Vegan Restaurants Leeds - Your guide to what's good & green in the city
There has never been a better time to be a vegan looking to eat out in Leeds City Centre, there are many options for dining out, take-aways and food on-the-go that are either totally vegan or vegan friendly.
If you are looking for vegan options in Leeds, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve marked out which are entirely vegan and which are suitable for a mixed crowd. You never know, you might tempt an omni friend into a vegan dish!
Vegan Restaurants Leeds - Mill Hill
BUNDOBUST
Funky fabulous Indian street food, Bundobust is a fantastic choice. I could wax lyrical about the okra fries for hours, they are dreamy! They claim that the ragdha pethis is where ‘the north of England meets India’. I don’t know about that but it has spiced mushy peas in a potato cake and it’s delicious.
I have tried every vegan option on the menu here and I love them all!
Bundobust is a good place to come as a group as you can order a mixed combo and try lots of the dishes together, the bench style seating is perfect for dining with friends.
Vegan only? – No, vegetarian with vegan dishes marked on the menu
THARAVADU
Just down the street from Bundobust is Theravadu, a Michelin recommended, Keralan cuisine diamond! The dosa (a sort of crispy pancake cone) look spectacular, and the Sadhya (three course feast) features several small curry dishes as an entree and every single one is absolutely delicious.
The staff here are super friendly and accommodating, they’re happy to talk through the ingredients and alternatives if you have any questions.
Vegan only? – No, omni, but vegan options are clearly marked on the menu
Vegan Restaurants Leeds - Kirkgate Market Food Court
FAT ANNIE’S
The Kirkgate Market food court (indoor market) is great for food-on-the go, there’s a large seating area if you don’t want to walk and eat too. Fat Annie’s serves up American diner style food, pancakes, hot dogs, loaded fries etc. They are my number one go-to food for a hangover (!) Feeling in need of a boost? You can add extra protein into the pancakes and shakes here.
If you’re looking for something substantial, the burgers are amazing and the Boom Boom sauce is super spicy!
Vegan only? – Yes, and there are discounts for students and NHS workers on production of photo ID.
MANJIT’S KITCHEN
Staying in the market, Manjit’s Kitchen is a wonderful spot for Indian street food. The chana masala is absolutely delicious when washed down with a cheeky cold beer if you are so inclined. They also have a great Thali offering, where you get rice/roti and a selection of small curry dishes.
A really good value lunch option.
Vegan only? – No, vegetarian with vegan dishes marked on the menu
Vegan Restaurants Leeds - Briggate Food Stalls
FALAFEL GUYS
In a super cute little street food van at the corner of Briggate, Commercial Street and Kirkgate you will find Falafel Guys. When I have had a really busy day at work and I am late heading out for lunch so I’m really hungry, Falafel Guys are usually my first choice. The falafel wrap here is AWESOME and nearly all the sauces and pickles are vegan so you can really layer up the flavours!
It’s take-away only, but served up in a wrapper that make it easy to eat on the go.
Vegan only? – No, omni, but vegan options clearly marked on the menu
Döner Summer - Call Lane
For sit-in and take away options, generous portions and plenty of flavour, Döner Summer is perfect. The restaurant has a laidback vibe, make sure you have a good appetite, their delicious flatbread is really filling!
Everything on the menu here is vegan, the Chick’n Parm Teller is absolutely amazing, add some of their scotch bonnet sauce if you like things spicy.
Vegan only? – Yes!
El Gato Negro - Park Row
El Gato Negro is not an exclusively vegan/vegetarian restaurant, but I had to include it for the most delicious vegan tapas I have ever tasted!
I had the vegetable paella arancini with smoked aubergine purée, the caramelised cauliflower with Shabu Shabu and the pan Catalan. It was amazing, I still daydream about it now.
I had my first experience of the food here when I was on a festive ‘Tipsy Tapas’ afternoon out – the El Gato Negro version of a bottomless brunch (which I would heartily recommend btw) and I enjoyed it so much I went back the week after with my husband so he could try it!
