Here are the best vegan spots to try out in Birmingham

When it comes to food, Birmingham is a city full of eateries that cater to every foodie’s taste. Whether it’s an Indian, Italian or Tapas you fancy, it’s likely that you’ll find a veggie or vegan equivalent in Brum. I’ve had a look around, and narrowed down what I think are the best vegan eating spots in Birmingham, from vegan cafés and gourmet restaurants, to street food destinations and vegan pizzerias. Whether you want a dining experience, a quick vegan lunch and coffee break, or you just fancy grabbing something to take away, these hotspots will have something for you.

 

The Warehouse Café

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Between Moor Street Station and the Bullring you’ll find The Warehouse Café. Starting out as a soup kitchen, The Warehouse Cafe has gone from strength to strength, and is now known nationwide as one of Birmingham’s best vegetarian eating spots, and shares its home with Birmingham Friends of the Earth.

If you care about getting your food from a sustainable source, you’ll love The Warehouse Cafe who recycle everything they use, use bicycle couriers (or go on foot) to collect fresh produce (always organic and fair-trade), and their menus are seasonal so they can ensure that they’re buying locally. Not only is their restaurant 100% vegetarian, a  vast majority of their small plates, mains, and desserts are vegan, meaning you can tuck in to anything from burritos to curries to brownies, without worrying about your meal being meat, fish and dairy-free.

Open:

Tuesday – Saturday: 12pm – 2.45pm / 5.30pm – 8.15pm

 

Bistro 1847

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Head on over to the Great Western Arcade where you’ll find Bistro 1847 (named after the year the Vegetarian society was founded). With a 100% veggie menu, and more than a fair selection of vegan snacks, small and large plates, and desserts, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Birmingham’s Bistro 1847 is the third to be opened in the UK, following its success in Brighton and Bristol. It’s the perfect destination for gourmet food lovers with dishes like chargrilled pitta with shakshuka hummus, battered halloumi, and coconut malabi gracing the menu. With an atmosphere that has more of a chilled café vibe than the typical pretentious restaurant, Bistro 1847 is the top spot for student foodies.

Open:

Monday – Friday: 12pm – 3pm / 5pm – 10pm

Saturday: 12pm – 10.30pm

Sunday: 12pm – 8pm

 

Café Soya

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From the name, you can probably guess that Café Soya is a good eating spot for veggies and vegans alike. With two branches (one on Upper Dean Street, and the other located in the Arcadian), you’ll be sure to get a seat. For those who like Chinese and Vietnamese-inspired dishes, you’ll be delighted to find that there’s vegan duck, chicken and pork dishes, as well as tofu and veggie-based dishes. Most are price at around £5 or less too, so no worries about breaking the bank.

Open:

Upper Dean Street Branch: 

Sunday – Thursday 12pm – 10.30pm

Friday – Saturday 12pm – 11pm

Arcadian Branch:

Sunday – Saturday 12pm – 10pm

Closed on Wednesdays

 

3 Threes Coffee Lounge

Like Café Soya, veggies and vegans have the option of heading to one of the two 3 Threes Coffee Lounge Birmingham branches. Both the Martineau Place and Great Hampton Street locations boast Artisan coffees and a wide selection of whole leaf teas alongside handmade vegan and vegetarian meals, cakes and desserts.

Want something a bit heavier? Fear not – 3 Threes Coffee Lounge boasts vegan jumbo frankfurter hot dogs, and nachos for the more indulgent customer. With only one item on the menu being veggie too, vegans will delight in the variety that 3 Threes provides.

Open:

Martineau Place Branch:

Monday – Saturday 8am – 8pm

Sunday 11am – 5pm

Great Hampton Street Branch:

Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm

Saturday 11am – 5pm

 

Vegan Grindhouse

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For the street food lovers out there, Vegan Grindhouse is the go-to place for veggie and vegan eats. Frequent visitors to Digbeth Dining Club and Brum Yum Yum will probably already know about this popular eating destination, famed for its delicious burgers. Andy and Lisa, the couple who set up Vegan Grindhouse, set up their company to combat the stereotypes of vegan cuisine, offering all sorts of delectable treats from hot dogs and chilli, to cakes and shakes.

With plans to expand their vegan food truck into a restaurant, complete with a bar, it looks like Vegan Grindhouse is going from strength to strength. Plus, if you’re a Tarantino fan, and you weren’t already hooked from their name, there’s a Death Proof Burger Challenge (a burger filled with three vegan quarter pounders, three vegan rashers of bacon, three vegan cheese slices, lettuce, tomatoes, gherkins, jalapeños, and three sauces of your choice).

