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Grace’s Vegetarian Favourites in Leeds!

15th May 2018

Grace tells us her top picks for veggie eats in the city:

As a vegetarian living in Leeds, I’ve never had difficulty finding delicious eats of the green variety. You’ll find it hard to find a Leeds eatery that DOESN’T offer delicious vegetarian dishes, all dietaries are well catered for! And there are so many vegetarian cafes and restaurants here in Leeds that you could eat a different vegetarian meal every day and never be lacking for choice. Having said that, I certainly have a few favourites.

 

1. EAT YOUR GREENS

Eat Your Greens on New York Street, close to the iconic Kirkgate Market, champions the veggie eater. They do have meat on their menu but it’s mostly vegan and a little bit vegetarian and totally delectable. No fuss farm to fork goodness. Eat Your Greens use local organic produce where possible because it’s good for the planet, good for you and good for the farmers that grow it.

 

2. THE BRUNSWICK

Sometimes I want to fit in with the traditional British Crowd, and at such times I head to The Brunswick for their Sunday Roast. It’s no secret that they have one of Leeds’ favourite Sunday Roasts, but their vegetarian roast is the nicest I’ve ever had. It involves a nut roast with pine nuts and squash and other secret magic that I don’t fully understand, and comes with a gigantic Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables and a vegetarian gravy. The Brunswick is relatively tiny though so make sure you book – I’ve tried to just turn up before, and it doesn’t end well for me or my tummy. If you’re heading there any other time than Sunday, they have a regular menu with delicious vegetarian food as well. It’s all seasonal, local, and equally mouth-watering.

3. CANTINA

For something slightly more exotic, I head to Cantina, which brings a decidedly Mexican vibe to vegan food. Cantina is actually Leeds’ first all-vegan eatery, and it’s paved the way for others to do the same. Their menu of diner-style food is mixed with a Mexican flare and just enough chilli for my liking. The jackfruit ‘pulled-pork’ I had last time I visited was amazing and their vegan coleslaw was delicious. The restaurant itself is a really cute room decked out with flowers, wall art and vintage-style mismatched tables that all add to the cheerful vibe. As an added bonus, it’s situated just above the Old Red Bus Station so you can pop down for drinks after you’ve eaten all you can eat.

 

4. KNAVE’S KITCHEN

Another place I love visiting to get my vegan junk food fix is Knave’s Kitchen at Oporto. They’ve only just recently opened and it seems like word has gotten out because it’s bustling whenever I visit. Their menu is completely vegan too, and the meaty parts of the junk food have been replaced with seitan or tofu, made delicious in wraps, kebabs and curries. Oh, and there are also onion bhaji burgers. These deep fried delights are so tasty your meat eating mates will love them!

 

5. FETTLE

When I want to be a little bit fancy, I head to Fettle. It’s a small Scandinavian style café on Great George Street. Their menu isn’t exclusively vegetarian, and it’s quite small, but each meal is tasty, filling, and healthy (well apparently, though I kinda don’t believe them because it tastes so good)! The décor is equal parts modern and comforting, a bit like the food really. The toasted gnocchi with edamame and pesto is especially rich for a vegan meal, and their soups are always hearty and warming. They’ve also recently started a fine dining evening called FINE at Fettle that gives vegetarian eaters a chance to enjoy top quality food which is, as I said, a little bit fancy. Being vegetarian is good for the planet, so it stands to reason that we deserve a nice dinner.

 

I have so many more favourite places to eat, but for now I think this is a diverse, delectable snap shot of what we have available in this veg-friendly city. No matter what kind of food you’re craving, there’s a vegetarian version of it somewhere here in Leeds!

 

*Blog updated July 2023, first published 2018