Finding the best vegan restaurants in Blenheim comes down to which kitchens mark plant-based dishes on the menu rather than improvising something on the night. The places below serve vegan breakfasts, entrees and mains across Marlborough’s main town, from dishes marked vegan on both menus at Quench Restaurant & Bar to a separate vegetarian and vegan section of the card at Gramado’s.
1Quench Restaurant & Bar
Quench is the a la carte restaurant at Carnmore Chateau Marlborough, on the corner of High and Henry Streets in central Blenheim, open seven days for breakfast and dinner. Vegan dishes appear on both menus with their own marking rather than being left to a request, from a savoury breakfast bowl through to a baked vegetable main. Diners can sit indoors or eat al fresco beside the pool, and the restaurant also takes group and function bookings.
Services
- Breakfast seven days, from 6.30am on weekdays and 7am at weekends
- A la carte dinner service from 5.30pm to 9pm daily
- Bar service with social hours from 4pm to 6pm, and until 7pm on Fridays
- Indoor dining and al fresco dining beside the pool
- Events, functions and group bookings, including set menu options
Highlights
- Savoury breakfast bowl marked vegan, with crushed potatoes, spinach, kimchi, roasted pepita and beetroot hummus
- Baked vegetables main marked vegan, with Moroccan ratatouille, swiss chard, za’atar and dates
- Marinated olives and vegetable cutlets both marked vegan among the entrees
- Roasted carrot and brussel sprout sides listed with vegan versions available
- Oat, soy and almond milk offered with barista coffee
Location & Contact
Name: Quench Restaurant & Bar
Address: Corner High and Henry Streets, Blenheim Central, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 578 0064
Website: quenchrestaurant.co.nz
2Gramado’s Restaurant And Bar
Gramado’s serves Brazilian cooking on Main Street in Blenheim and is run by owners Saulo and Emma Camillo Nunes, opening Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm. Its menu finishes with a special dietary options page built around vegetarian and vegan cooking, and a marinated tofu and smoked mushroom dish sits on the main entree list already labelled vegan. It suits anyone who wants a proper sit-down dinner rather than a plate of sides.
Services
- Brazilian a la carte dinner service, Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm
- A separate vegetarian and vegan section of the menu
- Fully licensed bar with Marlborough wines, on licence only
- Table reservations by phone or through the online booking form, plus gift vouchers
Highlights
- Marinated tofu and smoked mushrooms with house guava sauce, listed as gluten free, dairy free and vegan
- Vegetarian feijoada, a Marlborough black bean stew with smoked mushrooms, garlic and onions, available vegan on request
- Vegetarian moqueca made with coconut cream and dende oil, available vegan on request
- Fresh fettuccine with a choice of vegetables and sauces, available vegan on request
- Owner operated by Saulo and Emma Camillo Nunes
Location & Contact
Name: Gramado’s Restaurant And Bar
Address: 74 Main Street, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 579 1192
Website: gramadosrestaurant.com
3Watery Mouth Cafe
Watery Mouth sits on the corner of High Street and Seymour Street opposite Seymour Square, and was opened in 2011 by Juliet Partington. The cafe’s own count puts more than 25 gluten free, vegan and special diet choices on the menu, among them a vegan big brekkie, and everything bar the bread is made from scratch in the kitchen. Upstairs there is quieter seating with sofas, a fire for colder days and a view over the park.
Services
- Cooked breakfasts served from 7am, seven days a week
- Lunches from the menu and from the cabinet
- Barista coffee, loose leaf teas, cold drip, local craft beers and Marlborough wines
- Takeaway meals from the cabinet, ordered by phone for collection
- On site and off site catering, canapes and specialty cakes
Highlights
- More than 25 gluten free, vegan and special diet options by the cafe’s own count
- Vegan big brekkie listed among the breakfast choices
- All meals made from scratch in the kitchen, with bread the only bought in item
- Upstairs seating with sofas, a fireplace and a view over Seymour Square
Location & Contact
Name: Watery Mouth Cafe
Address: 71 High Street, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 578 3828
Website: waterymouthcafe.co.nz
4Savvy Restaurant & Bar
Savvy is on the ground floor of Scenic Hotel Marlborough at 65 Alfred Street, off the main lobby, and welcomes locals and passers by as well as hotel guests. Its menus carry a dietary key that marks dishes both vegan and vegan available, and the kitchen states that most dishes can be adapted to suit dietary requirements, so it is worth flagging what you need when you book. Breakfast and dinner run seven days, with plenty of on street parking around the property.
