With November being celebrated as ‘World Vegan Month’, there is no better time to explore the diversity of Northern Ireland’s food offering with its vegan-friendly restaurants.
As veganism is increasingly becoming a popular lifestyle choice, many of NI’s finest restaurants are now offering vegan dishes and vegan menus along with vegan supper clubs, cafés, shops and festivals.
Discover NI has shared a list of vegan experiences as part of the celebration of food and drink during the Taste the Island Festival.
– Leafy Greens & Co, County Down – In the pretty seaside resort of Warrenpoint, at the gateway to the Mourne Mountains, siblings Tony and Justina have converted their passion for natural food into one of Northern Ireland’s finest vegan restaurants. Healthy and tasty, organic and locally sourced where possible, their regularly changing menu features soups, curries, salads and tempting desserts.
– 387 Ormeau Road, Belfast – This bright south Belfast café is at the heart of the vegan scene. Vegan cakes, cookies, sausage rolls, soups, sandwiches and wraps can be enjoyed here and there’s a host of meat-free goodies to buy at their store.
– Eat Street, Belfast – At the heart of Belfast’s famous shopping avenue, the Lisburn Road, Eat Street’s imaginative menu offers a feast of vegan cuisine. Vegan delights include the likes of Eat Street’s Sweet Potato Cake, Salt N’ Pepper Tofu and even a vegan Christmas Dinner. Sublime drinks too.
– The Happiness Trap, County Fermanagh – Want a delicious vegan meal before exploring the nearby Marble Arch Caves or taking a boat ride around beautiful Lough Erne? Northern Ireland’s first award winning vegetarian café, health store and wellness shop, located in the historic town of Enniskillen, has a wealth of tempting vegan choices, such as North African vegetable stew and cauliflower, broccoli and vegetable paella.
– The Cow Bog, County Derry~Londonderry – Circle the medieval walls of Derry, take in an exhibition at the Tower Museum or historic Guildhall and make the short journey to the wonderfully named Cow Bog for a sumptuous vegan feast. The dishes are all home-made, using the locally sourced vegetables of the day. The daily changing menu also includes wraps, pancakes and cakes.
– Ursa Minor Bakehouse, County Antrim – From Ballycastle you can take a ferry to idyllic Rathlin Island or the short drive to the Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle and other attractions of the spectacular Causeway Coastal Route. But don’t go until you’ve visited the award-winning bakers of Ursa Minor.
– Vegan supper clubs, Belfast – Want some friendly company as you tour Belfast’s vegan friendly restaurants? Join the Belfast Vegan Supper and Social club on one of their weekly excursions. The welcoming Cloth Ear pub/restaurant in Belfast’s buzzing Cathedral Quarter hosts a regular vegan supper club, offering a three-course menu and a selection of vegan beers and wines.
For more details and to plan your Taste the Island trip, click here or follow #TasteTheIsland
