20+ Vegan Breakfasts from Around the World
What do vegans eat for breakfast?
It’s a question that comes up a lot, and the answer is… well, where do I even begin? It starts with the classics, like oatmeal or avocado toast, and then you’ve got plant-based versions of familiar breakfast foods. At some point, you may start to realize that just about any food can be a breakfast food.
What do vegans eat for breakfast while traveling?
Now, that can be a more challenging question to answer. Even though it’s 2025, many hotels’ breakfast buffets make us feel like we wandered in by mistake. We might find ourselves nibbling on some toast and jam while everyone around us is indulging in all the stuff we choose not to eat.
That said, some destinations are more vegan-friendly than others, and you might find that you’re better off skipping the hotel breakfast and going to a nice local cafe or an awesome vegan bakery instead.
This post is a collection of 20+ special vegan breakfasts I’ve had around the world, from the traditional to the trendy. Absolutely no smoothie bowls here (if you’ve read my About Me page, you know I hate them) – and only one avocado toast, but it was a special one. You’ll also find some tips on how to navigate hotel breakfasts as a vegan.
Now, let’s dig in.
Around the World in 20 Plant-Based Breakfasts
From tofu pudding in Taipei to pastries in Paris, these vegan breakfasts and brunches span three continents, and they’re listed in no particular order. You might find the perfect breakfast spot for your next trip – or even inspiration for your next home-cooked morning meal.
1. Blue pancakes in Bangkok
You might be wondering why these pancakes are blue, to which I would answer, “Why not?” But seriously, with the popularity of butterfly pea flower tea as a colorant in Thailand, one of the first things you notice when you get there is that a lot of food items are unexpectedly blue or purple. (Case in point: note the purple drink in the background.)
This beautiful plate was served to me at Nature’s Charm, a lovely 100% vegan café in Bangkok.
2. Smørrebrød in Copenhagen
A staple of Danish cuisine, Smørrebrød is an open-faced sandwich, typically built on buttered rye bread and topped with a mix of savory ingredients like pickled vegetables, spreads, and proteins. Like most Nordic food, it’s not traditionally vegan-friendly, but Lillians Smørrebrød in Copenhagen serves a nice variety of vegan versions.
Smørrebrød is typically a lunch food in Denmark, but Lillians opens at 8 a.m. on weekdays and no one will judge you if you have it for breakfast.
Also worth noting is the brunch platter at Kaf, a fully vegan bakery and café in Copenhagen.
3. Hot soup in Hanoi
While soup for breakfast might sound like a bizarre concept if you’re not accustomed to it, it’s actually quite common in countries throughout Asia and Africa. In fact, pho – a noodle soup made with aromatic broth and rice noodles, typically topped with herbs and protein – originated as a breakfast food in Vietnam.
From the broth to the toppings, pho is typically not vegan at all, but vegan versions are easy to find, especially in vegan-friendly Hanoi. I had this bowlful at Chayfood, and now I definitely approve of soup for breakfast.
4. Berries and baked goods in Budapest
There’s no shortage of vegan breakfast options in Budapest, which has had vegan restaurants popping up all over the place for years. But sometimes you just want to pick up something quick and simple, and Fill Good bakery offers vegan versions of sweet and savory Hungarian pastries.
You can buy fresh berries at one of the produce shops nearby.
5. New York bagels in… New York
NYC is another place where you will have absolutely no difficulty finding an awesome vegan breakfast, but bagels are kind of a must. At Tompkins Square Bagels, all bagels are vegan except for a couple of obvious no-nos (like egg bagels), and there’s also a nice variety of flavored tofu spreads (I’ve heard this basically means Tofutti cream cheese, but I don’t know for sure).
For the full experience, you can take your bagel to the park across the street, and have a little picnic while watching the squirrels play.
6. Tofu pudding in Taipei
My trip to Taiwan was one of my all-time favorites, and one of the reasons for that was the abundance of vegan food in Taipei. I’ll probably write a full post about that sometime soon, but for now, let’s talk breakfast.
