Restaurant Review: Gintilla Vegan Restaurant in Cagliari
Whenever I travel, I want to eat food that actually belongs to the place I’m visiting.
I love a vegan burger as much as the next person, but I didn’t travel to Sardinia to order something I could easily find in London. I wanted traditional Sardinian pasta, regional flavours and dishes I would struggle to find anywhere else.
Thankfully, Gintilla understood the assignment.
Located in Cagliari, Gintilla serves creative vegan versions of Italian and Sardinian classics.
Gintilla at a Glance
What we ordered:
Chickpea-based vegan cheese tasting board
Culurgiones
Eggplant parmigiana
Lasagne with seitan ragù
Malloreddus with tomato ragù
Seada
Red reigonal wine
I would go here for:
✔ Traditional Sardinian cuisine
✔ Culinary innovation
✔ Casual date night
✔ Happy Hour Lunch Meal Deals
✔ A special occasion
✔ Impressing the non-vegans
Non-vegan approved: My father-in-law declared it the best meal of our entire trip. He was so impressed that he asked the chef for his secrets.
Location: Cagliari, Sardinia
Menu: 100% vegan
A Very Serious Vegan Cheese Tasting
We started with a tasting board of chickpea-based vegan cheeses, served with olives, chutney, and a rep pepper tapenade.
Each cheese had a different flavour and with a more crumbly texture but a creamy taste, making it feel like a proper tasting experience.
Traditional Sardinian Pasta, but Make It Vegan
Our table went all in, ordering the culurgiones, lasagne with seitan ragù, malloreddus, eggplant parmigiana and seada for dessert.
Naturally, this involved plenty of plate-sharing in the name of very serious research.
The dish I had been most excited to try was the culurgiones, a traditional Sardinian stuffed pasta commonly made with potato and cheese. Gintilla’s vegan version arrived in a creamy sauce, topped with grated plant-based cheese and delicate vegetable garnishes.
It was rich, comforting and exactly the kind of regional food experience I had hoped to find in Sardinia. It didn’t feel like a compromised version of the original dish. It felt thoughtful, indulgent and deserving of a place on the menu in its own right.
The malloreddus—small, ridged Sardinian pasta—came in a rich tomato ragù with plenty of vegan cheese. We also tried the lasagne with seitan ragù and a beautifully comforting eggplant parmigiana. Everyone was certain there dish was the best at the table- and I agree there wasn't a miss in the bunch.
If I had more time, I probably would have ordered more to the table, and I'd recommend any vegan foodies put a significant amount of time to try the unique dishes of Sardinia- because it's unlikely you'll find them at non-vegan specific restaurants.
Saving Room for Seada
Naturally, we had to order dessert.
Seada is a traditional Sardinian pastry usually filled with cheese with some subtle citrus flavours. Gintilla’s vegan version was golden and crisp, with a sweet glaze balancing the savoury filling beautifully.
After watching my family eat seada all week while I had sorbet- this was a glorious end to the meal. Finding a vegan dessert is always lovely. Finding a vegan version of a traditional regional dessert is exactly the kind of experience I travel for.
Is Gintilla Worth Visiting? My Gintilla vegan restaurant review
Absolutely.
My official Gintilla vegan restaurant review is that from the chickpea cheese tasting board to the creamy culurgiones, comforting pasta dishes and golden seada, the entire meal felt connected to Sardinia’s food culture while still being creative and completely plant-based.
Gintilla was not only my favourite vegan restaurant of the trip. It served my non-vegan father-in-law’s favourite meal too, which is possibly an even stronger recommendation.
Whether you are vegan, travelling with someone vegan or simply love thoughtfully prepared Italian food, Gintilla deserves a place at the top of your Cagliari restaurant list.
Arrive hungry, bring people who are willing to share and make sure you save room for dessert.
