MY ‘EATING GREEN IN CÁDIZ’ GUIDE – where to eat good healthy, vegetarian and/or vegan food in Cádiz

Posted On November 15, 2019

Spain = meat and Cádiz = fried fish. And if you do not really dig any of that and just want the green and healthy stuff. Where to eat green in Cádiz town? That was my question when I moved here, and I have been exploring the restaurants ever since. In the big cities of Spain, you can find lots of places to eat green. But for Cádiz, who all days have been very Spanish, local and with a village vibe, it can be a challenge. Healthy is not really on the menu but fried fish is indeed.

The word vegan is still very new, and vegetarian salad still usually means a salad with tuna. But slowly, vegan eating places are popping up so you can eat green and some restaurants are offering vegan and vegetarian choices, that are more than just a fluffy salad. Some places are better than others, but it is definitely great that they have opened up their eyes towards this need. And when I write healthy, it is maybe not what you have in mind, but it is the healthiest as it gets in the ‘city of fried fish’.

When travelling I use the app ‘Happy Cow’. It is very helpful when looking for restaurants with green food, but it can still be a jungle finding the best places. I have tried a lot of restaurants in Cádiz and here I will share with you some of my favorites, when you look for the green stuff. I don’t have food pictures from all places, usually the food is gone before I get to take a picture. I will update with pictures when I eat more yummy food.

Vegan 100%

If you want to eat at a vegan only place, there are now two places in Cádiz town that you can visit:

La Veganesa

The owner ‘Gracias’ started her business with a small vegan stall at the local market Abastos. It went very well and at some point, a few years later, she decided to open a restaurant in Barrio del Populo, the eldest neighborhood in Cádiz. They have a big menu and serve local Spanish dishes made vegan style. They also have a lot of other different types of dishes Italian, Mexican, Indian, Arabic and so on. They also make really great desserts and cakes. Here you can also find organic wine.

You find La Veganesa on: Calle San Antonio Abad 5 in Cádiz old town. They have different opening hours depending on the season, but usually the normal Spanish hours for lunch and later on for dinner. Check on their Facebook site or give them a call: (+34) 623 19 31 75.

Las Niñas Veganas

Early summer this year, two women opened up a small vegan stall at the local market Abastos. They serve different vegan tapas, mostly Spanish style. I have only eaten there a couple of times and I find it very delicious. The market in it self is also a great experience in Cádiz and it is also a place where the locals go to hang out and eat.

The opening hours for tapas are lunchtime every day until 15:30/16:00 except Mondays where there are no tapas stalls open at the market (in summer Sundays closed, but winter is open) and evening time until 23:00/24:00 except Mondays and Sundays. Their Facebook page here. The address is Plaza libertad. Mercado de abastos, stall number 103 in Cádiz. Call them on: (+34) 617 67 73 69.

 

Restaurants with green options (vegetarian/vegan)

La Candela

My new favorite restaurant is La Candela. Their menu is not especially vegan, but there are some great vegetarian options. The food is just so tasty and the menu very fusion and exciting, like deep fried avocado for example and tempura vegetables. Ask for the vegetable plate with pesto, yummy. I am sure if you ask for vegan, that they will do their best to give you some options, because they have a great service too. Make sure to make a reservation, it is almost always full. They are open every day for lunch and again for dinner later.

Find them on Calle Feduchy, 3 in Cádiz old town. Call them on (+34) 956 22 18 22.

 

Arsenio Manila

My first favorite restaurant when I moved here, was Arsenio Manila. I have eaten there several times already and know the menu very well by now. They have great vegan options on their menu. You don’t want to miss out on their guacamole, what a way to eat green. They even prepare it directly at the table and it is just so tasty. They also make pea croquets and sweet potato “meat”balls in coconut sauce. It is yummi. Arsenio is situated by the beach walk in the new part of town. Their kitchen is open every day from 13:00 and until late, they don’t close for siesta.

Their webpage is here and their address is Paseo Marítimo 12 in Cádiz new town. Telephone number (+34) 956 07 67 44.

CoNfusione

The best pizza in Cádiz, in my opinion is Confusione. It is Italian pizzas at its best and the best pizzas I have ever had, and that says it all because pizza is my favorite thing. The owner is Andrea and he is Italian and has more than 40 years’ experience in pizza making. When he is not the one throwing the pizza dough in the air, then his son is doing it.

