Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen

Polly Checkland Harding
Photo of the restaurant's logo on their front window
Image courtesy Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen.

There are plenty of options at this meat-free Chinese restaurant. We found out whether the food was as good as the menu’s range.

When you’re a veggie, you quite quickly discover that some cuisines are more friendly than others. Travel in Spain and the range is limited. You’re also likely to be faced with confusion if you insist that yes, chicken does count as meat. It is getting better – but back on home turf, restaurants seem to be going through a meat-and-neon seizure. Exhibit A is Red’s True Barbeque, while exhibit B, uber-bar Cane and Grain, has just announced a “Man Vs. Ribs” challenge that involves six kilos of meat, three sauces and four sides.

But we’re here to talk about Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen. This meat-free Chinese restaurant (found close to the southern suburb of Withington) has an unprepossessing frontage: clean, white, with black and lime green lettering, it looks as though it might be moonlighting as a dental practice. The food, though – the food is good.

It might have the decor of a dental practice but the food – the food is good

Perhaps the best thing about Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen is the choice. The decision-making required to narrow down the lengthy menu made our brain ache; it’s not a process vegetarians often experience. We went for crispy spring rolls and grilled dumplings to start, with the sizzling skewered veggie satay chicken and the tofu, aubergine and bean curd hot pot for mains. Everything was well flavoured and prepared, with the sticky “chicken” satay a particularly moreish highlight. Chowing down on vegetarian prawn crackers before the food arrived, meanwhile, undid years of being excluded from their fizzy goodness.

Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen doesn’t serve alcohol, but you can bring your own. Though the décor is ropey, with plastic flowers and a print on one wall that looks like a screen saver, the staff are excessively friendly. Like V Revolution in the Northern Quarter, this place makes eating as a veggie less chore, more choice. Go with a big enough group to cover most of the menu, then tell us which are your favourite dishes. Please – we’d like to know what else to try when we go back.

For more vegetarian restaurants in Manchester, read our Guide.

536 Wilmslow RoadManchesterM20 4BY View map
Telephone: 0161 445 7457 Visit Now

Opening Hours

  • Monday5:00pm - 10:30pm
  • Wednesday5:00pm - 10:30pm
  • Thursday5:00pm - 10:30pm
  • Friday5:00pm - 11:00pm
  • Saturday5:00pm - 11:00pm
  • Sunday5:00pm - 10:30pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Culture Guides

Music

We go all in on festivals, with a round-up of everything from city-spanning giants to grassroots gems you may not know about.

Exhibitions

There's no rest for the art lover - this month brings outdoor sculpture, musings on water, political drawings and Liverpool Biennial 2023!

Classical Music

Summer's classical music calendar is filling up nicely! Read our top picks of concerts happening in Manchester and the North.

Winnie the Pooh at Manchester Opera House
Families

The sun has finally got his hat on! Enjoy our top picks of family-friendly events and activities, both indoors and outdoors.

Gerry Potter (credit Lee Baxter)
Literature

Books are big this summer, with festival readings, poetry slams, creative writing activities and famous faces all putting in an appearance.

Food and Drink

All signs point toward June being a scorcher of a month, so let’s take a look at all things summery food and drink.

Tours and Activities

From literary activities to brilliant independent shops, keep your minds and homes filled with the good stuff this month.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre

Check out our updated guide for lively theatre festivals, rip-roaring rooftop circus and dreamy outdoor shows.