East Meets West Veg

Saramago Cafe Bar, Glasgow, Scotland

Salad and Calzone with Roast Vegetables, Tapenade, and Fresh Basil

I was not expecting much from this calzone, but it really surprised me. It had a lot of flavor and was quite delicious.

(Vegan) Haggis Fritters with Hand Cut Chips, Pickles and Tartare Sauce

Before we even arrived in Scotland, I was looking forward to the vegan Haggis. Considered to be the national dish of Scotland, Haggis is normally made from some of the less desirable parts of the animal. Our tour guide told us that Haggis is the result of Scotland's history as a poor country, and that it is a comfort food still eaten by many Scottish people weekly. I found a ready made vegetarian Haggis in a nearby grocery store so apparently I am not the only one who is disgusted by the ingredients in normal Haggis.

Our shared food

We shared our meals and, although I was really looking forward to the Haggis, I actually liked the Calzone better. I did enjoy the Haggis and I can now say that I've had (vegan, thank God!) Haggis. This restaurant also had excellent homemade bread and delicious, creative soups.

Vegan Salads at a Tourist Stop in Ireland

Thinking that we may go to Scotland and Ireland only once and wanting to make the most of our time, we decided to join our first ever tour group. We traveled with CIE Tours and would highly recommend them. Having what is essentially a historian for each country and major city we visited was worth it alone. Our tour bus driver was Irish and trained in Irish history so he served as our Irish guide giving history, cultural information and current events along the way. While in Scotland, we had a Scottish guide join our group and while we rode along on our tour bus, he gave us the background on everything we were seeing and experiencing. There were also expert city guides for cities such as Edinburgh and Dublin.

Everything was planned for us. We knew that this would be very helpful, but also could be a bit of a problem because we normally plan our trips ahead of time around great vegan food options. We checked on vegetarian / vegan food options before booking the trip and they said that vegetarian / vegan meals can be arranged if you call the hotels (where most of your meals are eaten) ahead of time.

Lunches were on our own, but what we did not realize ahead of time is that sometimes lunches would be rushed and we would have limited options (as in maybe one place we could get food). In most places we were able to make it work, but sometimes we had to rely exclusively on the food we packed with us that morning or order an incomplete meal and add on to it from our own supplies. We definitely learned some survival strategies because Ireland and Scotland are not always vegan friendly. Check out my Top 10 Tips for Vegan Travel.

One travel stop (or whatever they call them over there) had quite a few options between a small food store and the cafeteria. We were pleasantly surprised to find all of these delicious salads. I am not sure exactly where this place is, but I do believe that it is a regular stop for tour groups and travelers.

Sweet potatoes, Potato Salad, Three Bean Salad, Rocket, Beet Salad

The beet salad was delicious - sweet with a bit of tart from the dressing and full of flavor, all around. While ordering, I was not sure if I really wanted so many salads, but I am glad I got to try them all. They were each distinct and flavorful.

Beet Salad, Asian Noodle Salad, Cucumber Poppy Seed Salad