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As a Jain travelling across Europe, what you eat for every meal is a crucial decision. While a Jain no-onion-no-garlic diet is manageable across Europe, it requires more planning than a regular vegetarian trip. Major European cities have Indian vegetarian restaurants, dedicated Jain menus and restaurants that can customise dishes on request, whether you’re travelling independently, on an Europe group tour, or on an Europe family tour package.
A Jain meal, unlike a usual vegetarian meal, does not include onion, garlic, potato, carrot or other root vegetables. So travellers following strict Jain dietary practices must check ingredients and communicate requirements clearly.
The meal plan included in your Europe tour package should be checked before booking. As per Thrillophilia’s destination experts, we recommend that travellers following strict dietary requirements confirm meal arrangements before booking rather than assuming that every included meal can automatically be prepared according to Jain practices.
With years of experience, Thrillophilia knows the restaurants that offer Jain and vegetarian food so that you don’t have to face any hassles while travelling.
This guide covers where to find Jain-friendly food in Europe, how to order it, where to find suitable groceries and how to plan meals during transit.
Top Jain-Friendly Restaurants in Europe
The availability of Jain food varies across cities. In major cities with sizeable Indian communities like London, Paris and Amsterdam, there are several Indian vegetarian restaurants.
Shayona
Location: Neasden
Pure vegetarian Shayona is by default a Jain restaurant where food is prepared without onion and garlic as standard. The restaurant states that its food practices are consistent with Vaishnav, Jain and Swaminarayan dietary principles. Hence, it is a convenient option for travellers looking for familiar Gujarati and Indian vegetarian food without having to request Jain modifications.
The restaurant sits directly opposite the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, so many visitors combine a temple visit with a meal here. It runs a lunchtime buffet alongside its à la carte menu and is well set up for large groups, making it a practical stop if you are travelling with extended family or a bigger tour group.
Kailash Parbat
Location: Wembley, 529 High Road
Pure vegetarian Kailash Parbat has a dedicated Jain menu, making it convenient for travellers who prefer to choose from clearly identified Jain dishes. Its Jain thali is prepared without onion, garlic, potato, aubergine and mushroom.
Kailash Parbat is part of a long-running chaat and street-food chain that traces back to a 1940s food stall, now with outlets across several countries, so the menu and preparation standards tend to be consistent if you have visited a branch elsewhere. The Wembley branch gets busy in the evenings, so booking ahead is worth doing if you have booked a Europe group tour package.
Saravanaa Bhavan
Locations: East Ham and Wembley, 220 Ealing Road
Pure vegetarian Saravanaa Bhavan has a separate Jain menu for diners following Jain dietary practices. The restaurant is particularly useful for travellers looking for South Indian staples in a pure-vegetarian setting. Saravanaa Bhavan is one of the largest vegetarian restaurant chains in the world, with outlets across dozens of countries, which makes it a dependable, familiar option if you are moving between cities on a longer Europe itinerary. Its dosas, idlis and filter coffee are a good fit for travellers who want a light, familiar breakfast before a day of sightseeing.
Shubh Aarambh
Location: Wembley, 242a Ealing Road
100% vegetarian Shubh Aarambh specialises in Indian chaat, street food and sweets. Jain-friendly preparations are available on request, as the standard menu is not entirely Jain. Because the menu leans toward snacks and street food rather than full thalis, it works best as a stop between sightseeing rather than your main meal of the day. Since Jain preparations are not the default here, be specific about excluding onion, garlic and root vegetables when you order, rather than assuming a dish is automatically suitable.
Arya Bhavan
Locations: Gare du Nord (170 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis), Louvre (3 Rue des Pyramides), and Notre Dame (25 Rue Galande)
Arya Bhavan offers pure vegetarian dishes across all three of its Paris branches and specifically mentions Jain-friendly options available on request. Its Gare du Nord branch is convenient for travellers arriving by train, while the Louvre and Notre Dame locations suit those exploring central Paris and attractions around the Louvre and Notre-Dame. The chain has been serving South Indian vegetarian food since 1968 and also offers catering, so it is a reasonable option if you are organising a group meal for a larger family or tour group rather than dining individually. With three branches spread across different parts of the city, you are rarely far from one wherever your day’s sightseeing takes you.
Kailash Parbat
Location: Weteringschans 175 H, Amsterdam
Pure vegetarian Kailash Parbat’s Amsterdam branch, like its UK locations, is a pure vegetarian restaurant and lists Jain-specific dishes such as a Jain chana bhatura on its menu. It is centrally located, making it a convenient stop for travellers exploring Amsterdam. The branch has a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere and is a short walk from Amsterdam’s city centre, so it fits easily into a day of sightseeing without a long detour. As with the UK branches, it is worth double-checking with staff which items on the day’s menu are prepared Jain-style, since offerings can vary.
Saravanaa Bhavan
Location: Stadhouderskade 123-124, Amsterdam
Pure vegetarian Amsterdam’s branch of the Saravanaa Bhavan chain serves pure vegetarian South Indian food. As with its other European branches, staff can customise dishes to Jain requirements on request, so confirm your requirements clearly when ordering. The Netherlands has two branches of the chain, the other in The Hague, so travellers combining both cities on their itinerary have a consistent, familiar vegetarian option in each. The Amsterdam branch is centrally located, making it easy to combine with a day of sightseeing in the city.
Aahaar Delux
Location: Lange Herentalsestraat 23, Antwerp
Pure vegetarian Aahaar Delux sits in Antwerp’s Diamond Quarter, home to a large Gujarati Jain community of diamond traders, and its buffet includes dedicated Jain preparations such as Jain dal, Jain moong curry and Jain paneer gravy. It is a short walk from Antwerp’s Central Station. Because of its location among the diamond trading community, the kitchen is well practised at handling Jain requirements rather than treating them as a special request, which can make for a more reliable experience than restaurants where Jain food is a rarer ask. The all-you-can-eat buffet format also makes it an economical option for those on Europe family tour or larger groups.
Saravanaa Bhavan
Location: Limmatstrasse 50, Zurich
Pure vegetarian and vegan Saravanaa Bhavan’s Zurich branch is exclusively vegetarian and vegan, focused on South Indian cuisine. As with other branches of the chain, Jain modifications can be requested, so inform the staff of your requirements before ordering. The Zurich branch is run locally and is one of the newer additions to the chain in Europe, situated near the city’s main train station, making it convenient if you are passing through Zurich as part of a longer Swiss or multi-country rail itinerary.
According to Thrillophilia’s on-ground team, Jain travellers should always confirm that a dish is prepared without onion, garlic and root vegetables when ordering, since a “vegetarian” label alone does not guarantee it meets Jain requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
London, Paris and Amsterdam are among the most convenient cities for Jain travellers since you can find several Indian vegetarian restaurants. Thanks to the established Indian communities in these cities, you can find default Jain restaurants as well as those that modify their dishes to cater to Jain dietary preferences.
Many Indian vegetarian restaurants across Europe customise dishes on request. However, we recommend confirming that the preparation excludes the ingredients you avoid, like root vegetables if you follow strict Jain practices.
Explain clearly to your server that you need vegetarian food without onion, garlic and root vegetables. Ask them to verify with the kitchen if the base sauces, pre-made marinades, or broths contain ingredients that you avoid. It is useful to keep the communication written or translated on your phone to show the restaurant staff.
Yes, you can get Vegetarian Jain Meal (VJML) on your flight to Europe, provided you request it in advance. Many airlines like Air India, Emirates, Qatar Airways, British Airways and Lufthansa serve free Vegetarian Jain Meal if requested at least 24 hours in advance.