Tofu pudding (douhua) is a traditional Taiwanese breakfast dish made from very smooth tofu, served with local toppings like sweet red beans and boiled peanuts. I tried it at Soypresso, which seems to have shut down since, but it should be easy enough to find in Taipei. You’ll just want to ask about the ingredients, to avoid toppings that contain condensed milk, honey, gelatin, etc.
Also worth noting are Taipei’s vegan bakeries, such as Hip Pun. A couple of other good ones have closed since my visit, but I remember them fondly.
7. Ful and falafel in Sinai
The Sinai peninsula, on the other hand, is not exactly a culinary haven. It’s a place you go to relax on the quiet beaches, maybe do some snorkeling or diving, or even some hiking if you’re the adventurous type. Still, vegan breakfast is a no-brainer – the traditional Egyptian breakfast is typically vegan (ask for no egg or cheese).
You can expect to be served ful medames – stewed fava beans, typically served with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and warm pita – alongside falafel (the Egyptian version is also made from fava beans, not chickpeas), hummus or tahini, and chopped salad.
8. Khachapuri in Tbilisi
Being vegan doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in khachapuri, Georgian bread stuffed with cheese and egg. I had this vegan version at a restaurant that seems to no longer exist, but these days, you can find it at Shpana.
9. Comfort food in Koh Phangan
While in Koh Phangan, I stayed at Seaflower Bungalows, a lovely resort in Srithanu that happens to offer a full vegan menu in addition to the standard one. You’ll find both Thai and Western items on the menu, but breakfast is mostly Western, featuring artisanal cheeses from the fantastic Deli Devi. I couldn’t choose just one photo!
10. English breakfast in Barcelona
I’m always a fan of a full English breakfast, as long as it’s also fully vegan. Equilibrium Café in Barcelona used to offer just that. According to their Instagram, the old place is closed, but they are now serving their food at a different place called El Petit Príncep. Have you been there? Let me know in the comments.
11. Brunch perfection in Paris
Is Paris vegan-friendly? It depends who you ask. While it can be hard to find vegan options at non-veg places, the city boasts an impressive array of 100% vegan restaurants, bakeries, and cafés. You can find lovely vegan French pastries at patisseries like Land & Monkeys, Cloud Cakes, and VG Patisserie, so you’ve got lots of breakfast options right there. But today, I’d like to highlight a special brunch, served on Sunday only at Le Potager de Charlotte.
Possibly the most beautifully plated meal I’ve ever seen, the brunch includes a savory plate – stuffed chickpea and rice pancakes and “hard-boiled egg style” avocado – and a sweet plate, topped with possibly the world’s most beautiful pancakes. You’ll need to make a reservation in advance, and be sure to check the menu because it may change from time to time.
12. Vegan decadence in Vienna
If you’ve read my guide to vegan food in Vienna, you know that the city offers plenty of vegan options for all meals of the day. But if I had to choose my most memorable breakfast there, it would be the gorgeous tartlets at Chez Fritz, a 100% vegan patisserie.
13. Dim sum in Hong Kong
If you ever find yourself in Hong Kong, you absolutely should not miss Veggie Kingdom, a 100% vegan restaurant serving veganized versions of traditional Chinese dishes. The dim sum menu is served between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., so you can make it either a late breakfast or an early/late lunch, but either way, you need to go. It’s some of the best vegan dim sum you’ll find anywhere. Just make a reservation, because the place fills up fast.
14. Scandinavian specialties in London
We’ve had a full English breakfast in Barcelona, so why not have a Swedish brunch in London? Dauns is actually my favorite vegan restaurant in London, and I’ve been to quite a few. On the all-day breakfast menu, you’ll find some classics like tofu scramble and stuffed croissants, lovely pastries, a cheese platter, and – for the second time in this blog post – some gorgeous Smørrebrød.
