Vegan Quito … off the beaten track experiences

Sisunga

The four gals who run this recently opened cafe are the new kids on the vegan block! Sisunga is a house and garden that contains food, sweets, feminist books, coffee, groceries and handicrafts. Its garden is a true hideaway in the midst of this bustling city. In the colloquial Manabi language, the Sisunga is a coladora (or colander)  filter or drain food. ‘La Sisu’ is also an expression that the Manabas women use to refer to the lactating breast with which they feed their babies. In Sisunga, the girls seek to feed people, ideas, artistic expressions and feminist struggles in the ‘heat of our homemade stove’. It is a place to enjoy delicious foods, flavours and recipes … from the planting of the products until they are served at your table.

In Sisunga, they work closely with rural women and their families, producers of agro-ecological food. The vegetarian and vegan recipes they prepare are their way of paying tribute to them. To eat vegan or vegetarian is also part of a philosophy under which they seek to act with greater justice against a system that exploits and markets the land and the work of women.

Apart from tasty food, they also have excellent coffee, such as espressa and americana.  No, these are not spelling mistakes, the spelling is in honour of all women.

Come join the hummingbirds in this great space … feel at home, be inspired and share with other people who have your same desire to eat yummy food whilst believing that transformation is possible. 

  Relax and enjoy the tranquility and great food at  Sisunga

Flora Perma-Cultura Restaurant

And it’s vegan too!  I mean, there are only so many things you can place in a title, right! Flora is a not-for-profit holistic space that offers plant-based food, which is also organic as well as non-GMO. It was born in 2016, its founders passionate about healthy food and an ecological-regenerative outlook on life.

“The objective of Flora is to be a self-sufficient and resilient restaurant, an urban example of a conscious life for future generations, seeking freedom for animals and for Mother Earth.”

FLORA practices fair trade directly with producers of local farms, who apply agro-ecology and/or permaculture techniques, creating a more meaningful direct relationship between food, producers and consumers.

This place is all about helping to waken personal and global consciousness.  Give the food at Flora a  try!

Donde Gopal

This is another vegan/ vegetarian restaurant that’s been around for a bit longer than some of the others.  It offers a-la-carte or a set menu (very popular in Ecuador and many other countries in South America). They too focus on organic and natural products. They also have a store where you can buy a range of vegan food and facial/ body products.  If you are looking for some yoga pants or clothes from India, you will not be disappointed.

Check out Donde Gopal.

Tandana

This all-vegan, activist restaurant is not-for-profit and its proceeds go to Fundacion Libera Ecuador (a foundation committed to the vindication of the rights of nature and of all animals, including human beings). Located right in front of the ‘Mirador de Guápulo’, offering spectacular and sweeping views of the valley, the restaurant can also claim to be the first non-profit, vegan, ecological and fair-traded restaurant in the country.

Chairs and tables are made from reclaimed wood and metal, and the glasses made from recycled bottles. Oh, and the food and drinks are varied and tasty. It also has a good selection of locally produced craft beer.

Are you ready for some great food with a great view!

The Vegan World Market

This fair is held on the first weekend of every month in Quito’s central La Carolina Park. In March 2019, The Vegan World Market (TVW) celebrated a year of sharing, reporting and presenting ventures that promote environmental awareness. You can find a range of local producers selling vegan, organic and gluten-free goods from chutneys, to brownies, to quinoa drinks to lentil and chickpea sausages. There are also several educational activities such as workshops, lectures and cooking demonstrations that are given on the days of the fair.

Entrance to the Vegan World Market is free. Enter the Mundo Juvenil, located in La Carolina Park. The hours of operation are from 9.00am to 6.00pm.

Check out a range of vegan delicacies here!

La Cleta

Pacari Chocolate

Pacari Chocolate is a family-owned company, dedicated to making the highest quality organic chocolate. It started operating in 2002. 100% organic!  100% sustainable! 100% committed to the sustainability of the ecosystem within Ecuador! 100% social responsibility and 100% vegan and gluten-free! It’s some of the best chocolate in Ecuador and in the world.  This may be news to some, but Ecuador has some of the finest cacao in the world … and that cacao becomes chocolate!

You will find Pacari all over Ecuador and Quito from supermarkets to boutique food stores.

Do You Love Cycling? If the answer is yes, then ride with us to explore Quito on a bike whilst discovering its history, culture, street art and local food. You’ll definitely meet great people and make new friends!

 Explore Urban Quito on a Bike and Quito Cultural City Tour by Bike. Whilst they both explore the city, the former takes you through verdant parks, the Botanical Garden and shows you a part of modern Quito where the latter is more about cultural immersion, where you get to meet local artisans and see some funky street art. In both tours, you get to sample some local drinks and fare, as well get to view the city from some lovely vantage points. We have both group and private (groups of two or one) options. We can also customise a tour to your specifications … just ask us!

But that’s not all!  We have bicycle rentals too.  Need a bike for half a day? Need it for a month?  Something in-between? Take your pick.

Our Mission!