Vegan Venice Italy: The Best Vegan Restaurants in Venice

When we first travelled to Venice in 2015, there weren’t any fully vegan or vegetarian restaurants at all. Now that we’ve had the chance to return, I’m so pleased that there are a few entirely vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Venice, Italy. This vegan Venice Italy guide will help you find all of the best plant-based eats, whether it’s at a restaurant, cafe, or even at the airport.

To help you find the top vegan Venice eats, I’ve organized this veggie guide by district/neighborhood. No matter where you’re wandering around in Venice, you’ll be able to find delicious food made completely out of plants.

How to Dine Vegan at Almost Any Restaurant in Venice

At nearly every restaurant in town, you can find vegan food in Venice. You might end up eating a lot of pasta and pizza, but you’re in Italy, right? If you’re dining at a non-vegan restaurant, just make sure there isn’t egg in your pasta or cheese on your pizza.

Ordering a marinara pizza with added vegetables on top is always a safe bet. Marinara pizzas are on every pizza menu in Italy. We also found vegan spaghetti and gnocchi quite easily. Bruschetta bread is always naturally vegan, as long as you omit the Parmesan cheese. And there’s tons of accidentally vegan fruit gelato on every corner. Pretty much all fruit gelato is vegan, except for coconut (it can have milk).

Sometimes restaurants, gelaterias, and cafes make it even easier for the vegans in the crowd by adding signs featuring a little “V” in front of certain items, whether it’s sticking out of the gelato or on the menu. Veganism is growing worldwide, and Italy isn’t immune from this compassionate phenomenon. So, please don’t worry if you’re traveling to Italy as a vegan. It’s one of the easiest places to maintain your vegan diet abroad.

Vegan Venice Guide to Dorsoduro

Dorsoduro was the district where we stayed at an apartment for three nights. There are many reasons to stay in Dorsoduro over any other neighborhood in Venice. Thankfully, we found some vegan food there without any difficulty. I’m pleased to add some options for Dorsoduro to this Venice food guide for vegans.

Vegan Venice: La Tecia Vegana

La Tecia Vegana was the number one Venice vegan restaurant that I wanted to visit when we returned to the city. It didn’t exist back in 2015, but I’m so glad that it does now. It’s one of the very few entirely vegan restaurants in Venice.

La Tecia Vegana is located near Santa Margherita Square and the main train station. In fact, it’s only about a 15 minute walk from the train station. We attempted to dine at La Tecia Vegana during our stay in Venice, but they were all booked up. Justin and I returned to Mestre the night before we were set to fly home, so we made an extra trip into Venice just so we could dine here. It was well worth the trip.

This is some of the best vegan Venice food you’ll try, and it quickly became one of my favorite vegan restaurants in the world. They’ve got seitan and polenta, vegan lentil burgers, eggplant lasagna, vegan tiramisu, and more. It’s all of your favorite Italian eats without the meat.

Justin and I both started with some beer (they’ve ensured all of the alcohol is vegan, too) and we both ordered the ravioli. It really sounded so good and we both wanted to try it. We got two side dishes, the herb potatoes and the garlic chicory salad. The ravioli was delicious and the sauce complimented it perfectly. And the side dishes…well, I’ve never seen Justin rave about a side salad quite like this before!

Naturally, we had to order dessert. During our two weeks in Europe, I had my heart set on trying their vegan tiramisu. It exceeded my expectations! Now that we’re back home, we are still talking about this dessert. Even days later, Justin said he wish that he could eat the tiramisu again. It’s light and fluffy, and just melts in your mouth. We also had a slice of the chocolate hazelnut sponge cake that was great, but the tiramisu was heavenly.

Make sure you book a reservation when you plan to visit. This place was booked up on both occasions that we visited (the first time, we didn’t manage to get a seat!). Give the restaurant a call to make sure you don’t end up disappointed.

