Vegan Bites in Bristol & Bath

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Bristol now has more than its fair share of vegan and veggie places to eat, earning it a place as the most popular vegan city in the world.

I’m always happy to go to vegetarian restaurants, and tend to eat out a lot at Japanese, Korean and Indian restaurants, which by their nature offer extensive vegetarian choices (check out Tuk Tuck, Bento Boss and Nutmeg for particularly good examples of this), but even so it seems only fair to have a fully fledged vegetarian give their thoughts about the best of what’s on offer.

Read on to see what other plant-based treats you can get your hands on across the city!

Restaurants

Koocha Mezze Bar
Vegan mezze which arrives in a dazzling display of colours, with flavours to match. A perfect place to bring friends and share a bundle of plates. Try the cocktails and vegan kebabs too!

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Root
Not an entirely veggie menu, but Root puts vegetables & pulses front and centre of its menu, with meat, fish and dairy taking a back seat. The quality here is first rate, some of the best food in the city without a doubt.

root

Thali Cafe
In addition to their Northern thali which includes a yummy paneer curry, they also do a dairy free thali, alongside numerous veggie snacks and sides such as mango and paneer shish kebabs, masala dosa, uttapam and crunchy salads.

Thali

Fi Real
An unassuming Caribbean cafe/restaurant opposite Sofa Project on Old Market. Curry, stew and rice’n’peas are the order of the day, as well as fresh juices, smoothies and cakes. Everything is vegetarian, if not vegan. Expect a friendly welcome.

Fi Real vegan dish

OAK
Some of the most sophisticated and contemporary vegetarian food to be found in Bath or Bristol. Dishes often comprise hot, warm and cold elements.

Oowee Vegan
No longer are the dirtiest burgers and loaded fries for meat eaters – Oowee do a ridiculously tasty line in plantbased junk food, from buffalo cauliflower to mightily stacked burgers, waffle fries and more! Hungover vegans rejoice!

oowee

Flow
This place is a good mix of sophistication and cosiness. Choose from a variety of seasonal plates such as stuffed aubergine, courgette spaghetti or Vietnamese style spring rolls, or go for the tartines topped with ever-changing combos including beetroot hummus, labneh or broad bean & mint. The cocktails are also bang on.

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Pepe Nero
Up until recently, pizza was the nemesis of all those who had to avoid dairy, but not anymore. Pepe Nero can be found at The Beer Emporium on King St are proud purveyors of pizza which aims to cater to everyone, whether they be carnivores, vegetarians or vegans. The menu is extensive, so you’re not just limited to a couple of options or substitutions.

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Other amazing places to check out which aren’t exclusively veggie but offer a brilliant choice of vegetarian & vegans dishes include Souk Kitchen (modern Middle Eastern with a bright, fresh menu -every dish bursts at the seams with flavour), Pieminister (including vegan pies, and vegan/GF gravy!) No. 1 Harbourside, The Old Market Assembly, and Yakinori (including vegan sushi and a range of noodle & curry dishes).

You can also customise the menus at Pizzarova or choose from their latest vegan specials.

Pizzarova pizza 2
DIY veggie goodness at Pizzarova

Cafes

Green Rocket Café
This Bath café offers wholesome, imaginative food, most of which is vegan, and there’s even a raw option. Choose from standard cafe fare such as soup, sandwiches and cake, or larger meals such curry, noodles and mezze platters. Everything we’ve tried there has been lovely.

Green Rocket Bath
Hefty healthy sandwich from Green Rocket Bath

Cafe Kino
A focal point on Stokes Croft – vegan-centric Kino attracts a loyal fan base regardless of their diet with its wholesome and homemade menu, ranging from their spicy burgers, to vegetable stews and curries, through to a mouth-watering range of cakes, tarts and biscuits. They also run a great programme of events, including gigs, talks and workshops.

Cafe Kino cakes

East Village
The menu at this wholly vegan cafe includes sandwiches, soups, cakes and buddha bowls for you to enjoy in a light and relaxed setting.

East Village

VX Bristol
Vegan junk food you say? Count us in! Having started in London, VX have opened their second branch on East St in Bedminster and are serving up all manner of meat and dairy free filth including hot dogs, kebabs, nachos and huuuuge cake.

You can also find a great range of veggie and vegan options at Taste of Napoli in Broadmead (who even do a selection of vegan breakfast pastries & pizza) and Better Food Co.

We’re also lucky to have several excellent local chains which provide impressive vegetarian and vegan options, including Biblos and Boston Tea Party – check out their websites for more menu information.

