Manchester is one of the best places in the country to eat out if you’re trying to go vegan – be that for veganuary, or any other time of the year.
The city has some great dedicated vegan restaurants, serving up everything ranging from ‘dirty’ plant-based fast food to sit-down gastropub and fine dining-style restaurants, giving those exploring a plant-powered diet a real boost when it comes to eating out.
But beyond that, you can even trust that most restaurants in the city – even if they’re not designed for vegans – will have one or two suitable dishes on their menu.
Truth be told, the time has just gone when you can get away with not catering to this ever-growing group of foodies. Or it has in Manchester at least.
If you’re thinking of exploring a more plant-led diet, or simply curious as to where you might find the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Manchester, keep reading – we’ve pulled out a list of must-visit places for you to try below.
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The Allotment
Credit: Allotment Vegan Eatery
This award-winning plant-based restaurant takes vegan food in Manchester and reimagines it in a gastro-pub style, with dishes like ‘fish and chips’ (made with battered banana blossom), miso and maple hassleback squash, and chestnut bourginion on its main menu.
Elsewhere, you’ll find small plates like king oyster mushroom scallops, almond satay tofu skewers, cauliflower wings and smoked carrot salmon. At lunchtime Monday to Friday, you can get two dishes and a hot drink for £10 here too – bargain.
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Four Side Vegan Pizza
Credit: Four Side Vegan Pizza
This Detroit-style vegan pizzeria in Cheetham HIll was one of the summer’s biggest lockdown success stories – especially where Manchester’s vegans were concerned. There’s so much to try here but the garlic miso butter dough balls and inventive pizza menu have won Four Side some serious fans in the city already.
Vegan Shack
Another opening to land in Manchester during lockdown, Vegan Shack can be found on Piccadilly Gardens slinging out shakes, burgers, vegan fried chicken wraps and more.
What The Pitta
What the Pitta. Credit: The Manc GroupWhat the Pitta. Credit: The Manc Group
Known for its amazing vegan kebabs and soft-serve ice cream, What The Pitta has been a resounding hit with local vegans since landing in Manchester at the end of 2020.
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Having been voted the UK’s number one kebab at the British Takeaway Awards last year, it’s not too surprising. The classic vegan doner recipe was, apparently, passed down to WTP’s co-founder Roj Gul by his uncle in Berlin and is considered to be one of the elites.
This & That cafe
Manchester’s favourite curry house and the home of the rice and three, This & That has been a favourite since it was established in 1984. Here you’ll find a huge choice of delicious curries, with loads of vegan options to boot.
Tucked away on Soap street, you might have a job to find it – but once you do, trust us, you’ll never look back. It’s a local treasure for a reason.
The go-to in Yorkshire for a vegan junk food treat, Doner Summer is also now in Manchester – serving up its dirty vegan takes on takeaway classics like the Berlin doner kebab and fried chick’n and chips to the masses.
Buttermylk fried chick’n can be ordered with a variety of different sauces – think buffalo hot, salt and pepper, Korean BBQ, hon’y butter and more – whilst kebabs come with three different variations. As for sides, opt for garlic or regular fries, with a host of homemade sauces available to buy on top.
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Lotus Plant Based Kitchen
First established in 2014 as a vegetarian Chinese takeaway, Lotus now caters to vegans with an extensive selection of plant-based dishes – following a rebrand that saw them search high and low to source vegan alternatives used in traditional Chinese and Asian recipes.
No dishes contain onion or garlic here due to the owner’s personal beliefs, but the food here is still packed with flavour. From an extensive dim sum list, to sharing platters, rice and noodle dishes and a large list of mains including hot pots, sweet and sour, kung po and more, the menu is, quite frankly, huge.
Herbivorous
First beginning life as a street food trader, Herbivorous now has its own restaurant down in Withington selling all the naughty vegan food you could possibly want.
Bundobust has long been a favourite on Piccadilly Gardens since it came across from Leeds, but now diners have two options in Manchester after the eatery opened a second site on Oxford road earlier this year.
Inside the new restaurant, they’ve also installed a brewery, bringing over Dan Hocking from the Netherlands’ Uiltje Brewing Company to take the reigns and create them some tasty, unique beers. Head down for Indian street food favourites like okra fries, vada pavs, bundo chaat, paneer tikka and more.
