Vegan and Vegetarian

Posts in category 5. Restaurant Reviews

Mulberry Bush Veggie Cafe & Health Food Shop

May15
2013 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Cafe & Shopmulb_bush_homity

I paid a visit to The Mulberry Bush in Lampeter recently.  They have a massive health food shop stocking lots of lovely vegan products and they have a veggie cafe upstairs which has a really good selection for vegans.

The cafe is mostly specials of the day so the menu is varied with lots of salad choices,  soups and bakes.  There are vegan desserts which have been made on site and drinks including alcohol.   I discovered that they have started using veganic cheese in some of their recipes,  this is a really good vegan cheese.

The shop is full of food and products for vegans,  some is vegetarian but the vegan choice is pretty huge.    I bought some Zen Zen Ice cream, some Veganic cheese and some other delightful goodies that I will review soon.

It is located just near the centre of Lampeter near Barclays bank.

Mulberry Bush
Tel (01570) 423 317
www.mulberrywholefoods.co.uk
2 Bridge Street, Ceredigion, Lampeter SA48 7HG

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Samphire Brasserie Plymouth

Apr22
2013 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian & Vegan Brasserie

One of my regular visitors has asked me to mention a veggie brasserie in Plymouth as they have not long opened and want to spread the word.

From Samphire Brasserie Web Site:-

Based in Plymouth, Devon we are one of the first restaurants to promote British Vegetarian cuisine to the Plymouth public and surrounding area. We have afantastic new menu which boasts fresh, local & seasonal ingredients and will be subject to changes throughout the year.

Freshly made Veggie food!

All meals are freshly made to order and if there are any special dietary requirements we will do our best to meet your needs.

We welcome meat eaters who wish to experiment with meat free meals and to banish the question “What do Vegetarians eat?”

A great atmosphere!

Enjoy a laid-back approach in the café during the day, work while you lunch and take advantage of our FREE WiFi. We host a more formal affair throughout the evening. Samphire can seat up to 40 guests and can hold large party bookings upon request.

The place looks really good.  If you have tried Samphire, then let us know what you think by adding a comment.

www.samphirebrasserie.com

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Absolute Treats Veggie Boutique Bakery

Apr22
2013 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Cafe & Cake Shop

Wales has a huge shortage of veggie food cafes and restaurants,  so imagine my delight when I found out about Absolute Treats an 85% vegan 15% vegetarian boutique bakery. Selling vegan cakes, sandwiches, hot soups, cookies, savoury pastries.  They make gluten free and sugar free as well so lots of special diets are catered for.  All hand made by the owners.

Located in Carmarthen Town Centre near to the New Debenhams/New Market area in the clock tower building.

Inside is a small shop selling the most delightful foods for veggies.  Outside is a seating area that is covered with a Marquee.  I understand that business is so good that they are considering larger premises already.   I like that the shop is owned by a vegan,  so she has a huge understanding of what vegans expect.

I bought quite a few things to try out,  the selection for vegans is massive,  you certainly will not go hungry in Carmarthen.  I bought lots of different cakes, muffins, cookies, pasty, sausage roll.  Luckily I have had visitors over the weekend to share with so I did not completely overindulge,  but it was hard not to.

My favourite item was the banana muffin topped with seeds.  The muffins were really good, moist and full of flavour and very filling.  The cookies are very soft and taste lovely. The red velvet cupcakes look striking and everyone enjoyed those.  The various cake slices I also bought,  I tried a fork full of each and the raw cherry cashew cheese cake was my favourite,  but the lemon cake and orange cake with soft icing was really good too.  The cinnamon pear pastry was very good.  The pasty and sausage rolls tasted great,  perfect for a lunch with some salad.

The shop has so much on offer it is hard to take it all in,  they also sell coffee and tea and various other drinks served with various types of vegan milks.  Absolute Treats is a wonderful oasis for everyone especially vegans.  A must if you are in Carmarthen or you can mail order some of their food,  you just have to pay for the postage using Royal Mail.

