Luxembourg is a tiny country in Europe, wedged in between Germany, Belgium, and France. The capital city, Luxembourg City, is a real pearl and a great place to visit. But how easy is it to be vegan in Luxembourg? I spent some time in and near the city and will show you the options.
This is not a comprehensive vegan travel guide to Luxembourg. I am sure there are more options than I have explored. This is my first, and personal, impression of being vegan in Luxembourg.
Why go to Luxembourg in the first place?
Luxembourg is a beautiful country with lovely scenery, perfectly suitable for hiking and biking. The landscape is hilly and rocky, with great campsites everywhere. Excellent for a week or long weekend to enjoy nature.
Luxembourg City, the capital of Luxembourg, has a town-like atmosphere. Especially in the lower part of the city, on the river edge. You can enjoy a city walk through the cobbled streets with beautiful old houses. Luxembourg is built on a hilly landscape, with deep gorges running through the city. These gorges make for great walks, right in the city.
The city center around Place d'Armes also has more modern architecture and plenty of shopping. Most of the vegan restaurants are located in this area. Distances are not great, so most is within easy walking distance. If you do get tired, or rely on transport, remember that all public transportation (trains, trams, and buses) in Luxembourg is free.
Mango Vietnamese Burger @ BEET
Vegan restaurants
I used Happycow to find my vegan food options. My focus was mainly on restaurants marked as 'vegan', and also some marked as 'vegetarian'. I definitely prefer my food to be prepared in a kitchen without animal carcasses.
On the day I visited the center of Luxembourg city for sightseeing, I had a list of restaurants with me to have a look at for lunch and dinner. Opening hours of restaurants are very specific, and rather limited. Most restaurants serve lunch or dinner only. Almost none are open the entire day.
As I walked around the city to explore all the sites, I had a look at the following places:
BEET vegan restaurant
It sure looks inviting, in the corner of the square, with lovely views. It was fairly busy but I found a small table overlooking the square. The menu had many great sounding options. I chose the Mango Vietnamese Burger, which was served with salad and fries.
What a disappointment that was. The burger itself was rather tasteless, apart from the mango. The salad was pathetic, dried out like it had spent the last 2 days on the counter. The fries were even worse. Over-fried (probably 6 times), crunchy and greasy. I was really looking forward to this meal. This was actually my first time eating out in 2 years! (due to Covid I hadn't eaten out in a while).
When I told the waiter about my experiences, he was not impressed. No apology, no refund. Just a 'why don't you try something different next time'. Right... Never again.
Nirvana Indian Restaurant
My plan was to eat dinner at this restaurant, which is not far from the main railway station in Luxembourg City. Unfortunately, they were closed when I got there. The menu looked very inviting, with plenty of delicious options. I will definitely eat here the next time I am in Luxembourg. I love Indian food.
SEED cafe
This is actually the backside of BEET restaurant, on a lower level street. It was busy with people who were enjoying a coffee and cake. I was still pissed off from the lunch at their restaurant, so I gave this place a miss. The cakes looked pretty good though.
Snack in Joy
It's all in the name. A cafe-style eatery on the northern edge of the city center. They offer burgers, falafel, bowls, sandwiches, etc. I had already eaten lunch that day, but would surely try this on my next visit.
Vegan shopping
I stayed in Luxembourg (near Luxembourg City) for a couple of weeks, during a house sit. Because I was/am still very Covid conscious, I only dined out once. The rest of the time it was homemade meals. So, this meant buying food from supermarkets. I visited a whole range of them during my stay, to find my vegan ingredients. In general, this is what I found:
ALDI
The German supermarket chain is not known for its abundance of vegan food items, and the shops in Luxembourg are no exception. I could not find tofu, cheese, or even yogurt. Plenty of vegetables of course, but no specialty items.
Cactus
They had a nice selection of vegan items. They sold many different types of tofu, for instance, and they were the only supermarket in Luxembourg that sold vegan mayonnaise. I found a few vegan burger options, but not many. They have a decent selection, but are definitely not the cheapest shop in town.
Auchan
This French supermarket chain had by far the best selection of vegan food items. You can find nearly everything here. Tofu, burgers, cheese, yogurt... No vegan mayonnaise, though. More expensive than other stores but with the best selection.
Colruyt
A Belgian low-budget chain supermarket. Not a pleasant shopping experience: it's like walking through a warehouse. The vegan selection was rather limited. I did buy my soy milk and oats here, they were far cheaper than anywhere else.
Venga
A small vegan store in the town of Roesser, just south of Luxembourg City. They offer a good selection of vegan items, including cheeses, burgers, and toothpaste.
Overall impression for being vegan in Luxembourg
I am not terribly impressed with the options for vegans in Luxembourg. There are some places to eat out, but most of these are lunchrooms and not suitable for dinner. And the one that I did try myself was terribly disappointing. Next time I will have to try Nirvana Indian Restaurant.
Options in supermarkets are also rather limited. The best choice would be to get your groceries at Auchan supermarket. They have the widest selection but are also the most expensive.
If you decide to visit Luxembourg (City), it's best to plan ahead. Figure out where to find your vegan food if you want to eat out, and when places are open. If you have to possibility to cook your own food, shop around or accept limited options. And don't forget to keep in mind these 7 tips on how to travel vegan.
Luxembourg is a great place to visit, even as a vegan. It's not always easy to be vegan in Luxembourg, but definitely worth the effort.
