A Scandi-inspired cafe bar that opened in the heart of Manchester’s office district in 2020 has it will be closing for good.
Spring Gardens cafe bar Lättsam, popular for its mugs of gravy soaked Swedish meatballs and huge range of beer, has revealed that it will be closing up shop for good.
Opened by the team the behind the award-winning Beatnikz Republic Brewing Co. and NQ Bar, the cafe and bar has occupied the former Brook Street Recruitment Office since 2020.
When owners first got their hands on the site, they thought they would have a steady stream of customers thanks to the offices upstairs.
Now, they say that the pandemic has put paid to that dream.
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mage: LattsamI
mage: LattsamI
Opening in the early days of the Covid pandemic, bosses first had to operate as a takeaway whilst waiting for the city to enter ‘Tier 2’ so it could offer a fuller menu in line with government restrictions.
It is this, combined with a change of working patterns, that owners pointed to as they announced the restaurant’s closure on social media over the weekend.
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Saying there was ‘no way of knowing what was just around the corner’, they pointed to ‘multiple re-openings over the years’ and the fact that ‘the working landscape had completely changed’ since early 2020.
The team wrote: “It’s with a heavy heart that we announce that tonight we have closed our doors for the last time.
“When we first opened early 2020 we were destined to be in the hub of Manchester’s office district, with no way of knowing what was just around the corner.
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Image: Lattsame
“With multiple re-openings over the years that followed, the working landscape had completely changed and we suffered many of the issues that other city centre hospitality venues have faced over the past 12 months in this post-Covid world.
“Thank you to our loyal customers who loved our chilled out vibes and couldn’t get enough of our gorgeous meatballs, we hope to bump into you in the future.
“Thank you & goodbye (Tack adjö), Team Lättsam”
PT1 It’s with a heavy heart that we announce that tonight we have closed our doors for the last time. When we first opened early 2020 we were destined to be in the hub of Manchester’s office district, with no way of knowing what was just around the corner. pic.twitter.com/gHVmwwnuqC
Replying to the post, one person said: “Ah gutted! Always loved popping in for a beer!”
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Another replied: “Oh No. Truly gutted great coffee, beer and food. All the best folks.”
A third said: “No way, Manchester is packed more than ever, offices are full and building more, Gordon Ramsay is coming, why is sit really closScaning? Every day everywhere is packed more than anywhere else in Europe.”
Feature image – Lattsam
City Centre
The Boots recycling scheme where you can get £5 off every shop
Thomas Melia
UK high street retailer and healthcare shop Boots has launched an innovative recycling scheme that entitles customers to £5 off their future shopping trips.
If you’re still struggling to come up with a New Year’s resolution, why not try a spot of recycling and earn some money off your next cosmetics shop while you’re at it?
Started in 2020, the Boots Recycling Scheme allows Advantage Card holders the opportunity to get money while also being more conscious about how we recycle our used health and beauty products.
Their third-party app, Recycle at Boots, uses a ‘Scan2Recycle‘ system where users can upload items from various beauty brands by taking a picture of the empty packaging before identifying its form.
This scheme takes items that can’t usually be recycled at home, such as lotion pumps, toothpaste tubes, lipstick, mascaras, travel minis, make-up palettes and more.
Once you have five items approved, head over to your nearest participating Boots store, drop off your empties and scan the QR code on the deposit box.
After you’ve followed all these steps, a voucher will appear entitling you to 500 Advantage Points when you spend £10 in-store at your nearest location, and not only do you have £5 worth of points with your name on it, you’re also an eco-warrior.
There’s even a dedicated section of the app to recycling empty medicine and vitamin blister packs, which gives customers 100 Advantage Points when they spend £5 in-store.
Brilliant.
Credit: Publicity pictures (supplied)
Items dropped into these deposit boxes are taken to MyGroup, a recycling and waste management service which works around the clock to help divert waste from landfill.
These empties will be washed and traditionally recycled into a material called MyBoard, a construction board material most similar to plywood, with lots of different uses.
Nearest Boots locations in Manchester running the Recycle at Boots scheme:
Manchester Market Street – 32 Market Street, M1 1PL
Salford Regent Park – Regents Park, M5 3TP
Manchester Didsbury – 736-740 Wilmslow Road, M20 2DW
The Trafford Centre – 10 Peel Avenue, M17 8BD
Trafford Retail Park – Neary Way, M41 7FN
If you’re up for getting money off your next Boots splurge while also helping recycle cosmetics containers and more, you can download the Recycle at Boots app and find your nearest HERE.
