Vegan in Prague: Kai Bistro

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Jenny
A plate containing two toasted bread buns topped with tofu bacon, tofu eggs, and creamy sauces, with a handful of salad leaves on the side.

CLOSED 2023

(I’m interrupting my Santorini posts with this one because I recently found out that this spot is closing down on 22nd December – so I’m posting this now for posterity, and for anyone who wants to visit before the doors are closed for good.)

We were thrilled to see that a new vegan spot had opened not far from where we live, and then even more thrilled when we turned up and found that it was located in the old premises of Incruenti. We reminisce often about the pasta dishes at Incruenti, so it was nice to return to the familiar spot for a new all vegan establishment.

A side view of a plate containing two toasted bread buns topped with tofu bacon, tofu eggs, and creamy sauces, with a handful of salad leaves in the background.

We’ve been a couple of times to try the brunch. There’s a small brunch menu (and I’m of the opinion that a smaller menu is usually a good thing), and it’s quite an enticing one because it contains something that no other vegan spots in Prague serve: tofu eggs benedict. This always sounds like a very fancy and elegant breakfast to me, largely because it’s so rarely spotted in the wild. So Dr HH and I were really eager to try it. Alas, we didn’t really have any experience with non-vegan eggs benedict to compare it to, so we were struggling a bit there. But it was tasty and exciting! The bread was nicely toasted, and the spinach leaves on top were quite unobtrusive. The tofu bacon had a nice taste, but was missing a bit of texture – this is where tempeh might have been a better option. The orange sauce that looks like egg yolk was a really pleasing visual touch, but we couldn’t really detect its flavour. The tofu egg was in quite solid, rubbery rings with a good eggy taste. The hollandaise sauce was nice as well, though we don’t have a frame of reference. All in all, it was an elegant, tasty breakfast.

Three small tortillas topped with refried beans, tomato sauce, tofu scramble, lime wedges, and fresh coriander

I’ve also tried the huevos rancheros, which is another option that I haven’t seen available anywhere else in Prague. Again, it was nice to try something different, though it wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders for me. The tortillas were lovely and soft, and the refried beans were good, but I would have liked a little more flavour in the tofu scramble. The tomato sauce was quite mild in flavour, but it built up while I was eating. All in all it was nice but not mind blowing, and I’d probably opt for the benedict if we had a chance to return.

Unfortunately they never had the chance to acquire the proper hot drinks equipment, so the brunch beverages menu has been a bit lacking.

A plate with battered cauliflower pieces arranged a small pot of red dipping sauce

The evening menu also has some fun items on it. We shared the buffalo cauliflower and immediately wished we’d ordered a portion each. The cauliflower was beautifully tender, and it was nice to be able to control the spiciness of the dish by using the buffalo sauce for dipping, rather than having it already slathered on.

Three small blocks of tofish, a pile of chips, and some pea puree.

The fish and chips was a bit hit and miss. The chips were excellent, and it’s always a treat to find proper chips in Prague rather than fries. The batter around the tofish was also top notch, really crisp and light. However, the pieces of tofu were so large that they ended up feeling underseasoned. If they were just a bit smaller, the flavour of the sea might carry through a bit better from the nori. So it was tasty, but could have been a bit better.

Two hearty sausages topped with soft fried onions sitting on top of creamy mashed potato

They also have daily lunchtime specials Wednesday-Friday, which you can find on their social media. I went along when I saw they had bangers and mash one day. The sausages were really flavoursome and the mash was very smooth and creamy – and it was a generous portion too. The onions were meant to be caramelised, but didn’t taste it, which wasn’t the end of the world. Unfortunately there was no gravy provided, which made for a very dry dish. I like my food quite dry, but this was pushing it even for me.

So if you’re in Prague before 22nd December, give Kai Bistro a try! It’s a shame it’s been such a short lived establishment. The location is not the best because it’s on a fairly quiet road with very few passers by, and it’s kind of close to a Metro station but not really close to anything else, so attracting customers must be a bit tricky. With that kind of location, you probably really need a good hook or unique angle to lure people to make the journey. For me, the brunch dishes in particular were tempting enough to make it worth a trip. Let’s hope another vegan spot gives it a try next.

