If you’re visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital city, you’ll find that there’s a great variety of vegetarian places to eat at, from a cafe and juice bar to a Hare Krishna restaurant. Check out the following for the best vegetarian and vegan cuisine in the city.
Fela’s logo tells us “Verte saludable es nuestra meta!“, that is, that their goal is to see you healthy. They have over 32 tasty dishes, including potato arepas, yucca and carrot alcapurrias. This vegetarian restaurant is a short drive from the Plaza de Mercado in Rio Piedras, where visitors can buy local produce.
Berlingeri Cocina Artesanal is an artisanal kitchen located in the Condado area of San Juan. Among their vegetarian dishes are soups, salads, veggie burritos and a quinoa bowl. Stop by Berlingeri’s, which also offers vegan food, before or after a day at the beautiful Ocean Park beach in Condado, an area that has some notable boutique hotels.
Verde Mesa (meaning “Green Table”) is a restaurant with vegetarian and vegan food. Some of the dishes available are yucca croquetas with papaya and other condiments, and some inventive desserts. The restaurant is located in Old San Juan, not too far from the Plaza Darsenas, the Parque de las Palomas and Pigeon Park, and the Paseo de la Princesa, the last two places offering activities for travelers with children.
The cuisine at Govinda’s Veggie Garden, a Hare Krishna Restaurant, is vegan or vegetarian and gluten free. In addition, juices and frappes made of natural fruits are available. Menu items include potato pastelon with sides, spinach enchilada, and vegan burgers; Fridays are currently pasta and pizza nights.
Check out Ocean Park Café, close to the Condado area, and sample meals from this health kitchen and juice bar. They offer vegan and vegetarian food such as pasta with veggies, veggie rolls, and veggie salad. In addition, juices include green shakes, yellow shakes, and orange shakes, each offering different health benefits.
Menu items at Basico Jugueria in the Santurce area of San Juan include a tofu sandwich, baba ganoush and hummus with a cucumber and orange salad, and a salad made out of baked vegetables, mustard leaves, spinach, berro, and a pumpkin sauce. Open since 2014, they also offer juices and smoothies, cocktails, and raw desserts.