OKE Zattere

We loved OKE Pizzeria so much that we ate there twice. It was ridiculously close to our apartment when we stayed in Dorsoduro. It was easy to dine there or bring pizza back to our apartment. We stumbled upon this restaurant without any research ahead of time.

In my planning, I read that the Dorsoduro restaurant, La Piscina, had a separate vegetarian menu with vegan items marked. This was not the case as they didn’t know anything about a vegetarian menu when we asked. So, we ended up walking down the street on our first evening in Venice without a clue about what we were going to eat for our first meal there. And then we found OKE Pizzeria.

From the menu, we could tell that they cared greatly about their food and their customers. OKE Pizzeria is committed to using organic and locally grown ingredients wherever possible. They also take food allergies very seriously, including those to gluten and dairy.

When we ordered our pizza and asked for no dairy, they understood this request right away. Justin and I ordered pizza marinara with additional vegetables on top. Oke Pizzeria has an awesome patio right on the water, so it was the perfect place to have our first dinner in Venice.

They also do takeout orders. On another day, we picked up some pizza and ate it on our apartment’s balcony. This time, we ordered a vegetable pizza without the cheese, and it was so yummy. Since our first visit, OKE Pizzeria has expanded to three locations in Venice: OKE Santa Lucia (Cannaregio), OKE San Giacomo (San Polo) and the original now known as OKE Zattere (Dorsoduro).

Basara

Basara is a Japanese restaurant in Venice that used to be located near Piazza San Marco. In 2020, they’ve moved their restaurant to Dorsoduro. They’ve labeled all of the vegetarian choices on the menu, and many of these are vegan-friendly. If you’re not feeling like eating any more pizza or pasta, perhaps some vegan sushi will interest you.

Gelateria Il Doge

They have lots of vegan gelato flavors. There are a lot of fruit flavors, but also dark chocolate and hazelnut. It’s one of the best places to find vegan gelato in Venice.

Vegan Venice Restaurants in San Marco

This might be one of the most touristy spots in Venice with St. Mark’s Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs, and Doge’s Palace. Don’t dine in Piazza San Marco as it’s incredibly overpriced. However, you can find a few decent spots for vegan food in San Marco.

Le Café

After our sunset gondola ride, we found ourselves wandering around trying to find restaurants that either didn’t exist or we couldn’t find. Again, we stumbled upon this restaurant, Le Café, in Campo San Stefano. There were several options on the menu that could easily be prepared vegan.

Justin and I ordered some drinks and sat on the patio, overlooking the bustling piazza. As for the food, we got some bruschetta to start, and ordered more pizza with mushrooms and peppers. Everything was delicious, and it was a great place to enjoy a meal.

I wouldn’t say it is one of the best vegan restaurants in Venice, but the food was yummy and the location was fantastic. Update: In 2017, we received a comment from a reader that the pizza dough was not dairy-free. If you visit, please update us on whether or not they have changed back to a dairy-free crust. Thank you!

Pizzeria L’Angelo

While we didn’t dine there, Pizzeria L’Angelo is a wonderful choice for vegan Venice food. There are vegan sandwiches, wraps, and two types of vegan pizza with vegan cheese. This is a takeout place, so it would be great to eat on the go.

Wine Bar TeAmo

Wine Bar TeAmo is a lovely little spot with both indoor and outdoor seating. Though not a strictly vegan restaurant, they have a separate vegan menu (as well as a separate gluten-free menu). There are four main dishes: vegan lasagna, vegan burger, soy balls with vegetables, and a soy cutlet with quinoa. This is one of the best vegan restaurants in Venice that also has an extensive wine list.

Gelato Fantasy

Gelato Fantasy is one of the best places to find vegan ice cream in Venice. They have six to eight different flavors of vegan gelato, including vegan cones. It’s a great choice to visit on a hot day while wandering the canals. Gelato Fantasy has two locations in San Marco.