The owners of Absolute Treats are having a Vegan Street Fair on Saturday 31st August,  there are some really interesting stall holders with some exciting veggie food and products.  More Details are available on the Web Site of Absolute Treats.

www.absolutetreats.co.uk

 

 

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Veggies in London

Mar03
2013 2 Comments Written by maggie

London Vegan Food

Last weekend Paul and I were lucky enough to have a lovely few days in London to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  We had a lovely time.  We visited a few of our favourite restaurants and a new one:-

Tibits Vegetarian Restaurant

Tibits is always high on my list,  it is just off Regent Street in Central London.  The food is a buffet style and you pay for the weight of what you choose.  The selection is hot curries, bakes, wedges, falafel and lots more and the cold selection is endless varieties of salads.  This is constantly being changed so there is usually something new.  A big proportion is vegan including desserts.   I like to go here to chill out with a drink,  they are open all day and the staff and the atmosphere are really good.

www.tibits.co.uk

Manna Vegan Restaurant

Currently my favourite restaurant in London.  I like that everything is vegan and the food is really divine.  I went for a taster platter which was a selection of a few starters and it was heaven on a plate.  I can honestly say that this place is great.  Try the sticky toffee pudding,  one of the best vegan desserts I have had.  On Erskine Road Primrose Hill.  It can get quite busy, so I would book a table.

www.mannav.com

Mildreds Vegetarian Restaurant

It is always busy and you often have to wait for a table (no reservations).  The space is cramped and the food comes out of the kitchen at warp speed so if you are not careful you will feel like you are on a conveyor belt.  That being said I love Mildreds,  the food is filling and tasty,  the portions are large,  the staff are fantastic and always make you feel welcome.  For central London the food is good value too and there is a large amount for vegans.   In Soho on Lexington Street.

www.mildreds.co.uk

The Gate Vegetarian Restaurant

The last time I went to The Gate in Islington North London I was a little disappointed.  Vegans are not the focus of this trendy, stylish restaurant.  However I wanted to give it another go.  There was a little more for vegans this time.  The restaurant is quite dark so it was hard to read the menu as the little vegan v was very feint.  It was very very busy so they must be doing something right.  The food was lovely,  the restaurant staff were very good and I enjoyed my evening. I will go again.  I suggest booking a table.

www.thegaterestaurants.com

The Smithfield Tavern Vegetarian Pub

I have been wanting to go here for months,  I was so excited about a veggie pub that serves real ales and veggie pub food.  I decided to go on Saturday for lunch,  ( the website said they were open 12-2pm)  We got there at 12.50 and found the pub to be closed,  there was a man cleaning the floor and he said they would be open in an hour.  As we had got a taxi that cost about £15 to get there we decided to go for a coffee and wait around the corner.  We got there at 2pm and the pub was open,  it was empty,  so we went to the bar to ask for a menu and the bartender (the guy who previously told us to come back in an hour) told us that the chef would not be there for another hour.  Not only had we wasted our time and money getting to this place,  I was annoyed that the guy did not tell us before hand.  We decided to leave and go to Tibits for lunch instead.   Afterwards I was glad we did not go as they do not have a good rating for Hygiene standards and that helped me to get over my disappointment.

www.thesmithfieldtavern.co.uk/site/

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Vegan London

Nov09
2012 3 Comments Written by maggie

Vegan Food in London

As I have mentioned I spent a couple of days in London at the end of October.  It is a real treat to have the pick of vegetarian and vegan restaurants.  I have been to my favourite places and had a lovely time.

Tibits

I love Tibits on Heddon Street, Just off Regent Street Central London.  It is a large buffet where you help yourself to a huge selection of hot and cold food all clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian and gluten free.  The food is weighed so you just pay for what you want.  There is such a lot of choice and it is very easy to fill your plate with an array of quality food.  They offer vegan wines and beers plus the usual coffee’s with soya or dairy and soft drinks.

222 Veggie Vegan

I discovered this place recently near Earls Court,  it is all vegan and the food is really tasty and full of flavour.  The desserts are good and there is a good selection of wine.  Lunchtime they do an all you can eat for £7.50 and it is great.  Everything is made fresh so it is not a place to rush of an evening,  I would suggest you book a table because it does get busy at night.

