The Best Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurants In Bournemouth
Bournemouth has become a haven for vegan and vegetarian food enthusiasts, with a range of exceptional restaurants catering to diverse dietary preferences.
Whether you’re a dedicated vegan, a curious vegetarian, or simply looking to explore plant-based cuisine, these are the best (and my favourite) restaurants in Bournemouth that provide a wealth of delectable options.. in my order of preference.
My Top Vegan Friendly Restaurants In Bournemouth
Twelve Eatery
Now hear me out. If you only dine at one vegan restaurant when you visit Bournemouth, make it Twelve Eatery. As far as vegan restaurants in Bournemouth go, this is the one. With sustainability, organic produce and plant-based nutrition at heart, this plant based restaurant offers you a way of dining that is completely open minded, yet conscious at the same time – giving you the future of dining.
Not only does their menu looks phenomenal, I can assure you that it lives up to expectations too.
I visited Bournemouth on a winter beach staycation just a few months ago and got to try their Christmas set menu. The restaurant was heaving and justifiably so – from the cosy atmosphere, decor, service to the food.. it was all wonderful.
We both ordered the pan seared ‘scallops’ to start – made from king oyster mushrooms with celeriac purée, ‘black pudding’ and apple gel. These were delicious!
This was followed by a ‘beef’ roast dinner and I can honestly say it is hands down the best roast I have ever had.
The Yorkshire pudding wasn’t for me, but to be honest I’ve never been keen on a vegan offering so I’m not complaining.
Location: 12 The Triangle, Bournemouth BH2 5RY
The Coconut Tree
The Coconut Tree do the best Sri Lankan street food I have ever had. Having visited their Oxford branch a couple of years ago, I knew we were in for a treat.
Now this isn’t a vegan restaurant, but I’d say more than half of their menu is vegan and vegetarian. We got a little carried away and ordered far too much food for two. As you do.
Fat Sister; pumpkin curry, Amba Maluwa; green mango curry, cheesy Columbo, parotta rotti, vegan fried rice and coconut sambol.
We were advised the dishes are small plates like tapas and to order 3-4 per person, however we hadn’t anticipated the portions being as generous as they are. I’d recommend starting with 2 dishes per person and add to the order as you need to.
Definitely order the Fat Sister. It is insanely good without being overly sweet!
Oh, and skip the cheesy Columbo, that wasn’t great.
Location: 185-187 Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth BH1 1JU
Mad Cucumber
The Mad Cucumber is one of those vegan eateries where you want to try everything on the menu! The açai bowls on the breakfast menu look incredible, however we visited at lunch and settled on sharing the oyster mushroom sandwich and Jolly Carrox, which were both heavenly.
The sandwich had very lightly ginger spiced oyster mushrooms, rocket, hummus and garlic sauce.
Delicious, but it’s always tough trying to eat loaded toasted sourdough sandwich.
RIP my teeth.
The Jolly Carrox is a vegan take on lox and something I have never tried before. I was dubious about the smoky flavour carrot ribbons, but they were lovely.
Loaded on top of a slice of sourdough bread and cream cheese, topped with a mountain of rocket, capers and a wedge of lemon.
The tanginess of the lemon really complemented the soft cream cheese and delicately spiced carrot. The rocket was a bit excessive, but I adored the generous helping of capers scattered throughout.
We also ordered a side of marinated tofu & homemade satay sauce because I have this inexplicable need to order anything containing peanut butter or satay sauce on a menu. I don’t know what I was expecting. The tofu was nothing special, if a tad greasy and the satay sauce was just okay. Bit of a boring choice.
Location: 7 The Triangle, Bournemouth BH2 5RY
Turtle Bay
Chain restaurants don’t often make an appearance on here, but I need to make an exception for Turtle Bay. I’ve been to a couple of their branches around the country and the food has been exceptional.
I ordered the Vegan Motherclucker burger; a fried ‘chicken’ style patty, stacked with smashed avo & jerk tomato sauce – sensational!
A side of cheesy jerk fries and sweet plantain to share. The plantain was delicious, as predicted, but I always regret ordering cheesy fries. I’m more of a simple french fry kinda gal.
Well worth a visit, if you ask me!
Location: The Citrus Building, Bournemouth BH1 1NL
South Beach Restaurant & Bar At The Nici
The South Beach Restaurant & Bar is located in the fabulous Nici hotel in Bournemouth. The Art Deco setting with tropical Miami vibes alone makes it well worth a visit when you’re nearby.
It is simply stunning.
There are so many pockets of warmth here with fabulous decor. One to visit if, like me, you enjoy maximalist interior design and of course, the finer things in life.
Let me tell you, the salted caramel espresso martini here is to die for.
I repeat.
To die for.
Okay, so the veggie and vegan food options here aren’t amazing.
I ordered the burrata and heirloom tomatoes to start – I always forget what a delight burrata is and this was wonderful.
The tofu pad Thai was quite bland and I regretted not ordering the roasted cauliflower instead.
I mean, I didn’t have a ton of options to choose from in the first place. However, mains aside, everything else was perfection and I’d still recommend visiting!
Location: W Hill Rd, Bournemouth BH2 5EJ
Pondok Fresh Falafel & Juice
Pondok Fresh Falafel & Juice is a casual dining Egyptian vegetarian eatery. Offering a compact menu of falafel, halloumi and avocado as a main option (or a combination of all 3) in either a wrap, pitta or as a salad box.
A minimal menu is always a delight for indecisive people like myself. Though for just £10.50, we opted for a tapas platter each which is a bit of everything; hummus, mousaqa, baba ganoush, chips, falafel, salad, tahini and flatbread. A side of chilli and garlic sauce too, of course.
The cold mezze and salad were delicious.. particularly the baba ganoush as it was missing the smokey flavour it traditionally has which I’m not a fan of. The halloumi was a tad rubbery and chips, sadly cold.
When it comes to falafel, I am extremely fussy. So fussy that I wouldn’t attempt to make my own at home either because I know they wouldn’t be good enough given that I don’t deep fry anything.
These falafel were okay. Not worth a repeat visit for but also not the worst I’ve ever had. For a Middle Eastern fast food which this place essentially is, they weren’t bad. After all, you wouldn’t expect fine dining at McDonald’s now would you?
Perfect for a cheap eats lunch when you’re in Bournemouth.
Heads up – skip the chilli sauce if you visit this place, that was a disappointing addition.
Location: 25 The Triangle, Bournemouth BH2 5SE
From comfort food and fine dining to vibrant cafes and unique culinary experiences, the vegan and vegetarian scene in Bournemouth is sure to leave you satisfied and inspired.
Are there any other vegan restaurants in Bournemouth I need to add to the list for my next visit?
Found this post useful? Pin it!
Heading elsewhere? Check out these articles about vegan food in the following destinations:
- The Best Vegan And Vegetarian Restaurants in Vilnius, Lithuania
- 7 Excellent Vegan Restaurants In York You Need To Try
- 5 Vegan Friendly Restaurants in Ancoats, Manchester
- The Best Vegan Friendly Restaurants in Belfast
- The Best Vegan Friendly Restaurants in Dublin
- The Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants In Porto
- 3 Of The Best Vegan Friendly Breakfast Spots In Berlin
- A Hidden Vegan Gem In Palawan: Taste El Nido
- The Best Vegan Restaurants in Hanoi, Vietnam
Watch my vlog from my last trip to Bournemouth a few months ago and have a closer look at Twelve Eatery and South Beach Restaurant & Bar at the fabulous Nici hotel below.