Vegan Restaurants in Venice: San Polo

If you’re wandering all over Venice, you might find yourself in San Polo. There are vegetarian and vegan eats to discover in San Polo, and here are our recommendations.

Frary’s

Frary’s serves Mediterranean food, which provides another lovely break from all of the pizza and pasta. They advertise lots of vegetarian and vegan items on their menu, including a vegan meze plate, hummus, falafel, and even baklava for dessert.

H2 No

H2 No is a brewery and beer hall with both local and international beers. In addition to the beer, they offer four crostini dishes that are vegan: zucchini with tofu, wasabi, hummus and eggplant. The pub is located in San Polo at the moment (in Campo San Silvestro), but they might be moving to a new location in Cannaregio. Stay informed by checking out their Facebook page.

Veg-Friendly and Vegan Restaurants Venice: Castello

Castello is a wonderful district to explore in Venice. It’s a little less busy than the more touristy spots, and you’ll find lots of fabulous dining options. Here are the vegan options you’ll find in Castello.

Al Burchiello

Justin and I were walking around and stopped here because it was convenient. It also looked to have a nice patio in a cozy piazza. However, since reading some more recent reviews, it appears that this restaurant may have gone downhill since our visit in 2015. There are lots of negative reviews regarding the quality of food and the price (namely, surcharges that are added). I’d probably avoid this one now, but I’ll still share our experience.

We ordered minestrone soup, pasta in tomato sauce, and gnocchi in tomato sauce. We were assured that the soup, the pasta, and the gnocchi would be prepared without any dairy or eggs. Hopefully, this was the case. Be sure to double check when you arrive and make sure that your pasta and gnocchi are prepared in a tomato sauce without egg.

Gibran

Gibran is a Lebanese restaurant in Castello that is very vegetarian and vegan-friendly. You can enjoy falafel, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, and more. The staff are very familiar with what it means to be vegan, so you can easily inquire about what items on the menu are vegan and what can be modified.

Vegan Dining in Cannaregio

On our second trip to Venice, we finally had the opportunity to explore more of Cannaregio and dine there. Here are some fabulous vegan and vegetarian options.

Sullaluna

Sullaluna is a cozy Italian bookstore with a bistro with limited indoor and outdoor seating. The restaurant is entirely vegetarian with vegan options on the menu. The menus are split into vegetarian and vegan options. You can find two vegan menus: one of small plates (“vegan croutons”) and main courses (“vegan plates”).

The vegan croutons are small open-face sandwiches with toppings served on sourdough bread. I ordered the chickpea hummus with chicory. For my main dish, I ordered the vegan puccia (wood-fired panino with cannellini bean cream, puntarelle (Italian type of chicory), fresh tomatoes and artichokes in oil).

Please take note that the cannellini bean cream is very similar to the hummus, so I essentially ended up ordering an appetizer and a main course that were nearly identical! Both were really yummy so I wasn’t complaining. But, you may want to take that into consideration when you visit. There are also vegan coffee options on the menu (cappuccino, latte, hot chocolate) as they have plant-based milk.

Torrefazione Cannaregio

Torrefazione Cannaregio is a coffee shop in Cannaregio, Venice, that’s very vegan-friendly. There is a limited amount of indoor and outdoor patio seating. This is one of the oldest coffee shops in Venice where they roast their own coffee (for over 80 years).

This place is super popular and you might not get a seat. That was the case for us. However, we ended up sitting at the edge of the canal with our coffees and croissants and it wasn’t a problem! They have vegan croissants and pastries. Simply ask at the counter what the vegan options are for food and the staff members will let you know.

Line up to place your food and drink order. The staff here are really quick at preparing espresso drinks and food. Then, once you’ve consumed everything, return to a separate line by the cash register to pay.

GAM GAM Kosher Restaurant

GAM GAM is an Israeli restaurant in the Jewish ghetto area of Venice. The restaurant is a long standing establishment in Venice for nearly 20 years. You can find hummus, falafel, couscous, and more. This Kosher restaurant is very vegetarian-friendly and they are very accommodating to vegans. Please note that GAM GAM is closed on Saturdays.

