Vegetarian Guide to San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico
Eating vegetarian in San Cristobal de las Casas was great fun. San Cristobal is our favourite vegetarian food destination in Mexico. The hippy vibe and Western influences have meant the city has a delicious mix of both international and Mexican vegetarian food.
“Can you recommend anywhere for us to eat tonight? – but, we’re vegetarian,” we asked our Airbnb host.
Our host, Señorita Maria, screwed up her nose a little and shook her head. “You can buy vegetables at the market and cook in the house,” she said. Good advice, but we were keen to explore the local food scene in San Cristobal de las Casas as well.
Mexican Vegetarian Restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas
We spent two weeks in San Cristobal eating at all the best and budget vegetarian restaurants in the city. In Mexico, eating vegetarian isn’t always easy. San Cristobal de las Casas defied all our expectations and turned out to be an excellent vegetarian food destination. Here’s our guide to eating vegetarian in San Cristobal de las Casas.
Casa del Pan Cafe & Restaurant (vegetarian)
Casa del Pan is an organic shop and restaurant in San Cristobal de las Casas. We preferred to buy wholemeal baguettes, avocados, salad and mango chutney from the organic shop and make our own lunch. However, Casa del Pan is also a full-on restaurant with a lunch buffet and an evening menu. The restaurant gets mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, but we came for a glass of wine one evening anyway. We couldn’t resist the quesadillas they were cooking up fresh out on the street. They were delicious so definitely stop for some if you see them.
Tipica (veg-friendly)
Oh my yum. Just when we thought we’d given up on ever truly liking authentic Mexican food, we discovered La Tipica. This little lunch restaurant serves up amazing vegetarian Mexican food. There’s a pick-and-choose menu board so you can choose your favourite kind of tortilla, toppings and salsa. My personal recommendation is the black corn quesadillas filled with mushrooms, cacahuete (peanut) salsa, black beans with just a little crumbled cheese and fresh salad on the side
El Caldero (veg-friendly)
On a cold night in San Cristobal de las Casas, go to El Caldero for a hearty bowl of Mexican soup. El Caldero specialise in Mexican soup and you won’t find anything else on the menu. There’s only one option for vegetarians – the sopa vegetariano. You’ll get a big bowl of steamy soup with a tomato broth and chunky vegetables. Tortillas, corn chips, bean dip and five different salsas are served with every meal too. Make sure you’re hungry!
Tonantzin (veg-friendly)
Tonantzin was the first restaurant we ate at in San Cristobal. The “vegetarian and vegan” sign outside drew us in, but we were disappointed that the menu wasn’t all vegetarian. Nonetheless, there are plenty of veg and vegan options here. We both had vegetarian chilli rellenos and thought the food was mediocre. That said, the smoothies were good and the rest of the menu might be better.
International Vegetarian Restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casas
Falafel 100% Vegetariano (vegetarian)
There are two falafel restaurants on the same street in San Cristobal. They often get mixed up (including on TripAdvisor). One of them is distinctly more popular than the other and is frequented by a local student crowd. Don’t get them confused. Make sure you go to the yellow-painted Falafel 100% Vegetariano”. This falafel restaurant is located further down Real de Guadalupe, towards the church on the hill.
Cocoliche (veg-friendly)
If you’re craving some international food in San Cristobal de las Casas, then Cocoliche is the place to get it. They have super fresh and amazing Thai food, as well as burritos, burgers and fried rice bowls. Our favourite vegetarian meals were the yellow Thai curry and the Vietnamita rice and veggie bowl.
Napoli (veg-friendly)
For vegetarian pasta and pizza in San Cristobal de las Casa, Napoli is your place. Weenjoyed the food though wouldn’t rave about it. All the ingredients are fresh and there are lots of vegetarian options. The only downside is that the pastas don’t have many vegetables to accompany them. Make sure you don’t confuse this restaurant with Bella Napoli just a few doors down.
Snacks & Cafes in San Cristobal de las Casas
Oh La La (veg-friendly)
“Ooo la la, ooo la la,” our Mexican cleaner cooed as she cut out little triangles from the croissants we bought to share with her and danced around the kitchen. Yes, the croissants are good enough to sing about. Oh La La hands down has the best almond croissants we’ve had in Mexico. There’s a number of other sweet pastries and desserts, as well as coffee.
Frontera (veg-friendly)
If you’re a digital nomad like us and always on the lookout for cafes with good wifi and good coffee, then La Frontera is your place. Choose from different local coffee beans and select your favourite way to have your coffee brewed. There’s a simple breakfast and lunch menu, including yoghurt and granola, bagels and omelettes. La Frontera also has a beautiful outside courtyard garden.
Kinoki (veg-friendly)
I couldn’t resist adding Kinoki, San Cristobal’s independent cinema, onto the list. The loose leaf tea here is amazing. Head upstairs to get a Japanese pot of tea in the cinema’s restaurant area. The tea menu is really long, so I can highly recommend sencha green tea. We didn’t try the food here but there are lots of vegetarian options on the menu.
Wine & Tapas Bars in San Cristobal de las Casas
La Vina de Bacco Tapas & Wine Bar (veg-friendly)
The friendly central wine and tapas bar in San Cristobal de las Casas is the go to place in the city for after 5pm. Wine starts at 25 pesos a glass. You get served a bowl of popcorn when you sit down and this is constantly refilled. Tapas is simple white bread with toppings every time. The atmosphere is really buzzing. The only downside is that you get approached a lot by children wanting you to buy their things when you sit on the street.
El Cau Vinos y Tapas (veg-friendly)
The more up-market of the two wine bars, El Cau was a super romantic and hip place for a glass of wine. Wines start at 35 pesos per glass. The quality of tapas here is noticeably better than at La Vina de Bacco. The owners were really accommodating and served us all vegetarian tapas. The menu also has some vegetarian appetisers and pasta dishes. Don’t miss the honey fried aubergine – it’s delicious.
Travelling Vegetarian in San Cristobal de las Casas
There were so many great options for anyone travelling vegetarian in San Cristobal de las Casas. We loved the vibe of the city and the food scene. We wish we could go back again just so we could eat vegetarian food in all the same places! If you’re travelling vegetarian in Mexico then I’d love to hear about any other vegetarian-friendly places you find in San Cristobal de las Casas.
Sharon
Wow, this has all made my mouth water!:)
Thank you for doing all the research and sampling:)
Next time I’m in Mexico, I’ll be sure to check these places out.
It’s definitely about trying and sharing foods around the world.
el buda profano
Any vegan restaurants? Or vegan options?
Anyway, we never found things difficult in Mexico what with beans and tortillas available everywhere.
Charlie on Travel
No specifically vegan restaurants but a lot of vegan options. Many of the meals I mentioned above are vegan, including the meals we ate at Cocoliche, the falafel and the Mexican soup.
Katie Featherstone
This is great Charlie. I’ve been in France for a few months and I have to say that cheese and bread is wearing a bit thin now… Mexico sounds pretty tempting.
Kerry (Goodtrippers)
This post is making me incredibly hungry! Such vibrant colours in Mexican food. Have just discovered your fantastic blog and love the ethos.
Georgina
I’m not usually one for vegetarian food but some of this looks delicious!! I do love falafels!
Charlie Marchant
Everyone loves falafels right!
Tricia Pearson
In 2022 there are now dozens upon dozens of incredible places to eat. Some of the best vegan food in Mexico.