How to Find Vegan Spots When Traveling

 

I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite parts of traveling is trying amazing new food. Whether it’s a bright pink dragon fruit smoothie bowl that tastes like cotton candy in Bali or smokey mushroom tacos with the best guac ever in Meixco, it takes a little bit of prep work to find these gems. But, I have a process. A trick, or a tool, if you will.

It’s not a new concept by any stretch. It’s just all about a little bit of prep before you go somewhere.

So, drumroll… the thing I do is use REVIEWS. Yep, internet reviews. Yelp, Trip Advisor, Facebook, Google reviews… I use them all. Which can kind of seem overwhelming, but that’s why I wanted to explain the process.

Being vegan (or having dietary restrictions) means that more times than not, you might struggle to find good options at new restaurants.

So, in order to find great food that suits your needs, do a little bit of prep work. I’ve become a master with stalking restaurants, juice bars, coffee shops, and smoothie bowl spots online. I use review sites religiously and they are kind of awesome if you know what you are looking for.

There is nothing worse than traveling to an amazing place but then having a shitty dinner because you weren’t sure where to go.

So… here’s the process:

1. When you decide where you’re traveling to, set aside some time for the food research. Yes, seriously. You also don’t want to waste your time while traveling searching for food spots. And, if you’re traveling internationally, you might not have wifi or data to search for spots when you’re out and about. So, try to do it ahead of time when you’re sitting at home.
2. I like to search for good restaurants, coffee shops, breakfast spots, juice bars, dinner and dessert places all before I get to a place. A make a food wish-list in my notes on my phone or computer.
3. When I search for places, I do a few key things:
   1. First, I use google to search for “best vegan restaurants in ____” or “best almond milk latte in ____” or “raw food restaurants in _____.” If you’re on a hunt for vegan pizza in London, search “best vegan pizza in London.”
   2. Once some options pop up and you find some spots you’re interested in, I cross check them on Yelp and Trip Advisor to get a good idea if the restaurant is actually good. You can also check out their Google Reviews at this point. If you’re hoping for something particular at a dinner spot (like romance or wifi), use the search field in the review section on Yelp or Trip Advisor to search your key term like “romantic” or “wifi” which will pull up any reviews that particularly mention what you’re thinking about.
   3. Another way I find vegan spots when traveling is through good old Instagram. You can try searching the hashtag for the place you’re going to plus the word vegan (ex: #vegannyc) or look for vegan Instagram accounts based in the specific location you’re visiting (ex: @orlandovegans). Make a list in your notes sections on your phone or computer of spots you see, or save the images to your Instagram library, then do a quick check on TripAdvisor or Yelp to see how the spot fairs in the ratings.
   4. You can also talk to locals and find out what they recommend once you arrive. Your AirBnb host, taxi drivier, airport shuttle, a store owner you meet while shopping, can all have good recommendations! Mention what your looking for and talk to as many people as possible.
   5. This is extra credit, but super helpful. Try to group spots in neighboring locations to where you’ll be exploring each day. This guarentees you won’t miss any places.

So where are you traveling to next? Leave me a comment and let me know below!

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