Ten rising destinations are quietly becoming vegan havens—none in the U.S.
Two things nudged me to rewrite my travel list this year.
First, London just watched a fully vegan restaurant pick up a Michelin star—proof that plant-based meals aren’t a sideshow anymore; they’re headliners.
Second, I keep seeing city and national policies move from “nice idea” to measurable targets: meat consumption falling, supermarket goals for protein “splits,” and even laws that guarantee a vegetarian plate in public canteens.
Put together, that’s not a vibe—it’s infrastructure. It also explains why my last few trips felt easier: fewer “Can you make this without…?” conversations and more default options that were already vegan-friendly.
Below, ten countries (outside the U.S.) where the story isn’t just buzzy restaurants—it’s data, decisions, and festivals that stack the odds in your favor.
United Kingdom: a Michelin star and a mainstream moment
If you’ve ever tried to explain vegan travel to a skeptical aunt, “a starred vegan tasting menu in central London” ends the debate.
The UK’s scene isn’t new, but that Michelin nod confirms it’s mature—and resilient.
In practical terms, it means chefs are building entire menus that don’t treat vegan eaters as exceptions, and suppliers are keeping up.
For travelers, London and several regional hubs (Glasgow, Manchester, Brighton) make it easy to do breakfast-to-late-night without hunting.
If you want a sanity check on where to book, HappyCow’s annual city rankings continue to put London near the top globally; 2024’s list had London and Berlin leading the pack.
The big picture: the UK is no longer “accommodating” vegan travelers—it’s competing for them.
Germany: record-low meat consumption, record-high confidence
Berlin has long felt like a vegan home base.
What’s new is the national data behind the vibe. Germany’s Federal Information Centre for Agriculture reports meat consumption fell to 51.6 kg per person in 2023 — the lowest since the early 1990s, continuing a long-term decline.
That drop shows up in supermarket shelves, street food, and festival lineups, making it easier to travel between cities without reverting to fries and bread.
For visitors, it means the “default lunch” in places like Berlin, Hamburg, or Munich is as likely to be a hearty plant bowl as a schnitzel.
Translation: fewer compromises, more routine.
Netherlands: the protein transition is policy, not a trend
You’ll feel it at breakfast buffets and in Albert Heijn aisles: the Dutch aren’t just flirting with plant-based—they’ve set targets.
The Netherlands aims for a 50:50 plant-to-animal protein intake by 2030, with watchdogs and universities tracking progress.
Amsterdam went further, endorsing the Plant-Based Treaty and setting a city diet goal of 60% plant-based by 2030 — and local business groups now showcase “protein transition” companies as part of the city’s identity.
What that means for travelers: steady, affordable options across price points, from canal-side cafés to office-district lunch spots.
Denmark: a national action plan for plant-based foods
Denmark became the first country to publish a National Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods, directing funds, research, and procurement toward greener plates.
This is nerdy policy with very practical consequences: more plant-based items in public kitchens, clearer labeling, and incentives for innovation that spill into restaurants you’ll actually eat at.
Copenhagen already punches above its weight for sustainable dining; the action plan widens that net to school canteens, hospitals, and everyday supermarkets you’ll visit as a traveler stocking up.
Portugal: vegetarian options by law in public canteens
Years before “UPF” entered dinner-table chatter, Portugal mandated a vegetarian option in all public canteens — schools, hospitals, universities, even prisons.
It’s a simple policy with traveler-friendly ripple effects: trained kitchens, normalized plant-based plates, and broader ingredient pipelines.
In Lisbon and Porto, you’ll still eat your weight in caldo verde and pasteis-adjacent treats, but you’ll see more veggie mains in mom-and-pop places than you did a decade ago because the public sector helped normalize the demand.
Spain: Barcelona built a food strategy through 2030
Spain isn’t stereotypically “vegan,” yet Barcelona turned its year as World Sustainable Food Capital into a permanent Healthy and Sustainable Food Strategy 2030.
That civic scaffolding — 265 initiatives across nine goals — touches everything from public procurement to food-waste reduction.
For travelers, it’s a tailwind: more seasonal veg on menus, more market vendors thinking plant-first, and festivals that nudge eaters toward lower-impact choices.
If your itinerary is tapas-heavy, you’ll still find patatas bravas and pan con tomate — but it’s easier than ever to make the whole day plant-based without combing through niche blogs.
Israel: high vegan share, deep everyday availability
Whatever you call Tel Aviv—“vegan capital,” “veganista playground”—the everyday proof is simpler: a high percentage of Israelis identify as vegan, with longstanding estimates around 5%.
That culture shows up as default dairy-free breakfasts, falafel that needs no edits, and menus where “vegan” isn’t a footnote.
For travelers, the win is friction-less dining in mainstream spots, not just dedicated vegan cafés. (As with any destination, check advisories; conditions can change).
India: a national vegan logo brings clarity
India’s deep vegetarian traditions make it friendly territory, but dairy can surprise strict vegans.
A quiet game-changer arrived when India’s food regulator finalized the Vegan Foods Regulations, including an official vegan logo.
As more packaged foods and restaurant items adopt the mark, it’s easier to shop stations, supermarkets, and airports without decoding long ingredient lists.
Add to that the breadth of naturally plant-based regional cuisines (Idli-sambar breakfasts! Chole with bhatura, minus ghee!) and you can string together full travel days with very little friction.
Thailand: a country that turns vegan for nine days
If you’ve seen the yellow-and-red เจ (jay) flags in Thailand, you already know the signal: for the Nine Emperor Gods / Vegetarian Festival, cities and towns flood with stalls serving “pure” meat-free food.
Even outside festival weeks, that shared vocabulary (“gin jay?”) makes street-food ordering easier—especially in Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.
The festival isn’t exactly Western veganism—there are additional purity rules like avoiding garlic and onions—but the practical result for travelers is a huge, delicious inventory of plant-based dishes you can point to and eat.
Taiwan: one of the world’s largest vegetarian populations
Taiwan quietly makes plant-based travel feel effortless: Buddhist and temple cuisines, thousands of vegetarian restaurants, and a population where about 13% identify as vegetarian.
Convenience stores label veggie items clearly; night markets have entire rows of plant-based snacks; and Taipei routinely appears on vegan-friendly city lists.
For travelers, the upside is consistency—no need to hope a single neighborhood has options.
Every district does.
Final words
If you’re tired of spending half your trip Googling “vegan options near me,” choose destinations where the systems already lean plant-first.
Your future self will thank you at 8 p.m., when dinner is not a scavenger hunt but a stroll.
And if you want the big-picture payoff: these places aren’t just kinder to your itinerary — they’re testing the food policies and business models the rest of the world might copy next.
That means every great meal is also a preview of where travel—and dinner—are headed.
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