Puerto Rico never used to be known as a great place for vegan dining. Traditional Puerto Rican food, known as “cocina criolla” by its locals, used to mostly consist of rice, plantain and pork.
Search for restaurants with vegan options in Puerto Rico and you’d have to choose between rice with plantain or plantain with rice. Perhaps with an island coconut thrown in for good measure.
But times are changing and there’s never been a better time to visit Puerto Rico for incredible vegan dishes.
As well as vegetarian friendly interpretations of traditional Puerto Rican food, you’ll find Instagrammable brunch spots with vibrant smoothie bowls, prestigious, plant-based fine dining tasting menus and even freshly baked vegan pizza with no cheese-based mozzarella in sight.
Take a stroll through stylish old San Juan to visit the vegan hotspot of Puerto Rico, or search further afield and you’ll still stumble upon some incredible planet-pleasing dishes.
The 7 best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Puerto Rico
Sabia
Sabia is the sort of healthy, guilt-free restaurant that you’ll run to again and again: a place where you’ll immediately feel a little healthier just by virtue of arriving there, regardless of what you order on the menu. Bright, friendly, and colorful, almost every dish on the menu is artfully arranged and complimented with a variety of leaves, fruits, or nuts to ensure that extra special touch.
Come to Sabia if you’re a fan of knowing exactly what you’re putting into your body. There are no hidden ingredients on the dishes here — everything at this semi-raw foods restaurant is served with a cheery smile and the knowledge that what you see is what you get. With a variety of Instagram-friendly favorites like avocado on toast, colorful smoothie bowls, and beautiful, strong coffee, your hardest decision will be what to order first. A relative newcomer to the island’s vegan scene, Sabia is a brilliant example of how easy it is to be vegan in Puerto Rico.
Address: Metro Office Park, Edif Valencia 1, Suite 103, Guaynabo, 00969, Puerto Rico Opening days and hours: 11:30am - 3pm, Monday to Friday Price range: $$ Website: www.eatsabia.com
St Germain
St Germain is stylish and creative: a place that elevates vegan food into a piece of art rather than just a humble dish full of whole foods. Beautiful combinations and artful decoration make eating at St Germain a true pleasure, whether you’re on the hunt for purely plant-based options or would prefer a vegetarian meal. Undoubtedly one of the best vegetarian and plant-based restaurants in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this bistro perfectly hits the midpoint between wholesome, tasty dishes with generous portions and delicate, flower-adorned meals that you’ll want to spend a few minutes admiring before you dig in.
Come to St Germain to revolutionize your palette with vegetarian food; previously meat-heavy dishes here come instead purely vegetarian, taking animals out of the equation in such a way that you won’t even notice they’re missing. Expect burgers, salads and soups alongside favorites in the world of traditional vegan Puerto Rican food. If you can’t decide where to eat in Puerto Rico, St Germain is always a good idea.
Address: 156 C. del Sol, San Juan, 00901, Puerto Rico Opening days and hours: 11am - 9pm Wednesday to Friday, 9am - 3pm Saturday and Sunday Price range: $$$ Website: www.stgermainpr.com
El Grifo
The vegan scene in Puerto Rico is definitely up and coming and you’ll find El Grifo perpetually sat at the top of that list, with its incredible food and no animal-based products in sight. Come to El Grifo for all of your favorite dishes, veganized. A place to try out if you follow a vegan diet but also a place to bring your meat-eating friends along to, El Grifo is a restaurant you’ll remember long after your final bite.
On the menu, you’ll find the likes of chicken and waffles, nachos, and burgers. The desserts here are to die for and will almost have you extending your trip to Puerto Rico so you can pop back and sample the rest of the menu. Stylish yet down to earth, it’s a friendly vegan restaurant without any pretentiousness. Expect delicious food, creative cocktails, and great service.
Address: 97 Calle Betances, Caguas, 00725, Puerto Rico Opening days and hours: 11am - 9pm Thursday and Friday, 9am - 9pm Saturday, 9am - 7pm Sunday Price range: $$ Website: www.elgrifopr.com
Cocina Abierta
Cocina Abierta isn’t purely a vegetarian restaurant, but it is one that does some of the best vegetarian-friendly food in Puerto Rico, making it an unmissable addition to the list. Where Cocina Abierta really shines is with its tasting menus; the definition of healthy fine dining. The versatility, presentation, and innovation shown through each course keeps Cocina Abierta a head above almost any other tasting menu on the island.
