Last checked: November 2026
Vegetarians eat well in Guyana, mostly because of Indo-Guyanese Hindu cooking. Dhal, roti, vegetable curries and seven curry are everyday food, not special requests. Vegans need to ask more questions, because ghee, butter and milk turn up in breads and sweets.
At a glance
- Easiest dishes: dhal and rice, vegetable curries with roti, channa, baigan choka, seven curry
- Where: roti shops and puri shops in Georgetown, plus a small number of vegetarian restaurants
- Hardest dishes: pepperpot, cook-up rice and most soups, which usually contain meat or fish
- Best time: the weeks around Diwali, when many Hindu families eat meat-free and vegetarian food is everywhere
- Best for: vegetarians comfortable asking what is in a dish
Which Guyanese dishes are naturally vegetarian?
The Indo-Guyanese kitchen is full of them. Many Hindu families eat meat-free on certain days or during religious fasts, so these dishes are well practised.
- Dhal: yellow split peas cooked thin, seasoned with garlic, cumin and pepper, and poured over rice.
- Vegetable curries: pumpkin, eggplant, potato and channa (chickpeas), and curry mango.
- Baigan choka: roasted eggplant mashed with garlic, onion and pepper. Other chokas use tomato or coconut.
- Roti and dhal puri: flatbreads, with dhal puri stuffed with ground split peas.
- Bhaji: sautéed spinach or callaloo, a leafy green.
- Snacks: pholourie (fried split-pea dough balls) and plantain or cassava chips.
Read our dhal puri guide for more on Guyana’s favourite flatbread.
What is seven curry?
Seven curry is a meal of seven vegetarian curries served at Hindu religious functions. A typical set includes pumpkin, mango, callaloo, eggplant, eddoe, breadnut, and potato with chickpeas. It is served with rice, puri or dhal, traditionally on a large water lily leaf, and eaten with the fingers.
You will not find it on most restaurant menus. Puri shops in Georgetown serve versions of it, and a seven curry cooking tour runs from Georgetown. See our Guyana food experiences guide.
Where can vegetarians and vegans eat in Georgetown?
Eco-Garden International Vegetarian Restaurant (Mandela Ave). A vegetarian restaurant with many vegan options, including house-made mock meats, vegan dairy, fresh juices and some Guyanese dishes. Most of the menu is vegan, but cheese appears on some items, so ask. It also delivers within Georgetown.
Shanta’s The Puri Shop (225 Camp St). A long-running puri and roti shop, best known for dhal puri and curries. Ask which vegetable curries are on that day and build a meat-free plate. It closes on Sundays.
Aagman Indian Restaurant (Sherriff St). An Indian restaurant with a good range of vegetarian dishes. Vegans should ask for naan and other breads without ghee or butter.
Away from these, any roti shop or Chinese-Guyanese restaurant can usually make a vegetable plate. Vegetable chow mein and vegetable fried rice are standard. Ask whether the rice was cooked with chicken stock.
Is pepperpot ever vegetarian?
Not traditionally. Pepperpot is meat (usually beef, pork or mutton) stewed in cassareep, a black syrup made from cassava juice. Some cooks make pumpkin or mushroom versions, but you are unlikely to see one outside a home kitchen or a vegan restaurant. Read our pepperpot guide for the real thing.
What is ital food?
Ital is the diet followed by many Rastafari. The word comes from “vital,” and the idea is food that is natural and comes from the earth. Most followers avoid meat, many avoid dairy, some eat fish, and some avoid added salt. Practice varies a lot, so ask an ital cook what they leave out.
How do you order vegetarian or vegan food in Guyana?
Be specific. “Vegetarian” can mean “no big pieces of meat” to some cooks.
- Ask: “Any meat, fish or chicken stock in this?” Saltfish and dried shrimp turn up in vegetable dishes.
- For vegans, ask about ghee, butter and milk. Roti, dhal puri and many sweets use them.
- Cook-up rice and many soups use meat or salted meat for flavour, even when you cannot see it.
- Markets are your friend for fruit, coconut water and nuts. See our Guyana markets guide.
- In the interior, tell your lodge or tour operator about your diet before you travel. Remote kitchens cannot shop on the day.
FAQ
Is Guyana good for vegetarians? Yes. Indo-Guyanese Hindu cooking means dhal, vegetable curries and roti are easy to find, especially in Georgetown and on the coast.
Is it hard to be vegan in Guyana? Harder, but possible. Ghee, butter and milk appear in breads and sweets, so ask every time, or eat at a dedicated vegetarian restaurant like Eco-Garden.
Can I eat vegetarian on an interior trip? Usually, if you tell the lodge in advance. Meals are cooked to order for small groups, so they need warning.
Is Guyanese Chinese food vegetarian-friendly? Partly. Vegetable chow mein and fried rice are common, but check whether chicken stock or fish sauce was used.
Next step: Want to cook these dishes at home? See our Guyanese recipes guide.
