Vegan Food La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Whether you’re looking for a spot with outdoor adventures, opportunities for some well-deserved maxin’ and relaxin’, or just more tasty vegan food in Costa Rica, La Fortuna is all that… and a bag of chips!

For our outdoorsy fam, there is lots of hiking, ziplining, rafting, etc. to keep you busy! For those looking to relax, there are free and paid hot springs nearby for you to take a dip and/or get a massage. And the views out that way… just stunning! While I found myself eating at mainly vegan-friendly places around town, there are still amazing options ranging from vegan sushi to shawarma.

Kappa Sushi – Vegan-Friendly

Location: Calle 468, Provincia de Alajuela, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
WhatsApp: +506 2479 1639

I was super excited to see that Kappa Sushi has a vegan menu, and then I learned about the sushi boat. It was on like Donkey Kong at that point! When you order their sushi boat, you choose 4 rolls (10 pieces in each roll) that they literally place in a cute lil’ boat!

It honestly took me a while to choose my rolls because they have a whole heap of dope vegan rolls (9 to be exact) to choose from. Their rolls feature ingredients like tempura broccoli, chia, coconut tempura, and plantain! I tried their Grasshopper, Vegano, Crispy Onion, and Lava Crispy rolls, and loved each and every one of those 40 pieces of sushi.

You can choose 4 rolls to create your own vegan sushi boat. I chose the Grasshopper, Vegano, Crispy Onion, and Lava Crispy rolls, which were DELICIOUS! Great place for vegan sushi in La Fortuna, Costa Rica! — You can choose 4 rolls to create your own vegan sushi boat. I chose the Grasshopper, Vegano, Crispy Onion, and Lava Crispy rolls, which were DELICIOUS!

On top of bomb sushi, they have extremely friendly staff and dope art displayed in the restaurant. All in all, Kappa sushi ended up being my favorite place to grab vegan food in La Fortuna, Costa Rica!

Dope art displayed in Kappa Sushi — Dope art displayed inside of Kappa Sushi

Loveat Restaurant – Vegetarian

Location: Hotel Tierras Enamoradas, 32km Carretera San Ramón hacia La Fortuna San Ramon Alajuela Province CR, Provincia de Alajuela, San Ramón, Costa Rica
WhatsApp: +506 2447 9331

Okay, so Loveat Restaurant is not actually in La Fortuna, but it’s a vegetarian restaurant with lots of vegan options and is on the way out of town if you’re heading south. They also have an adventure center and hotel, so you could make a day (or few days) out of your visit to Loveat Restaurant!

I had an AMAZING shawarma bowl there! When I say amazing, I mean that I still dream about that bowl and almost cried when a group of ants swarmed my leftovers while I was unpacking my car at my next hotel.

As you can tell by the signs and decorations outside, Loveat is a funky kind of place. I’m not mad at it though!

Since it’s out of the way, I’d only recommend venturing on over to Loveat if you have a car. Beware though, because the rest of the drive south from here (or at least the route that my navigation sent me on) is a bit off the beaten path and low-key dangerous, depending on what kind of roads you’re used to.

I will say that having done the drive from Loveat to Jaco, I would recommend backtracking to get back to the main road if you’re heading south, rather than taking the offroading adventure that I did. The food was THAT good though, so I would definitely go back!

When you first walk into the store, there’s a funky gadget/thrift store with everything from candy to used clothes. They also have a beautiful dining area just past the funky storefront and you can hear people getting their life outside on the zip lines.

This vegan shawarma bowl was everything! It includes vegan shawarma "meat", onion, cucumber, tomato, red peppers, orange peppers, tomato, pickles, and tahini sauce. This vegan shawarma is served at Loveat, which is located outside of La Fortuna, San Jose, but worth the trip! — This vegan shawarma bowl was everything! It includes vegan shawarma “meat”, onion, cucumber, tomato, red peppers, orange peppers, tomato, pickles, and tahini sauce.

Chifa La Familia Feliz – Vegan-Friendly

Location: 702, Provincia de Alajuela, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
WhatsApp: +506 6342 8304

Chifa La Familia Feliz is a vegan-friendly Peruvian restaurant in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. I’m not gon’ lie, I originally didn’t know what “chifa” meant, so I had an educational moment and learned that chifa is basically a Peruvian-Asian fusion cuisine. Therefore, my Tofu Saltado was served with a house-made sauce that is very similar to teriyaki.

In addition to Tofu Saltado, they also have other vegan options like Tacu Tacu Vegetariano. Both dishes feature rice, tofu, and sauteed veggies.

The Tofu Saltado at Chifa La Familia Feliz comes with fried tofu sauteed with onions, yellow Peruvian pepper, tomatoes, and cilantro in a vegetarian house marinade and served with white rice and fried potatoes

Essence Arenal – Vegetarian

Location: 1 km al sur de El Castillo, junto a la Granja de Mariposas, El Castillo, Costa Rica
WhatsApp: +506 2479 1131

If you’re looking for a peaceful laid back meal, make your way on over to Essence Arenal. They’re a vegan-friendly restaurant at a hostel near Arenal Volcano. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a clear view of the Arenal Volcano from the restaurant. If you aren’t, you’ll just see a whole bunch of clouds covering it, like I did. The rest of the scenery, including a view of Lake Arenal, is absolutely breathtaking though. Therefore, you should still go for the views!

The vegan breakfast starts out with a warm drink and fruit. I chose coffee with plant-based milk for my drink. Essence Arenal was my most peaceful vegan meal in La Fortuna, Costa Rica! — The vegan breakfast starts out with a warm drink and fruit. I chose coffee with plant-based milk for my drink

They have a menu del dia kind of set up in that you just let them know that you want the vegan option and they’ll take care of you. It was like they read my mind because it included just what I was craving. The breakfast started out with coffee with plant-based milk and fruit. That was followed up by gallo pinto, toast, salad, and scrambled tofu with veggies.

The vegan breakfast included gallo pinto, toast, salad, and scrambled tofu with veggies. The vegan breakfast starts out with a warm drink and fruit. I chose coffee with plant-based milk for my drink. Essence Arenal was my most peaceful vegan meal in La Fortuna, Costa Rica! — The vegan breakfast included gallo pinto, toast, salad, and scrambled tofu with veggies

Since this restaurant is attached to a hostel, they know all of the guests’ names and usual orders. They actually build relationships with their customers, even randos like me that roam in. They even welcomed me, and treated me like I was part of the family! The cooks were practicing Spanish with guests and giving recommendations for activities and excursions. This restaurant is a whole vibe!

On the way out of town, I crossed over this beautiful creek about 5 minutes from the restaurant. I decided to just park and chill. The easy access to nature ended up making this the most peaceful vegan meal that I had while visiting La Fortuna, Costa Rica!

Just 5 minute drive away from Essence Arenal, I stopped at this peaceful creek that leads into Lake Arenal

Conclusion: Vegan Food La Fortuna, Costa Rica

While there aren’t tons of vegan options in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, you can still eat like royalty while you’re in town. There are vegan options ranging from vegan sushi to shawarma to keep your belly full while you adventure around Arenal Volcano or kick back and relax at a hot spring or spa.

Map of Vegan Food La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Check Out My Other Vegan Costa Rica Posts!

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First time visiting Costa Rica and want helpful tips on navigating around the country? Planning to travel around Costa Rica and eat to your little vegan heart’s content? Or maybe you’re like me and your Spanish isn’t the best.

Regardless of your situation, be sure to check out my other posts featuring vegan food, resorts, and hotels in some of Costa Rica’s most popular cities. You also don’t want to miss my tips on how to order in Spanish!