The first week I was in Madrid, I dined at a sweet Italian-meets-Spanish restaurant in the Paseo del Prado area called La Nicoletta (Paseo de la Castellana, 4). Like many spots in the neighborhood, the atmosphere is a bit upscale, garnished with embroidered tablecloths and Italian opera. The menu showcased a selection of Italian staples, complimented and served in the Spanish style. I was thrilled to find that the menu included a small vegetarian section, but when I ordered salmorejo off the list (after double checking that it was indeed vegetarian), I was pretty bummed that it was served with what appeared to be bacon bits on top. When I pointed this out to the waitress, she appeared genuinely confused.
Madrid, home to popular market chain Museo del Jamón (Museum of Ham), is the ham capital of the world. But this aside, it is no different than any other major city; there are restaurants here that are very familiar with vegetarian restrictions, and then there are others for which the concept is very foreign, and in rare cases, offensive. Experience has taught me a couple strategies for avoiding miscommunication while out to eat:
- Say you’re allergic to meat instead of saying you’re a vegetarian.
- Ask if a dish has meat instead of asking if it is vegetarian.
- Ask if a dish has meat or fish instead of assuming meat includes fish.
- Some restaurants consider a dish vegetarian if the main part of the dish is vegetables. Like my experience with salmorejo, this can mean that dishes are vegetarian if they only include a little bit of meat. Always ask.
- If the description of a plate does not mention meat, I still recommend asking; for example, an egg sandwich might come with chorizo, and salads here often come with tuna.
In sum, ask, be specific, double check, and depending on what part of town you’re in, avoid saying that you’re a vegetarian.
Survival Phrases:
¿Este plato lleva carne o pescado? Does this dish have meat or fish?
Tengo una alergia de carne y pescado. I have an allergy to meat and fish.
No puedo comer carne o pescado. I cannot eat meat or fish.
In some of the more hip barrios (Chueca, Malasaña, La Latina, Lavapies), there are spots that specifically cater to a vegetarian crowd, or that at least have vegetarian options. There’s a fantastic pizza place in Malasaña (Pizzería Maravillas; Plaza dos de Mayos) with a selection of vegetable-heavy pies; casual outdoor seating throughout the plaza make this an ideal place to grab a slice and caña. If you’re on a bargain budget and still want to indulge, I recommend a wonderful bakery in the Prosperidad neighborhood called Valle Olid (Calle López de Hoyos, 110) that sells not only well-priced pastries, but also bocadillos for one euro each, including one with cheese and a Spanish tomato salsa called pisto.
Conventional Spanish cuisine also includes many dishes that are vegetarian or can be made vegetarian. One popular specialty is tortilla, which is like a pie-shaped potato omelet that can be eaten either on a sandwich or by itself with café con leche, a winning combination. Another staple is gazpacho, a refreshing, cold tomato soup. Iconic Spanish foods like paella, a rice dish that typically comes with seafood or chicken, can be made to suit vegetarian needs. Off the tapas menu are croquetas, food rolls that are bread crumbed and fried, and which often have options with vegetables, potatoes, or cheese instead of meat.
Even in the land of jamón, it’s possible to remain a vegetarian. At the very least, there’s always dessert, and churros con chocolate never fails.
