Mama Tierra is definitely one of the best & most convenient vegetarian/vegan restaurants in central Athens. It’s on Akadimias street, so prepare to have lunch with a soundtrack of heavy traffic if you choose to eat at its uninviting exterior. That’s something I would never recommend you do, even in summer (!), because the safe, loving haven inside from the fumes and buzz outside is what this place is all about.

Unless there’s a pandemic.

Mama Tierra specialises in veganised international street food, with an emphasis on nutritional value & animal rights. The vegan burrito I had the first time I dropped by was a big surprise, both in terms of size and quality, and the creamy mushroom patties (pictured) I tried last time were so good, I couldn’t tell they were made of mushrooms. They didn’t taste like meat, but nor did they have that strong, earthy flavour associated with badly-made fungi. Eating these babies I felt as if I was inviting my palate to a completely new experience. That’s definitely a big part of what vegan cuisine is all about, I think: not imitating meat, but transcending it into new, unexplored culinary territories. Really exciting stuff, honestly.

Still, if you disagree, they also have vegan moussaka…

While we’re at it, I’d recommend trying out their kombucha (pictured), which I had here for the first time ever. It’s a kind of fermented tea that’s apparently really good for you and is almost vinegary in its sourness — it checks all the boxes!