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Vegan in Fira, Santorini: Falafeland

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Jenny
The Greek flag flying off the back of a boat as the sea stretches between the boat and Santorini

Fira, which you can see disappearing into the distance above, has a handful of vegan options and we visited one of them during our stay. Falafeland is a quick and casual spot with labelled vegan options, just off the main drag.

A falafel wrap drizzled with red sauce and a cone of potato chunks

I did not have my wits about me when it came to photographing this meal – Dr HH’s wrap is barely in the picture above and I completely forgot to snap mine. I must have been hungry!

Anyway, I ordered the original wrap, while Dr HH got the volcano wrap, which was the same but with a bit of spicy sauce (though not enough, he lamented). The falafel was green and herby looking, but not the most flavoursome I’ve had. It was pleasant but not a falafel spot that would stop me in my tracks.

A paper cone filled with small crispy chunks of roasted potato

The potato chunks were very good though! They were crispy and well seasoned, and were a real highlight.

The crater of the volcano, with blue sea, sky, and Santorini in the background

Filled up, if not bowled over, we set off for another afternoon of adventuring. This time we joined a boat trip out to the volcano of Santorini. It was a lovely journey out to it, and a bit of an exposed climb to the top, but well worth it. Brace yourself though – this is an active volcano! It hasn’t erupted for a very long time, and it was in no danger at all of erupting when we were there, but nevertheless I enjoyed feeling like a daredevil for hiking up an active volcano and peering in the grassy-looking crater.

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Vegan in Oia, Santorini: Lotza

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Jenny
Blue sea and sky and the white buildings of Oia in the distance

Oia is, along with Fira, one of the main towns on Santorini, and you can see it far away in the right of the photo above – it’s famous for its white buildings with blue domes. Bus routes connect the two towns, but we wanted to walk there. It’s about a 10km walk and it covers a variety of terrain – sometimes you’re on paved paths, sometimes on tracks, and there was one point when it felt like we were walking on shale. It’s a bit hilly, and it’s all exposed to the elements, but it’s not a difficult walk – just a bit of a long one.

Baked aubergine with tomato and salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar

We certainly arrived in Oia feeling hungry. Happy Cow had suggested that we’d have a few vegan options on arrival, but it was all a bit uninspiring. There was at least one obscenely expensive Beyond Burger option, but I just didn’t feel like that was a smart choice. So we managed to squeeze into the very popular Lotza, which had no labelled vegan options, and trusted the Happy Cow reviewers who said that the baked aubergine was vegan. This was not a remarkable dish. The aubergine was cooked to perfection, and it was stuffed with tomato and onion which was nice, but it was not very filling. On the plus side, there were really nice views from the restaurant – and we had a bag full of snacks.

The view from Oia looking back along Santorini, with white buildings and blue sea

Even with the poor lunch options, we would happily take the walk again. The sea was so blue and the views were constantly astonishing.

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Vegan in Firostefani, Santorini: Onar

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Jenny
Skaros Rock against a blue sea and blue sky

The first leg of our trip to Greece was all about history and archaeology in Athens. The second leg was all about the sea! We were really looking forward to seeing some blue sky and blue sea in Santorini, and it really did not disappoint. It was so beautiful. Every two minutes we had to stop walking and just drink it all in because it was so spectacular.

We were staying in Fira, which is one of the bigger towns and therefore a great option if you are not hiring a car on arrival. We relied on buses and our own feet, and got by very well. When we arrived, we took an afternoon stroll to Skaros Rock, which was an extremely scenic wander. You’re not supposed to climb it, though you can probably see the steps in the photo above – there are some signs warning that it’s dangerous to proceed. We heeded those signs, but I’m not sure if we were in the majority. Even without climbing, it was pleasant to see and made for a lovely introductory walk along the coastline.

Baba ganoush with four small shards of toasted pita

Walking back from Skaros Rock to Fira, we decided to stop in at Onar because it had some labelled vegan options. We were not expecting Santorini to be a good destination for food – we were just there for the scenery – so my expectations were generally quite low. Onar was an expensive spot because it had seating that looked out onto the water and was perfect for a sunset view. All the tables at the edge were reserved, so they squeezed us in as far away as possible from those seats.

There were three labelled vegan options – one main dish which was pasta with vegetables, which did not entice us, and two lighter options. Above is the aubergine salad, which was basically quite a bland baba ganoush with four crispy pita shards. Just the four.

