Best restaurants in Cebu City: a delicious vegan and vegetarian guide to the city

The cuisine in the Philippines is known for having some pretty meat-heavy mains. With Lechon (roasted suckling pig) joints around every corner in the city of Cebu, it can be an intimidating place to navigate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for vegetarians and vegans. Fret not, however, as there are a handful of restaurants serving up delicious meat-free options around the city. From budget eats to healthy venues to onsite hostel restaurants and more, here are the best restaurants in Cebu City for vegan and vegetarian diners!

The Most Vegan Options in Cebu: Wellnessland Vegan Cafe and Health Food Store

Wellnessland Vegan Cafe and Health Food Store is a small shop and vegan restaurant. The venue serves up whole food that is all plant-based – no refined sugar or white rice, so you know you’re getting the healthiest of meals! Be sure to check out their delicious vegan-friendly finds, including:

Tofu Adobo (₱145)
Scrambled Tofu (₱125)
Sauteed Eggplant (Talong) (₱105)
Bibimbap (₱150)

They also have breakfast, appetizers, light vegetable meals, soups, salads, Asian salads, Filipino-inspired mains, Western dishes, and combo meals. The best and most affordable deals are their combo meals. For example, you can get lumpia, canton noodles, soup, brown rice, Maja, and a cup of tea for only ₱199! Be sure to end your meal with a dessert, like the one of their Choco Bars (₱25).

*Wellnessland Vegan Cafe and Health Food Store © Courtesy of Kelly Iverson/Mad Monkey*

Location: 314-C Sikatuna St. Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City — VIEW MAP
Contact: + (032) 410 8456 | Website
Hours: Daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Best restaurants in Cebu: Live Life

If you are looking for healthy eating, look no further than Live Life. This restaurant is located within Vibo Place, a trendy area that is also equipped with a Starbucks, yoga studio, and more.

This vegetarian and vegan-friendly is certainly one of the most vibrant of them all, with brightly colored tiled floors, painted fruit and foliage on the large back wall, and colored seats to boot. The menu here features starters, soups, specialties, mains, salads, pasta, snacks (like their veggie ham and pesto sandwich), and desserts. Be sure to pair any one of these with a refreshing drink, including their buko shake, tamarind juice, or cashew milk with chia seeds. Some of the most delicious menu items include:

BBQ Tofu in a Lettuce Wrap (₱240)
Mushroom Quinoa (₱280)
Baked Stuffed Bell Pepper (₱295)

Everything on the menu is either vegetarian or vegan (vegan clearly labeled), and the restaurant is also equipped with speedy fast wi-fi.

Best restaurants in Cebu: Live Life — *Live Life © Courtesy of Kelly Iverson/Mad Monkey*

Location: Vibo Place, Axis Entertainment Avenue, Escario Street, Brgy. Camputhaw, Cebu City — VIEW MAP
Contact: +63 32 260 3407 | Website
Hours: Daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Bar & Rooftop Pool: Mad Monkey Kitchen & Bar – Cebu City

Mad Monkey Cebu City is the best hostel in the city – but did you know that it is also home to a delicious onsite restaurant? That’s right – Mad Monkey Kitchen & Bar – Cebu City has proven to restaurants in the city that it is a dining venue to contend with!
In addition to having a rooftop pool and bar games, this hostel also has a fully stocked restaurant and bar for visitors to enjoy. Grab one of many cocktail concoctions and enjoy the rooftop views of the city or instead sit down with a few friends and enjoy a delicious main, bar chow item, or salad.
Some of our favorite vegetarian and vegan-friendly items on the menu include:

Veggie Burger (₱300): chickpea and mushroom patty topped with lettuce and homemade carrot slaw – served with French fries
Vegetable Panini (₱320): mixed veggies and mozzarella cheese in ciabatta – served with French fries
Fruity Smoothie Bowl (₱250): blended seasonal fruits topped with chia seeds
Vegetable Spring Rolls (₱200): seasonal vegetable spring rolls served with sweet chili sauce and native vinegar sauce

Bar & Rooftop Pool: Mad Monkey Kitchen & Bar - Cebu City — *Teriyaki vegetables at Mad Monkey Kitchen & Bar – Cebu City © Courtesy of Kelly Iverson/Mad Monkey*

All of the meat-free items are signified with a small plant icon – also, if you see something on the menu with meat in it, simply let the kitchen team members know. They are more than happy to accommodate your dietary needs whenever possible!

