What I ate vegan in Parma, Italy

 

Breakfast- Maghes

We arrived late on the Friday night so breakfast was our first meal in Parma. I searched online for vegan brioche and Lino's Coffee came up, I think the new name of the cafe is Maghes as that's what the sign said when we got there, I'm not sure! Anyway, They had lots of different flavours of brioche and when I asked I was shown a separate plate of brioche with the choice of chocolate, apricot jam or raisin. Of course I went for chocolate along with a soya milk cappuccino and a freshly squeezed blood orange juice.

The restaurant was in a lovely setting right in the centre of town which is ideal.

The brioche itself was so delicious. It was very generously filled with a dark chocolate and hazelnut paste, the best vegan brioche i've ever eaten!

Lunch- Viva Nachos

Viva Nachos was a lovely surprise to find. We walked past and I looked at the menu because I can't resist Mexican food. I saw that there was loads of vegan options so we decided to go for lunch.

I went for the vegan burrito which had peppers, onions and grilled veggies, black beans and 'crema vegana'. Myself and my friend also ordered the vegan nachos which were topped with veggies, guacamole and 'crema vegana'. Both dishes were delicious and the 'crema vegana' was lovely, I'm not sure what it was made of but it tasted creamy and a little cheesy and was a great alternative to cheese sauce.

Dinner- La Duchessa Pizzeria

I didn't look up any vegan options for dinner as we knew we fancied pizza, especially as it was actually National Pizza Day! Most pizzerias in Italy have a marinara pizza which is just a pizza base with tomato, oregano and garlic. I ordered the marinara pizza and asked to add aubergine, courgette and peppers on the top. 

I have to say it is one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten, and this was my first vegan pizza in Italy! It was the garlic that made it so delicious, I honestly don't know why Italians don't put garlic on every pizza. The dough was thick and reminded me of the pizza you get in Naples.

I would recommend La Duchessa, It is in a beautiful location in Piazza Garibaldi and it would be lovely to sit outside in the square in the summer. The service was fast and we didn't have to wait long for a table.

Dessert- Ciacco gelato

For dessert I searched vegan gelato in Parma and headed to Ciacco. All the flavours were on display on a board above the counter and was informed that all the green cards were vegan flavours. I went for pistacchio and gianduia (hazelnut, chocolate truffle) and both were absolutely delicious! It was one of those 'This can't really be vegan' moments. I don't know what it was made from to make it so amazing, it must be magic!