Best vegetarian restaurants Manchester: 14 unmissable veggie spots

Manchester’s best vegetarian restaurants are a varied lot - this multicultural northern powerhouse is home to cuisines from all over the globe, and thankfully, vegans and vegetarians in Manchester are also blessed with a wide spectrum of options. Whether you’re looking for pizza, a great veggie curry, healthy plant-based bistro food or hearty pub classics, Manchester has you covered.

In fact, you’ll find a handful of these great veggie restaurants are also in our list of the best restaurants in Manchester, which is a testament to how exciting the city’s plant-based scene is. 

Mancunians are spoilt for choice all over the Greater Manchester area - there’s predictably excellent food in the city centre, but many of the areas very best restaurants are found in Manchester’s surrounding suburbs. Didsbury, for example, has a thriving food scene, as do Chorlton and Levenshulme. These restaurants cover all sorts of price points too - if you’re just looking for a friendly neighbourhood spot to visit a few times a month, Manchester has a wealth of affordable bistros and restaurants serving plant-based delights. That said, fine diners are well catered for as well - a few of the best fine dining establishments in the area offer dedicated vegan and vegetarian menus, or at the very least, they can cater for vegetarians with a bit of prior notice.

So, if you’re here for a taste of Manchester’s best vegetarian restaurants, scroll down to take a look at our picks, and click on the links to book yourself a table today.

Dishoom

What: You'd be hard-pressed to find a restaurant that has a greater variety of flavourful vegetarian food than Dishoom. Having found success with multiple outposts in London, Dishoom now serves its Bombay-inspired food across the country, including Manchester. From chilli broccoli salad to paneer romaali roll, Dishoom is a demonstration of how vibrant and exciting vegetarian food can be. Meat isn't missing or substituted for here, vegetables are simply centre-stage. 
Dish to order: House black daal
Where: 32 Bridge Street, M3 3BT
Book now: Dishoom

Lily's Vegetarian Indian Kitchen

What: As the name suggests, Lily's is totally vegetarian and has won awards for its vegetarian offering. Having grown from a small shop serving handmade savouries, Lily's is now a fully-fledged restaurant, perfect for celebrations and groups. Their expansive menu ranges from streetfood chaats to vegetable curries to dhosas to South Indian specialities. Arrive hungry, order plenty and leave feeling nourished. 
Dish to order: Masala Dhosa
Where: 75-83 Oldham Road, OL6 7DF
Book now: Lily's Vegetarian Indian Kitchen

Another Hand

What: Another Hand is the product of two chef friends Julian Pizer and Max Yorke, who have over thirty years experience between them. Although not strictly vegetarian, this is a veggie-led restaurant with a focus on responsible farming, locally sourced ingredients and flavour-driven sharing plates. On their evening menu, you'll find braised carrot with smoked ketchup, Jerusalem artichokes with confit yolk, and wild mushrroms with truffle. A real foodie destination, Another Hand is refined, skillful and delicious. 
Dish to order: Hay roasted hasselback potato
Where: Unit F, 253 Deansgate, M3 4EN
Book now: Another Hand

Comptoir Libanais

What: Comptoir Libanais brings the flavours of the Middle East and North Africa in an array of mezze, tagines, salads and sharing platters. There's plenty of meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes so everyone can be well catered for here. Veggies can expect halloumi steak with toasted pistachios and traditional tabbouleh to start, as well as aubergine tagine and spinach and feta borek for something heartier. With a thoughtful kids menu and group sharing menus, Comptoir Libanais is the perfect place to bring friends and family.
Dish to order: Batata harra
Where: 18-19 The Avenue, M3 3HF
Book now: Comptoir Libanais

Bundobust

What: Manchester has a long history of brilliant Indian restaurants, and Bundobust is no exception thanks to its raucous Gujarati street food and craft beers. Bundobust puts a modern, innovative spin on some of their dishes providing an element of excitement: take the bhaji butty, for example, or their raghda pethis - potato cake with spiced mushy peas, sev, tomato, onion and tamarind chutney. If you're a vegetarian that's bored of the usual veggie options, you'll be spoilt for choice at Bundobust. We recommend booking though, as it gets phenomenally busy.
Dish to order: Paneer tikka
Where: 61 Piccadilly, M1 2AG
Book now: Bundobust

Maray

What: While Maray does offer meat and fish dishes, its signature dish is the 'disco cauliflower', so its safe to say they know a thing or two about veggie food. In fact, over half their menu is vegetarian with plates like braised carrots with black garlic tahini, oyster mushroom shawarma, and fattoush. Inspired by the Middle Eastern and North African flavours of the Marais district in Paris, Maray is an explosion of flavours, textures and colours. 
Dish to order: Disco cauliflower
Where: 14 Brazennose Street, M2 6LW
Book now: Maray

