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Vegan and Vegetarian Food

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

Manchester’s food scene has never been more inventive – and that extends beyond meat. Over the past decade, plant-based cooking has become one of the city’s strengths, with vegan and vegetarian food thriving.

What was once a niche choice is now just good food. Manchester’s best chefs are putting vegetables at the centre of the plate, proving that sustainable eating can be indulgent, exciting and deeply satisfying.

This guide brings together the restaurants, cafés and pop-ups leading that charge – from all-vegan institutions to spots where meat-free dishes steal the show. Whether you’re fully plant-based, flexitarian or just curious, these are the places that make Manchester one of the UK’s most exciting cities for vegan and vegetarian food.

Our top picks

Folk Didsbury

Folk Didsbury, 169 - 171 Burton Road, Manchester, M20 2LN - Visit now

Folk Didsbury’s neighbourhood favourite with a strong vegetarian showing, thanks to chef Harry Jones’s knack for big flavours and smart seasonal cooking. It’s not a plant-based venue, but the meat-free dishes are every bit as considered as the rest.

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Bundobust Brewery

Bundobust Brewery, St James's Bldg, Bundobust Brewery, 61-69 Oxford St, Manchester, M1 6EQ - Visit now

The newer of Bundobust’s two Manchester joints also happens to be our favourite, serving up tapas-style small plates of vegetarian and vegan Indian food, along with an exhaustive – and somewhat exhausting – list of beers and craft ales.

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Isca Wines

Isca Wines, 1032 Stockport Rd, Levenshulme, Manchester , M19 3WX - Visit now

Levenshulme’s Isca pairs natural wines with elegant, inventive vegan dishes – from cauliflower and pomegranate to artichoke and oyster mushroom – all crafted with real finesse.

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Hinterland

Hinterland, Basement, 16-20 Turner St, Manchester, M4 1DZ - Visit now

Hidden below Manchester Buddhist Centre, Hinterland is an all-vegan, alcohol-free bar and café serving inventive comfort food, creative mocktails and a warm, communal Northern Quarter vibe.

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Hinterland bar and cafe
JJ.

Caravan Restaurant & Roastery

Caravan Restaurant & Roastery, St Johns, off Quay St, Manchester , M3 3BG - Visit now

Offering Antipodean speciality coffee culture alongside high-quality all-day dining, Caravan is a must-visit spot near Aviva Studios, and the vegan plates are some of the stars of the menu.

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Eighth Day

Eighth Day, 111 Oxford Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 7DU - Visit now

A Manchester institution since the 1970s, Eighth Day combines a fully vegan shop with a vegetarian café serving daily changing, home-cooked dishes – a cornerstone of the city’s plant-based scene.

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The Allotment Vegan Restaurant

The Allotment Vegan Restaurant, Lloyd’s house, 18-22 Lloyd St, Manchester, M2 5WA - Visit now

Once a fine-dining trailblazer, The Allotment has evolved into a more relaxed all-vegan restaurant on Deansgate. Think colourful, flavour-packed dishes that celebrate creativity and seasonality.

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Maray Manchester

Maray Manchester, 14 Brazennose St, Manchester , M2 6LW - Visit now

Maray brings bold, colourful Middle Eastern-inspired cooking to Manchester – a small plates favourite where around half the menu is vegetarian or vegan, including their now-legendary Disco Cauliflower.

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