Check out when and where they’re next popping up.

 

Mr Singh’s

Mr Singh’s is pretty much known nationwide for its vegan pizza. Everyone loves pizza and Mr Singh’s, located in Birmingham, seems to have solved the dilemma of creating tasty and wholesome pizzas that are suitable for vegans. Renowned for the ‘tastiest vegan pizzas in the country’ and with two dine-in locations in Gants Hill and Handsworth, plus a takeaway location in West Bromwich, Mr Singh’s had to be mentioned in the top ten vegan eateries in Brum.

Not only does Mr Singh’s offer a wide range of vegan pizzas, from Margherita and Veggie Supreme to Veggie Pepperoni and Veggie Meat Feast, there’s alternatives such as wraps, salads and tortillas. There’s no shortage of sides, with vegan chicken nuggets and vegan chilli cheese bites, to name a few. If there was ever a UoB vegan rite-of-passage, Mr Singh’s would 100% be it.

All branches are open:

Monday to Sunday 11am – 11pm

 

Boston Tea Party 

Yes, I know. Everyone loves Boston Tea Party, and with new branches popping up all over the country, it seems that the café is winning over the nation. The Birmingham branch is located on Corporation Street, or if you want to head out of the city centre, there’s a branch in Harborne, and both offer plenty of vegan-friendly meals, snacks, sweet treats and drinks.

For breakfast or brunch, there’s a vegan full-English or, if you prefer something a little healthier, spelt granola with banana. There’s also a vegan salad with avocado, mango, radish, sprouting seeds, sugar snap peas, leaves, carrots, nuts and seeds, and they offer a raw veg smoothie known as ‘The Green One’ (a blend of spinach, cucumber, banana, chia seeds, apple juice and lime) for health food enthusiasts.

Open:

Harborne Branch:

Monday to Saturday  8am – 9pm

Sunday 8am – 6pm

Corporation Street Branch:

Monday to Saturday 7 am – 7 pm

Sunday 9am – 6pm

 

Damascena Coffee House

For those who want to head out of the city centre, amongst Moseley’s vast selection of pubs, restaurants, bars and cafés, Damascena Coffee House is the perfect destination for a chilled coffee break, and boasts a great veggie and vegan selection too. N Damascena offers a huge range of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and chai latté selections, amongst plenty of other cold alongside more vegan food choices than most restaurants in town.

Try out the vast selection of flatbread-based vegan dishes if you fancy something a little different, or select from their wide range of veggie sandwiches, salads and soups. It’s a great vegan breakfast destination too. Bit too far out? Not to worry, Temple Row is also home to another Damascena Coffee House, so if you want to stay in town, you can still try it out.

Open:

Moseley Branch:

Monday to Thursday 9am – 9pm

Friday and Saturday 9am – 10pm

Sunday 10am – 6pm

Temple Row Branch:

Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm

Saturday 9am – 8pm

Sunday 10am – 6pm

 

Rico Libre

For the tapas lovers out there, Rico Libre in Digbeth is where you need to head to for vegan goodness. Whilst not everything on the menu is veggie and vegan-friendly, there’s an array of dishes to choose from which are meat-free, fish-free, and dairy-free. It’s not too pricey too – each tapas dish costs £5, or you can have three for £14.50. If you like your Spanish food, you’ll be happy to find that Rico Libre has all the favourites from Patatas Bravas to Champinones Al Ajillo.

Not sold? Well Rico Libre is unlicensed, so you can bring your own booze. Now that’s a game changer.

Open:

Sunday and Monday evenings  – closed : private hire only

Tuesday – Saturday : 6pm – 10pm

Sunday 12 noon – 3pm

 

Not Dogs 

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If you didn’t get it from the name, Not Dogs is an veggie and vegan eatery located in Linkstreet, between Grand Central and the Bullring, which specialises in vegan hot dogs. After having had a successful run serving meat-free hot dogs at festivals and other events, Katie and Jane, the two ladies who set up Not Dogs, decided to head back to their hometown of Brum and set up a permanent space.

What makes Not Dogs better than other veggie and vegan eateries offering hot dogs then? The seitan-based Not Dog can be enjoyed in a range of flavours, from the Plain Jane (Ketchup and Mustard) and Hello Houmous, to the Ticklish Tikka Dog or Kickin’ Katie Nacho Dog. So whether you fancy just sticking to the classic, or want something a little extra, Not Dogs will have it. There’s vegan bites and loaded vegan waffle bites in a range of flavours too, if you’re dying to pig out.

Open:

Monday to Friday 10am – 8pm

Saturday 9am – 8pm

Sunday 11am – 5pm