Manna

Located in Primrose Hill, I often go here for Sunday lunch when I am in London,  it is a fantastic vegan restaurant with lots of choices and daily specials.  It is a nice place to go for a romantic night out.  This place does the most amazing vegan sticky toffee pudding which is the best you can imagine. I would suggest you book a table because it does get busy.  They have a nice selection of wines and vegan desserts.

Mildreds

Near Soho central London.  The food is hearty and yummy,  I really like Mildreds and I love the staff they are so friendly even though they are super busy.  This place is very popular and you sometimes have to wait for a table at the bar,  they don’t take reservations.  Lots of vegan choices and they have some really good wines and beers.  I love their sweet potato fries,  I don’t know what they do to them, but the flavour is really good and they come with a vegan mayo which is yummy.

Amico Bio

Near the Barbican Tube Station.  This place is very hit and miss for me,  I did not have a great time last time we went there,  which is a shame.  they had a large party in and were obviously under stress.   We had booked a table and were seated and then a few minutes later we were told to move to a smaller table in a very rude manner.  I dont think the head waiter meant to be rude but because his grasp of English was very poor he did not communicate very well.  The food was also not great this time.  And no vegan desserts which is just lazy.  I will probably give this place a miss next time.

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Down to Earth Veggie Cafe Kensington

Nov08
2012 1 Comment Written by maggie

Veggie Cafe Kensington London

At the end of October I spent a few days in London and I wanted to try out a new veggie cafe/restaurant and I found this one “Down to Earth” on Kensington High Street, Opposite the Odeon Cinema.  I found them on the internet before I went so I thought I knew what to expect.  Using the online food menu,  they promised all sorts of vegan and vegan raw dishes including a Roasted Mediterranean vegetable pie, Quinoa savoury cakes, Sweet potato and pea samosas, Vegetable Terrine.  I was so excited to try this new place and I was looking forward to all the vegan options.

When we walked in we were impressed on how lovely the cafe is,  nice and clean and looked very inviting.  We went to the counter and searched for vegan food,  but could not see any,  so I asked.  I was told that they had a vegan sandwich (a basic salad sandwich), some basic salads which were more like a side dish or pumpkin and sweet potato soup for vegans.  When we asked where all the food they promote on the on line menu was they said that today was a tasting menu, but there was hardly any food and there was nothing to taste,  it sounded like a made up line that the manager came up with on the spot.

We ordered the soup which took a while to come.  When it did I regretted it.  We both came to the conclusion that the soup tasted like it had come out of  a tin.  It came with some toasted bread which was not good either and seemed odd.  We were so disappointed.

I am not sure whether they were having a bad day or what, but I feel very cheated.  I wanted to order one of the lovely sounding dishes they promised on the online menu, but what I got was worlds apart.  Also when we were in there they had 2 other tables with customers,  one table was upset because there were no cakes and the others were not happy with their food.  So all of the customers when we were there were very unhappy.

www.downtoearth.co.uk

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Best Restaurant Vegan Pudding

Nov06
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Pudding

At the end of October I spent a few days in London,  as usual I visited a few veggie restaurants which I will write about soon.  However I had to mention this first,  it is not often you get a nice vegan pudding,  it is usually ice cream or sorbets which are OK but I love cakes and puddings so I am often disappointed with the choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We visited Manna for Sunday Lunch which was lovely, but the star of the show was their Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding.  It was one of the most amazing vegan desserts that I have ever had,  it is also the best vegan dessert that I have had in a Veggie Restaurant.

The pudding had a rich flavour the sticky toffee sauce was sweet and heavenly and the sponge pudding was moist, light and just perfect.  I can highly recommend this pudding in Manna.  I am thrilled with this dessert.  If you are in London please try Manna because the food for vegans is probably the best you are going to get in the UK and this pudding is just divine.  I recommend that you book a table because they are often very busy.  All the menu is Vegan.

www.mannav.com

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Mulberry Bush Veggie Cafe

Oct04
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Veggie Cafe Mid Wales

I popped into one of my favourite little vegetarian cafes for a light lunch last week.  The Mulberry Bush in Lampeter mid Wales is located above a really good health food shop.  The cafe offers daily specials, there are always plenty of vegan options and the food is wholesome, tasty and very reasonable, with hot dishes and choices of salads and soup.

