Vegan Planet - a restaurant, bakery and store - is one of the few vegan (free of any animal products) options in Cancun. Located in downtown Cancun, Vegan Planet serves delicious, nutritious food in a casual, modern and sparkling clean atmosphere. The fare is on par with any vegan restaurant in any large US city. Really.
Sometimes vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and raw foods get a bad rap for being tasteless, boring and way too, well, healthy. Not the case here. Both locals and tourists return to Vegan Planet over and over and rave about Chef/Owner Miguel Bautista's scrumptious dishes and generous portions.
Bautista loves to welcome and chat up customers and make recommendations, explain ingredients, etc. He studied culinary arts at Los Angeles Mission College and often returns to his alma mater for special events. He and most of the staff speak English.
Vegan Planet features a huge menu of tasty food — Photo courtesy of Vegan Planet
Vegan Planet's menu is huge, and choices include smoothies, breakfast items, salads, pizza, burritos, baguettes, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, desserts and authentic Mexican food like mole, tamales, enchiladas and panuchos. There is also a portion of the menu that offers dishes from around the world.
The wait staff is friendly, the ambiance is relaxed and the prices are downright economical. Visit on a Wednesday, and they're even lower: get burritos at two for one after 12 p.m. All dishes are fresh, creative and made from natural organic ingredients. No processed, canned or fried items here.
Vegan Planet is located in downtown Cancun, across the street from Las Plazas Outlet — Photo courtesy of Vegan Planet
The bakery sells muffins (blueberry and banana; coconut and banana; and chocolate), fresh baked cookies and all kinds of bread, including banana, wheat, jalepeño, gluten-free and more. The store offers a large variety of products, including cocoa, hemp protein, chia, quinoa and much more, so customers can prepare vegan dishes at home.
Standout dishes include the chocolate crepes, which are packed with strawberries, apples, sweet sauce and nuts. For breakfast, try the burritos stuffed with steaming hot mashed potatoes, black beans and a creamy sauce. Oh, and the "ice cream" is to die for.
Vegans will be thrilled with Vegan Planet's desserts — Photo courtesy of Vegan Planet
To get to Vegan Planet, take the R1 or R2 bus and get off at the first stop downtown. Then take a taxi to Vegan Planet on Andres Quintana Roo Ave., across the street from Las Plazas Outlet mall. The bus will cost about $1 USD (9.5 pesos), and the taxi should be about $2 USD (25 pesos). It's well worth the trip.
Vegan Planet is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sundays 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