Best Restaurants in Cebu City

This venue also features three new food and beverage items each month, so there’s always a new item to surprise your palate. In addition, this bar and restaurant transforms into one of the best nightlife venues in the city after 7 p.m. Swing by at 7:30 p.m. to enjoy the thirty minutes of free open bar, which is inclusive of rum, gin, vodka, or whiskey with a variety of different mixers to choose from, including Coke, Sprite, pineapple juice, and orange juice.
Afterward, the Mad Monkey team hosts a variety of different events every night of the week to keep the party going. Get ready for music quizzes, pub crawls, bar games, and more – check out their Facebook to see what exact events they host and when!
This is surely one of the best restaurants in Cebu City!

Location: 79 Echavez St, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu — VIEW MAP
Contact: +(032) 231 0370 | Website
Hours: 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. for food

Healthy Food: SALADSTOP!

Quick, easy, healthy, and delicious: SaladStop! is all of these things and more. If you are looking for food freedom, this is the venue the frequent. SaladStop! is a chain restaurant that promises that all of the ingredients in your wrap or bowl took less than 72 hours to get from the earth to your plate – so you don’t have to worry about your ingredients suffering from jet lag!

Our favorite part about this restaurant is the ability to make your own salad or wrap! First, you select your base (baby spinach, romaine, etc.) – then you move onto toppings. You can select up to eight free for your salad and six free for wraps. Then you select your dressing, of which there are 18 dressings total to choose from– nine western-inspired dressings and nine Asian inspired dressings.

They also have a variety of signature and classic salads and wraps should you want to leave the decision-making to someone else! Lastly, choose from one of their delicious smoothies, including their Berry Grape-ful (₱160), made of grapes, blueberries, strawberries, banana, honey, chia seeds, and coconut water. Other signature vegetarian-friendly dishes include their:

Greek (₱315): romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onions, cucumber, black olives, feta cheese, and balsamic soy vinaigrette

The menu is also clearly marked so that you know which menu items have gluten, dairy, spice, vegan, vegetarian, and nuts!

Location: Level 4, Terraces Area, Ayala Center Cebu, Cardinal Rosales Ave, Cebu City, Cebu — VIEW MAP
Contact: + 0917 803 6724 | Website
Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Best restaurants in Cebu for Fake Meat: The Green Canteen

The Green Canteen is a hole in the wall restaurant that is THE dining venue for budget travelers. The faux meat options here are arguably just as delicious as their fleshy counterparts, and the prices simply can’t be beaten. Choose from their wide selection of veggie options for the day and load up a plate. Be warned, however, that this restaurant starts to run low on the goods after lunchtime, so it is best to visit in the morning or afternoon to have a wider variety of options. Entire plates of food start at under $2!

Location: 92 Arlington Pond St, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines — VIEW MAP
Contact: +63 917 513 5067| Website
Hours: Daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (closed on Sundays)

Soy Meat: Toniq Juice Bar

Toniq Juice Bar is one of our favorite vegan-friendly eateries in Cebu. It is found on the fourth floor of Ayala, one of the biggest and best shopping malls in the city. This venue is small but packs big taste in every dish, including the delicious vegetarian sisal (₱195), made of non-GMO soy veggie meat, tofu, and natural herbs and spices. It’s the closest version of Sisig to the real meat deal here in Cebu!

This venue is also serving up all-day breakfast, rice in a bowl, pasta, organic salads, wraps and sandwiches, pizzas, smoothie bowls, soups, snacks, and even vegan desserts, including a chocolate chip cookie, donuts, and blueberry muffins. Many of the dishes even come with a free drink just for ordering the meal!

Some of the best items on the menu that are vegetarian and vegan-friendly include their:

Vegan Sharma (₱145)
Squash quinoa soup (₱75)
Bibimbap (₱250)

Be sure to stop in for lunch and treat yourself to a healthy and delicious meal at Toniq Juice Bar. This is one of the best restaurants in Cebu City for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike!

