I love to go to Italy and try to sneak in at least one trip a year. With every visit, I find more and more vegan options. Of course, you can have simple yet delicious plates such as a Tomato sauce or Aglio e Oli (garlic and oil) pasta – make sure to ask for pasta senza uovo (not egg based). I believe good pasta doesn’t need to be elaborate, and if there’s anywhere you will find good spaghetti, it’s in Italy.
Of course, Italian vegetables are so fresh and delicious, so you could simply enjoy them in salads and grilled veggies in any restaurant.
I have noted a couple of places that I have been to and had a vegan meal
- Varenna in Lake Como: I went to the Hotel Villa Cipressi for a wedding and during the reception and at the rehearsal dinner on the previous evening, the restaurant was able to accommodate for me. I enjoyed a delicious pasta pomodoro, a roasted vegetable wrap and sorbet for dessert.
- Sorrento: If you’re ever there, please go to L’Antica Trattoria. Eating there is an experience in itself, the place is charming, the staff endearing and the food heavenly. They have a vegan section in their menu and change it throughout the year.
- Roma:
- You must go to Rifugio Romano, they recreate their traditional Italian dishes in a vegan format. I tried the carbonara which was DELICIOUS as well as a seitan based dish with a creamy lemon sauce – I highly recommend this restaurant
- For a less traditional eatery, head over to Ecru. It is completely plant based and I believe most of the options are raw. I enjoyed a delicious chocolatey breakfast which set me up for a 30k step day!
- Don’t forget to stop by Caffe Trombetta by the station for your quick vegan cornetto (croissant) before you run to your train
- Many gelato stands will offer a sorbet, I was very pleased to find that Della Palma (known for offering 150 different flavours) have a selection of vegan options such as Pistacchio, Cocco, Dark Chocolate, Nociolla. A good bet is also the Venchi franchises, you can find them around the country, simply delicious
- Bologna:
- You might have seen a large queue of people outside Sfoglia Rina, waiting to enter and have a plate of fresh pasta for lunch. I queued for about 35 minutes, I don’t know if I would do it again. They usually have one vegan option and when it finishes, it’s gone. I was lucky to try it and it was a delicious cappelletti filled with purple carrots.
- Please have breakfast at Mr Coffee! I had an absolute heavenly cornetto filled with pistacchio cream. I dream about it still…
As I Eat It... 