I had a a spinach and vegetable filo pie which was lightly spiced,  it is what I call comfort food.  It tasted really good.  Paul and I had a piece of cake both vegan.  I had the carrot cake which was really sweet and had a lovely flavour,  Paul had a chocolate torte, which was quite light and tasted again really good.  All washed down with some herbal tea.

If you are in mid Wales this is one of the few vegetarian cafes there is,  but this is a good one too.

It is located just near the centre of Lampeter near Barclays bank.

Mulberry Bush
Tel (01570) 423 317
www.mulberrywholefoods.co.uk
2 Bridge Street, Ceredigion, Lampeter SA48 7HG

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Cookies & Scream Vegan Cookie Bar

Sep27
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan & Gluten Free Cookie Bar

Located in Camden market in London near to the bridge going over the main road is an amazing cookie bar selling cookies, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, milkshakes,  tea and coffee. Everything is Vegan and Gluten free.  I don’t know how they do it but you cannot tell that it is gluten free or vegan.  The treats are just wonderful.

I had a rich chocolate brownie with hazelnuts,  this was just stunning,  Paul had a ginger ninja cookie which was just lovely.  We both had a hot drink sitting at the counter,  it was such a nice experience.  One thing I will have to try next time is a cookie sandwich and an ice cream shake.

 

www.cookiesandscream.com

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The Gate Islington

Sep26
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian Restaurant London

This is a spin off from the Gate Hammersmith which I have reviewed earlier,  (currently closed for refurb,  due to reopen soon).  I was so excited and looking forward to a meal at this new restaurant.  Located in Islington North London.  The restaurant is really lovely inside and has a nice atmosphere and layout, and it is not cramped.

Sadly for a vegan this is not great,  I don’t understand why they have slashed the vegan options, there was one main course,  no starter and no dessert other than sorbet.  There are some side dishes that are vegan.  At the Hammersmith branch there was always plenty for vegans.

We had no starter because there was not one to have.  For main I had a risotto cake which was an adapted vegetarian option made vegan.  When it arrived it had Parmesan style cheese on it (not vegan) and a cream sauce (not vegan).  Despite saying to the waitress on several occasions everything must be vegan,  it was taken away and they delivered a new one with the vegan cheese powder on it.  It tasted OK,  however it is not something I would have again.  Paul decided to go for a number of side dishes for his main course.  Again these were OK, but not something you would have again.  For dessert we had a blueberry sorbet,  it tasted too sweet and sickly and not good at all.

I don’t get it,   if you run a veggie restaurant you are going to get vegans visiting.  Vegan dishes are super easy to make.  I am very disappointed.  I hope when they re-open the Hammersmith branch that they do better vegan choices.

Ironically this was the most expensive meal we had in London on our short break,  so not only did we feel let down with the vegan food, we spent much more than some of the really good vegan meals we had elsewhere.

I hope they improve,  but I definitely will not go back until they take vegans seriously.  If you are a vegetarian this is a nice restaurant.

www.thegaterestaurants.com

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3 of the Best Veggie Restaurants London

Sep25
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian Vegan Restaurants London

On my recent trip to London, as always we go to three of our favourite veggie restaurants.  Tibits on Heddon Street central London,  Mildreds in Soho central London and Manna in Primrose Hill London.  These restaurants are consistently good,  the quality of food is excellent along with excellent service and atmosphere.

