The ‘youthful’ Dutch city that changed my mind about being vegan

It’s not every day you go floating down a motorway on a boat, but in Utrecht it’s a right of passage.

‘The Netherlands is known for our canals, but less known is their history,’ explains our guide Jitte (pronounced Yetter).

‘The one you are on right now had a whole other life 50 years ago.’
Once a medieval moat, in 1971 the Catharijnesingel canal that flows through Utrecht’s centre was filled with cement and turned into a motorway, in an attempt to up the pace of city life.

Reopening the restored canals in 2020 was just one way of greenifying the Netherlands’ fourth largest city, which earned a spot on Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel for 2026.

Now, with more bikes than residents and vegan food galore, the city is cementing itself as an eco-conscious utopia, free from the stress of mass tourism.

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Here’s where you should eat, what you should do, and how all of it changed my mind about going vegan.

Plant-based delights

Bitterballen, deep-fried balls of rice and mince.

Hollandse nieuwe, raw herring fish served with onions.

These staples of Dutch cuisine don’t exactly scream vegan.

But with the rise of sustainable travel and a growing student population, Utrecht’s food-scene has followed eco-friendly suit.

Think pointed cabbage with passion fruit puree and roasted cauliflower with toasted lentils.

This is elevated food for those happy for their meals to be decided for them.

The vegan ‘nduja foccacia, sausage substituted for a spicy, smoked paste made of lentils and sun dried tomatoes, is better than the real deal.

The cafe has earned a name for its plant-based pastel de nata.

Minimalist interior design and beautifully crafted plates make for an exquisite dining experience.

Lions mane mushroom baked on charcoal, with roasted seaweed and orca beans is a creative meat-alternative with truly complex flavours.

If you prefer to be guided around Utrecht’s vegan food scene, take a tour with V For Food (€69.50 for 3.5hrs, seven bites to eat and two drinks).

When you get to FLFL, order a fresh falafel wrap and stroll a few feet to eat with a view of the Dom Tower.

All of this food uproots a long-held misconception: that plant-based food is less interesting than meat alternatives.

The range of textures, flavours and combinations proved that vegan doesn’t have to mean boring.

Dishes are intentional in a way meat classics don’t have to be, and after two days of eating vegan in Utrecht, I can confidently say I have a seat on the plant-based food train.

Slow travel

Firstly, there’s no need to fly.

A Eurostar from Kings Cross to Rotterdam and then a Dutch Railways line from Rotterdam to Utrecht gets you there in just over 4 hours.

Rent two wheels and spend an afternoon cycling the cobbled streets, keeping a look out for the many statues of Dutch icon Miffy, the beloved character created by Dick Bruna in his Jeruzalemstraat studio.

Alternative European destinations to explore in 2026

• Transnistria: the country that doesn’t exist


• Madeira: the ‘Hawaii of Europe’


• Bologna: Italy’s greatest food city


• Bratislava: Prague’s ‘ugly sister’ is a walkable gem


• Patmos: the ‘serene and secret’ Greek island

You can catch a recreation of the studio in the Centraal Museum.

Wander through the Neude Library, a former post office, and catch the ‘Spectacle of Books’ exhibition, where unpublished works are given their chance to shine.

A blend of old and new 

With over 39,000 students at Utrecht University, a youthful energy is injected into its medieval streets
Utrecht was one of the few cities in The Netherlands to be unscathed by WW2, which is why much of its historic architecture is still intact – and often reinvented.

This is true of the medieval cellars that line canals below city level.

The garage spaces have been transformed into vibrant yoga studios, restaurants and cafes.

Another building that has maintained its historic exterior is The Conscious Hotel, my ‘eco-sexy’ (their words, not mine) digs for the trip.

The hotel encapsulates everything this green city stands for.

Recycled furniture, water-saving showers and solar panels make for a genuinely sustainable stay (from £98 per night).

Biting into a pain au chocolat from the bountiful breakfast spread, I confessed to a waitress that the taste was worth breaking my two-day plant-based streak.

‘No need to worry,’ she smiled.

‘All food here is vegan.’
it would be disingenuous to say I have been vegan since coming back, but I have been eating plant-based whenever I can.

Thanks, Utrecht.

I’m well and truly converted.

Isabel Fraser was a guest of The Netherlands Tourism Board, but don’t expect us to sugarcoat anything — our reviews are 100% independent.