A dish with fava bean dip topped with capers, a caper leaf, and raw red onion

We also ordered the fava bean dip, which again was quite bland – almost like a poorly seasoned hummus. It was only really tasty when you got it with the caper, caper leaf, or raw onion, so they could provide some additional flavour. This one did not come with any bread.

The sun setting behind a Greek island

You can probably tell I would not hurry back. We were ready for a sit down, and it was nice to get something in our bellies, but it was overpriced and unambitious. And honestly, you can see the sunset from just about anywhere between Firostefani and Fira – there was no shortage of sunset opportunities.

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Vegan in Athens: Cookoomela Grill

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Jenny
Two tasty looking wraps

Allow me to finish my Athens posts as I started – with bread, meat, and potatoes! Cookoomela Grill was all vegan and it looked a bit grubby from outside but turned out to be fine. There was no indoor seating when we visited, and just a few outdoor tables. We were there at 3pm (thanks to a hearty breakfast tiding us over) and it was absolutely jumping, so maybe it’s permanently busy!

A fluffy pita filled with mushrooms, salad, and potato drizzled with barbecue sauce

Dr HH ordered the brown and barbecue pita, which was filled with meaty mushroom, potato wedges, and various salad bits. Most of the BBQ sauce and flavours were on the salad items which were going a bit rogue and had to be quickly removed, so it didn’t quite pack the punch it could have – there were some logistical issues with it.

A fluffy pita filled with mushrooms, avocado, salad, and potato

I had the red pita, which had the same mushrooms, potato wedges, and salad, but also some avocado. The bread was good and fluffy, the mushrooms were tasty, and the avocado was creamy – I loved it. We were both a bit deterred by the wedges being in the wrap. Small potato chunks are always a winner; these wedges just felt bulky and unwieldy.

Large potato wedges covered in cheese sauce and scattered with bacon bits

We weren’t aware that there would be wedges in the wraps when we ordered, so we had also ordered a portion of chips with cheese and bacon. We had a version of this dish a couple of times while we were in Spain earlier in the year, and this dish didn’t quite live up to our earlier experiences. The chips were good, and the bacon bits were really flavoursome, but the cheese sauce was a wee bit bland. Still, we fulfilled another round of meat, bread, and potatoes, so we were satisfied and ready to move on from Athens!

Jockey of Artemision statue

For a final attraction, we visited the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, which housed some interesting items – presumably despite the best efforts of the British.

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Vegan in Athens: Joshua Tree Cafe

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Jenny
Three thick, fluffy hot cakes topped with chocolate sauce and fresh strawberries and blueberries

I’ve already mentioned an extremely decadent breakfast we had in Athens – how would the Joshua Tree Cafe fare in comparison? Well, it was magnificent! This café was not all vegan, but it had some vegan hotcakes on the menu, and you know how those things sell. We simply had to try them!

Jenny is smiling with a bowl of hot cakes

I don’t think I knew what hotcakes were, but what we received was three very thick little pancakes, the plumpest I have ever seen. They were topped with a chocolate hazelnut sauce, which was a little gritty rather than perfectly smooth unfortunately, and some fresh fruit, which helped to balance out the richness of the other components. It was very tasty and filling.

A cup of hot chocolate

They also had a tempting drink on the menu – a cocoa and chilli latte, which was basically a hot chocolate with a spicy kick. Delicious! We returned here for a second breakfast and ordered the same again.

The archaeological site, with the acropolis on a hill above

Suitably fuelled up, we spent the morning at the ancient agora of Athens, which is a site with lots of old buildings and fragments in it – less crowded than the acropolis, making it a bit more relaxing to wander around. But a bit less spectacular, obviously.

A beautifully preserved temple

Still pretty spectacular though! I’d definitely recommend this – we got a combo ticket that gave us access to six archaeological sites, and it was worth doing so we could see as much as possible in our few days.

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Vegan in Athens: Treis Laloun

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Jenny
Fried bread topped with a slice of tomato and a thick slice of halloumi, drizzled with balsamic vinegar

Treis Laloun was high on my list of eateries for Athens. It was an all vegan restaurant a little out of the city centre, so it was a bit quieter than some of the other spots we visited. The menu was quite extensive, and it also sold pastries – we had some croissants and cheesy pasties to take away, and found them very convenient and tasty. And we visited the restaurant twice – once for dinner and once for breakfast. We’ll start with dinner.

