Wondering where to get the best Tulum vegan eats? Keep reading…

If you’re planning a trip to Tulum and are wondering how the vegan options are going to be, fear not. I literally think Tulum was one of the most vegan-friendly places I’ve ever visited. It was honestly on par with LA, and seemed to surpass other big US cities like DC or San Diego in my experience.

However, just because there are vegan options doesn’t always mean they’re good. I had some hit or miss experiences while dining in Tulum, but there is definitely a lot of good dining options for vegans, vegetarians, or flexitarians. In fact, half of this list is places that aren’t solely vegan, so they have options for your not-so-vegan friends too!

Norita – Aldea Zama

While Norita’s menu isn’t fully vegan, its chef is a former vegetarian (now a self-proclaimed “flexitarian”) so there are a lot of great options. I put this at the top of my list (although it’s not necessarily in order) because it was definitely the most inventive menu I tried while in Tulum, which is always what I value highest when eating out. I tried the Zucchini Tempura, which consisted of: Gluten-free marinated zucchini slices wrapped in nori seaweed, then deep fried served with smoked eggplant puree, fried yam and arugula pesto. This was sooo good! There were so many textures and flavors and I loved how the chef incorporated different flavors from Asian, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern cuisines.

When I first visited Norita, I co-worked there during the day (it was very quiet and a great spot for that), and got the vegan Caesar salad and the Key Avo Lime pie. Both were super light, tasty, and vegan, although tbh the Caesar salad didn’t really taste like a traditional Caesar.

The Pitted Date – Aldea Zama

Can you say breakfast goals? Both breakfast sandwiches I tried from this vegan spot aimed to please, and I feel like I could’ve gone at least 5 more times and gotten something equally delicious for breakfast. This spot, which also has an outpost in Playa Del Carmen, is another potentially good co-working spot, although in my experience it can be pretty busy. Not only in that there may not be tables, but it was short-staffed both times I visited and things took a bit long (to be fair, they warned me it would).

La Hoja Verde – El Centro

You know how people like fast food restaurants because they know what to expect? Sometimes I feel that way about vegan restaurants. No matter if you’re in Bangkok, Madrid, or Tulum, you can bet that a vegan spot like La Hoja Verde will have cute e-girl-ish servers, digital nomads working away at the tables, a super-tatted couple that looks straight off Tumblr, and some kombucha. La Hoja Verde probably had one of the most expansive vegan menus of the spots I visited, and although I only got to try their pizza, it was super tasty and I would definitely go back!

Burrito Amor – La Veleta

The atmosphere of Burrito Amor is very Venice beach-y to me, and so is their menu. It’s got lots of juices, tonics, and smoothies, but also fan-favorite burritos and a vegan chilaquiles dish for brunch that was all sorts of delicious. If you’re looking for an affordable spot that’s a mix between local and tourist, this is your spot. I feel like it’s a good bet that everyone will be relatively happy here. My first meal left me unimpressed (I got the vegan burrito, which was fine but just kind of average), and the guac which I definitely don’t recommend. It was super plain and unseasoned—almost tasted like the kind you buy pre-packaged from the grocery store. However, other people I know swear by their vegetarian (cheese makes everything better) and shrimp burritos, so maybe it’s just the vegan burrito that’s lacking. I did really enjoy my falafel salad and chilaquiles the other times I visited though, and the atmosphere is really nice.

Bonita’s – El Centro

Love stories are better when they end in onion rings, and that’s exactly how Bonita’s came to be. The two owners met in Tulum, fell in love, and opened this beachy burger joint which has lots of vegan options (including some delicious vegan nachos—ask for extra guac), and great options for your meat + fish eating friends as well.

Lief’s – La Veleta

Lief’s is technically a food truck, but the little wooden tables and bar make it more like a casual, outdoor restaurant (also a great late night coffee + dessert spot). It’s fully vegan, and while the menu is minimal, the sandwich I had was super tasty.

Raw Love – Hotel District + El Centro

If you were out all partying all night and need a delicious detox, Raw Love may be your move. With two locations (the other is in El Centro), the raw vegan restaurant offers Acai bowls, juices, a super tasty avocado toast, and a “raw pizza” (obviously does not taste anything like real pizza, but still good).

Kin Toh – Hotel District

Okay, we all know this treehouse-like restaurant is more about the Instagram pics and views than the food, but the food was surprisingly bomb too. Although they had limited vegan options, the vegan entrée option did not feel like an afterthought at all and I ate every last bite. There were so many textures and flavors within the dish that really made it stand out. They also made us fabulous mocktails. 

Kitchen Table – Hotel District

Another spot with a really fun and always-changing menu, this restaurant is very classic Tulum vibes (think outdoor seating with an open outdoor kitchen and a jungle trail to the bathroom). Everything we had here was delicious and the service was excellent as well!

Tierra – Aldea Zama

I made the mistake of visiting Holistika’s restaurant, Tierra, when one of their seminars had let out, and the restaurant was absolutely packed. I snagged one of the last seats at the bar, but it seemed like every few minutes someone was walking up to the bar to pay their tab, complain about the waiter going MIA, etc.

The business of the restaurant made it feel like I was in LA–and not really in a good way—which kind of soiled the experience for me. I got some sandwich that I don’t see on their current menu, and it was fine but nothing to write home about. However, some of my friends love this place, so maybe I just went at a bad time!

More spots…

There are definitely some vegan spots I didn’t get a chance to visit, so I’ll list them below in case you want to check them out and tell me what I missed (or what I need to check out next time I visit).

Other spots: Laylo Tulum Vegan Lounge, El Vegetariano Mar y Tierra, Co.ConAmor, Charly’s Vegan Tacos, Macondo at Nomade

Feel free to comment below with any additional questions!