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Purezza
First originating in Brighton, Purezza has been packed non-stop since opening its doors inside the former Dough site in Manchester’s Northern Quarter earlier this year.
The all-vegan pizzeria is known for its mozzarella, created for Purezza in a laboratory by scientists over a number of years. The special recipe is apparently unrivalled, so if you’re a vegan who still loves cheese you simply have to put this one on your list.
The Eighth Day
An institution on the Oxford road, The Eight Day cafe has long been a haven for non-meat eaters – way before the rest of the city caught on.
Upstairs, the shop sells a range of different food products, perfect if you’re doing veganuary and need to top up your store cupboards with new ingredients. Whilst downstairs, a cafe serves hearty soups, sandwiches and more – all catered to vegetarian and vegan diets.
Go Falafel
Great for a quick grab-and-go lunch, Go Falafel has several sites dotted across Manchester and is pretty reasonably priced with a medium wrap costing you £5.50. For that, you’ll get fresh falafels, house pickles, red cabbage, hummus, salad, chilli and tahini, with the option to add on fried aubergine or vine leaves for an additional sum.
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Not feeling a wrap? There’s also some hearty salad bowls on offer here, as well as a wide range of freshly made juice blends for those planning on starting the year on a serious health kick.
The Pasta Factory
One of Manchester’s pasta OGs, The Pasta Factory is up there as one of the best in the city for vegans thanks to the fact the team make their own (brilliant) vegan parmesan here. Of course, that’s not all – they also make their own pasta and sauces, too.
Think a large selection of pasta dishes, with plenty of choices for vegans, plus regularly changing specials, traditional starters, and bags of freshly-made pasta available to take home, and you’ll soon see why locals love this spot so much.
Fuel Cafe Bar
This little spot in Withington is a long-standing veggie and vegan treasure trove. Ahead of the curb, it’s been dishing our vegan breakfasts well before most of the places on this list even opened their doors.
From breakfast to dinner, there’s loads of dishes to suit on the menu here – think cakes, burgers, fry ups, soups, you name it – and if you stay late, you might even catch a gig too. They’re pretty well known for putting on good acts here.
Family-run business Lily’s has been an institution in Manchester since it opened in 1972. Starting their journey at a small shop selling Indian sweets and savourites on Cotton Street East, Ashton–Under–Lyne, today Lily’s is an award-winning restaurant known far and wide for its vegetarian cuisine.
The restaurant is named in Lily’s honour, as she sadly passed away before seeing it open. Chefs here come from all over North India, South India, Rajastan, and their passion ensures that each dish exudes authentic Indian flavours.
Ruyi Vegetarian House
Fusing together vegetarian and vegan oriental cuisine, Ruyi Vegetarian House is as delicious as it is affordable with a three-course tea time deal currently priced at just £12.50 per person.
There’s no meat insight here, despite an extensive menu selection spanning hot pot, appetizers, sizzling plates, mains, dim sum, soups, sides, rice and noodles. Instead, expect a mix of traditional and fusion meals, created using soy-based substitutes and lots of vegetables.
Sanskruti
Listed amongst The Sunday Times and The Guardian‘s best restaurants, Sanskruti is already a go-to for local veggies and vegans in the know.
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Serving everything from street food, daal, and thali to punjabi and gujurati mains, rotis/naan, thali and more, the menu here is extensive – and there’s plenty for those with particular dietary requirements. With the majority of dishes also vegan friendly, you just can’t go wrong.
Featured image – The Manc Group
Eats
First look inside Gordon Ramsay’s new Manchester restaurant Lucky Cat
Georgina Pellant
This week, Gordon Ramsay opens his Asian-inspired restaurant on Manchester’s King Street – moving into the stunning old Art Deco bank that once housed Jamie’s Italian.
Spanning three floors with opulent private dining vaults in its basement, the new Manchester location promises to be a dining experience like no other with jaw-dropping decor to match.
Capturing the essence of the original Mayfair eatery in the very heart of the city in a truly iconic building, the restaurant is only the second Lucky Cat to open worldwide – cementing Manchester’s reputation as a leading destination for food, drink, and entertainment.
Taking over the former bank, Lucky Cat Manchester pays homage to the building’s heritage by embracing its gorgeous period features while offering locals a ‘brand new’ dining experience.