Fried bread topped with a slice of tomato and a thick slice of halloumi, drizzled with balsamic vinegar

Halloumi is not something I see very often on menus, so Dr HH and I both wanted to try this. The halloumi itself was covered in balsamic vinegar and pesto and sitting on a slice of tomato and a little fried bread. I honestly wasn’t that impressed with it – for me, neither the taste nor the texture resembled halloumi, which I haven’t had much since going vegan, so I was quite excited about rediscovering it. Dr HH was more impressed, even though he agreed it wasn’t necessarily realistic. We shared this starter and were glad we did – the two servings were very generous! We also felt the main courses could have served two, and took leftovers back to our accommodation for the next day.

Fried potato slices and a creamy chicken dish

I am powerless to resist vegan chicken, so I chose the chicken a la crème for my main. The chicken had a great texture, and there were some tasty bacon bits and meaty mushrooms in there as well, under a flavoursome sauce that had just a hint of sweetness but was well balanced.

Fried potato slices and shrimps covered in a creamy sauce and dill

Dr HH meanwhile chose the shrimp, which had a good crispy coating and retained a bit of bite underneath all that sauce. The sauce was creamy and very dilly, with a nice amount of fennel. It was all well cooked.

You could choose your accompaniment for each main from three options: sweet potato puree, rice, or fries. We both requested fries which you can see are not fries at all. These round chips are really not for me, I’m afraid.

Three pancakes sandwiched with chocolate cream and covered in sauces, wafers, and crumbs

There was quite an extensive breakfast menu, including a variety of different pancakes, so we returned one morning and both ordered the Bueno pancakes which you can probably deduce from the photo were a bit much. There were three quite thin pancakes with a lot of decadent sweetness thrown on top and in between: chocolate cream, nougat cream, wafers, etc. I quite enjoyed it (but obviously could not finish it), but Dr HH found it just too much and thought it was crying our for a bit of fruit to cut through the richness.

The Zeus temple, largely covered with scaffolding, but there are a few visible pillars

Our evening visit was after an afternoon trip to the temple of Zeus, which you can see was quite heavily scaffolded. Typical, eh? Still, you could see a couple of the pillars standing upright, and I loved seeing the toppled one on the ground there – it looks like it’s been sliced up into equal servings!

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Vegan in Athens: Peas and Caravel

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Jenny
Jenny is standing in the sun in front of the Parthenon

Our trip to the Acropolis was my absolute highlight of the trip to Athens. And fortunately there was a vegan eatery not too far away from it! We went to Peas for our next bread, meat, and potatoes extravaganza and we were not disappointed. It’s a small, casual spot with very limited seating, but we were fortunate enough to get a seat.

A large pita sandwich with well seasoned chips on top

There was quite a small menu, and Dr HH and I both ordered the same thing: two peas in a pod. It was essentially a sandwich made of two lovely fluffy round pitas, filled with seitan strips, smoked tofu, grilled vegetables, cashew parmesan, mayo, and a bit of lettuce. The giant sandwich was quartered, and topped with chips, which look very pale but were actually alright.

A side view of the pita sandwich with vegetables and meaty chunks, topped with chips

We loved it! The meat was extremely flavoursome, and I found the grilled vegetables a pleasing alternative to the classic salad. It was massive though, as you can see, and eating it as a sandwich was extremely messy. Maybe it would have been better if it were a traditional closed pita, but it’s hard to argue with that beasty portion size when you’re spending the whole day on your feet in the sun.

A cup of chocolate ice cream

Later in the afternoon, we went for dessert in another part of town. Caravel had three clearly labelled vegan ice cream options when we visited: pistachio, vanilla, and chocolate orange cinnamon. We simply had to go for the latter! It was really decadent, creamy, and delicious. This is a really central spot (we walked past it a million times), and it was always quite busy, though there was limited outdoor seating so you might have to eat on the move.

A temple at the acropolis

Away from the food, you probably don’t need me to tell you that the acropolis is worth seeing. We loved it. The scale was really impressive – there was a lot to see, and some of it was spectacularly well-preserved. Prepare yourself for exposure to the elements if you visit, because nothing is under cover.

