The Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Antigua Guatemala

Samsara’s Garden is the fully vegan sister restaurant to the original Samsara (also featured in this list). A haven for vegans, the food is based around superfoods, and the delicious plant-based menu features dishes from all over the world. Every Sunday night there’s a barbecue with an organic salad bar, grilled vegetables and a choice of burger including bean, quinoa or mushroom, with an organic gluten-free bun.

Toko Baru is a small and cosy restaurant that serves up a delicious mix of Indian, Indonesian and Middle Eastern dishes. While not exclusively vegetarian, there are veggie and vegan options available and a veggie special of the day. The best dish is the excellent falafel and lentil koftas with coconut rice or tortillas, but the sweet potato fries are also very good. All dishes come with a selection of dipping sauces.

While Saberico also serves meat, it has an extensive vegetarian menu that can easily be made vegan once you omit the cheese. This place is all about the bread, and there’s a mouthwatering array of baguettes, brioches, tacos and bagels, so if you have a thing for sandwiches, paninis or toasties, you’ll be in heaven here. There are also healthier options such as soups, salads and vegetable dishes. The restaurant has a lovely garden area for dining, indoor seating, a bakery and a chocolateria.

Sat Nam is a tiny vegetarian gem offering 17 vegetarian and vegan hot dishes that combine the flavours of the east and west. Hidden inside a restored colonial home, with an original fireplace and only five tables, it’s a lovely place to come for an intimate meal. The owner, Carla, is also the cook, so this is about as close to home-cooked food as you’re going to get. Highlights include noodles with vegetables, zucchini soup and chia seed lemonade.

Part café, part bookstore, Rainbow Café has an extensive and affordable menu with lots of tasty vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Vegan options include falafel with hummus, salad, and pitta, rice and beans, and tofu stir-fry with vegetables, and there’s plenty more for vegetarians, including nachos, sandwiches, salads and soups. After you’ve eaten, pop into its independent bookstore, which stocks an eclectic array of books.

While not exclusively vegetarian, there are plenty of veggie and vegan options available at this fun cafe. Y tu Piña Tambien is known mainly for its excellent all-day breakfasts, but it has a good offering of salads, sandwiches and soups, too. Most vegetarian dishes can be made vegan – just ask the staff, who are knowledgeable. The veggie huevos rancheros are delicious, and the vegan club sandwich, with sliced avocado, tomato, hummus, olive oil and cracked black pepper, is seriously good.

Unlike Samsara’s Garden, Samsara does serve some meat dishes, but it also has a long selection of veggie and vegan dishes on its menu. The breakfasts here are very good, especially the kale scrambled eggs with turmeric, garlic and onion, and the local breakfast of scrambled eggs, avocado slices, beans and stewed plantains. The lunch menu is also great (the vegetarian tacos on black corn tortillas are best) but save room for a delicious and healthy smoothie, too.