Dolce Vegan

A small, central vegan cafe channelling la dolce vita, with hearty cruelty-free mains and a serious menu of sweet puddings and pastries.

Dolce Vegan takes the dolce vita philosophy at its word: sweet, small and very central. Our tip: let it rescue you between a museum and an art gallery, because the location is almost suspiciously convenient.

The cafe is built to win over the unconverted. New to veganism, or the lone carnivore travelling with plant-based friends? No matter. Tuck into a juicy burger or a meaty (but entirely vegan) lasagne, both convincing enough to make you forget there was ever a question. For hearty, wholesome, cruelty-free cooking, this is a kitchen that knows precisely what it’s doing.

Then there is the dessert menu, which deserves its own paragraph and possibly its own warning. The sugary-sweet puddings here might well cost you an extra five kilometres of walking, but the syrup-oozing crepes, crumbly cakes and somehow gloriously buttery pastries are, without hesitation, worth every step.

What we like is the lack of fuss. Dolce Vegan doesn’t lecture or perform its ethics; it simply serves the kind of warm, generous food that happens to be plant-based, and trusts the cooking to do the persuading.

For travellers wanting a charming, well-placed pit stop (and one that takes its puddings seriously), Dolce Vegan earns a spot near the top of any gastronomy list. Come hungry, and leave room for dessert. You’ll regret it otherwise.