Although Medellin has many fun things to do, I must admit I spent my time in Medellin eating. I do not regret anything, because it was some of the best food I ate in Colombia, including Bogotá. Below I listed the 4 best vegan restaurants where I ate in 2022 and which I highly recommend. All are plant-based and serve high-quality food with creative menus.
Haz clic en Los 4 mejores restaurantes veganos en Medellin 2022 para el post en español.
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Best Vegan / Plant-Based Restaurants in Medellin in 2022
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Justo
Walking up the big open stairs of Justo in El Poblado, you will find a green and lush elegant restaurant. Inside you also find a mini-market, selling plant-based products and organic drinks. The menu consists of a mix of Colombian-inspired and international dishes. They have a wide array of starters and main courses, but also teamed up with some of the best chefs in town to create some special dishes.
Some dishes that we tried:
- Little empanadas stuffed with potato and served with ají (hot sauce)
- Carimañolas filled with shiitake mushroom, plant-based cheese, and lentils, served with suero (fermented sour cream)
- Saltado Peruano, with shiitake, tofu, tomato, yellow pepper paste, and hoisin sauce, served on top of french fries and accompanied with sticky rice (a personal favorite)
- Bahn-mi royal sandwich with seasonal mushrooms, kimchi, sweet-pepper veganaise, herbs, served on sourdough bread (a personal favorite)
- Tiramisu made of coconut and cashew cream
Costs
Main courses cost between 25.000 – 44.000 pesos, with the majority costing between 25.000 en 30.000 pesos.
Opens
Seven days a week. Monday- Saturday during the day and at night (opening hours differ per day, please check in advance), on Sunday they only serve lunch.
Recommended because
I loved this restaurant so much that we returned a second time. Super recommended because of the quality of the food, the creativity of the menu, and the beautiful and relaxed vibe in the restaurant. They sell delicious wines and craft beers as well. Bring your non-vegan friends, I’m sure they’ll like it.
How to find them
https://www.instagram.com/justorestaurante/
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Taco Veg
The neon letters make Taco Veg, located on one of the big streets of El Poblado and bordering La Provenza, hard to miss. They sell, not surprisingly, tacos, as well as some quesadillas, a burrito, and corn on the cob. Wash it away with a margarita, cerveza michelada, or agua fresca (fruity water). All the food is plant-based.
Some dishes that we tried:
- Taco Desmechadito, made with seitan pulled-pork/cilantro veganaise (a personal favorite)
- A taco called Shiiquitake, with shiitake mushrooms
- Taco Veg, a plant-based version of the taco Al Pastor
- Taco Refrito, with refried beans.
All tacos obviously come with all the toppings such as guacamole, vegan cheese, chipotle, and spicy and non-spicy sauces.
Costs
The tacos cost 6.000 pesos each, the burrito 21.000 pesos.
Opens
Taco Veg opens every day from 6 pm.
Recommended because
Taco Veg is perfect for a quick and relatively inexpensive dinner. On the weekend they open until around midnight so you could also stop by for a little snack when having drinks in La Provenza. I find it difficult to find tasty vegetarian or vegan Mexican food in Colombia and this satisfied some long-term cravings!
How to find them
https://www.instagram.com/tacoveg/
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Kai / Kaime
Restaurant Kai, also known as Kaime, is a plant-based restaurant in El Poblado. The stylish interior, using greens and beiges and wooden materials, could make you think this is a very fancy place. They serve, however, rather humble dishes but with a creative and upscale twist. The menu consists of a variety of starters, hummuses, hamburgers, hot dogs, and bowls, with Colombian influences. They don’t use refined sugars, nor serve sodas. They do, fortunately, serve alcohol. Healthy food has its limits in this place.
Some dishes that we tried:
- Roasted cauliflower topped with almond yogurt, uchuvas and pistachios, served on a cashew-black garlic spread (favorite)
- Perro Kaime, a hot dog made of chickpeas, served in sourdough bread and topped with crispy eggplant, apple and sour cream
- Jackfruit Hamburger, with pulled pork made of jackfruit in BBQ sauce, topped with coleslaw and spicy veganaise (favorite)
Costs
A plate of hummus costs around 31.000 pesos, and a hamburger around 33.000 pesos.
Opens
Kai opens 7 days a week for lunch (until 33 pm. Monday – Saturday they are also open for dinner, from 6 pm.
Recommended because
They offer a real restaurant experience, but with fast food types of dishes. Hamburgers and hot dogs for the indulgent days and healthy bowls for other days. It has options for everybody.
How to find them
https://www.instagram.com/kaimerestaurant/
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Ina
With a little covered, cozy green terrace on the outside and a colorful interior, Ina looks like an easy-going hipster diner. They serve plant-based food and have a mini-market inside. The menu however is way more special than the outside of the restaurant reveals. They serve a variety of Colombian and international dishes, all beautifully presented and equally delicious.
Some dishes that we tried:
- Bao buns with mushrooms, hoisin sauce, kimchi, lemony panko, peanut sauce,e and garlic mayo (favorite)
- Bao buns with tempura eggplant, red cabbage, lemony panko, and sweet pepper mayonnaise
- Steak tartare made of watermelon marinated in tahini and soy sauce, with guacamole and nori chips (favorite)
- Empanadas made with ripe plantain, beans, and rice. Served with hogao (tomato-onion sauce) and guacamole
We only ordered starters because we were still full from lunch (fault of Kai restaurant, if you ask me), but for a main course, they for example serve bowls, ramen, pasta, a hamburger, and gnocchi, although not your average ones.
Costs
Starters between 13.000 and 20.000 pesos, mains a bit under 30.000 pesos.
Opens
Ina opens 7 days a week from 11 am until after dinner, except Sunday when they close after lunch.
Recommended because
We ended up at Ina by surprise. Although it was recommended to me, I thought we couldn’t fit it into the schedule. I am so happy that we visited. The place has a low-key diner feel to it, but the dishes are creative and look beautiful. It’s also not in the El Poblado area as the other restaurants, but around Laureles.
How to find them
https://www.instagram.com/ina.restaurante/
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Did you visit any of these restaurants? Are you planning to? Do you have other tips? Let me know in the comments!
Looking to cook up some Colombian vegetarian or vegan dishes at home? Click here for inspiration!