Five Favourite Places to Eat as a Vegan in Manchester
Manchester’s food scene is constantly growing and evolving, and is never short of options. From Vietnamese street food, to late night ramen, from pan-Asian food halls, to a six-course restaurant with a current Alice in Wonderland-themed menu, Manchester has it all. As a vegan, I have to say, Manchester is the place to be! This list features five of my favourite places to eat in no particular order. These are the restaurants that I always find myself going back to. I will showcase four honorary mentions that hold a special place in my heart/stomach.
Honorary Mentions
V-Revs Vegan Diner
I miss V-Revs more than I will ever be able to convey. It was the diner I ate at when visiting Manchester for the first time, it was the diner I was dreaming about eating at again until I finally returned, and it was the diner I prayed I would be able to work at. Unfortunately V-Revs announced their closure on the 25th of September 2022, just two weeks after announcing they would have to cut their business hours due to the current economic climate. They offered the best vegan burgers, kebabs and topped fried in Manchester and they will always be the restaurant I pray gets a second chance.
Cottonopolis
Located in the heart of the Northern Quarter, Cottonopolis was an asian-inspired bar and restaurant serving up a variety of bao buns, yaki, maki rolls and dim sum. However, on the 3rd of January 2024 Cottonopolis announced that they would be closing their doors after 8 years and rebranding to Lamb of Tartary, a gastropub more akin to Edinburgh Castle. I look forward to the rebranding and I’m excited to see what the future holds for the former Cottonopolis, as soon as the new menu is out, I’ll be there.
Vegan Sting
Continuing the trend of ‘everywhere I love closes’, Vegan Sting was a 100% Vegan takeaway that specialised in kebabs, wings, chicken boxes and fully loaded chips. This was my absolute go-to takeaway, to the point where it was being ordered at least once a week. So you can understand my heartbreak when Vegan Sting announced that Sunday 17th of December 2023 would be their last day of service. I made sure on that very last day to get a Vegan Sting, not knowing when my next one will be.
Vegan Green Kitchen Chinese
Vegan Green Kitchen Chinese thankfully (touch wood) is still around and serves the best vegan Chinese takeaway in all of Manchester. Green Kitchen didn’t make it into my “five favourites” because I wasn’t sure about including takeaways. However, just as the takeaway has earned a special place in my heart, it has earned a place in the honorary mentions. Whenever I am in the mood for a salt and pepper box, a chicken curry, chicken and sweetcorn soup, or even any of the udon noodle dishes, I know where to go!
The Five
Six By Nico
Six By Nico’s gimmick is that they have a six-course tasting menu inspired by a theme, location or idea, changing every six weeks. For example, they have run an Alice in Wonderland-theme, a Greek menu, a chippy tea menu, a Neverland theme, and even a once-upon-a-time theme. Six By Nico offers off-menu vegan options for every dish, and they do not disappoint. In set-menu restaurants like this, I always worry I will receive the vegetarian dish but with omissions. However, the chefs made sure each dish was as close to the vegetarian option as possible and for that I am grateful. My meal at Six By Nico deserves and will get its blogpost but for now, all I can say is, just try it for yourself.
The Allotment
The Allotment is a plant-based eatery offering set menus and afternoon tea. It is without a doubt a go-to place for anyone in Manchester with its offers of vegan fish and chips, tofu ham, miso maple mushrooms, and jackfruit tacos. They even offer a sharing platter for people who want to try a bit of everything. The afternoon tea offers sweet and savoury as well as the option for prosecco. The Allotment’s menu changes seasonally with special set menus for Christmas and Valentine's Day, so there is always a reason to go back. Situated right next to the Cathedral Gates, there is no excuse for you to not try this one!
Viet Shack
What more can I say about Viet Shack? If you haven’t already, make sure that you read my blog post about Viet Shack for a more in-depth review. With that said, I can talk about my love for Viet Shack all day. Viet Shack is Manchester's answer to Vietnamese street food with plenty of vegan options. Featuring a specific vegan menu, Viet Shack has some of the best summer rolls, vegan tacos, cauliflower steak, and my personal favourite, the vegan chickaan burger. Crispy chicken with Viet Shack’s ‘famous’ peanut butter sauce, pickled carrots, crispy shallots, sriracha and guacamole all in a toasted brioche bun atop a mountain of fries. Now tell me you can read that without wanting one for yourself!
Maray
Maray’s food is inspired by the flavours of the Middle East and has locations in Liverpool and Manchester. Maray serves some of the most flavoursome and prettiest food that I have ever eaten. With a specific vegan menu, some of the food served is their famous disco cauliflower, spiced lentil and rice mujadara, chickpea dopiaza and a falafel sharer. Whether you’re with a group of vegans or friends of any diet, Maray has to be one of the places you visit whenever you’re in Manchester. I know I will be back and Maray will be getting a whole blog post to itself in the future!
Purezza
Purezza is a plant-based Italian restaurant specialising in sourdough pizza with locations in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Brighton and Camden. Purezza’s menu features favourites such as Margherita, BBQ bourbon pizza, pesto pizza, and other pizzas like black truffle and mimosa. They also have set menus for occasions such as Valentine’s Day and the holiday season. Purezza is always a real treat to eat at and not just because of the pizzas. They also offer slow-cooked meatballs, mac and cheese and aubergine parmigiana. If you ever read this Purezza please bring back the carbonara pizza!
