What’s not to love about a smoothie bowl really? I fully admit that I have somewhat of an obsession with them and do seek them out on my travels. Not too hard to come by these days if you find yourself in a place with a surf crowd or surrounded by health conscious city goers, but they seem to be popping up in more unexpected places now as well.
In case this food trend hasn’t taken over your Instagram feed and you’re sitting there wondering what I’m going on about, smoothie bowls are effectively thicker smoothies served in a bowl with various toppings. The base is usually made with a blend of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables as well as other healthy ingredients blended in and covered with delicious ingredients on top (check out my go to green smoothie bowl here). Acai is a common base in smoothie bowls, known as a superfood, these berries come from the acai palm tree native to South America. Absolutely delicious, quite a difficult taste to describe, you’ll just have to trust me on this one.
So here is my round-up, in no particular order, of some of my favorite places across seven countries to find smoothie bowls. Get your spoons ready!
Bowl’d Acai San Francisco, California / Food Truck
I can’t say enough about these guys, they are awesome and their food trucks are a must visit when you’re in San Fran. They’re serving up enormous portions of Acai and Poke bowls (tubs would be more accurate, don’t know why I went for the small). My go to is the Acai with the Green Goliath base & These Nuts topping.
If you find yourself in Bali, make sure to head straight here. All of their smoothie bowls are amazing, but the J-BAY was my favorite, it’s peanut butter heaven.
A paradise on the island of Koh Lanta, serving refreshing smoothie bowls and delicious food with a focus on superfoods. The Dose of Greens bowl was my absolute favorite, great way to start the day.
The Culinary Studio Huntington, New York / Food-shop
A gourmet food shop / deli in my hometown, the Acai & Berries bowl is usually my first breakfast when visiting, take it to go and eat down by the water.
More and more cafes are opening in Paris with a focus on organic and plant-based food, this one is at the top for me, try one of their wild-crafted Acai bowls, you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re not careful you’d walk right by this small cafe in Seville, a rare find in the city, it’s a healthy takeaway serving up Acai bowls (was very excited to find it in the 42 degree heat whilst I was there).
The Juice Shop New York, New York / Juice & Smoothie Bar
Multiple locations in New York it’s one of my go to’s when visiting, massive portions with loads of nutrients packed in. My favorite is the Coco-Kale Acai bowl with a generous amount of almond butter on top.
Incredible smoothies are served at the Energy Kitchen in each of the London studios, always such a treat after a spin class. Try the Revival bowl to get the most of the smoothie with the added benefit of the toppings to go with it.
I found this place on a business trip and after being out of the U.S. for awhile I was reminded of the customization culture. Can’t remember what I put in it, but it was delicious. Build your own!
Ahoy Coffee Bar Costa da Caparica, Portgual / Cafe
If you’re ever in or near Lisbon make your way to Costa da Caparica to check out Ahoy, it’s quite simply amazing. I think I’ve tried most things on the menu at this point and it’s all good so you can’t go wrong. The Acai bowl is a favorite.
Don’t let the photo deceive you, this is a damn good Acai bowl, I even remember after having it the first time going up to the woman behind the counter to tell her just how impressed I was.
Nourish Wellness Cafe & Juice Bar Northampton, Massachusetts / Cafe
Was delighted to try this place when I was in the area for a friend’s wedding, an Acai bowl after a night of dancing and drinking shouldn’t be underestimated.
Smoothie bowl in a pub? You can imagine my excitement, this became a regular spot I’d take clients for breakfast with a healthy start to the day ordering the Super Berry smoothie bowl.
I love this place in the center of Lisbon, excellent spot to chill, shop, or eat. From Poke to smoothies, all the bowls are good, but my favorite is the Peanut Gang smoothie bowl.
