Sampling some of the many amazing food options during travelling represents one of our favourite things to do on holiday! Food is often at the heart of many cultures and every country has unique cuisines to try. However, much of the food in Europe is often not the healthiest, and it can be hard for those who are health conscious to find decent options. This is especially difficult for those wanting to travel for longer periods like we did in 2022. While we definitely enjoyed our fair share of gelato, croissants, vino and more, we also looked out for healthier options during our 6 month full time travels.
We have put together a little list of some restaurants and cafes offering healthy options around Europe. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, but more a few options to consider during your travels. We are also always on the lookout for other great options, so please feel free to comment any suggestions below. Additionally, another way to eat well when travelling, especially for extended periods, is cooking food yourself. Shop at the markets, get fresh produce, and cook some food that is healthier (note – this requires access to cooking facilities).
A few great healthy food & restaurant options in Europe
Eggplant – Marseille [France]: Find a great selection of healthy Salads at Eggplant, located in the centre of the old port. We were delighted to find Eggplant as finding a healthy meal in Europe, or whilst travelling, can be a challenge. Offering a great selection of healthy grain salads, this was a welcome treat.
Almazen Cafe – Seville [Spain]: This cute cafe located in Seville’s old town was one of our go-to options when we wanted a break for Jamon (Spanish ham) and tapas. They offered great vegetarian and healthy options. In particular, the vegan bowl was excellent! Almazen also had some of the best coffee in Seville!
Papas Elvira – Granada [Spain]: An Algerian lady cooks the food, which has a Middle-Eastern/Moroccan style. They offer vegan options and are very reasonably priced. You are able to get healthy stews, slow cooked meat, quiches, couscous and falafels. We visited multiple times!
Morocco: *okay, we know it’s not Europe, but it’s a common addition to many European itineraries.
- Chefchaouen: Restaurant Sofia – Simple, home cooked style meals that are healthy and very affordable. This was a gem of a find in the heart of the stunning Chefchaouen.
- Tangier: Abou Tayssir – Syrian/middle eastern food with vegetarian options, and Kasbart Tangier – offering salads and healthy options.
Sullaluna Venice – Venice [Italy]: Located on the fringe of the action in the popular Venice, Sallaluna offered healthy and vegan options. This cafe was set in a cute bookshop right along a charming canal!
Bottega Alimentare Riomaggiore – Cinque Terre [Italy]: This little cafe was a great find in Cinque Terre. The offered excellent avocado toast, fruit smoothies, fruit and yoghurt and more. If you stay or visit Riomaggiore this is a must!
Drogheria Puglese – Ostuni [Italy]: This well located restaurant/cafe had vegan options, great lentil meatballs with couscous and veg, and some awesome paninis (we had an eggplant and tomato one). Definitely a good addition to an Ostuni day trip!
House of Wonders – Cascais [Portugal]: Set in the charming seaside town of Cascais, this cafe has a wonderful rooftop terrace and offers excellent health-concious food. A must!
Pandora Box – Split [Croatia]: Situated in the heart of the old town, Pandora Box has a cute aesthetic and some tasty veg/vegan options. However, be prepared, it’s not cheap. If you’re looking for a healthy option in Split it’s one of your best choices.
Almond Living – Paros [Greece]: This cafรฉ/restaurant is aesthetically gorgeous, and matches the dรฉcor with health conscious food offerings! Located on the stunning Paros Island in the popular Naoussa, it’s a top pick. Good coffee too!
Fabrika – Komiza [Vis – Croatia]: Situated in the calm and charming Komiza on Vis Island, Fabrika had great eggs/brunch options, vegetarian options, healthy salads, smoothies, a good view, and pretty decent coffee. Tick!
Dobrumba – Budapest [Hungary]: This restaurant offered some damn tasty and health-conscious middle eastern food! It can get busy so be prepared to book.
Simple Feast – Copenhagen [Denmark]: Copenhagen had a number of health concious options, along with lots of outdoor food markets. Simple Feast had excellent veg/vegan options and salads.
Fruit Box – Lake Ohrid [North Macedonia]: A good option for take-away smoothies and healthier options in the charming Lake Ohrid.
Zoya – Sofia [Bulgaria]: This cafe-come-healthfood store had some incredible healthy deserts, smoothies, and vegan/sugar free options. If you visit Sofia add this place to your list.
Aubergine – Bucharest [Romania]: This restaurant had some excellent vegetarian friendly meals, great salads (e.g. lentil salad we tried), good grilled food, and tasty middle-eastern/Moroccan food.
Turkey:
- Istanbul: Asian side had much more ‘heath focus’ – Arda Cafe had great Lebanese food.
- Kas: whole town had much more ‘health concious food and options’ compared to other locations. In particular, Oburus Momus – excellent veg/vegan restaurant with great food options, and Pisekar – had some tasty veg bowls, juices and burritos.
The Heart of Joy – Salzburg [Austria]: This cafe/restaurant offered some tasty and budget friendly vegetarian/vegan options. We were recommended by our AirBnb host, and it did not disappoint. Particularly, the Lentil Soup was the perfect tonic to the cold rain. Note: they take cash only.
Midi Marche – Leiden [Netherlands]: Offering tasty home cooked healthy food in the charming university town of Leiden near Amsterdam, this place was a top find.
Baladi – Brussels [Belgium]: Another great option offering salad bowls and tasty but healthy food options.
Note: Greece/Albania we found quite challenging for ‘healthy’ options. We tended to go for grilled meat/seafood and salad/veg to break up the ‘fried’ and ‘chips’ options.
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