The start of the year offers a chance for many of us to reflect on the last twelve months and think about how we can proactively make a few differences for the better.
And some of the most popular options tend to revolve around exercise, food and drink – with many making a conscious effort to return to the gym, drink less or eat healthier.
As part of those options, the popularity of Veganuary has been rising in recent years. It sees people attempt to go vegan for the entire 31 days of January in an attempt to cut down on their meat consumption and challenge themselves, even temporarily, to adopt a vegan lifestyle.
Due to the overall popularity of veganism over the years, a number of venues including restaurants, bars and pubs already have plenty of plant-based options on their menus and, to coincide with Veganuary, a few more will even be adding some specials too.
If you’re set to take on Veganuary 2025 or even if you just want to try more plant-based dishes, we’ve got you covered on some of the best places to visit in Manchester this January.
Vegan restaurant The Allotment is one of the city’s best spots when it comes to plant-based dishes
(Image: Allotment)
Indian Affair
Indian restaurant Indian Affair offers some impressive vegan delights at their two sites in Chorlton and Ancoats.
The family-run spot has an entire vegan menu featuring small plates and mains, including a jackfruit biriyani which features aromatic basmati rice and rose water. There’s also the aloo tikki spiced potato and pea patties and the show-stopping palak chaat spinach fritters drizzled with tamarind and pomegranate.
There’s also 25% off the entire food menu when you dine in between Sunday to Thursday from January 5 to 30. Not bad. Not bad at all.
46 Blossom Street, Ancoats, M4 6BF
362 Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, M21 8AZ
Purezza
Highly-praised sourdough pizza that’s vegan? Sold.
Not only was Purezza hailed as one of the best pizza spots in the COUNTRY earlier this year, it was also named as one of ‘the best of the best’ in the UK by TripAdvisor too.
Its range of sourdough pizzas are made using organic wholegrain flour, with varieties like the BBQ Bourbon and the National Pizza of the Year award-winning Parmigiana Party Pizza available to order. There are also cheeseless pizzas available to order, as well as gluten-free and coeliac-friendly bases.
75-77 High Street, Northern Quarter, M4 1FS
Maray
At the start of the year, popular Middle Eastern-inspired spot Maray will be introducing Green January – celebrating its vegan and vegetarian offerings.
There’s the likes of falafel and hummus on the menu, as well as an oyster mushroom shawarma and the incredible-sounding ‘Disco Cauliflower’, which features chermoula, harissa, tahini and pomegranate.
Better yet, there will be 50% off vegetarian and vegan dishes between Monday to Thursday throughout January (available for tables up to seven).
14 Brazennose Street, Manchester M2 6LW
Hip Hop Chip Shop
If you’re still fancying a chippy mid-way through your Veganuary challenge then Ancoats’ Hip Hop Chip Shop has got you sorted.
The Blossom Street chip shop, which also does delivery and has a collection hub at the Carlton Club in Whalley Range, serves up classics but also caters perfectly for vegans. There’s the Plant-Tast-Tic Vegan Fish, featuring banana blossom marinated in seaweed, and the VEGANGSTARR, consisting of a battered red pepper and chickpea vegan sausage.
44 Blossom Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6BF
Herbivorious
Located on Wilmslow Road in Withington, Herbivorious was inspired by road trips to the USA and a love for plant-based food.
With further bases also in Sheffield and York, the Herbivorous menu features dishes made from scratch including burgers, mac and cheese, cheesesteaks and BBQ ribs made with Seitan, a meat-alternative using wheat gluten. Make sure to save room for the decadent Mississippi Mud Pie too!
445 Wilmslow Road, Withington, Manchester M20 4AN
The palak chaat spinach fritters at Indian Affair
The Eighth Day Shop & Café
Most people will have walked past the Eighth Day health food shop on Oxford Road by this point – but many of us may not realise it’s got a downstairs café too.
Using seasonal and local ingredients, there’s a range of classics like vegan pies and pastas, alongside salad bowls, soups, sandwiches and even a fair few specials and sweet treats. Open 11am to 3pm on Monday to Saturday (closed Bank Holidays).
111 Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 7DU
Bahn Vi
Tucked in the corner of New Century’s food hall, Banh Vi’s menu spans across Thailand and Vietnam and features some clever plant-based spins on Asian street food classics.
Their slogan ‘In plants we trust’ runs through their menu which features the o.g. banh mi sandwich – a crisp baguette stuffed with 24-hour marinated tofu, pickles cucumber, herb mayo and chilli – as well as mushroom wings and loaded tater tots with herb mayo, spring onions and chilli.