Indian Tiffin Room

What: Run by two brothers, Indian Tiffin Room is a vast, industrial restaurant specialising in authentic street food. Their meat-free menu is full of delicious veggie plates, from honey glazed pineapple and paneer tikka to chilli cheese dosa. Share some okra fries between two or snack on some chickpea masala samosas. Classic dishes include dal makhani and vegetable biryani while Indo-Chinese options offer vegetable Schezwan noodles and vegetable fried rice. 
Dish to order: Tibetan Schezwan Momo's
Where: 2 Isabella Banks Street, M15 4RL
Book now: Indian Tiffin Room

The Allotment

What: The Allotment is a bit of a go-to amongst vegetarians and vegans in Manchester, being a totally meat-free eatery. Its locally-sourced seasonal plant-based menus have been a major hit in central Manchester, and the menu covers a variety of international influences, from tom yum soup and tofu satay skewers to jackfruit tacos and lentil jalfrezi. There’s an excellent glazed tofu Sunday roast too, with all the trimmings of course. 
Dish to order: Cauliflower wings
Where: 1-3 Cathedral Gates, M3 1SW
Book now: The Allotment

This & That Cafe

What: If you're a Northern Quarter local, you might be familiar with this hidden gem. This & That cafe is tucked down a rather unassuming alleyway in Manchester and serves traditional rice 'n' three curries from its family-run kitchen. Freshly made curries change daily and while there are plenty of meat options, they ensure that there are always three vegetable curries to pick from. Simplicity is a virtue here; expect menu options merely listed as cabbage, daal or chickpeas. While it seems like a stripped-back operation on the surface, their curries are packed with flavour and adored by many Mancunians. 
Dish to order: Daal (lentils)
Where: 3 Soap Street, M41EW
Book now: This & That Cafe

Lina Stores

What: Marking its first regional expansion, Lina Stores has brought its renowned Italian delicatessen-style dining experience to Manchester. Its vegetarian menu features antipasti options like sea salt and rosemary focaccia and fried artichokes with aioli. Pasta dishes range from burrata ravioli to egg yolk and black truffle tagliolini. For something more substantial, there's aubergine parmigiana and grilled hispi cabbage with plenty of desserts to choose from too. 
Dish to order: Fried ricotta and herb gnudi
Where: 17 Quay Street, M3 3HN
Book now: Lina Stores

Mowgli

What: Another big northern success story, Mowgli started in nearby Liverpool but has quickly spread all over the UK, including this buzzy site in the Corn Exchange. Not everything on the menu is vegetarian but Mowgli is a great choice for groups, as no-one feels left out and there are loads of veggie and vegan options. Not forgetting of course, everything is absolutely delicious. From watermelon chat to tea steeped chickpeas, Mowgli isn't afraid to experiment with meat-free ingredients. 
Dish to order: Mowgli paneer
Where: 37 Corn Exchange, M4 3TR
Book now: Mowgli

Where The Light Gets In

What: Sam Buckley’s seasonally-minded Stockport restaurant is held in very high regard all over the country, scooping countless awards. Let the restaurant know when you book and they can cater for almost every dietary requirement there is, including offering vegetarian alternatives for each course. This might be smoked beetroot with Sheep's yogurt, watercress with broad beans and dulse, or Cambridgeshire asparagus with yellow split pea. For a dining experience that's that extra bit special, try Where The Light Gets In. 
Dish to order: Gazpacho
Where: 7 Rostron Brow, SK1 1JY
Book now: Where The Light Gets In

Purezza

What: Purezza has exploded from a beloved Brighton neighbourhood pizza spot to nationwide vegan pizza slingers, and thankfully for Manchester, one of Purezza’s four UK sites is smack bang in the middle of the Northern Quarter. Purezza makes its own vegan mozzarella using aquafaba, and options range from classics to more innovative toppings, like the pear and plant-based blue cheese. There's also a selection of small plates, like Caesar salad, garlic potatoes and courgetti spaghetti. 
Dish to order: Gochujang pizza
Where: 77 High Street, M4 1DH
Book now: Purezza

The Ivy Brasserie

What: With venues across the country, The Ivy needs no introduction. Its Spinningfields location is particularly beautiful, featuring a plant-filled rooftop garden that comes into its own during the summer and benefits from some overhead shelter in the winter. It has a dedicated vegetarian and vegan menu, including tossed Asian salad, heirloom tomato and watermelon salad, and gochujang glazed aubergine salad. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, The Ivy Brasserie is as popular as ever. 
Dish to order: Truffle arancini rice balls
Where: The Pavilion, Byrom Street, M3 3HG
Book now: The Ivy Brasserie

In a city with such a diverse food scene, there's a whole host of options for vegetarians in Manchester. From Indian street food to Middle Eastern mezze, these restaurants know how to pack veggies full of flavour. Check out more veggie options around Manchester in our full directory of vegetarian restaurants in Manchester.