A credible vegan menu starts with the right ingredients. At Santa in Desenzano del Garda, the vegan pizzas and dishes are built on plant-based cheeses and cold cuts from specialist brands like Dream Farm, alongside in-house preparations: tofu cream, dry-aged seitan for the Carpaccio di Mupur, and cashew-and-baobab cream for the Melanzana Fumé.

It's not about swapping in an imitation ingredient, but building recipes around that specific ingredient: dry-aged seitan has a different texture from meat and is treated accordingly, just as plant-based creams replace the fat component of dishes like carbonara with a texture designed for the job.

The result is a vegan menu judged on its own merits, not measured against an "original" — part of the same kitchen that also serves Santa's traditional padellino pizza, on the same Desenzano del Garda lakefront. The full vegan menu is here.