Where to find the best vegan and veggie restaurants in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
Manchester is one of the top places in the country to eat out if you’re trying to go plant-based, be that for Veganuary or any other time of the year— and we have the best vegetarian and completely animal-free restaurants and more casual food spots to prove it.
The city, its outskirts and beyond all boast 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 Manchester and its surrounding areas – even if they’re not specifically designed for the vegan or vegetarian diet – will likely have one or two suitable dishes on their menu.
Truth be told, the time when you could get away with not catering to this ever-growing group of foodies has come and gone. Or it has in Greater Manchester, at least.
20 of the best vegan and veggie food spots in Greater Manchester
If you’re thinking of exploring a more plant-led diet, simply curious as to where you might find the best vegan restaurants in Greater Manchester, or at least predominantly vegetarian to get you started, we’ve pulled out a list of must-visit places for you to try below.
1. Momo Shop – Chorlton
Starting off maybe too strong here, Momo Shop isn’t just one of the best places in town when it comes to catering for veggie and vegan foodies, it’s quite literally one of our favourite restaurants in Manchester, full stop. Yes, it really is THAT good.
From their unbelievable trademark dumplings, gyoza and Nepali twists on potstickers, to choosing the way you want them cooked and that incredible array of sauces, you can mix and match pretty much however you want without missing out on even an ounce of flavour.
Each of their chana and alu salads is fresh and to die for, and we’re also not exaggerating when we say the vegetarian momos done ‘Saneko style’ and then tossed in the buttered flavour might just be the very best thing on the menu. If you haven’t tried it yet, you need to rectify that mistake like yesterday.
Wholesome Junkies was a firm favourite of the Arndale Market during its years there, and after dropping off the map for a spell, they’re now back at a total of three different locations: Hinterland alcohol-free bar, Hinterland; their delivery kitchen over in Ardwick and now New Century Hall.
You can expect plenty of delicious meals made with mock meat, from a hearty Sunday lunch to bao to burgers. Put simply, if you’ve never tried it, it’s like cheat food for vegans.
3. Maray – Lincoln Square
Maray in Manchester has loads of vegan and veggie options.One of the best restaurants in Manchester for vegans and veggies.Maray’s Manchester site is comfortably one of the best restaurants when it comes to its vegetarian options. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Middle Eastern/Parisian restaurant Maray is a must for its veggie and vegan small plates, brilliant cocktails and spiced falafel roast dinner.
Must-tries here include the signature ‘Disco Cauliflower’, which comes baked whole and loaded with sauces and pomegranate seeds, the warm garlic flatbread, hummus and bright green house falafel. Easily one of the best places for vegan and veggie food in Manchester, even if they do dabble in plenty of meat and seafood.
This Indian cafe has developed quite a cult following in the 25 years it’s been in the heart of the Northern Quarter, with its authentic Indian curries and wraps.
And everything on the menu is vegan, as of four years ago — much to the surprise of unsuspecting meat-eaters who wander in search of some quick late-night scran. Incredible flavours.
5. Gooey – Also NQ + Ducie Street and Trafford Centre
Unbelievable hash browns at Gooey in Manchester.Gooey’s crispy tofu sando at Gooey is a viral sensation. Credit: The Manc Group
While Gooey might be best known for its fat cookies studded with chocolate, and for its enormous slabs of French toast, it’s also got a lot on offer to suit vegetarians and vegans… including Lizzo, who raved about its plant-based offering while staying in Manchester.
Their vegan crispy tofu sando (especially when served Lizzo-style with a side of hash browns) has genuinely cemented itself as the stuff of legend.
This award-winning plant-based restaurant takes vegan food in Manchester and reimagines it in a gastro-pub style spot just next to the Cathedral, with dishes like butternut lasagne, chestnut bourguignon, and a brown sugar-glazed tofu ‘ham’.
Elsewhere, you’ll find small plates like cauliflower wings, satay tofu skewers, miso maple mushrooms and a plant-based take on a prawn cocktail. At lunchtime from Monday to Friday, you can get two dishes and a hot drink for £15 here too. Bargain.