Services
- Breakfast seven days, from 6.30am on weekdays and 7am at weekends
- A la carte dinner from 5.30pm to 9pm daily
- Bar menu and light snacks daily from 4pm to 9pm
- Dedicated kids’ dinner menu
- Room service and boxed takeaway meals
Highlights
- Menu dietary key marks dishes as vegan and as vegan available, alongside gluten free and dairy free markings
- Kitchen states most dishes can be adapted for special dietary requirements on request
- Open to locals and visitors, not only to hotel guests, with bookings advised
- Happy hour daily from 5pm to 6pm with 20 percent off selected beverages
Location & Contact
Name: Savvy Restaurant & Bar
Address: 65 Alfred Street, Blenheim Central, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 520 6187
Website: scenichotelgroup.co.nz/blenheim/scenic-hotel-marlborough/savvy-restaurant
How to Choose the Right Vegan Restaurant in Blenheim
- Look for a menu that marks dishes vegan in writing, rather than one that only promises to cater for dietary requirements
- Check whether the vegan option is a full main course or a side dish and a salad, since the two make for very different meals
- Match the opening hours to your plans, as some kitchens run breakfast and dinner seven days while others open only for evening service
- Ask whether a vegetarian dish is vegan as it stands or vegan on request, because dairy, egg and honey often sit in the base sauce
- Ring ahead if you are booking for a group, so the kitchen can plan rather than improvise on a busy service
Frequently Asked Questions About Blenheim Vegan Restaurants
What does vegan dining in Blenheim usually look like?
Most plant-based eating in Blenheim happens at restaurants and cafes that run a mixed menu and mark the vegan dishes on it, rather than at a venue where the whole kitchen is plant based. In practice that means checking the menu markings before you sit down, and it also means the vegan diner in a group can eat at the same table as everyone else.
Can I get a vegan breakfast in Blenheim?
Yes. Quench Restaurant & Bar lists a savoury breakfast bowl as vegan on its breakfast menu, built on crushed potatoes, spinach, kimchi, roasted pepita and beetroot hummus, and Watery Mouth Cafe lists a vegan big brekkie among its breakfast choices. Both open early enough for a working breakfast.
What is the difference between a vegetarian dish and a vegan one?
A vegetarian dish excludes meat and fish but can still contain dairy, egg and honey, which is why a cheese laden pasta or a curry finished with yoghurt counts as vegetarian and not as vegan. A vegan dish excludes all animal products. On a Blenheim menu this distinction usually shows up as separate markings, or as a vegetarian dish offered vegan on request once the dairy is left out.
Do I need to book ahead if I am eating vegan?
A booking is not usually required for a marked vegan dish, but it helps for anything offered vegan on request, since the kitchen may need to change a sauce or a stock. Gramado’s takes reservations by phone and through a form on its own site, and Savvy Restaurant & Bar advises booking in advance to avoid disappointment.
How much does a vegan main course cost in Blenheim?
Published prices for plant-based mains sit broadly between the mid thirties and the mid forties. Gramado’s lists its vegetarian moqueca at $35.50 and its vegetarian pasta at $37.00, both available vegan on request, while Quench lists its baked vegetables main at $42.00. Vegan breakfast dishes are cheaper, at around $26.00.
Are vegan options available at dinner as well as during the day?
Both. Quench and Savvy run dinner service until 9pm seven days, and Gramado’s opens for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. Watery Mouth Cafe is a daytime operation, closing in the afternoon, though meals can be ordered from the cabinet by phone and collected to eat at home.
What should I tell the kitchen when I order?
Say plainly that you eat no animal products at all, including butter, cream, egg wash and fish sauce, rather than asking only for a vegetarian option. If you also have an allergy, name it separately, because a vegan dish is not automatically free of gluten or nuts and most kitchens prepare food in a shared space.