As any vegan knows, however easy it may be to find food where you live, it is always a tricky business when travelling. Personally, I often end up browsing local supermarkets and making a meal out of any cheap things I can find — hummus being my biggest ally — but I also love checking out new restaurants and cafés. I love being in control, so I prepare myself a little list of places to go to by checking out videos and articles online.
And this is exactly what happened before I went to Dublin a few weeks back. So here's your ultimate tourist guide: a list of vegan restaurants in Dublin you need to try if you are a vegan struggling in the Irish capital.
1. Cornucopia
I’ll start with an easy one — Cornucopia. Everyone in Dublin knows about this place. It's a vegetarian eatery with lots of vegan choices. After landing and getting into town, I went straight to Cornucopia to have some lunch. It was about 1 pm and there was quite an extensive queue at the counter.
However, it moved quite quickly and soon I had to face one of my biggest fears: making a decision. Behind the counters, you can find boards with all the items available that day (I believe most of them change daily), and the foods are presented to you at the counter. You choose what you want and they serve it for you on a plate. It’s mains first, then you move onto salads and desserts.
I opted for the lunch deal — a salad, hummus, pita bread, and olives. Maybe it was the hunger from the long flight (JK, it literally took me less time to get to Dublin than it usually takes me to get to Strand), but I had the best hummus of my entire life. It was creamy and beautifully lemon flavoured. I loved it.
In fact, I loved it so much that when my friend arrived in Dublin as well, we headed straight back to Cornucopia. This time, I only had a dessert, which was a coconut and chocolate raw cake. As I've been working in a local raw restaurant for the past year, I wasn’t overly impressed by it. But still — it was refreshing, and it was definitely a nice treat.
2. Umi Falafel
This was most certainly our greatest find. Both my friend and I are big hummus fanatics, and we spotted Umi on a rainy afternoon. Drenched from head to toe, we really just wanted comfort food. Umi Falafel came to the rescue, with a simple menu that just so happened to be completely vegetarian and mostly vegan.
I decided to go for another lunch deal, which included a lentil soup, a falafel wrap, and a much needed Earl Grey tea. Again, it was probably the cold and rainy weather speaking (and the fact that I was soaked through), but I believe this was the best meal I had during the week in Dublin. Needless to say, we went back to Umi after a whole day spent on a coach, driving through the mystic lands of Ireland, and again, it did not disappoint.
The best thing about this place is that there are a lot of customisation options but it didn't show in the price! In fact, it was one of the cheapest places we found.
3. HappyFood by YogaHub
This was a tricky place to find — it's located in a very dodgy-looking alley with a big sign directing you to it, just in case you decided to turn on your heels at the sight of the scary surroundings. HappyFood is the ground floor of a Yoga studio, which is just above. The place was quite small and the food a little overpriced, but still, it was good food.
I opted for a vegan burger with a side of corn and black bean salad. Both were delicious and filling, and you could taste the top quality ingredients. I also enjoyed the vibe of the whole place — everyone had such a positive attitude!
4. The Rolling Donut
Last but definitely not least, The Rolling Donut. Now, I know there are lots of vegans who don’t like supporting companies that are not completely plant-based, and I respect that. However, I do believe that increasing the demand for vegan food needs to start right from these places. The Rolling Donut has two branches in Dublin and they mainly serve traditional donuts. However, they have quite a big — and delicious — selection of vegan donuts too.
I tried three different donuts in the time I was there: coffee, chocolate and hazelnut, and my favourite, the jam-stuffed donut. They all tasted amazing and they have an interesting deal of a donut + any coffee for €5, with a wide range of plant-based milks.
Overall, my experience as a vegan in Dublin was very positive. There were still lots of places I would like to have visited but couldn't due to lack of time. Cornucopia is definitely a place I would visit regularly if I could and The Rolling Donut has to open in London as well — I need those donuts in my life!
However, my heart belongs to Umi Falafel, which makes my tastebuds happy and my bank account not complaining. Round of applause for you, Umi!