9 Vegan Restaurants of Rio you must give it a try.
- Teva Vegetal
If you have a short stay in Rio and could pick only one restaurant of this list, I would strongly recommend Teva. The chef Daniel Biron, has a special regard in carefully selecting its organic seasonal fresh ingredients from local producers. To start with, the charming interior of the small restaurant with an industrial rustic design with open kitchen really catches the eye when passing on the street.
The dishes are well presented and mostly meant to be shared, allowing you to try more options. I highly recommend the beet tartar, deep fried breaded palm heart and the Portobello Carpaccio. If you’re quite hungry, the coli flour “steak” and the mushroom and cereal burger is a must!
Don’t forget to try to creative drinks there; my favorites are Bar XX and the Ipanema Sour.
On Saturdays and Sundays are the only days they open for lunch.
Address: Avenida Henrique Dumont 110 B. Ipanema
Opening Hours:
Monday is closed
Tuesdays –Thursdays 06:00pm-12:00am
Fridays 06:00pm – 01:00am
Saturdays: 11:00am-01:00am
Sundays: 11:00am- 10:00pm
- Spazziano
Being vegan and traveling means most of the time finding the right place for a quick lunch is quite often a hassle. Luckily in Rio with its buffet restaurants by “kilo” culture it will always helps us a lot, but you very often have to be concerned and keep asking the waiters whether that particular dish has animal products or not, although really helpful, most of them forget that dairy and eggs are non vegan.
At Spazziano you won’t have these issues. This hidden restaurant in a mix of apartment building and hotel in Ipanema has one of the best price-quality ratios in Rio. They offer a fixed priced all you can eat 100% vegan buffet including a green juice, a natural power ginger drink and a dessert.
The buffet has a very good standard, including a salad-bar, warm dishes, snacks, quiches, etc.
If you happen to be around in Ipanema on Saturday they serve a vegan version of the National dish the famous feijoada. Black beans stew (pork meat in its original version) with smoked tofu and mushrooms in its plant-based version at Spazziano.
The restaurant belongs to Spa Maria Bonita on the same floor; they offer different kind of body treatments.
When arriving at the building, just open the door, walk in and tell the receptionist you are going to Spazziano, take the elevator and press P.
Address: Rua Prudente de Moraes 729, P Floor. Ipanema Beach Star Building.
Opening hours:
Mondays to Saturdays. 12:00pm-03:00pm
- Tempeh
Like Spazziano, Tempeh is also a 100% plant-based buffet restaurant, with very tasty options of warm dishes, soups, salads and fresh grilled vegetables and legumes. It’s a heaven to find this place especially if you’re tired and hungry walking around in the historical city center. They’re located very close to the Praça XV square.
The restaurant is simple and pleasant. Just enter the small door and climb the steep stairs to get to the second floor of this historical building where they’re located.
This restaurant works on a by weight “kilo” system, so it means after you serve yourself from the buffet you need to weight your plate at the scale.
Try the delicious fresh fruit juices at the menu.
Address: Rua Primeiro de Março 24. Centro.
Opening hours:
Monday to Fridays: 11:00am-03:30pm
- Gaia Art & Café
This cozy and inviting small bistro is located on one block behind Leme beach (extension of Copacabana beach). They offer a good and correct selection of Vegetarian and Vegan meals, sandwiches, snacks and desserts.
During lunch time there’s always a Vegan Menu of the Day.
The place has a good vibe and from Thursdays to Saturdays they have live music bands playing starting at 07:30pm.
Address:
Rua Gustavo Sampaio 323. Lj.A, Leme.
Opening hours:
Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 12:00pm-10:00pm
Thurdays to Saturdays: 12:00pm-12:00am
Sundays: 12:00pm-07:00pm
- Prana Vegetariano
This tiny little restaurant, hides a great, passionate, and tasty kitchen. Every day Prana offers a different Vegan and Vegetarian lunch menu options. Perfect combination if you’re planning on taking the train to the Christ the redeemer statue, the restaurant is located right on the square next to the train station. With a cozy ambiance, they offer a few small tables inside and big table on the outside area. Since the restaurant is very small it gets full very quick. I suggest coming there as soon as they’re open at noon, especially on a busy weekend. Prana has many sustainable actions; one of them is that they select all their organic waste and reuse at a next door urban organic garden to create a natural fertilizer. Don’t miss their fresh functional fruit juices, like: Coconut water, pineapple and lemongrass or Orange, Apple, ginger and turmeric.
