👋 Hello! Brian here, Digital Marketing Executive & Tour Guide at Vagabond Tours.
In a past life I am also an award winning travel blogger and author with deep experience exploring Ireland’s food scene.
If you’re planning a trip to Ireland and wondering whether you’ll eat well as a vegetarian, you’re in the right place. Ireland has come a long way in recent years and finding tasty vegetarian and vegan food is now easier than most travellers expect.
From hearty hotel breakfasts and café lunches to dinner menus in both cities and small towns, I’ll walk you through what to expect when eating vegetarian in Ireland.
Now read on, hungry traveller!
🍽️ Is It Difficult To Eat Vegetarian In Ireland?
I get asked this question all the time. The simple answer in no. Ireland is the land of a thousand welcomes. When it comes to eating vegetarian in here, Ireland is no different.
Nearly every restaurant you'll visit on your Vagabond or Driftwood tour will have at least one vegetarian option on the menu. Nearly every restaurant you’ll visit, whether in Dublin, a small town or out in the countryside now offers at least one vegetarian dish.
Many pubs and cafés have vegetarian or vegan soups, salads, pasta and adaptable mains on their menus. You can also request many dishes without the meat and still be met with a smile from staff. Im yet to receive a negative response.
🍳 What Can I Have For Breakfast?
Everywhere you'll stay on your Vagabond or Driftwood Tour of Ireland offers a vegetarian breakfast.
Most hotels offer options like:
- 🥣 Porridge or oatmeal with all the trimmings.
- 🥚 Egg dishes, scrambled, poached or fried.
- 🍳Vegetarian fry-ups.
- 🥞 Pastries, pancakes and waffles
A breakfast highlight for me was trying waffles for the first time. All I can say is WOW! Vegetarians really cant go wrong there.
If you want to learn more about traditional Irish breakfast as a whole (including vegetarian adaptations), check out our detailed breakdown of what’s in an Irish breakfast.
🥪 Lunch Options
Lunch in Ireland is often a little more informal than dinner, and menus can be shorter, but vegetarians are still well catered for especially if you know what to look for.
Across Ireland, cafés, pubs and tearooms almost always offer at least one vegetarian lunch option. Homemade vegetable soups are extremely common and are a reliable, warming choice year round. These are usually served with fresh brown bread and can be surprisingly hearty after a morning of exploring.
You’ll also regularly find:
- 🥪 Sandwiches and wraps with cheese, roasted vegetables, hummus or egg
- 🥗 Salads that can be adapted easily by leaving out meat or fish
- 🥧 Quiches, tarts or baked dishes in cafés and deli-style lunch spots
While menus may be simpler, staff are usually happy to help, and asking what vegetarian options are available is very normal.
In cities like Dublin, Galway and Cork, lunch is where Ireland’s modern food scene really shines. You’ll find vegetarian cafés, international flavours and plenty of clearly marked vegan options.
Your VagaGuide will also point you towards good lunch spots along the way, based on the day’s route and the group’s preferences.
🥘 What's For Dinner?
Dinner is where eating vegetarian in Ireland becomes especially enjoyable. By the evening, menus are broader, kitchens have more flexibility and you’ll usually find at least one well-thought-out vegetarian main, even in smaller towns and rural stops.
In cities like Dublin, vegetarian and vegan diners are spoiled for choice. Alongside dedicated veggie restaurants, many mainstream eateries now design menus with plant-based dishes firmly in mind. Expect flavourful pasta dishes, curries, roasted vegetable plates and globally inspired cuisine that goes well beyond “just a salad”.
In more rural areas, dinner menus tend to be simpler but still accommodating. Traditional pubs and hotel restaurants nearly always offer a vegetarian main, and chefs are often happy to adapt dishes where possible.
When I ventured to rural areas of Ireland on my Vagabond tour, I wondered how difficult it would be eat vegetarian.
Thankfully, I never struggled. I ate a variety of dishes, including incredible pasta, superb fresh salads & magnificent Mexican feasts.
🥗 Eating Vegetarian On A Vagabond Tour
Travelling as a vegetarian on a Vagabond or Driftwood tour is straightforward and stress-free.
We’ve been welcoming guests with a wide range of dietary preferences for decades and vegetarian dining is very much part of everyday touring in Ireland.
One of the advantages of travelling in a small group is flexibility. Most evenings, you’ll have a choice of places to eat within walking distance of your accommodation, giving you the freedom to pick what suits your appetite.
Menus are usually shared in advance, so you can take a look at your options before settling in.
Your VagaGuide is also a great resource. They know the towns and villages you’re staying in and can recommend restaurants that offer particularly good vegetarian dishes. If menus are limited, they’ll happily point you towards alternative nearby spots.
Before and After Your Tour: Eating Vegetarian in Dublin
If you’re spending extra time in Dublin either before embarking or after finishing your tour, here are two excellent vegan- and vegetarian-friendly choices:
- ➡️ Cornucopia: A beloved, long-standing vegetarian restaurant with hearty, creative dishes.
- ➡️ Govinda’s: A relaxed Hare Krishna café serving delicious plant-based Indian fare at great prices.
Both are perfect stops for a long day of exploring museums, shops, or Dublin’s historic streets.
Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Why not get in contact? The best way to reach our friendly team is by email: enquiries@vagabond.ie
