Vegan-friendly
Macrobiotic
Portuguese
Non-veg

Serves fish, vegan options available. Cafe and restaurant using wholefood like beans and lentils, also tofu and soya. Menu is mostly vegetarian and vegan. Features Saturday jazz, African and other kind of music. Bookshop and several courses in macrobiotic food. Reported closed May 2024.


Venue map for Espiral
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25 Reviews

First Review by Espandy

MiguelBraz

Points +262

Vegan
22 Jun 2022

Cheap and tasty

I eat here every week, never disappoints. No longer serves fish.

Pros: Cheap, Lots of options , Always tasty

Cons: Lukewarm food

fcbmf

Points +93

Vegan
25 Feb 2020

One of the first vegan restaurant Lisbon

Honest food. Macrobiotic inspired. Simple and good

Pros: All is vegan, Value for money

Cons: Premises are old - a classic !

vishnub87

Points +32

Vegan
05 Feb 2019

Great place to dine

My professor took me to dine at this restaurant, during my initial days in Portugal. I went for lunch and the food was great. They also have a cafe, which offers you the option of Vegan cake (apple pie), which I bought for my birthday.

Pros: Good ambience, Great choices

xshelasx

Points +465

Vegan
22 Oct 2018

Cosy place, homestyle food

This was the first restaurant I ate at when I arrived in Lisbon as a lost vegan many years ago. The food is nothing amazing, but is cheap with large servings and reminds me of family meals. Worth visiting if you're in the neighbourhood.

Vera Peres

Points +3255

Vegan
27 Aug 2018

Tasty

Espiral has a nice winter garden resto serving honest meals, Portuguese Brazilian influenced. Not everything is vegan so please ask. They have great burgers and tofu meatballs. A lot of deep fried stuff but totally worth it😉Good value for the money too.

Updated from previous review on 2016-08-07

AnaRitaPratas

Points +89

Vegan
21 Nov 2017

boa opção

Espaço tipo cantina com um ambiente diferente mas agradável. O atendimento foi simpático mas confesso que me senti perdida sobre o funcionamento do espaço. Pedi o prato com a dose normal e senti que foi um pouco demais, já que é bastante bem servido. Gostei muito comida e espero voltar em breve.
O preço pareceu-me justo.

Pistonz

Points +114

Mostly Veg
03 Nov 2017

A very good cantina

Opened for large hours, has many good options, very calm place.

Has a delivery service also, very cheap for the quality provided

IsabelLopesdeSousa

Points +74

Vegan
07 May 2017

Food with no passion

Besides the limited options, food isn't very tasty and it looks like the chef is cooking like he/she doesn't want to be in the kitchen. Ingredients are over-cooked, very little seasonings and very bad presentation. The price is ok, but I didn't feel like going there again (only if I don't have other option nearby). The only thing I liked in this restaurant was the location (very central) and a hidden beautiful room with green plants and a stone wall.

Pros: Well-located, Beautiful room with green plants, light and stone

Cons: Food isn't tasty, Poor presentation, Sad staff

Emarigold

Points +46

Vegan
19 Sep 2016

very bad food

The restaurant is downstairs with a food court vibe. The service was very bad. We had to go upstairs to the connected bookstore to ask them to send an employee to the empty restaurant. After someone showed up, service was bad.

The food was bland & boring. I only ate it because i was really hungry, but in retrospect i shouldn't have because everything was kept in a steam table, but was kept at temperatures against basic Health code.

I have never actually recommended against going to a veg-friendly restaurant, until now. Don't do it.

I wish happycow let me give this zero stars.

Pros: none

Cons: food, service, ambiance

StephanieWalmsley

Points +20

Vegan
28 Jul 2016

Great value

This place isn't fancy but it's definitely worth it for the cost. Lots of vegan options, big portion size and only 5-6 euro for a meal. And the food tastes very healthy (nothing fried), not a lot of salt.

Pros: Lots of options, Big portions, Friendly staff

Cons: Not fancy

xDIABOx

Points +98

Vegan
14 Dec 2015

Price doesn't pay

This is not the sort of Veggie place I want to go into.
A place that offers emulation of "normal/meaty" plates along with a fish plate... nah, dislike that.
Also, the food doesn't have much taste into it, it's very bland.
Been there on several ocasions and it never impressed me.
Below average.

Pros: Inexpensive, Central, The store is good

Cons: Food is really below average, Not enough Vegan choices, Place serves fish-based plates

vegandrey

Points +218

Vegan
21 Nov 2015

A cantina mais barata

Um dos restaurantes vegetarianos mais antigos de Lisboa. Estilo cantina, com comida simples, sempre com opções veganas. Quem não quiser comprar bebida, há sempre uma infusão disponível gratuitamente. Nem sempre os funcionários são simpáticos, e muitas vezes o mesmo que serve a comida tem que dar a volta para receber o dinheiro no caixa, o que pode tornar o serviço lento. A vantagem é o preço e estarem sempre abertos entre os horários de almoço e jantar.

mbbl

Points +1876

Vegan
15 Oct 2015

Cheap

If you want a budget meal this is the palxe to go, but don't expect gourmet food.

Quiet place with free tea if you´re having lunch or dinner there.

immaia

Points +45

Vegetarian
09 Sep 2015

An oldie, but good

It's a canteen-like restaurant, with a good variety of foods to choose from and although not everybody agrees, I have always found it tasty. The price is very affordable and when it's not crowded, it's a cozy place to relax and enjoy your meal.
The only negative aspect I've always encountered is that the food display is not very friendly, some things are kind of "hidden" from our view and nothing has identification, so we have to ask "what's this, what's that" and when there's a long line behind us, it can be very stressful.

