Vegetarian in Luanda: six restaurants serving 'green' dishes in the capital

For many years it was very difficult to find restaurants in Luanda that served vegetarian dishes in addition to the “omelet with fries” or “mufete without fish”. The situation today is very different and it has been four years since we published the first edition of this article. There are more vegetarian people among us and more sensitivity on the part of some restaurants to deal with them. Yes, in most restaurants the waiters still open their eyes with a confused look when the question is “do they serve vegetarian dishes?”. But in the 6 restaurants that we describe here in this article, this lack of knowledge is no longer an issue.

Mbawa

Mbawa's menu is not extensive - it is important to note that this is a clothing store that happens to serve some dishes and cocktails. The 'maka' is that the food is surprisingly good and when we see it there are times that we even forget that we are in a store.

We bet on original dishes that make liberal use of local ingredients, and the menu changes frequently: the most recent is by Chef Ricardo Helton. Among the vegetarian novelties: Creamy Muesli and French Toast for breakfast, and Bruscheta de Pimentos, Linguini with Pesto de Gimboa and Ristotto de Tortulho for lunch.

A Biológica

This small space in Ingombotas is a dream come true for three friends who thought it possible to open a restaurant in Luanda where most dishes are vegetarian or vegan, and several are gluten free.

Biológica serves breakfast, brunches, lunches and snacks, with a menu focused on bowls, toast and pancakes, eggs, natural juices, and smoothies. Seasonal ingredients are used, which means variety in what is served (different weekly bowls, juices made with the available fruits), and the prices are fair.

Leaf by Dear Mr. Breakfast

Leaf focuses on healthy food, with most dishes based exclusively on vegetables, fish, and seafood; there are several vegetarian dishes that can easily become vegetarian.

For Luanda, the Leaf menu is a find: it is not even common to see Pad Thai, egg fried rice and souvlaki in local restaurants. It is a menu that reminds us of the cosmopolitan restaurants in Lisbon, Cape Town or Bangkok. Therefore, it is worth leaving the comfort zone and being a little more adventurous, especially because they serve new dishes with some frequency.

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