A smoked-tofu burger, mushroom toast or a cashew cake can appeal just as much to someone who usually eats meat. In this selection, the interest lies in the dishes and the way ingredients work together. Some places focus on plant-based cooking; others offer mixed menus with clearly defined vegetarian and vegan choices.
1. Arome
Arome, on Strada Luigi Cazzavillan, is a pleasant daytime stop for toast, vegetables and coffee. Mushroom or avocado toast and vegetable bowls let you choose between something simple and a more substantial lunch. Beetroot combinations add colour and an earthy flavour that works with creamy ingredients.
The menu is mixed, so visit for its vegetarian options without assuming every dish is vegan. For a meal without animal products, check sauces and additions, including eggs and cheese. It suits a longer break around Cișmigiu when you want lunch before continuing the rest of your day.
2. Sara Green
Sara Green is worth remembering when you fancy plant-based burgers and wraps. Bully Burger uses smoked and fresh tofu, soy and oats, with sauces and vegan cheddar. Smokiness gives it a clear character, while the spirulina bun makes it recognisable. There are enough ingredients to make it interesting without constantly comparing it with a meat burger.
You can also put together a varied order with soup, a wrap and a shared dessert. Sara Green suits a quick break or a meal delivered for a group with different preferences. Burgers are the more substantial option, while wraps and soups allow a smaller order for lunch.
3. Rawdia
Rawdia offers more than its name might suggest. Alongside raw desserts and salads are cooked dishes such as oven-roasted oyster mushrooms with paprika, potato wedges and garlic sauce. It is an approachable plate for anyone seeking a substantial plant-based meal with familiar flavours and contrasting textures.
Other options use tofu, broccoli, sweet potato or avocado. Combine a salad with a warm dish and leave dessert until the end, rather than limiting yourself to one part of the menu. Cooked and raw preparations can share a meal, with nut- or fruit-based desserts completing an offering that goes well beyond salads.
4. Sublimmme
At Sublimmme, dessert can be the main reason to visit. Ube cake brings together cashews, coconut, almonds, dates and the purple yam that gives it its colour. Cashews provide a creamy texture, coconut and almonds add flavour, and dates supply sweetness.
Savoury choices such as seitan wraps and plant-based burgers make a full meal possible. Chocolate babka shows that vegan baking has room for baked dough as well as raw cakes. A slice of cashew cake and a piece of chocolate babka offer very different textures, from dense cream to baked pastry.
5. Coolinart
Coolinart is useful for a group whose members do not all eat the same way. Its menu includes animal products alongside vegan dishes. Vegan Macedonian shakshuka combines tomatoes, peppers and aubergines with tofu and turmeric, served with sourdough. It is a warm, saucy dish to eat slowly.
Lentil hummus with tahini and sunflower-seed paste is another choice worth considering as more than a side. A burger with plant-based cheese and vegan desserts broaden the options. Specify the version you want when ordering: dishes with similar names may include eggs or cheese. The appeal is the ability to bring different preferences to the same table.