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
With wood panneled private bars and dining spaces tucked away for special events, Lucky Cat’s menu fuses the vibrant atmosphere of 1930s Tokyo jazz kissas and drinking dens with a world-class dining experience.
Promising fine wines and cocktails, live DJs and a real party atmosphere, it is already a destination on the London scene – and now it looks set to achieve the same reputation here in Manchester.
The new Manchester location hopes to immerse guests in the extraordinary culinary narrative from Gordon Ramsay and Lucky Cat Executive Head Chef Andre Camilo, who have crafted each dish with sharing and excellence in mind.
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Diners are invited to ’embark on a gastronomic journey of culinary icons’, digging into the likes of sublime black cod, sumptuous sirloin weeping tiger and the legendary Lucky Cat Duck Bao.
The team has taken the very best of its Mayfair menu heroes and added some new dishes to offer ‘a dining experience like no other’, encouraging guests to ‘journey onward to the ocean’s depths’ with sublime sushi and raw dishes, from sumptuous tuna tartar to mouth-watering dragon rolls.
An innovative cocktail list, meanwhile, includes the one-of-a-kind Lucky Negroni, where the gin in your drink is determined by a captivating game of chance.
With three dice hidden inside a mysterious box, the numbers rolled will unlock the perfect combination of gins, vermouths, and bitters destined for your drink. With a staggering 216 possible combinations, your Lucky Negroni is a personalised, exhilarating experience, crafted by fate itself.
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Speaking on the new opening, the celebrity chef said: “Lucky Cat is more than just a restaurant; it’s an extraordinary encounter. We’re ready to dazzle Manchester’s vibrant culinary scene with a gastronomic spectacle that will leave you craving more!”
The full menu can be viewed on the website here, promising an array of delights to stir your culinary curiosity.
Featured image – Supplied
Eats
The new restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this month | June 2023
Georgina Pellant
The summer is here, al fresco dining is on the cards, and it seems like the suburbs are having a moment again.
Urmston has not one but two exciting new openings to shout about, whilst Withington has just welcomed Almost Famous into its neighbourhood as Manchester’s original dirty burger bar takes over the short-lived Libertine site.
Elsewhere, Gordon Ramsay moves into town with his Lucky Cat restaurant moving into the former Jamie’s Italian site at the top of King Street.
Simply put, there’s a lot to get excited about this month – and we’re only scratching the surface.
Keep reading to discover where to put on your list this June.
Restaurant Orme, Urmston
Image: Restaurant Orme
A strawberry ice cream sandwich. / Image: Restaurant Orme
An affordable tasting menu restaurant inspired by the British seasons with a nod to Mancunian charm, this new eatery opened on Urmston’s Church Road at the end of May.
Serving up a 6 course tasting menu, there is the option to add extra courses and wine pairings on top – with some charming British wines on offer that have been hand-selected by the team.
A very welcome addition to Urmston, there’s a focus on seasonality and sustainability – enhancing humble British produce by preserving, pickling and fermenting throughout the year.
Prices start from £45 for the tasting menu, and £50 for the wine pairing.
Open now
Ciaooo Loaded Garlic Bread
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
For lovers of garlic bread, this new restaurant is a dream come true. Brought to Shudehill by the team behind Swan Street’s fluffiest pizza, diners can choose from seven different styles of classic, cheesy and loaded garlic breads – all priced from £5.
Available in 10″ sizes, the offering here is geared towards the lunch rush with opening hours from 12-6pm daily.
Elsewhere, you’ll also find hot slices of Ciaooo’s famous deep-fried lasagne, milkshakes, 10″ pizzettes and more.
One of June’s most hotly anticipated new openings, Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay is already a hit in London – earning the chef a Michelin star for his efforts.
Now, it’s arrived in Manchester – taking over the former Jamie’s Italian unit on the top of King Street.
Promising a dining experience like no other, the new restaurant looks to capture the essence of the original Mayfair eatery in the very heart of the city in a truly iconic building.
Menu highlights include the fried duck leg bao, described as a ‘must try’ by Michelin.
Manchester’s original dirty burger spot Almost Famous has officially moved to the suburbs, taking over Cottonopolis’s short-lived Libertine pub and transforming it into one of their signature burger joints.
Open now, on the menu you’ll find it serving up its ever-popular combination of loaded burgers, flaming cocktails and winning fries.