Vegetarian, pescatarian, omnivore, and carnivore tasting menu options are available, making it one of the best spots in Puerto Rico if you’re dining out with guests who have a range of preferences. Staunch meat-eaters who won’t go near ‘vegan’ food? Bring them to Cocina Abierta. Lovers of fine dining with beautiful touches? Head to Cocina Abierta. Special occasion, honeymoon dinner, or simply just in the mood for elevated vegetarian food in Puerto Rico? Cocina Abierta is the answer to all of the above. It’s a place that never disappoints.
Address: 58 Cll Caribe, San Juan, 00907, Puerto Rico Opening days and hours: 4pm - 11pm, Wednesday to Monday Price range: $$$ Website: www.cocinaabierta.net
Frescura Vegan Kitchen
Frescura Vegan Kitchen’s outdoor terrace is a brilliant spot for a light lunch while basking in the Puerto Rican sunshine. This vegan kitchen is down to earth with hearty portions and fuss-free presentation. If you’re looking for stylish dining, this perhaps isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a comforting, satisfying, and all-around delicious meal, Frescura Vegan Kitchen should be one of your first choices.
Dishes here range from classic choices like wraps, quesadillas, and “vurgers” — your favorite burger, entirely plant-based. Further down the list, you’ll find a large range of bowls and salads. Healthy dishes and vegan-friendly junk food go hand in hand, washed down with some of the best coffee in the area. While comfort over style might be the theme here, you’ll find plenty of Instagrammable smoothie bowls and superfood lattes, brightening up your table with a backdrop of the island.
Address: Reparto Industrial Correa Lote #24, Bayamón, 00960, Puerto Rico Opening days and hours: 10:30am - 3pm Tuesday to Friday, 10:30am - 6pm Saturday Price range: $$ Website: www.frescuravegankitchen.com
Cafe Berlin
People come to Cafe Berlin for the delicious, vegetarian food and stay for the stunning views from the red-umbrella’d, people-watching veranda overlooking the Plaza de Colon. Traditional and beautiful, you’ll spy Puerto Rican charm throughout this eatery, which is known and loved for everything from its vegan brunches right through to the last call before dinner service ends. Cafe Berlin is bright and colorful, with its blue-rimmed cocktail glasses and vibrant flowers dotted throughout the restaurant.
It’s a place where you’ll just as easily strike up a conversation with your waiter as you would with the person ordering a drink next to you. While there are a few meat-based options on the menu, the real stars of the show come in the form of cauliflower steak and vegan tacos. It’s a brilliant spot for a slow, relaxed evening: everything is prepared fresh there and then, so you might as well order another glass of wine while you wait.
Address: 407 San Francisco Street, San Juan, 00901, Puerto Rico Opening days and hours: 9am - 4pm Monday, Thursday and Friday, 8am - 4pm Saturday and Sunday Price range: $$ Website: www.cafeberlinpr.com
Peace n’ Loaf
Peace n’ Loaf works backward when it comes to coordinating its dishes. Rather than veganizing animal-based dishes on a menu, it’s a case of the opposite here. Select whichever freshly baked dough you’d like and, if you’d prefer real mozzarella, you can swap away from the vegan standard to the vegetarian cuisine. It’s a restaurant that puts vegan dining at the forefront of your mind, making it into the norm rather than out of the ordinary.
It’s also a place where comfort food reigns supreme. It’s Puerto Rico’s first vegan and vegetarian pizzeria and bread boutique but has wasted no time ensuring it remains the best in the business. Pizzas come with planet-friendly yet seriously-delicious toppings, which are all organic or locally sourced, where possible. The bread here will have you genuinely considering whether you can feasibly include it in all three meals of the day. The friendly atmosphere will keep you coming back again and again.
Address: 1402 Av. Américo Miranda, San Juan, 00921, Puerto Rico Opening days and hours: 3pm - 9pm Thursday, 11am - 9pm Friday and Saturday, 11am - 8pm Sunday Price range: $$$ Website: www.peacenloaf.com
Frequently asked questions about the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Puerto Rico
Some of the famous restaurants in Puerto Rico include Santaella, La Alcapurria Quemá and La Casita Blanca. Read our full guide if you are looking for the most popular restaurants in Puerto Rico for vegetarian-friendly food and our favorite vegan spots.
Puerto Rico is becoming very vegan-friendly, with a number of purely plant-based restaurants and lots of vegetarian restaurants.
1919 Restaurant, located inside the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, is regarded as the best Michelin star restaurant in Puerto Rico.
Some of the best food in Puerto Rico can be found at restaurants like Sabia, St Germain, and El Grifo. Read our full guide to discover all of the best vegetarian food in Puerto Rico.
