the meal lacked a heavy protein source like lentils or beans, the flavours were incredibly vibrant and fresh.
I was particularly impressed by the effort they put into the dessert. They created a crispy base topped with a creamy almond milk flan, finished with fresh fruits and nuts. It was the perfect end to a long afternoon of sipping orange, white, and red wines in the sunshine.
The hospitality here is wonderful, and as a bonus, you can purchase their wines to take home with a 20% discount after your meal. It is a fantastic spot if you want to experience a high-end Mendoza winery that genuinely cares about catering to vegan guests.
Bigalia Pizza Napolitana
- Diet: Vegan-friendly (they serve animal products)
- Location: Av. Sarmiento 776, M5500 Mendoza, Argentina
After a hellish day of travelling between Buenos Aires and Mendoza (honestly, avoid FlyBondi whilst you are in Argentina), I had a real craving for pizza. Considering just how seriously Argentinians take their pizza, I had high hopes for this place. One of the top-rated pizza spots in the city, Bigalia has an impressive reputation and offers two exclusively vegan pizzas.
The first was a unique beetroot base topped with tomatoes, onions, and edible flowers. It sounds a bit strange, but it really worked! The second was a combination of pumpkin, artichoke, and tomatoes. Both were topped with a vegan cheese that was creamy and not at all plastic-y. The real winner for me, however, was the perfectly chewy dough.
Beware that it gets very busy here, as it is a popular spot for locals. If you want to avoid the crowds, I suggest eating at a typical UK time (around 6 pm or 7 pm) before the late-night Argentine dinner rush begins.
They also have a great selection of drinks to wash down your meal. I found that the Patagonia Amber Lager (vegan-friendly) paired perfectly with the pizza. Of course, being in Mendoza, there is also plenty of local wine to choose from if you prefer!
I enjoyed it so much that I came back a second time to try a simpler Margherita with vegan cheese. The service was particularly reassuring; the waiter noticed they had accidentally prepared it with cow’s cheese before serving it to me. He immediately apologised and brought out a fresh vegan one shortly after, which really gave me peace of mind.
Madero Mercado Vegano
- Diet: 100% vegan
- Location: Av. Belgrano 1210, M5500 Mendoza, Argentina
Madero Mercado Vegano is a vegan market selling a selection of ready-to-eat foods, like sandwiches and empanadas. As well as pre-marinated vegan meats, sweets, protein bars, and crisps.
They also appear to have a sit-down restaurant space, but the owner told us it was currently shut down, although they do sell a variety of hot foods (like hot dogs) and their market products through Rappi.
I ordered a huge Lomo Seitan sandwich to take with me on a tour the next day. It was the perfect food for the tour. It was packed full of vegan meats and held up well throughout the day – providing me with much needed sustinance when walking around the Andes!
If you can speak Spanish and get a chance to chat with the owner, you really must. He was super friendly and talkative, and shared his vegan journey with us, which was lovely!
Khaosan
- Diet: Vegan-friendly (they serve animal products)
- Location: Sarmiento 65, M5500 Mendoza, Argentina
I was looking for a break from the heavier vegan dishes I was finding in Mendoza, like seitan milanesa, pizza and pasta, and stumbled across this Thai restaurant on one of the main dining strips in the city centre. They have a couple of vegan-friendly dishes on their menu, including pad thai and some rice dishes.
I’ll be honest, it wasn’t particularly exciting, nor was it a particularly well-flavoured pad thai. So, if you are also a fan of Thai food, keep your expectations low! But it was nice to eat some noodles and tofu, coated in soy sauce.
Flavio Soppelsa
- Diet: Vegan-friendly (they serve ice cream with cream and without)
- Location: Lavalle 24, M5500CLB Mendoza, Argentina
There was a super long queue for Flavio Soppelsa the first time I tried to get ice cream here. So I came back the next day and quickly found out why, they take their ice cream VERY seriously. It isn’t just a tub or cone of ice cream; it is a piece of art. I saw people in front of me ordering huge tubs of ice cream that would take about 10 minutes to put together, with all the beautiful toppings and artwork carved into the ice cream.
I ordered a small tub and got two flavours of their vegan-friendly gelato, including lemon and olive oil and pomelo charcoal, both delicious! It was the smallest tub, but they put so much effort into the decoration and insisted on adding a small scoop of an additional vegan flavour for me.
I was also impressed by the huge quantity of vegan flavours. I’d say about 40% of their menu was vegan-friendly (and thankfully marked very clearly). The flavours are also very different from those you normally expect, with flavours like chai, avocado, and wine. And everything I tried was delicious! This is definitely the best gelato you’ll find in Mendoza.
More vegan-friendly options
Despite Mendoza not being the most vegan-friendly of destinations, there are still a few other options dotted around the city and nearby countryside. Here are a few other places that you may want to check out:
- More veggie/vegan food per kilo: Vegano – Vegetariano Comida por kilo, Bambú (vegetarian), Vege Vida comida vegetariana 素食餐廳 (vegetarian) – these are very similar to Tacuara but have more limited opening hours, typically at lunch time on a weekday.
- Mumbai Masala: A vegan-friendly Indian restaurant with a sit-in restaurant and takeaway (I ordered via Rappi). I didn’t enjoy the food so much, it was very greasy and not particularly flavourful, but if all else fails, it is a good fallback.
- Vineyards: I know many vineyards in the area offer vegan options if you want to dine there. I saw a fair few with vegan options marked on their menu, and a few others where you can request vegan meals ahead of time. For example, I know that you can get a vegan dinner at the vineyard I visited, Finca Decero.
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