They don’t make vegan pizzas (yet, who knows) but vegetarian. They are very kind to change some of the ingredients, if you wish another model. I always get the ‘Napoli’ and change the anchovies to artichokes. You can also get other Italian dishes but to be honest, I have no idea what, because I always order pizza. It is a small and very cosy place to eat, where you from the bar, can watch the kitchen staff work in the open kitchen. The staff is smiley and friendly and the restaurant is usually full, and you have to wait a bit to get seated and usually there is only room in the bar. So, if you insist to eat there and don’t want to wait, call and make a reservation.

You find them on Calle Buenos Aires 21, in Cádiz old town. Webpage here. Call them on: (+34) 956 10 34 76. They are closed Sunday night and all of Monday. They have also just opened a takeaway pizza place in Calle San José 40. .

Bar Casino

The Casino, there is a restaurant and a bar, in the bar you have more green food choices than in the restaurant. They have a section in their menu dedicated to us greenies and it is lovely food. I can definitely recommend eating here. It is an overlooked place to eat, in my opinion. Make sure you visit the bathroom, because the hallway in the main building, on the way to the bathroom, is very beautiful decorated in a Neo-mudeja style, an Arabic style.

You find the place on Plaza San Antonio 15 in Cádiz old town. Webpage here. Call them on: (+34) 856 07 69 28. I find that they change their opening hours radically from summer to winter so look it up before you go so you don’t get disappointed.

Bollywood Indian Restaurant Cádiz

I really like Indian food, and this place really knows how to do it really good in my opinion. They can do almost all their dishes vegan, just ask. You don’t want to miss this place if you like Indian food and are in Cádiz. They have only existed 6 months and you can already find that there sometimes is a queue outside on weekends. You find them on Avenida Cuatro de Diciembre de 1977, Local 24BA it has a small entrance that is easy to miss, so look out, that you haven’t passed by already. Check out their webpage here. You can also call them, they do homedelivery 632 80 64 53.

La Covacha

At La Covacha they have a small menu of vegan tapas, among all the normal typical Spanish food. They do the vegan food great and cheap. Make sure you try the ‘Papitas de Sanlúcar aliñas, the ‘Pisto de verduras’, their croquets, just all the vegan food is great.

You find them close to the food market on Calle Barrié 40, in the old town. They are open all days, lunch and dinner time except from Tuesday, it is closed all day. Call them on: (+34) 856 06 75 89. Here is their Facebook page.

 

La Taperia de Columela

Another great tapas restaurant is La Taperia de Columela. There is almost always a huge queue outside, so be prepared to wait but it is worth it. Their bread is really good, and they have some great vegetarian options but nothing specifically vegan on the menu. You can ask them what they could serve you, if you are vegan. The more we ask about vegan food, the more they understand that people want more options, so don’t be shy to ask.

You find this restaurant in Calle Columela 4 in Cádiz old town. They are open every for lunch and dinner, except on Sundays where they are closed all day.

Casa Manteca

The Salmorejo is an Andalusian cold tomato soup. It was the poor people’s soup and they made it from tomatoes, onions and bread. It is a bit like gazpacho, but thicker and richer. It is vegan, if you remember to order it without the topping, which is usually dried ham and boiled egg. I really find it delicious and you can get it in almost any restaurant in Cádiz. The best Salmorejo in Cádiz, in my opinion is at Casa Manteca.

The place is a taverna where they mostly serve meat, but they have a few vegan and vegetarian options on the menu like slices of tomatoes (it sounds very simple, but the way they spice them up with oil and herbs, makes them so tasty) and canned artichokes. For the vegetarians, try the cheese with asparagus marmalade, whou, that marmalade is just so great. Casa Manteca is from 1953 and used to be a place for the bullfighters to hang out, you can see that from all the pictures on the wall. Just to warn you. I don’t support bullfighting at all, on the contrary, but the place is very Spanish and has a lot of atmosphere that has nothing to do with bullfighting. Pop your head in and decide for yourself.

You find Manteca on Calle Corralón de los Carros 66, in Cádiz old town. Facebook page here. They are open every day for lunch and dinner.

Sondemar

The best plantbased burger in Cádiz you will get at Sondemar. In the menu they are listed as vegetarian with cheese and egg, but they will gladly make it vegan, just ask for it. They also have a few other vegan/vegetarian stuff on the menu, like falafels, zucchini pasta and other things. But my experience is that they don’t always have what is on the menu, it depends on the day. But I was always able to get that amazing burger, it is really good.

The restaurant is a family owned business. It used to be a traditional Spanish restaurant but the son Abraham has changed the place so the menu is more fusion and modern and they also have different things like the Fritz cola soft drink, which is really rare for a place like Cádiz. The parents work in the kitchen and they are the ones making the delicious food. The father was also very kind on teaching me how to lock my bike properly here in Cádiz, so it won’t get stolen.

