Portugal is known for its seafood, grilled meats, and creamy custards — not exactly the easiest cuisine to veganise. But over the past few years, a quiet shift has been happening. From Lisbon to Porto, and even in smaller towns and beachy enclaves, a new generation of chefs and café owners is reimagining classic Portuguese food for a plant-based crowd.
This guide is for travellers who want to experience real Portuguese flavour — not just hummus plates and smoothie bowls. Whether you’re craving a vegan bifana in a crusty roll, a creamy pastel de nata, or a meat-free version of the famously meaty francesinha, here’s where to find it all.
Snacks
These are the things locals eat in cafés, tascas, and bakeries — washed down with a bica (espresso) or a cold beer. Quick, satisfying, and packed with tradition.
Pastel de Nata
Portugal’s most famous pastry: a crisp, flaky tart filled with creamy custard and baked until blistered on top. Traditionally made with egg yolks and dairy.
Vegan version: Vegan custard is made from soy or oat milk, cornstarch, lemon peel, cinnamon, and sometimes turmeric for colour. Getting the pastry crisp is key.
Try it at:
- Ao 26 – Vegan Food Project (Lisbon) serves a beautiful vegan nata as part of its dessert menu.
- The Food Temple (Lisbon) and O Botanista have also been known to offer house-made versions.
- Moko Veggie Café in Porto serves their own take, and DaTerra sometimes offers them in their bakery counter.
Bifana
A simple but iconic pork sandwich, often served in a soft white roll and soaked in garlicky, spicy marinade. It’s a go-to festival or football snack.
Vegan version: Uses marinated seitan, soy, or mushroom-based “meat,” often slow-cooked in garlic, white wine, and paprika.
Try it at:
- Ao 26 and O Gambuzino in Lisbon both offer excellent vegan bifanas.
- In Porto, try Kind Kitchen or the rotating street food stalls at Mercado Temporário do Bolhão.
Prego
The steak sandwich cousin of the bifana — usually beefy, garlicky, and served in a bolo do caco or papo seco. Sometimes topped with mustard or plant-based cheese.
Vegan version: Typically uses grilled seitan or mushrooms, sometimes with vegan cheese and mustard sauce.
Try it at:
- Fauna & Flora in Lisbon sometimes features a plant-based prego.
- Época in Porto offers hearty sandwiches with a nod to the traditional flavours.
Pica Pau
A sharing dish made with bite-sized pieces of meat, cooked in a beer-based sauce with garlic, mustard, pickles, and olives.
Vegan version: Replaces meat with tofu, tempeh, or seitan chunks, still using the garlicky beer and mustard sauce for that punchy flavour.
Try it at:
- O Gambuzino in Lisbon has offered a vegan pica pau with marinated seitan and pickles.
- Vegana by Tentúgal in Coimbra is also known for reimagining snack dishes like this.
Mains
Portuguese main dishes are big on bold flavours and humble ingredients: garlic, olive oil, wine, paprika, and lots of slow cooking. Many of these meals have deep regional roots and meat-heavy reputations, but vegan versions are popping up in restaurants across the country.
Bacalhau
Portugal’s national obsession — salt cod cooked in hundreds of ways. Bacalhau à Brás (shredded with egg and potato), Bacalhau com Natas (with cream), or simply grilled.
Vegan version: Typically made with jackfruit, hearts of palm, or marinated tofu to mimic the flaky texture of cod. For à Brás, scrambled tofu or chickpea “egg” replaces the original.
Try it at:
- Ao 26 – Vegan Food Project in Lisbon offers a creative take on Bacalhau à Brás using hearts of palm.
- Espaço Vegan in Setúbal has featured versions of bacalhau dishes at pop-up events.
Francesinha
Porto’s monster sandwich: layers of bread, steak, ham, and sausage, covered in cheese and drenched in a spicy tomato-beer sauce. Traditionally served with fries and a fried egg on top.
Vegan version: Vegan meats (seitan, tofu, soy sausage), topped with melty vegan cheese and smothered in a rich, spicy sauce. Often includes a side of fries and a plant-based “egg” option.
Try it at:
- Kind Kitchen in Porto does one of the best-known vegan francesinhas in the country.
- DaTerra (Porto and Lisbon) occasionally features a mini version in its rotating buffet.
- O Porto dos Gatos in Porto also offers a fully vegan francesinha with homemade ingredients.
Alheira
A garlicky smoked sausage originally created by Portuguese Jews as a decoy during the Inquisition. Traditionally made with bread, poultry or game, garlic, and olive oil.