Soy Meat: Toniq Juice Bar — *Vegan sisis at Toniq Juice Bar © Courtesy of Kelly Iverson/Mad Monkey*

Location: Ayala Center, 176 Archbishop Reyes Ave, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu — VIEW MAP
Contact: +63 32 514 0450 | Website
Hours: Sunday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian Dishes: Persian Palate

If you love faux meat, you need to add Persian Palate to your dining itinerary of Cebu City. This venue has not one but two branches in the city. One is on the 3rd floor in the Active Zone of Ayala Mall and the other is Mango Square. Neither lends to atmosphere, but what these venues lack in décor they make up for in taste and affordability.
The menu is one of the most extensive of all the restaurants in this guide. Look out for their vegan starters, salads, vegetarian wraps, vegan soups, and vegetarian favorites (including vegan meat options). Persian Palate has all of your meat-free dietary needs covered.
In addition, this restaurant also serves up a few carnivorous finds, so everyone you’re dining with has something to choose from! Our favorites included their:

Veggie Samosa (₱130)
Tofu Salad (₱195)
Veggie Meat Biryani (₱220)

Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian Dishes: Persian Palate — *Persian Palate © Courtesy of Kelly Iverson/Mad Monkey*

Location: Active Zone, Ayala Center Cebu, Archbishop Reyes Ave Cebu Business Park, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu, Philippines — VIEW MAP
Contact: +63 32 232 5898 | Website
Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Filipino Food and International Dishes: Lun-Haw Vegan Cafe

‘Lun-haw’ is Cebuano meaning the color ‘green,’ which is also synonymous to lush and growing foliage. With a menu made up entirely of vegan options, the name is certainly not a surprise! Lun-Haw Vegan Cafe aims to provide healthy and organic food using plant-based alternatives for vegan diners and beyond, and their hope is that more Cebuanos will choose to live a plant-based life!

Their menu features smoothie bowls, fresh soy shakes and juice, hot drinks, soups, salads, sides, pasta, main meals, and activated charcoal meals (like their black burger or black lemonade). Our favorites include:

Buffalo Broccoli (₱170): cauliflower and broccoli coated in soy and flour batter, dipped in vegan buffalo sauce and served with turmeric brown rice and a house salad
Vegan Sisig (₱170): tofu mushroom sisig in spicy and savory coconut “butter” sauce topped with a vegan egg and served with turmeric brown rice and a house salad
Peanut and Chocolate Smoothie Bowl (₱160): a chocolatey combination of frozen bananas, peanut butter, cocoa, and soy milk and topped with banana, cocoa syrups, cashews, and desiccated coconut

Its only downfall is that there is only one woman working so the food took quite a long time and there isn’t any wi-fi. Otherwise, this is one of our favorite restaurants in Cebu City!

Location: Ground Floor, The Maxwell Hotel Cebu, N. Escario Street — VIEW MAP
Contact: +418 03 90 | Website
Hours: Sunday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | closed on Saturdays

Greek Cuisine: My Greek Taverna

If you are looking for some tasty meat-free cuisine on-the-go, be sure to check out My Greek Taverna in the food court of Ayala Mall. All of the vegetarian and vegan options are cheap and delicious! Our favorite dishes are the:

Spicy Cucumber Falafel (₱185): warm baked pita bread with falafel, hummus spread, and topped with chili flakes cucumber in sesame oil vinegar and a drizzle of garlic sauce
Vegetarian Platter (₱195): 2 vegetarian souvlakis with tomato rice, coleslaw salad, and hummus or tzatziki

Greek Cuisine: My Greek Taverna — *Spicy Falafel Wrap at My Greek Taverna © Courtesy of Kelly Iverson/Mad Monkey*

Location: CINEMA AREA/ Foodcourt, Ayala Center Cebu — VIEW MAP
Contact: Website
Hours: Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

More Information About the Best Restaurants in Cebu City that are Veg-Friendly

Did you love this article about the best restaurants in Cebu City for vegetarians and vegans? Do you want even more information about where to chow down on delicious vegetarian and vegan items? Then be sure to check out these articles we’ve rounded up for your dining pleasure!

Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Cebu, Philippines for Happy Cow
The 15 Best Places for Vegetarian Food in Cebu City for Four Square
Vegan Guide to Cebu for Vegan Food Quest
Vegetarian Food in Cebu for Everything Cebu
A Healthy Food Trip in Cebu: 5 Must-Try Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurants for TripZilla