Vegan-friendly
Mediterranean
Asian
Vegetarian restaurant with many vegan options. Includes soup, Korean fried cauliflower, schnitzel, desserts and more. Open Mon-Sun 12:00-23:00.
98 Reviews
First Review by Charles_B
mira2102
Points +50
Nice food - Edit
Asian style food, good vegan choices. The korean fried cauliflower was really good
Read moreGuest
JanineOliveira99
Points +528
Muito potencial, pouco sabor - Edit
Ia com alta expectativa, os pratos eram bonitos pareciam ter boas combinações, mas faltou o mais importante o sabor! Fiquei desiludida!
Read moreComi o caril de feijoca e o meu namorado os noodles O couvert de entrada estava delicioso, mas os pratos deixaram a desejar
Updated from previous review on 2024-02-02
Guest
Holly32
Points +97
Really nice - Edit
Food was lovely, atmosphere and place was nice. Lots of vegan options.
Read moreGuest
Amybuckley
Points +44
Special restaurant that's vegetarian with vegan options - Edit
This restaurant lives up to it's name it is pretty special. Shame its not fully vegan. However there a vegan options. We had bread and dips and beet and mango tartare to start, which we loved.
Read moreThen my husband had bean and sweet potato curry. I always think curries can be just an easy option for vegans, but this one was outstanding it was delicious.
I had Beijing style mushrooms crepe which again was lovely.
Definitely recommend this restaurant, which also seemed to be popular with locals
Guest
Shanti2016
Points +1420
Especially Espécie - Edit
Loved the variety, flavours, speed of food (we were their first customers of the day) decor and they let me charge my phone too!
Read moreGuest
seteburgos
Points +27
Muy rica comida y casera - Edit
La comida estaba muy bien cocinada, gran sabor. El local es muy bonito.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-10-05
Guest
Veganmouse
Points +1291
Very enjoyable, lots of options - Edit
Korean fried cauliflower - yes very good, but if you've had fried cauliflower before and want to try something else, I would suggest doing that. It's still cauliflower
Read moreEggplant schnitzel - really good, large portion
Mushroom pancakes - delicious, highly recommend
Heart of palm - disappointing, lacked any flavor
Sticky toffee - good but needed to be warmer
In general all the food was on the cool side
Guest
Twilightje
Points +134
Superb - Edit
Hard to choose from their interesting menu. Luckily we were with a group and could share several dishes. Great food!
Read moreGuest
AndrewChuma
Points +38
What a find. - Edit
Just wandering the streets of Porto and found this wonderful Restaurant.
Read moreMostly vegan. Fantastic cauliflower. Ironically, owner also owned the adjacent restaurant called “Cruel”, an omnivorous restaurant.
Guest
super_marisa
Points +1080
Excellent lunch! - Edit
I liked the spicy, crispy perfection of the Korean fried cauliflower! The dumplings were tasty too. I had a meia de leite (specify vegan milk) and the rice pudding with mango sorbet.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-07-24
Pros: Really delicious, Outside seating, Nice staff
Guest
elliesvegankitchen
Points +109
Interesting sharing options - Edit
The menu is quite eclectic with a mix of cuisines - and no clear starters and mains, rather we were recommended to share 3 dishes between 2. We went for the Korean fried cauliflower, dumplings and mushroom hoisin pancakes. We really enjoyed our meal although we did find the KFC and dumplings quite salty. Staff were friendly and decor was nice. Would certainly recommend.
Read moreGuest
wendymc
Points +24
Jolie découverte - Edit
Nous étions seuls attablés, mais pour autant, un restaurant digne d'un semi-gastro à mon sens. Nous avons pris des plays à partager et tout était délicieux et original. Bravo
Read moreGuest
mschlater
Points +1209
Busy - Edit
Very busy restaurant. The waiter seemed annoyed we were there when we first sat down. However, food was pretty good. Definitely try the Korean cauliflower like other reviewers suggested.
Read moreGuest
MiriamIzquierdo
Points +68
Nice food but quite expensive - Edit
I really enjoyed the noodles. Dumplings were extremely salty for me. Goulash average (you have to pay extra for the rice). Large portions for the main courses. We ordered 1 starter and 2 mains and we couldn't finish them. Mind that the prices are not cheap and on top of that the charge extra for absolutely everything: tap water, take away tupperware (for leftovers) and even the carrier bag! I found adding even the bag really too much. On top the waiter also asks directly if you want to leave a tip, which we did. I think for the total of that bill you can get better deals in town.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-04-04
Guest
jusi
Points +20
Delicious - Edit
Great Food. Friendly Staff. Nice atmosphere. Recommend the "KFC" and the desserts.
