Greens Didsbury

A staple of the Didsbury dining scene since 1990, Greens Didsbury is easily the most well-known vegetarian-slash-vegan restaurant in Manchester, if not the North. That’s partly down to part-owner TV chef Simon Rimmer but mostly due to the highly-praised food.

The space looks great, all high ceilings and huge windows, with a friendly, chatty atmosphere and cheerful staff. Surprisingly for this well-to-do South Manchester village, the drinks prices are more than reasonable, with a hefty jug of ice-cold, fruit-laden rosé sangria costing just £20.

From the tasters section, one item is a must-try – yes, it’s the Greens veggie black pudding, a dish that has been raved about by happy visitors for years. It’s a bit gauche to compare like for like, but give these to a meat-eater in a blind test and no chance they’ll tell the difference. They’ve got the taste and texture down pat – big powerful flavours, speckled with salt flakes and a tangy mustard mayo to dip them in. All for less than a fiver? A steal.

The starters don’t disappoint – the vegan arancini are things of beauty, soft and crunchy, all at the same time. The flavours are next-level, all pesto and hazelnut, served piping hot with a precision-made garlic and parsley aioli.

The deep-fried oyster mushroom pancakes are another long-standing dish, this time offering a sustainable spin on the classic Chinese dish of duck and pancakes. The plum sauce is thick, smooth and delicious, but – minor quibble – the mushrooms were a little too brittle and tended to rip through the pancakes.

Be warned, the mains are hearty. The spinach, pistachio and feta filo pie is a case in point. This thick slab might look daunting but it’s impossible to stop eating. The pie itself is excellent, all well-crafted layers and pitch-perfect proportions, but it becomes something special when scooped up with a blob of the glorious tomato and cinnamon sauce. Some nicely cooked roasted beetroot rounds things off, making for a standout, tummy-filling dish.

If it’s healthy eating you’re after, go straight for the poké bowl. This beautiful multi-coloured dish is a smart twist on the Hawaiian classic, ditching the seafood in favour of a host of plant-based treats: bitesize pieces of spiced roasted cauliflower, some salty wakame seaweed, brown rice, crispy onion, palate-cleansing pickled ginger, shell-less edame beans, and best of all, some rich, smooth avocado crushed up with pineapple to add a welcome sweetness. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a finer poké bowl in the city.

The chocolate and avocado mousse at Greens is the stuff of legends. Pleasingly, it’s yet another vegan dish on the menu that doesn’t compromise on texture, flavour or looks. The avocado makes it richer and creamier than anything dairy could achieve – if you’re a chocolate fan, or even if you’re not, this is the dessert to try.

Greens Didsbury was serving up inspired vegetarian and vegan dishes way back in the early 90s, long before ethical eating became such a vital addition to the UK eating-out landscape. Thirty-odd years later, it’s stronger than ever, with a confident and ever-surprising menu that won’t break the bank.