 

Tibits do a fantastic buffet style meal plus specials, soups and sandwiches,  they offer cocktails and desserts.  A very relaxed style of food, you choose what you want and pay by the weight of the food.  The selection is constantly changing, with hot dishes including curries and bakes, onion rings, polenta to name just a few,  with an array of lovely salad options.  When I went this time, they had a quinoa and cranberry salad which was really good.  Also for vegans try the mango cake it is really tasty.  A large proportion of the dishes are vegan.   I often drop in to tibits for a coffee or a cocktail after we have been somewhere else in the evening to finish the night off.  This is a great vegetarian place.
www.tibits.co.uk

 

Mildreds has got to be one of the busiest veggie restaurants in the world.  They don’t take bookings so you have to wait your turn,  usually not that long and you can have a drink at the bar.  The staff are super busy but always find the time to make you feel very welcome and have time to have a giggle with you if you like.  The food in Mildreds is outstanding and the portions are large.  It can feel like you are on a conveyor belt because the service is quick,  but the food makes it worth it.  Lots of food for vegans,  I had the burger and sweet potato fries which was divine,  paul had an Aubergine tagine which Paul said was one of the best meals he had tried.  He also had the potsticker dumplings which were savoury and really tasty.  Mildreds is such a lovely place and is excellent value for central London.  Top Choice if you are in Soho.
www.mildreds.co.uk

 

Manna is a place we often go for Sunday lunch.  Book a table because they do get really busy.  Everything is vegan and fantastic.  On Sundays they do a special roast or the main menu which is packed with choice.  Paul had cashew cheese in breadcrumbs fried which are really really good,  I had courgette fritters which were pleasant.  For main I went for the falafel dish which was really good, lots of flavour and Paul went for the Indian Thali which was tasty and there was plenty of choice on the plate to enjoy.   Manna is really good and I would recommend them to anyone.
www.mannav.com

These three veggie places are great,  I will add a new one to the list and that is 222 Veggie Vegan which I reviewed a couple of days ago.  I will definitely be going back there.

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SAF Kensington

Sep22
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Raw Restaurant London

When I last visited this restaurant I said I would not go back because it was so poor.  But I was in the area so against my better judgement I decided to go for lunch.  I wish I had not bothered.

I ordered a guacamole with some flax crackers and Paul ordered the dumplings for our starters.  Both of these tasted OK and were enjoyable.

It was the main courses that went wrong.  Because of my previous experience with this place I thought I would order something simple that you would think could not fail.  I ordered a wrap with quinoa and spinach with some cashew cheese,  what I got was a plate full of slop.  The wrap looked water logged,  the cashew cheese was non existent and the texture was just awful,  it was like it was defrosted and sat in moisture.  I complained to the waitress and she apologised and went off to get me another.  After waiting 15 minutes the waitress turned up with another one,  this was identical but had been grilled so the outside was hard,  but inside was the same sloppy mess.   I could not eat it.  They did not charge me for this,  the waitress was embarrassed.  

Paul went for the raw pizza,  he was not impressed it lacked flavour and the mushroom tasted like they came out of a jar.   The base of the pizza is like what they use for the raw cheese cake type product which did not suit for a pizza.  The waitress gave the impression that other people had not enjoyed this pizza.  Paul did try to order the weekend roast but it was not ready and was recommended something else, it was like the waitress knew the pizza would be bad and she tried to steer him onto something else but not forcefully enough to make him change his mind.

I think they are cutting costs and corners with the food,  it is such a shame because this restaurant has great potential,  but it seems like the owners do not care about the quality.

I will never go again,  I would rather eat my own foot.

This restaurant is based in the Wholefoods Market upstairs,   in Kensington, London.

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42 Raw Vegan Cafe

Sep21
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan London Raw Food Cafe

A relatively new raw food cafe in the Royal Academy of Arts building in Central London.  I had just been to Tibits for lunch and because this cafe is nearby I wanted to see where it was and take a look at the menu.

The location is lovely inside the Royal Academy,  the high ceilings and setting are really nice,  it is only open til 6pm.  They offer lots of salads, noodles and juices, with some desserts.  

Whilst we were there we tried their raw desserts and fresh juices.  I really enjoyed my dessert which was a raw cheesecake with a raspberry topping, with a cashew creamy middle and a nutty base,  the sharp raspberry was lovely with the sweet flavours.  Paul had the banana version, but he found his a bit sickly.  The juices were really good,  I had a pineapple with fresh basil and other things, which tasted great,  paul had a more savoury juice with spinach, celery and carrot which he enjoyed.