Vegan version: Usually recreated with bread, mushrooms, garlic, smoked paprika, and olive oil — shaped into a sausage or patty and pan-fried.
Try it at:
- O Gambuzino in Lisbon has done an inventive vegan alheira as part of its specials menu.
- Look for it in seasonal menus or fusion-style vegan Portuguese bistros.
Cataplana
A seafood stew from the Algarve, named after the clam-shaped copper pot it’s cooked in. Typically includes clams, prawns, chorizo, peppers, tomatoes, and white wine.
Vegan version: Features mushrooms, jackfruit, smoked tofu, or vegan chorizo in the same garlicky, wine-rich broth with bell peppers and potatoes.
Try it at:
- The Green Affair (Lisbon and Cascais) has featured vegan cataplana dishes.
- In the Algarve, look out for Casa do Vegano pop-ups or The Studio in Lagos for creative, seafood-free Algarve fare.
Piri-Piri Chicken
Spicy, smoky grilled chicken brushed with chilli oil — a staple in churrasqueiras and roadside grills across the country.
Vegan version: Uses seitan, tofu, or soy curls marinated in piri-piri oil, then grilled or roasted for charred edges and fiery heat.
Try it at:
- The Green Affair in Lisbon has offered vegan piri-piri skewers.
- O Botanista (Lisbon) has used piri-piri marinades in bowls and mains with seitan.
Feijoada
A slow-cooked bean stew made with kidney or black beans and traditionally full of pork cuts, chorizo, and sometimes beef. Hearty and smoky.
Vegan version: Keeps the beans, tomato, garlic, and bay leaf base, swapping meats for smoked tofu, vegan sausage, or mushrooms.
Try it at:
- DaTerra often has a vegan feijoada as part of their rotating buffet.
- Terra Restaurante Natural in Lisbon and Vegana by Tentúgal in Coimbra offer variations throughout the year.
Bitoque
A home-cooked classic: grilled beef steak served with fries, rice, and a fried egg — sometimes with garlic butter or gravy. A no-frills comfort meal.
Vegan version: Seitan or tofu steak, served with traditional sides and a vegan fried egg or mushroom gravy.
Try it at:
- O Gambuzino in Lisbon has offered a vegan bitoque as a special.
- Kind Kitchen in Porto has rotating comfort food mains that touch on these traditional flavours.
Arroz de Pato
Duck rice baked in the oven with crispy chorizo on top. Often served for holidays or Sunday lunch.
Vegan version: Uses shredded jackfruit or mushroom confit instead of duck, and vegan chorizo for the smoky topping. Traditionally baked to crisp the top layer of rice.
Try it at:
- Ao 26 in Lisbon has occasionally featured vegan duck rice as a special.
- O Porto dos Gatos and DaTerra in Porto may include similar rice-based casseroles with vegan meats.
Sweets
Portuguese desserts often rely heavily on egg yolks, sugar, and condensed milk — legacies of convent recipes passed down for generations. But in recent years, vegan versions of some of the country’s best-loved sweets have started showing up in bakeries, cafés, and restaurant menus across Portugal.
Bolo de Bolacha
A no-bake cake made from layers of Maria biscuits soaked in coffee and sandwiched with buttercream. It’s rich, sweet, and nostalgic — often served at birthdays and family gatherings.
Vegan version: Uses vegan biscuits (many Maria-style brands are accidentally vegan), dairy-free buttercream made from margarine and powdered sugar, and espresso or coffee for soaking.
Try it at:
- O Botanista in Lisbon often has a vegan bolo de bolacha on its dessert menu.
- DaTerra occasionally features mini versions in their buffet dessert selections.
- In Porto, Apuro Vegan Bar and Moko Veggie Café sometimes offer it as a special.
Final Thoughts
Portugal may be best known for its seafood and custard tarts, but it’s quickly becoming one of Europe’s most exciting destinations for vegan food. Across Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve, and beyond, chefs and cafés are rethinking traditional dishes — not by erasing their roots, but by reinventing them for a new audience.
This isn’t about compromising. The vegan bifana still drips with garlicky marinade, the francesinha is still soaked in spicy sauce, and yes, the pastel de nata still has that blistered top and creamy centre. Whether you’re here for a city break, a beach escape, or something in between, you can enjoy the full flavour of Portugal — no animal products required.
So order the vegan bacalhau. Ask for the plant-based bolo de bolacha. And don’t leave without trying at least one pastel de nata. You won’t regret it.