PokeScuse

PokeScuse is a poke bar with dozens of locations across Italy. You can order their signature vegan salad bowl or create your own vegan poke dish. They take pride in offering high quality and fresh ingredients, so you can be sure that you’ll enjoy a delicious and healthy meal here.

Orient Experience

Orient Express is a Chinese restaurant in Venice with lots of vegan options on the menu. There are plenty of tofu and vegetable dishes that are either naturally vegan or can be made vegan. Just let the staff know that you are vegan and they can help point out all of the plant-based offerings. You can get vegan sushi, appetizers, noodles, samosas, and more.

Vegan Venice: Island of Lido

If you’re looking for where to eat in Venice, don’t count out Lido. There are two restaurants with lots of vegan options on the neighboring island of Lido. We had planned to visit Lido but simply ran out of time. It gives us a place to go back to when we return to Venice.

Buddha Soul Resto

Buddha Soul Resto is an Asian and Italian restaurant on Lido. They have a few vegan items, including seitan and potatoes, a tofu dish, vegetable rice, and a few Indian dishes that you can request to be prepared vegan. Please note that it’s closed on Wednesday.

El Pecador

El Pecador is a fast food restaurant inside a double decker bus. How cool is that? You can find vegan burgers here, and it’s some of the best vegan food in Lido, Venice.

Vegan Venice Guide to Murano, Italy

Thinking of venturing over to Murano for the day? We highly recommend that you make a day trip to Murano and Burano when you travel to Venice. Here are some restaurants in Murano with vegan options.

Trattoria al Corallo

While you might expect to find tourist trap restaurants in Murano, this one is a lovely family owned and operated establishment. Trattoria al Corallo has vegetarian and vegan food, and it won’t break the budget. The restaurant is pretty rustic with wood paneling covering the walls. They serve Venetian and Sicilian food, and there is a separate vegetarian menu.

We ordered two different kinds of pasta: one was spaghetti al pomodoro and the other was pasta with garlic, olive oil, and hot peppers. Make sure to double check that the pasta does not contain egg. It wasn’t a problem ordering egg-free pasta when we visited.

Punta Conterie

This restaurant is high on my list for when we return to Venice (hopefully for a third time!). Punta Conterie is a fine dining restaurant in Murano and there is a whole separate vegan menu. You can choose from a beetroot dish, gnocchi, a stuffed cabbage dish, and a chocolate dessert. I love how the Venice vegan options have expanded so much over the years.

Vegan Food at Venice Marco Polo Airport

Don’t expect that there will be a ton of vegan food at the Venice Marco Polo Airport. However, I did manage to find some selections of plant-based dishes on the second floor of the airport past security. There’s one little cafe at the very far end of the second floor called Rustichelli & Mangione. You can find a vegan turmeric croissant and a vegetarian focaccia without cheese. The coffee is delicious and they have soy milk.

While Venice might not be as vegan-friendly as cities in Italy like Florence or Rome, you can still find tons of options. It’s wonderful to see how many restaurants are beginning to introduce vegan menus or at least mark the vegetarian and vegan options on their menus. While there still aren’t a ton of entirely vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Venice, it’s certainly moving in the right direction.

More Venice Travel Articles

Looking to plan your trip to Venice, Italy? Check out all of our blog posts about Venice aside from the best Venice vegan food.

• 3 Days in Venice Itinerary
• Guide to Visiting St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice
• Guide to Visiting Doge’s Palace in Venice
• Getting Around Venice: A Transportation Guide
• Libreria Acqua Alta: The Best Bookstore in Venice
• Day Trip to Murano, the Venetian Island of Glass
• Day Trip to Burano: Beautiful Colorful Houses
• How to Take a Romantic Gondola Ride in Venice

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