Which Portuguese phrases matter most here?

“Aqui está a ementa.” (Here is the menu); “Não como carne.” (I don’t eat meat); “Sem carne, por favor.” (No meat, please). The full list is above.

Can I hear how they sound?

Not yet: this page has no recordings so far. Each phrase comes with its meaning in English.

How can I practise this conversation?

Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Portugal. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Portuguese phrases for saying you're vegetarian or vegan in Portugal

Tell the waiter when you get the menu: “Sou vegetariano” (“vegetariana” for a woman) or “Não como carne”. Say “Sem carne, por favor” for one dish, and ask “Têm pratos veganos?”. Check soups and beans: they often hide chouriço or bacon.

Try it · about two minutes

Before ordering, you explain what you don’t eat and ask which dishes on the menu are meat-free.

You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

Waiter
Aqui está a ementa.
Here is the menu.
You
Não como carne.
I don’t eat meat.
Waiter
Já escolheram?
Have you decided?
You
O que recomenda?
What do you recommend?
Waiter
A sopa do dia é caldo verde, que leva chouriço. Também temos massa com legumes e omelete de cogumelos.
The soup of the day is caldo verde, which has chouriço in it. We also have pasta with vegetables and a mushroom omelette.
You
Vou querer a massa com legumes, por favor.
I’ll have the pasta with vegetables, please.
Waiter
Para beber, o que vão querer?
What will you drink?
You
Água, por favor.
Water, please.
Waiter
Quer ver a lista de sobremesas?
Would you like to see the dessert list?
You
Só um café, por favor.
Just a coffee, please.
Waiter
Quer leite?
Would you like milk?
You
Tem leite vegetal?
Do you have plant milk?

Which Portuguese phrases do you need?

Aqui está a ementa.
Here is the menu.
Não como carne.
I don’t eat meat.
Sem carne, por favor.
No meat, please.
Têm pratos veganos?
Do you have vegan dishes?
O que recomenda?
What do you recommend?
Qual é o prato do dia?
What is the dish of the day?
É picante?
Is it spicy?
Já escolheram?
Have you decided?
Tem leite vegetal?
Do you have plant milk?
Pode ser com leite de aveia?
Can it be with oat milk?

What is worth knowing in Portugal?

Meat, fish or both

Carne can be heard as meat only, so a waiter may still suggest fish. If you avoid both, say so.

Não como carne nem peixe.

I don’t eat meat or fish.

Hidden meat

Soups, beans and rice dishes are often cooked with chouriço, bacon or a meat stock. It is worth asking before you order.

A sopa leva carne?

Does the soup have meat in it?

What to expect

Most menus have an omelette, a salad or a pasta dish, and bigger cities have vegetarian and vegan restaurants. Smaller places may have less choice, so ask early.

É picante?

Is it spicy?

Questions about this situation

Which Portuguese phrases matter most here?: “Aqui está a ementa.” (Here is the menu); “Não como carne.” (I don’t eat meat); “Sem carne, por favor.” (No meat, please). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?: Not yet: this page has no recordings so far. Each phrase comes with its meaning in English.
How can I practise this conversation?: Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Portugal. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in Portuguese

All situations in Portuguese

Practise these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

Try free on the App Store (opens the App Store in a new tab)

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.