As Context’s resident vegan, I’m always on the lookout for plant-based delicacies when I travel. Fortunately for me, eating vegan in Mexico City is already great, and constantly improving. Many typical foods happen to be vegan, or can be veganized easily, and new vegan restaurants are popping up daily.

If you’re in need of a quick snack while eating Vegan in Mexico City, esquites (sometimes called elotes en vasito) are a great choice: stewed corn kernels with chiles, lime, cilantro and salt, all in a cup to go. You can find them on just about any street corner, usually prepared in a large, steaming pot.

Fresh squeezed juices, smoothies, and aguas frescas are also readily available, and often (though not always) vegan. While juices and aguas are usually a safe bet, smoothies often have dairy in them.

Looking for something with a bit more sustenance? Look for an amaranto, essentially an amaranth granola bar. Some of them have chocolate chips which might not be vegan, but most are made with different nuts and seeds. They’re great to keep in a day bag as a hanger prevention measure, and they’re often available in stands within metro stops, making eating vegan in Mexico City incredibly convenient.

Mexico City’s vegan scene has exploded in the past few years, so it would be impossible to list every great vegan restaurant in Mexico City. However, here are a few of my favorites:

Páramo

Supposing that you’re eating vegan in Mexico City but hanging out with non-vegans, Páramo is a great spot to bring the whole group. Their vegan options are clearly marked on the menu, but there are lots of other, more omnivorous options. Páramo is the sort of late-night restaurant where dinner can roll into drinks, which can roll into meeting new friends in the open ceilinged, verdant central courtyard. It can be a little tricky to find, as the sign out front is very small, but it’s worth a visit.

Gatorta

For the uninitiated, a torta is a decadent, overstuffed sandwich, usually featuring meat, cheese, a few vegetables, and then more meat and cheese. Not the easiest to veganize, but the team at Gatorta is doing their level best to combat the myth that vegan food is healthy. The fact that Gatorta’s extensive menu is available from a street stand is impressive, but it also means they run out of certain ingredients pretty frequently. Get here early, and snag one of their “is this really vegan?” desserts to go.

¡A darle! Que es taco vegano

Featuring an adorable hand-drawn chalk drawing of the presumably grateful pigs and cows you’re not eating, A darle, que es taco vegano is a small, typical taqueria—except that it’s also a beacon for those eating vegan in Mexico City. It’s a great way to get the traditional taqueria experience without attempting to navigate around the meat (honestly, unless you want to eat a tortilla filled with onion and cilantro, this is an impossibility at most street-side spots). They also make their own vegan chocolates and muffins. It’s located in Coyoacán, so if you’re visiting the Casa Azul, it’s a great lunch stop.

Vegamo

If you’re looking for a glimpse of Mexico City’s hipster culture, look no further. Vegamo is a tiny outpost of vegan cuisine designed to be eaten, but also to be instagrammed. Their waffle sandwiches, in particular, seem a bit too ambitious to actually consume as assembled, but with bright layers of veggies and sauces drizzled just so, it’s worth taking a snapshot before digging in. Their desserts are also very photogenic, and quite a few are raw. This is a great spot to go if you have dietary restrictions, allergies, or are vegan eating in Mexico City: they are very aware of what is in all of their dishes, and there are many gluten free and raw options.

Looking for more vegan recommendations? One of our favorite spots while visiting Paris happens to be vegan. Bon appétit!