Pros: price, variety, tasty

Cons: canteen-like, food display not so good, some strange costumers sometimes

Rita Jacobetty

Points +90

Vegan
18 Feb 2015

Cheap and simple - no glamour

I haven't visit this restaurant in a long time. It's stuck in time and it could be a lot more.
What it is, is a simple and cheap canteen. The buffet has plenty of options but all very similar: stews of vegetables, mashed vegetables and seitan/tofu steaks.

I went at night, it was quiet and cozy but the decor is dated, time-worn and tacky. The staff were nice and the food was good (for it's cost). I payed 5€-6€ for a big plate and had the complementary tea.

It's great for a I-have-nothing-in-the-fridge kind of dinner or a eat-something-in-a-hurry lunch. There aren't many vegan options in Lisbon so this is great to have near home. But I wouldn't make plans to go there.

Pros: Price, Fast and easy

Cons: Lack of charm and appeal, Average food

Md81

Points +53

Vegetarian
15 Jan 2015

Vegetarian haven

Vegetarian restaurants in Lisbon are not easy to find, especially restaurants that are open most of the day (several close for a large portion of the afternoon). My partner and I were lucky to find this restaurant located below a book shop in our visit in June 2014. We went to Espiral several times for lunch and were always satisfied by the quality and quantity of the food, as well as with the kind staff. It does have vegan options. The sitting area is very pleasant and one can has as much herbal tea as desired as well as a few free salad toppings. Espiral shop has also a cafe attached (completely separate from the restaurant). We didn't try it but it seemed like a good option as well, esp. for the times the restaurant is closed (mornings).

Pros: variety and taste, large portions, good location

Greysocialist

Points +378

Vegetarian
10 Mar 2014

A feed for weary travellers

Looks like a typical Portuguese coffee-and-pastries cafe, but behind the counter was a tasty dish of seitan and vegetables, which was served with fried rice and a bit of side salad (tomatoes, lettuce and grated carrot). A cheap and satisfying feed for weary travellers! The place obviously does lots of yoga, astrology, massage and the like - and probably there's music at weekends. It's website didn't really explain what to expect, but it does list the varied events that take place there. http://www.espiral.pt

Pros: Quick and tasty, Cheap, English spoken

Cons: Dish of the day or dish of the day!

GizelaRego

Points +76

Vegan
12 Jul 2013

My first experience :)

I went there in 1999! I just became veg that year, and the food there motivated me to continue, because i discovered the seitan and many other stuff i didnt knew :)
I don't remember a lot, but i do remember enjoying the food very much

hack_man

Points +24237

Vegan
11 Nov 2012

Basic & Tastless

I really did not like this place at all. We decided to go the so-called restaurant downstairs (there is also a ground level cafe). The staff were great but the setup and food was poor. It reminds me of a factory canteen and is essentially a pulse and tofu festival with tasteless vegetables and horrid tasting side dishes. The tofu cutlets looked as if they had been there for days and there was a moment when I just thought of walking out but the staff member had already caught us and was getting ready to take our order. I'm sorry to say this but I could not bear to go back. Maybe we went at the wrong time as there were plates everywhere many with half eaten food on them it made the place smell a bit and put you off your own food. That's just the way I saw it on my visit on 25.08.12. Maybe I would try the cafe upstairs one day but from what I saw of the food on display I don't think I'd bother.

Cons: uncleared trays, basic food, shabby interior

JMarin

Points +59

Vegan
20 Jun 2012

Not positive

Is one of the first veggie restaurants in Portugal, i think that since then there was no improvement, and i don't recomend to any one who wants to try veggie food for the first time. It as a "prison like" way to order. It was the worst seitan i ever tasted.

Pros: It's Veggie, Has history

Cons: Food, Atmosphere, Staf

Mimi

Points +165

Vegan
17 Dec 2011

Friendly & Good Food

Just went a couple of times for a late evening snack in the cafe, there is also a restaurant.

Food is vegetarian, so check for vegan food. Easy, relaxed atmosphere, food tasty, good value too.

Pros: Relaxed atmosphere, Food varied, Friendly

hitesh

Points +53

Vegetarian
30 Mar 2011

wholesome food

A little bit away from the central area normally visited by the average tourist, but still within a historic district of this big city that is Lisbon. The food is wholesome, using lots of beans, lentils, tofu and soya. Feels very relaxed as it is a self service and the furniture nice, leaning towards rustic. It's not all-you-can-eat buffet, but the portions tend to be big, so it's very good value. Very popular with locals.

Pros: Excellent food, good atmosphere

Fancy

Points +67

Vegetarian
26 Aug 2010

Good food - good price

Enjoyed my meal very much and found the price very good (less then 5 Euros for a big portion of salad + main dish).

Pros: Food, Price, Location

Cons: Desserts

Dharam

Points +48

Vegetarian
07 Jan 2010

Simple

I went there once and to be honest to food is ok, nothing special and the restaurant is to dark for me.If you dont have other place to go, its ok.They also have a bookstore but i just didnt like the way that the food are display, it looks like you are in prison canteen.I ear that at lunch its better and the area of the coffe is nicer than the restaurant...
The price is a lit expensive for what you get and the staff are kind of wierd to.

Probably it was a bad day...

Espandy

Points +25

Vegan
26 Jan 2009

Every Day Restaurant

Espiral offers a real variety of Vegan food, it as also some products with eggs or milk, but it's mainly Vegan.

The taste of food it's medium/good and the price is cheap.

with 10€ you'll have a full plate with 5 varieties you can choose, plus bread, dessert and drink.
If you go for the small plate, no dessert, there's always free tea to drink, you'll spend about 6€.

Definitely a good choice if you need to eat out everyday.
Pedro Pinto

Pros: healthy cuisine, good value, friendly




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