15. Sweet potato waffles in Koh Samui
Pure Vegan Heaven has several locations throughout Thailand, so you don’t have to be in Koh Samui to try these tasty waffles – but I happened to be, and it happened to be my birthday. As you can see, this pretty plate was quite the celebration.
16. A rare find in Reykjavik
Iceland’s capital offers a handful of fully vegan restaurants and a whole bunch of vegan-friendly ones, so it’s quite easy to find typical breakfast items like bagels, sweet and savory pastries, or porridge. But if you’re looking for something more like a full breakfast, The Laundromat Cafe is the place to go. While there’s not much else vegan on the menu (maybe some burgers), the satisfying vegan brunch platter includes everything from tofu scramble to pancakes.
17. Indulgence in Istanbul
Istanbul is another place where vegan food is quite easy to come by at all hours of the day, but the breakfast plate at Vegan Dükkan Lokanta is really something special. It includes a little bit of everything, but it’s actually worth it just for the selection of artisanal cheeses, which were some of the best I’ve ever had.
18. Tofu scramble in Tallinn
A full post about Tallinn’s vegan food scene will be coming soon! In the meantime, I’m happy to say that the scene includes several all-vegan café-bakeries, so breakfast is easy to find. Nihe is one of those, serving a dizzying array of pastries and cakes, and plenty of all-day brunch items like this tofu scramble bowl.
Tallinn is special for more than just the vegan food! If you’re thinking of going there, check out my Doors of Tallinn photo gallery.
19. Artful pastries in Athens
If you’re headed towards Greece’s capital, Holy Llama should be the first place on your list. This is where you’ll find a brunch menu full of tantalizing options, alongside all the pastries you could possibly want. It’s tough to decide where to look first, but this was one of those rare occasions when I wasn’t traveling solo, so I got to try a bunch of different things.
20. Hummus in Tel Aviv
I’ll end my list of vegan breakfasts with the one closest to home. In vegan-friendly Tel Aviv, you can find a vegan version of just about anything, but then you’ve got the Middle Eastern dishes that are just naturally vegan, like the beloved hummus.
Hummus at a hummus restaurant, known as a hummusia, is nothing like the hummus you can buy at the store – it’s freshly made, typically served warm with a variety of toppings. Everyone has their own favorite hummusia, and you’ll hear Israelis get into some heated arguments about which one is the best.
My favorite hummus topping is toasted pine nuts, which is why I’m a fan of Abu Adham, where they’re unusually generous with them.
Choosing a hotel as a vegan traveler
For some travelers, a hotel is just a place to sleep at night. For me, it’s a bit more than that – as a solo traveler, it’s my own little private space for my trip, and I want it to be a place I truly like. This means I want to know there are going to be vegan food options nearby, preferably on location or in short walking distance.
I’ll usually choose the area I’m staying in based on its proximity to vegan restaurants (every major city seems to have a cluster of them in a central area). Once I’ve bookmarked a few options that seem nice, I’ll look at the reviews on Booking.com and on Google, always doing a quick search for the word “vegan.”
Sadly, in most cases, the search will yield either nothing, or a handful of past guests saying “this hotel doesn’t have any vegan options for breakfast.” But every once in a while, I’ll stumble across a gem – a bunch of reviews saying that the vegan breakfast options were great. I really wish more hotels would pay attention to these reviews. I, for one, am way more likely to choose a hotel if I know I can enjoy the breakfast.
If I can’t find anything in the area I want to stay in, I’ll make sure to choose an accommodation that’s in short walking distance from a good vegan breakfast.
Noteworthy vegan-friendly hotel breakfasts
Here are a few of those gems I mentioned above. The first two hotels on the list are 100% vegan, while the rest have a vegan breakfast menu or a particularly friendly buffet.
100% vegan: Away Chiang Mai, Thailand
Chiang Mai is probably one of the world’s most vegan-friendly cities (don’t miss my blog post about the vegan food at the night markets), so you’d expect it to have at least one all-vegan hotel. It actually has two, but Away Chiang Mai is the one I stayed at.