Offering a ‘neighbourhood friendly vibe’ with movie and quiz nights, the new site also boasts its own special burger ‘The Southside ’, which is exclusive to the Withington branch.
The latest offering from the team behind Northern Quarter institue Evelyn’s, new bar Public will open on Stevenson Square this month.
Sandwiched inbetween The Quarter House and the square’s new ice cream parlour, Sweet, it will serve up cocktails designed by the team behind its underground cocktail bar The Daisy alongside plenty of pints for sun-soaked days.
A selection of small bites, noodles and sandos will also be on offer, inspired by the Lower East Side’s late night bars and the bustling energy of NYC’s Chinatown.
TBC
Monkey Trio, Circle Square
A new sake and Japanese whiskey bar at Circle Square, Monkey Trio has been hotly anticipated with its opening on the cards for nearly a year now.
This month looks set to finally be the one it opens, serving up offer drinkers a range of different Japanese sake styles, as well as various Japanese-made whiskies and craft matcha beers.
Open now
Bar Etna, Altrincham
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A new addition to Altrincham’s ever-growing foodie scene, this bistro and deli is already becoming a hit with locals.
There’s a counter bursting with Sicilian meats and cheeses, plus a menu boasting everything from arancini and lasagne to sweet treats like cannoli, pistachio torte and more.
Find everything you want at Bar Etna and more. – ranging from fine wines and limoncello to Italian biscuits, cakes and more
Open now
Desert Island Dumplings, Northern Quarter
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Image; The Manc Eats
Image; The Manc Eats
Desert Island Dumplings has newly opened on the top floor of Affleck’s serving up vegan dumplings with non-traditional settings, surrounded by The Simpson’s memorabilia.
There are a bunch of Simpson’s-themed menu items, ranging from steamed hams to an array of combo boxes inspired by different characters in the show including ‘The Lisa’s Lunch Special’. ‘The Homer’s home Early Mega Box’, ‘The It’s All Coming Up Millhouse Special’ and ‘The moe Syzslak Mystery Mega Box.’
As for drinks, these are limited to soft drinks with favourites like Ribena and Coke available alongside delicious Columbian filter coffee, various teas and mugs of hot chocolate.
This month sees London bakery Gail’s continue its expansion into the north with its second Manchester cafe on King Street.
The new bakery will serve Gail’s artisan sourdough breads, pastries, sandwiches, and cakes alongside its speciality House Blend coffee, which changes four times a year with the seasons.
An outside terrace on the historic shopping street will give fans the option to enjoy a spot of al fresco drinking and dining, whilst a lower floor space offers the chance to host local events and gatherings.
6 June
Roti, Urmston
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
The second site from Sale’s hit Indian Fusion restaurant Roti is opening in Urmston, suggesting that the town is really on its way up with not one but two inclusions in this month’s list.
The team had to close its original Chorlton restaurant at the start of the year, but promised something new would be coming – and now, finally, we know where.
Head down from 12 June to find all of the restaurant’s classic fusion dishes, ranging from Irn Bru negronis to haggis pakoras, burgers and masala fish and chips.
Not new but rather recently reopened under new management, this popular suntrap spot welcomes a new owner and a new chef in the kitchen.
Having poached a chef from nearby Porta, head down this summer to soak up some rays and enjoy some gorgeous views of the water as you tuck into some tasty tapas dishes.
Amp, Stockport
Opened inside the former Doctor Feelgood site by its former manager Aaron Davies, Amp takes over a legendary spot close to Stockport’s historic market with renewed enthusiasm.
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With a host of gigs lined up for the summer and plenty of beers on tap, plus a terrace overlooking one of Stockport’s prettiest parts, it’s definitely worth a visit. If you’re really lucky, time it to see the house band – Creme Brulee (yes, really).
Madre
Image: MadreImage: Madre
This new taco joint will bring the spirit of Mexico City to Manchester when it opens at Kampus this May.
With a menu made up of mouth-watering tacos, wood-grilled seafood and steaks, plus fresh oysters and ceviche straight from a huge ice counter, and a drinks list celebrating agave, this is a new opening you don’t want to miss.
Evolving from a lunch spot to a buzzing bar with Mexican party vibes as the sun goes down, expect a destination that celebrates Mexico City’s cuisine, culture and personality in equal measure.
Georgina Pellant -
31st December 2021 