Statues in the Acropolis Museum

We also went to the nearby Acropolis Museum, which houses some more of the relics…and, of course, a lot of replicas because so many of the works are in the British Museum. Later in 2022 we actually did go to the British Museum to see the other half of the sculptures from the Parthenon, and it was really frustrating to see them out of context, so far from where they belong. Every few months there are stories in the news suggesting that steps are being taken to return them to Greece and house them in the Acropolis Museum – let’s hope it finally happens (and is the start of a bigger handover of stolen history).

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Vegan in Athens: Mama Tierra

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Jenny
The view of Athens out to sea from Lycabettus Hill

On our first afternoon in Athens, we decided to climb Lycabettus Hill to try to get our bearings – as well as a tantalising glimpse of the sea! Living in the landlocked Czech Republic takes its toll! You can reach the top via a well-trodden track that circles its way up, so it’s not too steep – but it’s still quite a climb and there’s no shelter from the sun. It’s worth doing if you’re feeling up to it. We enjoyed the view, and it really put us in the mood for our upcoming island adventure. And it certainly made us hungry too, so we were ready for an early dinner.

One of my favourite things about Athens was that eateries opened at a reasonable hour. Most of my holidays tend to be in Italy or Spain where restaurants don’t even open until 8pm – practically bedtime! So we were thrilled that Mama Tierra was open from 1pm. We were looking forward to trying some veganised Greek dishes, and it did not disappoint.

A large portion of moussaka

Dr HH got the moussaka – you can’t go to Greece and not have a moussaka, can you?! He loved it – the edges were nice and crispy, and there was a delightful potato layer on the bottom. The tomatoey layer was well seasoned, and the bechamel layer was suitably creamy. You can see that it retained its structural integrity, it was not too sloppy. A really good dish.

A large serving of a tomatoey sauce and rice with peas, topped with herbs

I ordered soutzoukaki, which was not a dish I’d tried before (or have seen since). The tomato sauce was pleasant, but lacked a bit of punch. You can’t really see it, but there are some aubergine meatballs hiding in there as well, which tasted nice but lacked texture. The rice was beautifully fragrant, but it’s a bit of a problem if the rice is the best part of the meal (for me, anyway).

A large chocolate brownie in a pool of creamy sauce

I was too full to order a dessert, but Dr HH indulged in the chocolate fudge, which was a massive slab of what we thought was a raw brownie swimming in caramel espresso cream. He couldn’t finish it, which indicates that it was very rich indeed. His verdict was that it was nice, but could have done with something else for texture.

All in all though, we were excited by the menu and pleased with what we tried – though the moussaka was the clear winner. Service was really friendly (and English-friendly), and I would definitely recommend this spot for vegan visitors to Athens.

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Vegan in Prague: Sabotage

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Jenny
Two big cheesesteak sandwiches, each in a plastic red basket with red and white checked paper. The sandwiches are huge, filled with seitan and cheese. One is topped with fried onions, the other with red onions and jalapenos

CLOSED 2023

I am not a big sandwich lover because I quite enjoy eating all my different foods separately, but I do occasionally make an exception and indulge. I will always make such an exception for Sabotage, which is a teeny tiny all vegan spot which is regrettably closing at the end of 2023 – so I’m hastily getting this post up now. They have quite a heavily mock meat menu with burgers and hot dogs, but Dr HH and I have only ever tried the cheesesteaks, because they are simply too good to ignore.

A long cheesesteak sandwich filled with seitan and cheesy sauce

I always go for the seitan cheesesteak, pictured above (it’s slightly squashed in the picture immediately above because it’s been tightly wrapped for takeaway – in the top picture you can see it in all its glory). It’s a lovely bun filled with delicious seitan, peppers, onions, cheese, and barbeque sauce. It does contain pickles as well, though I’ve removed them in mine. It is sloppy to eat, I usually slice it into quarters and eat a piece at a time with my hands. To be honest though, it’s worth making a mess with it. Dr HH always goes for the chilli seitan cheesesteak (in the picture at the top of the page), which is the same but with added jalapenos and a chilli sauce instead of a barbeque one. He finds the spice levels just right.

It’s a really small spot – there are a few indoor tables and a few more outside, but it’s not the most scenic of locations. Rather annoyingly, it’s only open 1-6pm on Saturdays and is totally closed on Sundays, so we’ve tended to limit ourselves to week day visits when we can. It’s been one of our staples and there’s nowhere else in Prague doing the same food, so it’s going to be a big loss when they close down. Pay them a visit before the end of the year if you can!

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