The breakfast buffet was a bit different every day, always including fresh fruit and veggies, cereal, bread, baked goods, and a selection of warm dishes – some Western, some Thai. And you already know I have no problem eating noodles for breakfast.
100% vegan: Koukoumi, Mykonos, Greece
You can read my full review of Koukoumi Vegan Hotel to know what to expect from the food, the location, and everything else – but as far as breakfast is concerned, you’ll be beyond spoiled for choice. The buffet includes everything from fresh pastries to chia pudding, and you also get to select a main dish from the menu.
Vegan-friendly: St Raphael Resort, Limassol, Cyprus
As far as all-inclusive beach resorts go, it doesn’t get much more vegan-friendly than St Raphael. All the resort’s restaurants offer a variety of vegan dishes on their menus, and there’s even one fully vegan restaurant called Seashells that’s open for lunch.
At the breakfast buffet, all items are clearly labeled with a list of allergens, so you don’t need to run around looking for someone from the kitchen staff who can tell you what’s vegan and what’s not. There are lots of choices to load up your plate with, and even come back for more.
Vegan-friendly: Seaflower Bungalows, Koh Phangan, Thailand
I already mentioned Seaflower above, but I loved the food there so much, it’s worth another mention. This beautiful little resort doesn’t have a breakfast buffet, but the on-site restaurant offers a 4-page vegan menu where you can find a bunch of different breakfast options, mostly on the healthy side.
I’d highly recommend getting anything with vegan cheese on it – the artisanal cheeses from the local Deli Devi are absolutely world-class.
Vegan-friendly: La Siesta Classic Hang Thung, Hanoi, Vietnam
Note that there are several La Siesta hotels in Hanoi and I can’t vouch for all of them, but this one offers a special à la carte menu for vegans and vegetarians. While the menu is kind of lacking in protein (which is surprising, considering there is such good tofu in Vietnam), the options I tried were tasty.
I was also able to find plenty of vegan items in the general breakfast buffet, and one morning, they even made me vegan sushi.
Have you had a great vegan breakfast at any other hotel? Let me know in the comments!
FAQs: Vegan breakfasts around the world
See, I knew someone would ask. Vegans actually have a ton of breakfast options: oatmeal, toast with spreads, pancakes, tofu scrambles, fresh fruit, baked goods, even noodles or savory rice dishes – it really depends on the region and your mood. While some places rely on eggs and dairy-heavy breakfasts, many cultures already have plant-based morning staples, and it’s easy to veganize most Western-style breakfasts too.
Plenty of ways: tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, chickpeas, soy yogurt, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, and fortified plant milks all offer solid protein sources. Some vegan meats are high in protein too. If you’re traveling, look for local dishes with legumes, soy, or protein-rich grains like quinoa and buckwheat.
The go-to is tofu scramble – crumbled tofu cooked with spices, like turmeric and black salt, for an eggy flavor and color. Some people use chickpea or lentil flour to make a kind of egg-free omelet or scramble. Vegan egg products are also widely available in many countries now.
There’s a plant-based version of nearly every dairy product: soy, oat, almond, and coconut milks; vegan yogurts; butter alternatives; and a huge range of non-dairy cheeses. Some are more processed, while others are made from nuts and fermented for a rich, natural flavor. You won’t miss out – there’s a lot to choose from.
Nuts, trail mix, granola bars, roasted chickpeas, dried fruit, crackers with peanut butter, fruit leather, and dark chocolate all travel well. If you prep ahead, you can bring sandwiches or wraps, homemade muffins, or veggie sticks with hummus. In a pinch, most airports or convenience stores have at least a few vegan-friendly options.
It depends where you go. Some destinations are incredibly vegan-friendly, while others require more planning. Big cities usually have options, but rural areas can be trickier. Apps like HappyCow help, and learning a few local phrases or packing backup snacks can make all the difference. It gets easier with experience.