If you are visiting in January they have a great Veganuary offer of £15 for 3 dishes.
Vegan only? – No, omni. If you are looking for a sophisticated date night style venue that caters for vegans and non-vegans, this is a great choice.
Mowgli - Boar Lane
Owned by celebrated chef and food writer Nisha Katona, Mowgli is incredibly pretty and serves sensational tangy, fresh, Indian street food.
My recommendation here is the school tiffin box. The contents change with seasonal availability, and it is always fabulous.
Another thing I love about Mowgli is that the dishes are marked where they are particularly climate friendly and a discretionary £1 charity donation is added to the bill. Good food and a good deed, win-win!
Vegan only? – No, omni, but vegan options are clearly marked on the menu
Cantina - Vicar Lane
Upstairs in The Old Red Bus Station on Vicar Lane you will find Cantina, the first of many vegan restaurants Leeds can now boast. They’ve been in their home here since 2016.
The menu is deliciously junk vegan, think burgers and popcorn bites, all served with fries.
My recommendation would be the munch box (a couple of the ‘bar bites’ & fries) or the poutine fries. If you’ve never tried poutine fries, it’s essentially cheesy chips and gravy, a Yorkshire classic, but from Canada! OMG, delicious.
Vegan only? – Yes
House of Fu - The Headrow
Ramen, rice and super bowls. House of Fu is always busy and bustling, it has a great atmosphere and that’s because it does what it does really well. The ramen are satisfying and delicious – try the Spicy Miso Tantanmen (vegan mince). The rice bowls are nice and spicy and the Super Bowls look great!
You can even book in for karaoke upstairs if you want to make a night of it. Good to know is that House of Fu are a living wage employer.
Vegan only? – No, omni, but vegan options are clearly marked on the menu
Little Bao Boy - Sovereign Street
OMG I love bao buns and nowhere does them better than Little Bao Boy! They are to be found inside North Brew Tap on Sovereign Street (they also have a venue at Springwell Works on Buslingthorpe Lane).
The bao buns are little fluffy clouds of fabulousness, but don’t overlook the other dishes. A good size portion to fill you up, the noodles are great too.
Vegan only? – No, omni, but about 50% of the menu is vegan
Pho - Trinity Kitchen
Trinity Kitchen is worth exploring for vegan food, as they regularly rotate their food vans and the vegan options are usually plentiful. The vegan mainstay in Trinity Kitchen though, has to be Pho.
They have loads of vegan options, noodle soup, rice bowls, curry, you name it. Pretty much everything on the menu has a vegan option and everything is prepared with fresh ingredients. It’s good value for money, and an ideal stop off when you’re out shopping. 15% student discount available.
Vegan only? – No, omni, vegan options clearly marked on the menu
Humpit - Lifton Place
Located in the Student Union, Humpit is a banker if you like good food, served quickly, that tastes heavenly. Their hummus is perfect, the falafel are to die for and their sweet potato fries are a firm favourite.
If you’re near the university, you should definitely pay them a visit.
Vegan only? – Yes
Blue Sakura – Merrion Way
Blue Sakura is a Japanese sushi and asian style grill on Merrion Way, and my friends rave about it! Full disclosure, I haven’t been to Blue Sakura yet, they are next on my list. I had to add them in here though, I have heard so many good things about their food. They operate an all you can eat buffet service, with fixed prices according to the day/time of your sitting.
They have a really broad vegan menu that I literally cannot wait to try, including vegan maki, nigiri & temaki and the restaurant itself looks gorgeous.
Vegan only? – No, omni, but they have a separate vegan menu
That’s all for now folks, I hope I’ve helped you to find something to tempt your taste buds in the city centre! Look out for my guide to vegan food in West Yorkshire, including the Leeds suburbs which will be posted soon.
Thanks for reading,
Sally
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