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They say Argentinians eat almost 60kg of beef per person, per year. And it’s true, Argentina lives up to its stereotype. Buenos Aires itself is known for its famed parillas, the traditional asado and meaty delights.
When visiting Buenos Aires almost 10 years ago, I remember people laughing in my face at the suggestion of being vegetariano. But in 2024, the situation has changed – dramatically.
Thanks to a global surge in vegetarianism, Buenos Aires is now home to some truly high quality vegetarian restaurants. Even many carnivorous joints will often have a dedicated vegetarian or vegan menu.
Buenos Aires is a huge city and, as a traveler, you will probably be spending your days exploring different neighborhoods. From the chic café-lined streets of Palermo to the business-as-usual atmosphere of the Microcentro, we have curated a guide to the best vegetarian restaurants in the most popular neighborhoods in Buenos Aires.
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Being vegetarian or vegan in Argentina
These days many of the top restaurants in Buenos Aires will have at least some vegetarian options. However, if you are traveling outside of Buenos Aires, for example to Patagonia or Salta, you may find things a little more challenging.
Your best bet is generally an empanadería (empanada shop), where there will usually be a cheese (queso) or corn (choclo) option. Pizzerias are also incredibly popular across Argentina.
Thankfully, the days of people not understanding what a vegetarian is seem to have (more or less) passed. If you don’t speak Spanish, you will want to save this little vocabulary chart. Hopefully, with these key phrases you can navigate even the toughest of parillas.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I am vegetarian (female) | Soy vegetariana |
| I am vegetarian (male) | Soy vegetariano |
| I am vegan (female) | Soy vegana |
| I am vegan (male) | Soy vegano |
| Without meat | Sin carne |
| Without fish | Sin pescado |
| Without dairy and eggs | Sin lácteos ni huevos |
Palermo
This guide focuses on restaurants for lunch or dinner. However, if you are looking for breakfast, many of Palermo’s best cafes include increasingly vegetarian-friendly breakfast and brunch menus. Some of my favorites include Ninina Bakery and LAB, while our Local Palermo Hollywood Insighter Sarah offers a few more options.
Fifi Almacén
Fifi Almacén offers some of Buenos Aires’s best vegetarian food.
Fifi prides itself on using locally grown, organic and seasonal items. The setting is an ideal breakfast or lunch location with a large spacious patio, tasteful decorations and surprisingly little noise (even though the restaurant is always full!).
You can’t go wrong with Fifi’s signature wraps or arepas. If you are lucky enough to be visiting Buenos Aires in the summer, Fifi Almacén’s lemonade is super refreshing and hits the spot.
Niño Gordo
There’s nothing I miss more from Australia than good quality Asian-fusion cuisine (well, maybe my family…). Niño Gordo is more than simply a pan-Asian restaurant, but a true dining experience.
You will likely find yourself sat in one of four, equally atmospheric, locations: the lantern hall, the octopus hall, the bar or the front patio. The staff are extremely helpful in both identifying vegetarian items on the menu and helping create new vegetarian options.
Travel tip: As the 75th best restaurant in Latin America, it’s no surprise that Niño Gordo is one of the most popular restaurants in Palermo.
If you can’t get a reservation in advance, I recommend stopping past the restaurant in the afternoon, where the staff are usually very helpful in putting you on a waiting list!
Recoleta
MARTi
It’s not often a 100% vegetarian restaurant is a top, Michelin-recommended fine dining establishment. From a discreet, hidden door entrance (you will need to ring the bell), you will need to proceed down a long hallway, walk through a boutique clothes shop to enter MARTi.
Located in a glasshouse like garden, everyone dines around the large central kitchen counter. As MARTi is essentially glorified bar seating, you probably want to try to go with a special someone (or a small group).
MARTi’s unique menu doesn’t offer a dish description, but simply two or three key words. For example, ‘asparagus – peas – chamomile’ or ‘mane steak – curry’.
MARTi has an excellent cocktail and wine menu. Make sure you speak with Inaki the on-hand sommelier, who can recommend you some of the smoothest pinot noir from Patagonia.
Congreso & Tribunales
Pizzería Güerrín
As any vegetarian traveler will know, when you can’t find food, find pizza!
Buenos Aires has no shortage of pizzerías, but one stands out from the crowd. Güerrín has been serving Argentine-style thick-doughy pizza since 1932!
This is one Buenos Aires restaurant which I would recommend to all visitors. With countless huge dining halls and a factory-like atmosphere, find a table, wave down a waiter and enjoy the porteño mozzarella.
Belgrano
Gordo Vegano
You would never guess Gordo Vegano is a vegan restaurant (well, beside the name). With a branding team which does an excellent job, the restaurant’s trendy decor is centred around a lazy panda. And yes, they even sell fat panda-themed paraphernalia (stickers, tshirts, caps).
Traveling as a vegetarian means you often need to forfeit some of your simple pleasures. For me, that is often the delicious Asian fusion cuisine which has become so ubiquitous in bigger cities like London or Melbourne.
With a truly fusion menu, Gordo Vegano aims to fill that gap in Buenos Aires. Tofu pad thai, mushroom curry, Mexican-style sausages and crispy (veggie) chicken burgers – there really is something for everyone here.
Gordo Vegano tends to be very busy – be prepared to wait for your food…
San Telmo
El Banco Rojo
In typical San Telmo fashion, this restaurant is a little grungy with bar stools, a beer garden and Argentine rock music playing. Oh, and it’s famous for hamburgers.
However, don’t be put off: El Banco Rojo has an entire, dedicated vegan menu. Beyond the classic vegan burger, the pumpkin, cheese and onion empanadas maintain the perfect pumpkin-cheese ratio.
My personal favorite are the vegan tacos, which include white wine soy meat chunks with a refreshing homemade pico de gallo.
La Boca
Café Proa
Generally, I would recommend that you avoid eating any major meals in La Boca. While it’s certainly a must-visit area for any first timer in Buenos Aires, you simply cannot match the high quality and innovative meals you will find in other neighborhoods.
However, Café Proa offers a dining experience you can’t find anywhere else in Buenos Aires. Set on the rooftop of the Fundacíon Proa private art centre, the menu at Café Proa is focused on unique dishes from La Boca.
Fugazza, one of the greatest gifts to humanity, was born in the 20th century in La Boca. A fugazza is generally a thick crust of pizza or focaccia, often topped with onions and a lot of cheese.
Celebrating La Boca’s culinary heritage, Cafe Proa offer a modern (and healthier) version: the fugazzetín stuffed with mozzarella, eggplant, arugla and relish. For vegans in Buenos Aires, there is also a buckwheat pizza with almond mozzarella and grilled vegetables. Serious question here: why do chefs always presume those of us ordering the vegan option also want the healthier, buckwheat option?
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