Read moreGuest
HayleyJayne
Points +394
Delicious - Edit
Really nice food! Would recommend the dumplings and the mushroom pancakes. Oh, and the sticky toffee pudding!!
Read moreOnly negative is it's slightly expensive for Porto standards.
Would deffo go again!
Guest
sweetestpotat
Points +591
Lovely dinner - Edit
Friendly staff, nice environment. Loved the dumplings! Peanut noodles and curry were also tasty and huge portions.
Read moreGuest
craigmc
Points +35533
Decent - Edit
Espécie was part of my trip plans due to its mainly positive reviews. Upon arrival, the bustling atmosphere and prompt service were evident. The cauliflower was touted as the star dish, as echoed in previous reviews. Seeking a complementary dish, I was swiftly recommended the dumplings, another highly praised item. While both dishes were flavorful individually, they didn't quite harmonize on the palate. They seemed too alike by the end, suggesting pairing one with a different option might enhance the dining experience.
Read moreAs a solo diner, I hoped for a glass of wine, but the only vegan option was available by the bottle, an unexpected limitation in a vegetarian restaurant. Opting for a beer, I was informed none were vegan-friendly, but Lemonaid’s Ginger came to the rescue!
Overall, Espécie offers a solid dining choice with room for improvement through minor adjustments. With a few tweaks, it could easily ascend to greatness.
Pros: Quick
Cons: Quick
hack_man
You should have just gone for a bottle of wine 😆
Read moreGuest
nbena
Points +160
Cozy restaurant with delicious food - Edit
Food is very good and also "strange" in the best way possible. The choice is pretty large, the service is very fast and kind. A bit pricey.
Read morePros: Desserts , Service
Guest
rudu
Points +74
Lovely dinner - Edit
Nice place, nice service, and nice food. We had the KFC cauliflower, surprising texture and so much flavor!, the cabbage with romesco sauce, again very tasty, and the goulash, which was also very good and comforting. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: very kind service, kitchen open non-stop from lunch to dinner
Cons: not everything is vegan
Guest
woutergm
Points +187
Tasty, original - Edit
Nice menu, good service. Enjoyed two dishes, especially the spicy dumplings.
Read moreGuest
maria.ines
Points +909
WOW blown away - Edit
Non vegan friends loved it!!
Read moreThe food is cooked so well here. So much taste, different elements and originality. Its an experience. You dont find this very often in veggie restaurants. We had:
Algi moqueca: definetly cant feel the algi but it was so creamy and delicious. The fried banana was the star. Tasted a bit too coconuty. Rice should be included and not an extra!!
Jaca goulash: wow we were amazed!! Perfectly stew, so cozy and delightful. Not used to see jaca in dishes without it being shreded!
And the desert. My god, the sticky toffee pudding!!! We loved it so much, you gotta have it.
Cons: Bit expensive
Guest
veg!
Points +370
Delicious, outstanding service - Edit
Broad variety of vegetarian food, also combinations you won‘t get very often.
Read morePros: Freshly made, Outstanding service, Relaxed atmosphere
Guest
judyarmstrong
Points +396
Great vegan food in a lovely setting - Edit
This is a vegetarian/vegan restaurant with several vegan options. The food was very good, the service was impeccable as we received our food quickly. The prices were reasonable. We had the vegan KFC appetizer which was the best part of the meal. We also had entrées and vegan dessert so we got to really enjoy a lovely 3 course, vegan meal. The restaurant has a great atmosphere. I highly recommend it.
Read morePros: Several vegan options, Vegan appetizers and desserts, Great service
Guest
ianandyoko1
Points +26
Great veg food - Edit
Really nice to go to a vegetarian restaurant in Portugal. Quite a relief. Really nice, tasty, interesting food and lovely staff. Definitely recommend.
Read morePros: KFC cauliflower, Interesting choices, Attentive staff and pretty fast service
Guest
MartaJesus
Points +307
Review - Espécie - Edit
I really loved my vegetarian dish: eggs with tomatoes 🍳🍅 and chilli flavour, it was delicious and my tummy was full! I still think it was a little overpriced, i literally paid a lot for tap water…
Read moreGuest
julesries
Points +22
Really great vegan options - Edit
Great food. Nice staff and location. The vegan food is delicious and you have many options to chose from!
Read morePros: Beijing duck pancakes, Cauliflower wings, Eggplant schnitzel
Guest
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