The best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Rio de Janeiro

Finding good vegetarian and vegan food in Rio de Janeiro is easier than it used to be with more and more people in the city opting for a plan-based diet. While traditional Brazilian cuisine is centred around meat and seafood, there is a growing number of restaurants across popular neighbourhoods like Ipanema, Botafogo, and Copacabana that cater specifically to vegan and vegetarian diets.

This guide brings together a selection of reliable options across the city, from fully vegan restaurants to vegetarian kitchens and mainstream venues with strong plant-based dishes. Whether you are looking for a dedicated vegan dining experience or just want a few dependable options while exploring Rio, these are places where you can expect clear menus, consistent quality, and delicious food.

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Here are my top vegan and vegetarian restaurants Rio de Janeiro

This map groups plant-based dining in Rio de Janeiro into three categories so you can quickly identify fully vegan restaurants (green), vegetarian restaurants (yellow), and places that offer plant-based dishes alongside a standard menu (blue).

Fully Vegan Restaurants in Rio de Janeiro

Restaurants where all food and drinks are entirely plant-based with no animal-derived ingredients used.

• Teva: Serves a refined, fully vegan menu built around seasonal vegetables, with dishes such as plant-based pastas, risottos, and composed mains that focus on technique rather than imitation meats.

• Teva Deli: Focuses on deli-style vegan food including sandwiches, bagels, pastries, and desserts, with a strong emphasis on baked goods and takeaway coffee items.

• Açougue Vegano: Specialises in veganised Brazilian street and comfort food, particularly burgers, sausages, and fried snacks designed to replicate traditional meat-heavy flavours.

• Barletta Massas Artesanais: A 100 percent vegan bakery and café, with a strong emphasis on Brazilian bakery items in vegan form (brigadeiro, pão, tortas). It also offers gluten-free items.

• Só Verde: Serves simple, home-style Brazilian meals such as rice, beans, stews, and daily specials, all adapted into fully plant-based versions with a focus on affordability.

• Lemí: A Middle Eastern kitchen centred on hummus variations, falafel, pita, and share plates, with an emphasis on spreads, dips, and spice-driven dishes.

• Refúgio Veg: Offers set lunches and quick meals such as plates with rice, beans, vegetables, and protein alternatives, aimed at everyday dining rather than à la carte variety.

• Vegan Vegan: Provides a broad menu including pizzas, burgers, pasta, and desserts, combining international comfort food with some Brazilian influences.

• Vegano da Tijuca: Focuses on daily changing plates and buffet-style service, typically including rice, beans, salads, and simple hot dishes suited to regular local dining.

Fully Vegetarian Restaurants in Rio, with vegan options

Restaurants that serve exclusively vegetarian and vegan dishes

• Org Bistrô: Emphasises organic, whole-food cooking with dishes such as grain bowls, vegetable-based mains, fresh juices, and functional ingredients like seeds and fermented foods.

• Refeitório Orgânico: Operates as a pay-by-weight buffet offering a rotating selection of salads, hot dishes, grains, and desserts, with a mix of vegan and vegetarian preparations.

• Brota: Focuses on seasonal produce with a more contemporary menu, including vegetable-forward small plates, creative mains, and combinations that change regularly.

• Spazziano: A large vegetarian buffet with extensive options such as salads, hot dishes, pasta, and desserts, designed for variety and volume.

• Govinda: Offers a traditional Indian-influenced vegetarian buffet with dishes like curries, rice, lentils, and sweets, typically without eggs but including dairy.

• Naturalie Bistrô: Serves lighter, natural-style dishes such as quiches, salads, juices, and simple mains, with an emphasis on minimally processed ingredients.

• Couve Flor: Focuses on casual vegetarian comfort food including daily plates, sandwiches, and simple hot dishes with some vegan adaptations available.

Veg-Friendly Restaurants in Rio

Restaurants that serve meat but include a good variety of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu.

• Nusa Café: A café specialising in breakfast and brunch items such as toast, bowls, coffee, and pastries, with a selection of vegetarian and vegan options.

• Zazá Bistrô Tropical: Offers a diverse menu with clearly labelled vegan dishes, including curries, vegetable-based mains, and globally influenced plates.

• Restaurante HAZ: A Middle Eastern menu featuring dishes like falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, and mezze, many of which are naturally vegetarian or vegan.

• Refettorio Gastromotiva: A social project restaurant using surplus food, typically including vegetable-based starters and mains alongside non-vegetarian options.

• Brejo Bar: A bar-style menu with vegan versions of typical boteco food such as croquettes, burgers, and fried snacks.

• TT Burger: A burger restaurant offering a dedicated plant-based burger option alongside its standard menu.

• Balada Mix: Offers a broad menu including juices, smoothies, sandwiches, and bowls, with some vegetarian and vegan-friendly items.

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