You find the restaurant on Calle Corralón 55 in Cádiz old town. They are every day for lunch (Monday closed all day) and for dinner except Sunday and Monday. Call them on: (+34) 956 11 07 22. Facebook here. 

La Isleta de Viña

If you have any space left in your belly after the green burger at Sondermar, then cross the street to have the most delicious vegan dessert ever here in Cádiz. The dessert is coconut milk based and the rest is just an explosion of seriously delicious tastes. Vegan desserts in Cádiz are almost impossible to get (except for La Veganesa) because everything is milk and egg based here. At La Isleta they also have a few vegan options on their menu, salads, tapas and a vegan breakfast toast. I find them a bit pricey though but is a very popular place in Cádiz also among the locals. There is usually live music or flamenco during the weekend. The owners are Italian.

You find the restaurant in Calle Corralón de los Carros 54 in Cádiz old town. Call them on: (+34) 956 21 53 06. They are open every day for lunch and later for dinner. The locals usually party here so the opening hours are until late, all days. Facebook page here.

Verde Pistacchio

If you want something else sweet and vegan, there is ice cream. In this remodeled green Volkswagen van, they hand over the best ice cream in Cádiz, for sure. If you ask me. It is a really cool van; you don’t want to miss it. The owner is Italian, and all their sorbets are vegan. My favorites are the mango sorbet and the lime and mint sorbet are amazing. But all their sorbet ice creams are great. They also have a vegan dark chocolate ice cream, so yummy.

Find it on Calle Ancha 13 in Cádiz old town. Their webpage here. They are open every day from 14:00.

Mira Ice cream

In the new part of town on the Paseo Marítimo, by the beach (not the Mira on the plaza close by) there is Mira ice cream. They have most vegan ice cream options in all of Cádiz, even a hazelnut that is just so delicious. This is my second favorite ice cream shop. The Mira on the plaza is the same brand but smaller shop and they don’t have nearly as many vegan options.

Their addresses are: Paseo Marítimo 26 and Calle Gral. Muñoz Arenillas 4-6, both in Cádiz new town. Their Facebook page is.

David’s juicery

At the central food market, you can find David and his delicious and colorful fresh juices. He makes them right there in his stall and he makes really nice combinations. And only 2€ each. Unfortunately he had sold out when we arrived (no photos of the juices), but if you want to check the juices out, just go to his Facebook page here. You find him at stall 86. Maybe some day he will go as far as to do it all organic and in something else than plastic, then he would get five stars out of five from me.

El Rayo Verde

El Rayo Verde is a newly opened café by the beach in the new part of town. They specialize in breakfast and cakes and have a good variety of vegan and vegetarian food and they have plant milk for your coffee. The only thing is that they closed again only a few months later because of reforms, and who knows if they will open again. I surely hope so, because I really want to support places that have a green focus and of course if they know how to cook. This place seemed really good. Let’s cross our fingers. Before you go there, check on their Facebook page here, to see if they are up and running again. Find them on Paseo Marítimo 4 in Cádiz new town

Agua Viento Water Wind

Berta and Philip, this heart warm couple run an organic and vegan food truck. They travel around with it in the province of Cádiz and Andalusia, where they join markets and events and sell their wonderful tapas. So, they are not based in Cadiz city but Sometimes they show up at the monthly organic market in Cádiz (every 2^nd Saturday of the month). You can follow their route on their pages on Facebook or Instagram. They make really great tapas and serve them to you with love and smiles. I hope you will run into them one day. Here is their webpage.

Organic food is still new in Cádiz but there are more shops where you can buy the groceries and bring them home to cook. You can see where in my blog post about organic stores in Cádiz, here. 

What else – vegan and vegetarian

Something you can always get is the Andalusian breakfast, which is toasted bread with a blended tomato paste and olive oil. Very simple and yet tasty. In some places you can also ask to get an avocado as well, that you can get at Panaria in Calle Ancha in Cádiz old town or in Café de Ana in Paseo Principe de Asturias 6 in Cádiz new town.

Café with plant milk is now possible in many places. Maybe not so much the local bars but the once who look more “tourist friendly” almost always have soya milk, and some others have extended with almond and/or oat milk.

Something really Spanish and vegan/vegetarian that you can get in many places, also when you get to a village with no vegan restaurants to be found, is chickpea stew, just ask for garbanzos.

 

What is missing in Cádiz

What I really miss in Cádiz is a place where they make amazing rich salads that makes you full and nourished. But also great vegan sandwiches in gluten free bread. They fried food that is so typical Spanish is just too much and just not very healthy. That is something that I miss from Denmark, the healthy eating options. Maybe I will open my own place one day, who knows.