By Nicolette Joseph

Are you planning a trip to Barbados and want to know where you can find vegan alternatives? Then go no further than this list of the best eateries on the island offering vegan options, as well as supermarkets selling vegan products.

Pricesmart and Cost-U-less are two supermarket options, both of which need membership for specific purchases. They are located in Warren’s area.

Recently, our supermarkets have added a broad array of vegan/vegetarian alternatives to their shelves, such as:

Vegan cheeses, vegan nuggets, tofu, almond, oat, and soy milk, and much more are available. There are other vegan/vegetarian items; simply ask the staff if they’re not quickly found on the shelf.

Let’s just assume you’ll be able to buy anything in the supermarkets to prepare a fast home-cooked lunch. But if you want to eat out, following are some options. 

Fresh coconut water from street sellers on the side of roads is a must-try, especially on Sundays.

In Sheraton Mall there are two plant-based smoothie and juice cafés. Market Fresh offers a variety of vegetarian/vegan wraps, burritos, salad bowls, and more. Only smoothies, protein shakes, and wellness shots are available at Julia’s Nutrition Centre.

Chefette, a local fast-food restaurant with multiple locations all around the island, just introduced a soy-based veggie burger with pickles, tomatoes, and lettuce (which is my favorite), as well as an all-potatoes Indian inspired dish and lentil roti to the menu. This place is a lifesaver if you need a quick yet veg-friendly dinner late at night.

Burger King and Chicken Barn, two more fast-food chains, both provide a limited vegan/vegetarian menu. Garden salad, Burger King’s vegetarian burger, and Chicken Barn’s Beyond Burger Special are among the possibilities.

Chutney’s roti and curry cuisine is a genuine combination of Caribbean and Indian cuisine that generates meals with a burst of flavors, herbs, and spices that appeal to a wide range of palates. Their menu includes curries, side dishes like fries and fried plantains, and customizable roti. Dhal Puri skin with curry potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils, and channa is my go-to construct.

Small business spots include a corner shop behind Cave Shepherd which serves customizable roti. I usually choose the chickpea, channa, and potato filling. Roadside vendors offer Doubles which are a flat fried dough filled with curry channa and different chutneys that originated in Trinidad and Tobago. Doubles are a must-have! Another type of pastry known as a gran burger patty is made with burger chunks that can also be used to produce a lasagna filling. However, it may be used for a variety of different dishes. Be creative!

Bubba’s sports bar menu in Worthing Christ Church consist of a vegetarian burger cooked with vegetables served with fries.

The veggie selections at Bert’s Bar & Restaurant in Rockley Christ Church are limited, but you can always count on a veggie burger and a huge house salad.

Sandal’s Resort in Christ Church, St Lawrence Gap, is a 5-star hotel that recently has been testing and adding vegan/vegetarian options (menus are presently evolving):

• Heart & Sol serves vegan meatballs, provincial panini with vegan mozzarella, tomatoes, roasted peppers, arugula-walnut pesto, and panini bread. There are salads made with sunflower seeds, chickpeas, barley, and quinoa, fresh vegetable, as well as fruit juices, smoothies, and superfood smoothies and bowls
• Greenhouse serves fruit drinks, chia pudding, chickpea omelets thickened with whole wheat flour, and black bean & chorizo hash.

The Tides Restaurant, on the island’s west coast, serves higher-end vegetarian fare for lunch and evening, with dishes such Thai vegetable curry with basmati rice, jerked spiced cauliflower, and more.

Other well-known restaurants are:

The Artsplash Centre Café on the South Coast is a laid-back eatery that serves delectable vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes. The creamy avocado bowl is to die for and garden salad bowls are offered for lunch. A juice bar is also available.

Sitar Indian Restaurant, located in Holetown, features Indian-inspired cuisine with excellent vegetarian (and some vegan) options. It is normally open in the evening, but you may also order to go. Curried lentils, onion bajhis, stuffed bayngan, and veggie samosas are all on the menu, and they’re all delicious.

There’s always somewhere to have a good vegan-friendly meal on the island. Some options you’ll find easily on the menu; others you’ll have to do a bit of digging. But trust me you won’t be disappointed with your finds!

Nicolette is a VRG volunteer living in Barbados.

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.