Address: Rua Ererê, 11 D Praça São Judas Tadeu. Cosme Velho. Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays 12:00pm-03:00pm
- .Org Bistrô
After the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio and the consequent opening of the new subway line number 4, the once bit isolated new and modern district of Barra da Tijuca started to be even more visited by international travelers.
Barra has the longest (18km) and one of the most beautiful beaches of Rio. This area also keeps a little gastronomical gem, the restaurant .Org Bistrô.
From the final Jardim Oceânico Station on exit A, take a taxi for a short 5 minute ride to get there.
Led by the chef and nutritionist Tati Lund, known in Brazil for her cooking TV show Comida.Org, showing how to prepare tasty plant-based recipes and by doing so helping to bring more awareness for a healthy, whole food organic and free of animal products cuisine.
Her daily menu has always a delicious creative vegan option dish. .Org Bistro became really popular and the small place is usually quite full on weekends, I suggest getting there as soon as the restaurant opens and preferably on weekdays. And even if there’s a short waiting list when you get there, believe me; her food is worth the wait.
Address:
Av. Olegário Maciel, 175 - Loja G - Barra da Tijuca corner with Avenida Comandante Julio de Souza.
Opening Hours:
From Monday to Saturdays: 12:00pm-08:00pm
- Espaço Pura Vida
Also located in Barra da Tijuca, in front of the Tijuca lagoon estuary, the location is a hot spot for stand-up paddling lovers. Espaço Pura Vida besides being a 100% plant based snackbar/restaurant also offers stand-up board rentals.
Alternative laid-back vibe, popular among surfers, sport lovers in general; they present a good choice of sandwiches, soups, and veggie burgers. They also provide a daily lunch set menu.
Arriving from the metro station Jardim Oceânico, leave at exit A and take a short taxi ride (7minutes) to Pura Vida.
On weekends there’s delicious breakfast buffet.
To get to know better the mangrove lagoon area of Barra da Tijuca and observe its native fauna the tour Mangrove and Jungle Tour is a marvelous way to do that.
Address:
R. Maria Luíza Pitanga, 163 - Barra da Tijuca
Opening hours:
Tuesdays to Fridays: 12:00pm-06:00pm
Saturdays and Sundays: 08:00am – 07:00pm
- Refeitório Orgânico
One of the most traditional vegan restaurant of Rio, for many years it was one of the very few options to eat entirely plant-based in the city.
This intimate and quaint restaurant has delicious dishes in 2 different formulas. On the ground floor it has a more affordable option with the meal of the day, and they offer the possibility of combining 2 to 5 ingredients in one plate with different prices.
On the first floor although if you know you’re quite hungry opt for the fixed priced all you can eat buffet. It includes even Japanese rolls.
Address:
Rua dezenove de fevereiro 120, Botafogo.
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturdays: 11:00am-04:00pm
- Lapamaki
Regular Japanese restaurant in Rio offering the well know formula of “rodízio” all you can eat for a fixed price. Except for one little important detail, besides their usual traditional salmon/tuna dishes they offer a complete Vegan “rodízio” as well.
The first restaurant in Rio to include an entirely plant-based option at their menu.
Some of the dishes are rolls made of mushrooms or cucumber with tofu; temakis with fruits; veggie spring rolls; grilled shimeji, are among some the more of 30 items, including dessert.
Addresses:
Rua Vinícius de Morais 124, Ipanema.
Rua Bolívar 7, Copacabana.
Rua do Riachuelo 67, Lapa.
Opening hours:
Vegan Rodízio
Tuesday to Sundays: 06:00pm-12:00am
Bravietour Incoming takes in deep consideration the impact eating pattern into the environmental footprint. Also in order to give an option to fast growing number of vegan travelers we’ve designed a Sustainable Vegan MultiDay Trip. For more information just follow the link for a plant-based travel in Brazil.
In Rio we have also developed a Vegan Food Tour that runs twice a week in which among other interesting attractions we cover some of the restaurants listed here at this blog.