Everything looked tasty,  it is not a fancy place so the menu is pretty simple,  the prices are a little high,  but this is just off Regent Street, central London, so you expect it.  Next time I go to London I will have a full meal,  the noodles looked really good.

www.42raw.co.uk

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222 Veggie Vegan Restaurant London

Sep20
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Restaurant London

I thought I would start off with the highs of my recent trip to London and start with 222 Veggie Vegan Restaurant in West Kensington London.   I have never been before,  I was always a little put off because it is a bit of a trek from Central London where I usually stay.  However I have been missing out.  This is a wonderful vegan restaurant.  The place is clean and tidy,  the waiting staff are so lovely and attentive without being in your face.  The atmosphere is relaxed and casual.

We decided to go on a Saturday night,  and I am glad we booked a table because it was really busy,  so I recommend that you book a table.

Firstly do not go to this restaurant if you are in a hurry,  everything is made fresh to order,  so you have to wait,  it is best just to relax and enjoy the atmosphere and get the food as and when it comes out of the kitchen,   it is worth it.

Paul and I enjoyed a 3 course dinner.

I started with a beetroot salad which was really good,  it was fresh and had some good flavours in there.  Paul had the lentil peaks,  they were just stunning,  they were packed with flavour and tasted earthy and delicately spiced.

For main course I had the Squash risotto,  this was my favourite meal of the whole trip,  I am amazed how much flavour the chef packed into the dish,  it tasted great and was perfectly cooked,  the portion was large which made me feel a little bit guilty because I could not eat it all.  Paul went for the mushroom and seitan strogonoff which tasted really good,  again packed full of flavour.

For dessert I went for the chocolate cake, this tasted good like you would expect a chocolate cake to taste.  Paul went for the pancake with ice cream,  he really enjoyed it,  the ice cream worked very well with the pancake and sauces.

We had a couple of glasses of the house wine and some nice coffee to finish off the meal.  The prices are very reasonable and I found it to excellent value for money.

222 veggie vegan is really nice so good in fact that we decided to try their lunchtime buffet on a Monday,  £7.50 gets you a plate and you can go up as many times as you like and help yourself to salads, curries, hot food and other tasty nibbles.   They had some kind of carrot tart in there when I went and it was so good.  I went up twice to fill my plate, but some people went to top up 3 or 4 times, there is no limit.   Again this is fantastic value for money.

The restaurant is easy to find on North End Road,   black cabs go past on a regular basis and it is close to a couple of tube stations, near Earls Court.

222 Veggie Vegan
222 North End Road,  West Kensington. W14 9NU
Tel 020 738 12322
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Quarry Cafe Machynlleth

Jun07
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian Cafe Mid Wales

I ventured out for lunch in Machynlleth mid Wales to the Quarry Cafe.  I have mentioned this cafe before and it has been quite a while since I last visited.

Veggie food outlets are quite rare in Wales so I am grateful that they have one in Machynlleth.  It is such a shame that the quality is not great,  it seems that the cafe is complacent and really cannot be bothered to offer good food.

The place itself is a bit of a mess,  very grimy inside, the walls are plastered with posters, leaflets and notices floor to ceiling,  some of them look like they have been up there for decades.  The seating is pine tables and chairs which are OK.

The staff this time were very slow and indifferent and looked like they would rather be anywhere else.  Also they were not cleaning up the cafe and clearing tables like you would expect. The place felt very untidy and dirty.

The food is really basic and lacking in flavour and presentation.  I had a vegan pasty which had very fatty pastry and some squashed vegetables and beans inside.  I would not recommend it,  Paul had the vegan burger, this was a burger mix type burger with added onions, served on a wholemeal bap with tomato and onion.  This was OK but not something I would rush out for.   There were no vegan desserts but I am told they do offer them most days.

I think that the Quarry Cafe do not care about the quality of service, cleanliness or good food.  I have to admit I was very disappointed and It will be a long long time before I try this place again.   I love to support veggie food cafes and restaurants and I do not like to give bad reviews of veggie food outlets, because I know how hard it is, however there is no excuse for most of what I saw  on my last visit.

www.cat.org.uk

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