Student-Budget Restaurants for Vegetarians and People with Food Allergies in Dublin

Finding a place in Dublin that fits a student budget and caters to vegetarians, vegans, people who can’t eat meat or beef for religious reasons, or people with food allergies, is a challenge. Especially when you are trying to find a place for a group of people that meets all the criteria above.

Many lists exist but piecing together all criteria for individual needs is a troublesome process.

So here is a map of student-tested restaurants that serve vegetarian and vegan meals and offer gluten or dairy-free options at a reasonable price.

Umi Falafel has a fully vegetarian menu with many vegan options. They also include a lot of gluten-free and dairy-free options.
At Umi Falafel, you get a variety of falafel, salads, dips, sandwiches, homemade juices and lemonade, tea, coffee, and soft drinks.

Ladurée is a French café and bakery. It is the most expensive place on this list but it is worth a visit. They serve different pastries and macarons. The good thing about macarons is, that they are gluten-free. At Ladurée they even have some dairy-free options

Checkpoint Pizza is the place that fulfills all your pizza-related needs. They serve wood-fired pizza, fries, and chicken. This is Pizza so there are no gluten-free or dairy-free options but you can customise toppings and they also include vegetarian options in their standard menu.

O’Neills Pub & Kitchen is the answer for vegetarians seeking the pub experience but wanting something to eat that does not consist of just chips. O’Neills comes with live music and dancing and has a variety of vegetarian meals and sandwiches on offer and also serves breakfast all day. The only downside is that people with food allergies need to stick to the chips.

The Happy Pear Clondalkin is a cafe that also serves breakfast and warm meals. All of their food is vegetarian, many meals are vegan. The selection of gluten-free and dairy-free food is small but delicious. The Clondalkin café is a bit outside of the main Dublin area but if you are close by it is worth a visit. It is also connected to a small museum about the history of Clondalkin Roundtower that is right next to the café.

Aleena Indian Restaurant has been around for over 25 years. It serves a wide range of typical Indian meals ranging from mild to spicy. There are a lot of vegetarian options and the prices are very student-friendly. The restaurant itself is relatively small, so maybe call or get a table online ahead of your visit.

Eatokyo is a sushi restaurant. They have two locations in Dublin. The menu includes soups, sushi, and warm meals. There are different options for vegetarians, most of them dairy-free and the staff are happy to assist with gluten-free options

Hailan is a Korean restaurant but also serves Japanese and Chinese food. There vegetarian options along with gluten-free or dairy-free options but it’s best to talk to the staff. Also, the portions are huge.

Nutty Delights is not a restaurant but a shop that sells roasted nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and nut butters. The nuts come in many different savory and sweet flavours and are great for snacking. Customers can create their own mix and pay by weight. You can also order online but it is way more fun to browse their stall at the George’s Street Arcade.