New Century House, Corporation Street, Manchester, M60 4ES
Lotus Plant Based Kitchen
Offering a range of vegetarian and vegan Chinese dishes, there’s a reason why Lotus is often featured on many ‘best of’ lists when it comes to the city’s best vegan spots.
The loaded menu features the likes of popcorn tofu, salt and pepper aubergine, Hainanese ‘chicken’ rice, vegan duck chow mein, and mixed veg with cashew nuts. There’s plenty to choose from.
536 Wilmslow Road, Withington, M20 4BY
The Allotment
Using locally sourced and sustainable ingredients, The Allotment on Cathedral Gardens offers a range of fresh dishes to choose from.
Tapas dishes, available individually or as part of a three for £18 or five for £30 deal, include chargrilled cabbage, satay tofu skewers, tex mex jackfruit bao buns, and pesto courgette. Larger plates, meanwhile, include a miso and maple hasselback squash potato cake and a lentil jalfrezi.
1-3 Cathedral Gates, M3 1SW
Little Aladdin
Serving customers in Manchester city centre since 1997, Little Aladdin’s totally vegan range consists of six daily curries and rice.
As well as curries including daal, spinach, cabbage, and a whole host of vegetables, menus here also feature falafel and wraps, biryanis, samosas chaat and vegan burgers – making it your one stop shop for all things vegan. Even better, you can sit in or take away your vegan grub.
72 High Street, Manchester M4 1ES
Vegan and plant-based pizzeria Purezza is well-hailed
(Image: Tom Nicholson)
Grub ExtraVEGANza
The last weekend of January will see Grub, located under the Red Bank near Victoria Station, welcome the return of its original three-day ExtraVEGANza street food festival.
Established in 2017, the free-to-attend event will feature 100% vegan street food, dessert, beer, cocktails, soda, coffee and good times.
Full details and a list of traders attending have yet to be unveiled, but the event will take place on Friday, January 24 from 6pm to 10pm, Saturday, January 25, from 12pm to 10pm and Sunday, January 26 from 12pm to 6pm. Keep an eye here for more info.
50 Red Bank, Cheetham Hill, M4 4HF
Dishoom
Indian restaurant Dishoom, in Spinningfields, has a wealth of vegan dishes ready to order.
You could choose to start the day with the mighty Vegan Bombay breakfast, which features tou akuri, vegan sausages, vegan black pudding, grilled field mushrooms, masala beans, grilled tomato and vegan buns.
Elsewhere on the menu, there’s also sides and snacks, including the likes of vegetable samosas and okra fries, as well as vegan sausage naan rolls, the Chole Chawal chickpea curry, and Dishoom’s house chaat featuring golden-fried sweet potato, oat yoghurt, pomegranate, beetroot, radish and carrot.
32 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BT
The Laureate
Located within Hyatt Hotels Manchester just outside the city centre, The Laureate restaurant is launching a ‘Fresh Start’ menu for January that features plenty of vegan goodness.
Alongside alcohol-free drink options, dishes on the new menu include hummus and acili ezme, padron peppers, a cherry tomato, avocado & orange salad and cauliflower wings.
55 Booth Street West, Manchester, M15 6PQ
Rola Wala
Cult Indian street food haunt Rola Wala will be serving up its latest creation in time for Veganuary in the form of a Bhaji-loaded naan roll.
Priced at £5.95, the limited-edition vegan delight, which is freshly fried to order, features crispy golden onion bhajis wrapped in a soft, pillowy vegan naan with plenty of veggies, herbs, pickles, and a choice of signature house-made chutneys — from the sweet and zesty Mango & Ginger to the fiery Tomato & Naga Chili.
There’s also customisable spice bowls, with vegan favourites available, alongside plant-based Rola rings and masala fries.
75 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BW
El Gato Negro
Whilst not a vegan-exclusive spot, El Gato Negro on King Street gets a shout-out or its special vegan offerings.
As well as tapas staples like patas bravas, the restaurant serves up the likes of Caramelised Cauliflower with Shabu Shabu and Harissa Butternut Squash – and there’s a special January offer to take part in too.
Their offer, running through January, will allow diners to choose three tapas dishes for £20. It’ll be running all day Sunday to Thursday and between 12-4pm every Friday throughout the month.
52 King Street, Manchester, M2 4LY