A vegan guide to Barcelona by Valentina Martini

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Barcelona guide

To explore a city like a local, we say, discover what it has to offer through its food. In abillion’s city guide series, we speak to abillion members, asking for their recommendations. For the month of July, we’re featuring abillion ambassador Valentina Martini who lives in Barcelona. Valentina is an active user of the app and enjoys exploring new dining spots with her two adopted dogs, Asia and Portia.

Photo of Valentina Martini Photo of Valentina Martini.

Originally from Italy, Valentina has been living in Barcelona for two years and challenges herself to eat all the wonderful vegan food the city has to offer. She considers Barcelona to be one of the most vegan-friendly cities that she has lived in.

Valentina’s vegan journey started while she was living in Shanghai five years ago. She says it was the street markets that sold different parts of animals that made her want to shift towards a plant-based way of living.

Here are Valentina’s recommendations for enjoying Barcelona.

Barcelona Map

Must try vegan restaurants

Roots & Rolls

Roots and Rolls is a vegan restaurant that specialises in making different types of plant-based sushi. The food is more fusion than traditional, taking influences from different Asian and Japanese cooking styles. Valentina recommends the restaurant not just because of the food but also because it is pet-friendly. She says, "The restaurant itself is stunning, the service impeccable, and the dogs get their blankets in winter and water bowls." Her favourites are the NY-style noodles, Japanese crepes, and any of their sushi.

Photo of Hip Caroot Photo of Hip Caroots by @asiayportia from Roots & Rolls.

CactusCat Bar

Just two years into opening, this vegan gastrobar is already recognised as one of the best vegan restaurants in the city. CactusCat is a gastrobar that serves both traditional Catalan dishes as well as other dishes drawn from a variety of cuisines. Valentina recommends the vegan Sausage Roll and also says that the Vietnamese rolls with peanut sauce are a must-try.

Photo of CactusCat Bar Photo of Sausage Roll by @asiayportia from CactusCat Bar.

Blu Bar

Located in one of the trendier districts of the city, in the neighborhood of El Poblenou, this nautical-themed bar and restaurant is a hit with tourists and locals alike. This Italian-owned restaurant changed to an all-vegan menu in 2019. They're pet-friendly and offer an outdoor seating area. Valentina says that BluBar serves the "best pizza" in Barcelona. She says, "Blu Bar offers a variety of wonderful dishes, from burgers to tacos, but pizza is what keeps me coming back. My favorite one is the Campesina New Age, with smoked ham, arugula, mushrooms, and mozzarella."

Photo of Blu Bar

Photo of Pizza Campesina New Age by @asiayportia from Blu Bar.

La Golsa Vegan Vurger

At first glance, this restaurant looks like a typical burger joint. But La Golsa serves vegan burgers, along with a selection of cocktails, salads, and vegan cakes. Valentina loves the burger selection here. They are so good in fact that she says it's impossible to choose a favourite. For first-timers, she recommends, "From Mumbai, with curry, mango confit, guacamole, cheddar, onions and veganesa to the Vei-kon, and lastly, don't forget to get their loaded Vrabas as a side dish to complete the meal."

La Golsa Vegan Vurger

Photo of Hamburguesa Bangkok by @asiayportia from La Golsa Vegan Vurger.

Vegan dessert spots

La Besneta

La Besneta is a homey bakery and a dessert spot. Some of their most popular items are their tiramisu in jars and carrot cake. Aside from offering an all-vegan menu, they pride themselves on using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Valentina recommends choosing their classic tiramisu or their cupcake as a sweet treat.

Photo of La Besneta

Photo of Carrot Cake from La Besneta.

Chok

For chocolate lovers, this shop is not to be missed. They specialise in crafting vegan chocolate desserts. One of their best-selling items are their cronuts, which come in flavours like hazelnut chocolate cream, lemon pie, and pistachio. Of all the flavours, Valentina suggests getting their orange cream and chocolate cronut. It’s her go-to combination. Chok also makes other baked items, including doughnuts, brownies, and cookies.

Photo of Chok

Photo of Orange Cream Cronut by @asiayportia from Chok.

Coco House

This vegan cafe serves a little bit of everything, from breakfast to smoothies, acai bowls, and vegan desserts. As the cafe's name suggests, their signature items are coconut-based, including milkshakes, homemade bounties, and cakes. Valentini recommends getting their Fracoco, a coconut frappe that is a perfect way to cool down on hot sunny days.

Photo of Coco House

Photo of Fracoco by @asiayportia from Coco House.

Vegan Grocer

Vegacelona

Valentina frequently shops at Vegacelona, a grocery and a vegan convenience store. Here you can find a fantastic range of imported products from all over the world, like vegan calamari, shrimps, meats, foie gras, condensed milk, and various types of sauces. The prices can be a bit steep, but as she says, "It's great to support all these companies who are changing the way we think about food."

Vegan clothing

Serigrafia Vegana

Founded by Roberto Lemes, Serigrafia Vegana is a passion project that expanded into a small-scale business. Currently, this brand ships worldwide and also takes on custom orders. Serigrafia Vegana specialises in T-shirts and hoodies. The designs are silkscreened by hand using vegan inks. The slogans on the clothing are inspired by vegan sayings and messages that fight for animal rights. Valentina says, “If you want to support a small business, Serigrafia Vegana is where you want to buy from. Ethical and gender-free clothing.”

If you are in Barcelona, do check out these recommended places, if you haven’t already. If you have more spots to suggest, let us know in the comments below. And, don’t forget to add your reviews from your experiences on abillion. The more you review, the more you are helping both the community and the charity partners we work with. Check out the Barcelona collection here.

If you’re a member who is interested in sending your guide to your city. Comment below and one of our staff members will get in touch with you.

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Responses

@vikas profile image
Amazing to see the vegan movement strong in Spain 🇪🇸 ❤️❤️❤️
REPLY
@asiayportia profile image
Thank you for including me in this project. ❤️ Everyone should definitely come to Barcelona, there is so much amazing food!! 😋
REPLY
@emmalj profile image
Wonderful suggestions Valentina!! 🌟 Everything looks amazing 🌝💕
REPLY
@asiayportia profile image
Grazie a te ☺️❣️
REPLY
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