On the go

Gopals Curry Shack
Spicy goodness from Gopals Curry Shack

Gopal’s Curry Shack
Indian street food with a modern twist – bubble and squeak samosas anyone? You’ll spot Gopal’s Curry Shack at markets all over Bristol.

St Nicholas Market
You’re spoilt for choice here, whether it’s the good value filled rolls & snacks from Royce Rolls, weighty falafel boxes from Eat a Pitta, grilled veggie wraps from Matina, Mediterranean salads from The Olive Works, comforting curry from Spice Up Your Life, Szechuan noodles from Chilli Daddy, spicy snacks from Caribbean Wrap or a vegetable tagine from Al Bab Mansour. And that’s before I even get on to the meat-free delights of Pieminister, Foodie Vietnam, La Lola and Eatchu.

St Nicholas Market in Bristol
The Glass Arcade in St Nicholas Market

Falafel King
Falafel King is surely a cornerstone for most vegetarians and vegans in Bristol. The sturdy falafel & salad wraps come in two sizes (we’re yet to finish the large one in less than two sittings) with a selection of sauces, plus there are also muffins and baklava if you fancy a sweet treat.

Edna's Kitchen
Fantastic falafel from Edna’s Kitchen

Edna’s Kitchen
A strong contender for the best falafel in town, Edna’s Kitchen is situated on the edge of Castle Park near The Galleries and is open every day from 10am until 5pm. Everything on offer here is vegetarian or vegan; as well as falafel there are halloumi wraps, sabich (aubergine and egg), and eija (herby frittata). Fresh, quick and very tasty.

Pubs and Bars

Boca Bar Bristol
A veggie alternative to fish and chips from Bocabar

Bocabar
Not exclusively vegetarian, but included in this round-up for its wide range of veggie pizzas and salads. The vegetarian ‘fish’ (ok, halloumi) and chips is a good choice, but we’ve heard good things about the meat-free Sunday roasts too.

Lounge veggie breakfast
The sturdy veggie breakfast available at the Lounges

The Lounges
Laid-back cafés with at least one – but often more – veggie version of everything on its menu. You’ll find the usual suspects here: falafel burger, lentil curry, paninis, and there’s often a vegetarian special. The Lounges do a good breakfast too, with lots of choice for non-meat eaters, and there’s also an entire menu just for vegans.

Watershed
Another café with a fairly extensive vegetarian menu, covering baguettes, baked potatoes and vegetable tarts. The soup, pasta and risotto of the day are always vegetarian too.

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51 thoughts on “Vegan Bites in Bristol & Bath”

  1. Thank you for this post! As a vegan I sadly have to write off a few of your recommendations but there are a few on there I wasn’t aware of which I’m really looking forward to trying!

    Can I recommend a few more who have excellent veggie/vegan options:
    – The Bristolian
    – Tampopo
    – Friska
    – Boston Tea Party
    – Pepe Nero
    – Eat a Pitta (My personal favourite falafel in the world)
    – Thali Cafe
    – Teohs
    – Biblos

    1. Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for the extra tips! I’m kicking myself for not mentioning Pepe Nero or Biblos, but the others are all excellent shouts too. I’ll try and drop as many extra names into the piece as possible!

    2. Pepe Nero, Thali Cafe and Friska are good shouts. Is Tampopo really that vegan-friendly though? (That’s the place in Cabot Circus, right?!) Last time I went there was barely anything that was marked as vegetarian, let alone vegan!
      I also think Boston Tea Party’s vegetarian fare has gone downhill in recent years – especially the ‘super salad’. Used to be amazing, now it’s just shoots and seeds.

      1. I only started going to Tampopo recently so maybe it’s improved recently? They have a fair few veggie options and label their vegan dishes clearly 🙂

  2. Edna’s kitchen IS the best falafel in town – it’s wonderful. The Lounges, however, are pants… especially the food… We have some guests this weekend – not vegetarians – but this list will come in very, very helpful with refreshing my memory of a few of Bristol’s great places to eat!

  3. Maitreya Social is excellent – we went there for a (veggie) friend’s birthday and even all us carnivores were really impressed and didn’t miss the meat! Service was excellent too – our waitor went through the entire menu, explaining what each dish was like and giving recommendations. Excellent experience.

    Look forward to trying some more of these now, too 🙂

  4. So glad you enjoyed Chapel Arts Cafe.

    I work there, and love hearing all the positive feedback we get about the food!

    Great write up with lots of interesting places I can’t wait to check out!

    Sus

    1. Thank you, I’m so pleased you like the piece – I’ve been coming to the cafe for years and stop in most weeks for lunch with friends, it’s a guaranteed winner, especially the mezze selections! 🙂

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