7. This & That Cafe – Northern Quarter
If you know, you know… (Credit: The Manc Group)
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, it might take you a minute to find out, but once you do, trust us, you’ll never look back. It’s a local treasure for a reason. One of the best hidden gems Manchester has to offer, and a sneakily good restaurant when it comes to vegetarian food.
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 animal-free 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 punch. 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.
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, with a brewery inside.
Head down for Indian street food favourites like okra fries, vada pavs, ‘Bundo’ chaat, paneer tikka and more. We never get tired of this place.
10. Franco Manca – Piccadilly/King St, Didsbury and Trafford Centre
Now, perhaps contrary to popular belief, we’re not anti-chain here at The Manc Eats; we will back anyone serving up good food anywhere in Greater Manchester, and for many, Franco Manca still remains their go-to pizza spot no matter what part of the country they’re in.
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With that in mind, it’s also worth noting that the London-born franchise that has four different sites across the region is pretty darn good when it comes to vegetarian and vegan pizza options – such as their regular Veganuary specials, for instance, available here in Manchester and all over the UK
Speaking of good plant-based pizza, first originating in Brighton, Purezza has been helping elevate the veggie and vegan version of the already oversaturated foodie genre since opening its doors inside the former Dough site in Manchester’s NQ.
The all-vegan pizzeria is known for its mozzarella, created specifically for Purezza in a laboratory by scientists over a number of years, and the proof is right there in the final product.
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.
An institution on the Oxford Road corridor, The Eighth Day Shop & Cafe has long been a haven for non-meat eaters – way before the rest of the city caught on.
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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.
13. Go Falafel – Northern Quarter, Deansgate and Rusholme
So we've noticed a HUGE increase in Tabouleh orders and we LOVE it. We also think everyone should try it especially as it's VERY healthy! Seasoned simply with lemon juice and olive oil, you can't go wrong! 💚🍃#GoFalafel#GoHealthypic.twitter.com/8Maz9iCMoD
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 £6.95. 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.
Not feeling a wrap? There are 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.
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 that 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 of 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.
This little spot in Withington is a long-standing veggie and vegan treasure trove. Ahead of the curve, it’s been dishing out vegan breakfasts well before most of the places on this list even opened their doors.
From breakfast to dinner, there are 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.
16. Lily’s Indian Vegetarian Cuisine – Ashton-under-Lyne
Lily’s Vegetarian in Ashton-under-Lyne.Just look at it.Lily’s is comfortably one of the best vegetarian restaurants outside of Manchester city centre. (Credit: The Manc Group)
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 savouries 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 and Rajasthan, and their passion ensures that each dish exudes authentic Indian flavours.
Sticking with the Indian theme, there aren’t many places that do vegetarian and vegan stuff that genuinely rival the animal-based offerings on their menu than street food favourites and, in our opinion, one of the best chain restaurants, Mowgli.
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Some of our very favourite things they do can be found in the vegan section, including the bhel puri, those oh-so-sweet treacle tamarind fries and the temple dahl. It might be franchised, but that doesn’t stop it from slapping every single time.
18. Sanskruti – Withington
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.
Serving everything from street food, daal, and thali to Punjabi and Gujarati 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.
Wawin is the fully vegan Chinese restaurant based on Ordsall Lane that genuinely blew our minds a little bit when we first tried it for Takeaway Champions back in 2023.
From mock chicken drumsticks, super crispy spring rolls, flavourful noodles, soups and sauces, just to highlight a few of their very high points, this Deliveroo-only special feels like a bit of a hidden gem that is definitely up there with some of the best vegan food we’ve had in Manchester.
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20. Soots – NQ
Last but not least, we simply cannot overlook the success story that is Soots, which started out over at Altrincham Market but has now sprung up in a new city centre unit.
Not only is it impressive that they’ve managed to put together such a flavourful menu of entirely plant-based and nourishing homemade dishes, but it might genuinely be up there with some of the best pasta you’ll find in central Manchester, full stop.
And that’s your lot for the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in and around Greater Manchester – at least for now, anyway.
There are, of course, so many other places that we would have happily included on this list of plant-based perfection, but this should get you started for now.
Whether you’re giving Veganuary a go, just trying to reduce your carbon footprint or wanting to cut out animal products altogether, you’ll be glad to know you live in an area that’s making it easier and easier to do so each year.
Georgina Pellant -
22nd August 2022 
