Discovering Vegan Friendly Food in Germany

'You Should Eat 30 Different Plants a Week for Your Gut Health: Discovering Vegan Options in Germany' Zoe

No Egg Mayonnaise Bagel

Exploring Vegan Cuisine in Germany

When you think of German cuisine, what comes to mind? Many people might mention bratwurst, schnitzel, or pretzels. However, Germany is home to a vibrant and growing vegan community. Many Germans are reducing their meat consumption, making it easier than ever to find vegan options.

This post is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to vegan food across Germany. Instead, we will share our experiences and a few recommendations to help make your vegan journey smoother in this beautiful country.

We must admit that while touring, we prefer to cook as much as possible to save costs. Access to fresh food in supermarkets is crucial since we travel without a fridge and aim to carry minimal perishable items, especially during the hot summer months. We won't cover our cooking experiences here, as those meals can be prepared anywhere.

What Vegan-Friendly Food Did We Discover in Germany?

Supermarkets

During our travels, we discovered four major supermarkets with vegan options: Rewe, Edeka, Lidl, and Aldi. We tried them all, but we were disappointed with Aldi. It offered very few options beyond fresh fruit and vegetables. Lidl was slightly better, but we expected more variety based on our experiences in the UK and other European countries.

1. While we understand that choice is subjective, we couldn't fault the quality of the fresh produce. However, if you were looking for items to fry or grill, these two well-known supermarkets fell short. We also recognize that many of these options are ultra-processed, even if they are vegan. If you're trying to avoid such products, the fresh fruit and vegetables were excellent.

   
   

   Rewe stood out with fantastic options, including no-egg mayonnaise made from tofu and various pâtés often made with pea protein. These items added a delightful twist to our meals, as we can't find them back home in the UK.

   
   

   The Edeka we visited was expansive and offered a wide range of products. It had similar chilled options to Rewe. We tried a couple of new items: one was a cream cheese that tasted like plastic, and the other was a coleslaw with fake ham, which was equally disappointing. At least there was a choice! However, the hummus was tasty.

   
   

This had a weird taste like a coleslaw but with an odd ham flavour

A pretty standard hummus but tasty all the same

We found some familiar products, like pistachio cream, which was cheaper than at home, and the newly released vegan Nutella. We wanted to bring some back with us, but unfortunately, we couldn't find another Rewe near the border crossing back into Belgium. The car's temperature was too high to risk bringing it along. Definitely next time!

Finding soy milk, olive oil, and artisan breads was easy, as many supermarkets had independent bakeries nearby.

Luebeck

In Luebeck, a charming town on the east side of Germany, we discovered a fantastic café called Cafe Bar. This fully vegan establishment served the best bagels, platters, soups, and coffee. If you're ever in the area, this café is a must-visit.

Cafe Bar Lubeck

Inside Cafe Bar

If you can't decide have a platter!

Here we go - Tuck in!

Perfect start to the day - Coffee.

No egg mayonnaise with sun dried tomatoes

Vending Machines

In the Bavarian countryside, we stumbled upon quirky roadside farm shops and vending machines filled with fresh fruit. While they offered non-vegan options too, the fruit was fresh and unspoiled, so we didn't worry about not being able to pick our own.

1. We even found a vending machine in our hotel, replacing the bar. It served perfectly chilled wine and beer.

   
   

What would you like from the bar?

Oppenau

In Oppenau, we discovered our first vegan ice cream. Too often, the only option is sorbet, but this was genuinely ice cream with multiple flavours to choose from. Mango and strawberry made for a perfect combination. We found this delightful treat in other ice cream parlours across Bavaria, including Meersburg and Rothenburg, so we certainly had more than one opportunity to indulge!

Vegan Ice Cream Anyone?

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

In this Olympic town, we were fortunate to find a couple of places offering vegan food. The first was Ristorante Renzo, where we enjoyed an Italian meal of bruschetta and a wood-fired vegetable pizza. The bruschetta was bursting with basil, peppery olive oil, and juicy ripe tomatoes. The pizza was loaded with fresh vegetables, perfectly complemented by an Italian Sauvignon Blanc and a local beer. What more could you ask for?

Bruschetta

Wood Fired Vegetable Pizza

For breakfast, we visited a café called The Berge, located just on the high street. It offered both vegetarian and vegan options, which made us very happy. We ordered avocado toast on rye bread with hummus and grilled vegetables, accompanied by a side of beetroot jam. To wash it down, we enjoyed freshly squeezed fruit juice made from mango, apple, and ginger, finishing off with two Americano coffees. What a way to start the day! It filled us up for hours.

The Berge Menu

Pleased to have found a cafe for breakfast

A Boho Chic Cafe

Healthy breakfast at The Berge

Morning Coffee

Fresh Juice - so refreshing

Kehlsteinhaus

Kehlsteinhaus, known as the Eagles Nest, is perched high atop Mount Kehlstein. This infamous retreat used by Hitler during WWII now operates as a tourist attraction with a restaurant at the summit. The menu featured a couple of vegan options, so we opted for a lentil soup for lunch, which was delicious and highly recommended.

1. On the day we visited Rothenburg, it was bustling due to a festival. However, we found a lovely café with a quaint courtyard where we could enjoy lunch. Cafe Lebenslust was tucked away on a side street, making it easy to miss. We savoured vegan sourdough topped with avocado, tomatoes, and roasted chickpeas. The dish was enhanced with a dressing, peppery rocket, and paired perfectly with a beer and Sauvignon. 👌

   
   

Exploring Beyond Germany

While Bruges is not in Germany, it's worth mentioning that if you travel through Belgium to reach Germany, there are a couple of great places to visit.

In Bruges, we recommend Kaffee Kamil. We enjoyed a superb lunch of Chilli Sin Carne here, with several other options available if you prefer something different. It was 30 degrees outside, and we must have been mad to indulge, but it was worth it!

Chilli Sin Carne in 30C heat are we mad?

Otto Atelier Waffles serves the best vegan waffles with a variety of toppings and ice cream. These are sublime, even if you're not vegan.

Vegan Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

Oh Yes - Love this place

In Ghent, you must visit the fully vegan café O'Yo. Everything on the menu is a must-try. We loved the avocado on sourdough with scrambled tofu (me) and beetroot hummus with smashed avocado on sourdough (Michael).

O'Yo

Perfect coffee, perfect presentation

Scrambled Tofu with Avocado Toast

Beetroot Hummus on Toasted sourdough

Conclusion

Discovering vegan-friendly food in Germany exceeded our expectations. As we continue our journey around Europe, we are compiling a list of vegan eateries to recommend. We plan to publish a comprehensive guide for easy reference, focusing on the countries we visit. Stay tuned!

If you have any recommendations, please drop them in the comments below. We would love to add them to our travels next time.

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Happy travels,

Karen & Michael