Last year, there were just over 600,000 vegans living in the UK. That number had gone up four times in five years, since 2014 and it is a diet particularly popular among students. It’s unsurprising, then, that Birmingham is home to a number of popular and diverse vegan restaurants. Vegan food is constantly changing and new things are being added to menus pretty much every day. So, this is our pick of the top seven vegan restaurants in Birmingham!
1. Ba-Ha Vegan Kitchen
Address: The Mailbox, 171-172 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RL
Located in the inviting Churchill’s Bar and Restaurant, BA-HA is a great place to try out vegan cuisine in a buzzing environment. As well as a varied restaurant menu that includes soups, sides and a range of vegan reimagining of pub classics, they serve a small menu of bar snacks, including dumplings and cauliflower wings.
This is a great choice to try out if the family is staying – they have a plant-based kids menu as well as a dessert list. Because it sits in the Mailbox complex, it is also a brilliant place to eat as part of a day out exploring the city or before a night out in their many cocktail bars.
2. Vegan Munch
Address: 638 Bristol Road, Birmingham, B29 6BJ
As vegan restaurants in Birmingham go, this one enjoys a reputation among University of Birmingham students for being so close to student housing. Alongside its neighbour, Falafel Munch, Vegan Munch serves a range of healthy vegan foods like wraps and juices, as well as vegan shawarma, burgers and kebabs. Affordable and close to student housing (as well as being available on Deliveroo), Vegan Much is perfect for a chilled evening in with friends.
3. iGo Vegan
Address: 720g Stratford Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, B11 4AT
As perhaps the newest restaurant on the list, iGo Vegan has a lot to live up to. I think it does this amazingly well, with a small, intimate shop and a varied menu. Serving anything from chips, tofu nuggets and falafel and hummus wraps, this place really covers all its bases. They also serve desserts, another thing difficult to come by for vegan diners.
Only open in the afternoons and early evenings, iGo Vegan is great for a day of relaxation, for the odd snack or for a casual day with friends.
4. Geisha House
Address: 20 Marshall St, Birmingham, B1 1LR
One of the things that a lot of newly vegan people suffer from is finding suitable alternatives to non-vegan food. Vegan sushi is something that is very hard to come by, so I was delighted to find out that Geisha House existed. Serving a range of dishes including nigiri, maki and sharing platters, as well as sushi burgers, this place is excellent for a celebration. Birthdays, graduations, end of term – anything is a good excuse to celebrate with some vegan sushi.
Vegan fish is a particularly tricky nut to crack. Geisha House is a prime example of vegan foods becoming more widely available and restaurants being experimental with what they can do with vegan food. Definitely worth a visit.
5. Plant and Pulse
Address: 9 The Minories, Bull St, Birmingham, B4 6AG
Focusing on health food, Plant + Pulse serve snack boxes of plant-based food that is good for the body and the soul. Drawing inspiration from street food, they use seasonal ingredients in their menu, so it changes by season, but this also means it is an environmental choice of venue. On their website, they explain that their choices can sometimes ‘sound unfamiliar’ due to their commitment to using seasonal, UK-grown food, but this is all the more reason to try it out. Perfect for a lunchtime meet-up with friends, this is unique among Birmingham’s vegan restaurants.
6. Warehouse Cafe
Address: 54-57 Allison St, Birmingham, B5 5TH
The Warehouse Cafe serves a wide range of vegan dishes, including bean and vegetable burgers, cakes and pastries, as well as a selection of locally brewed vegan wines and beers. Finding a place for a drink as a vegan can be difficult, but The Warehouse has you covered! If you’re also gluten free, eating out can be especially difficult, but their website states that they ‘try to have at least one gluten-free option at all times’.
Although they offer a range of delicious vegan foods, I was surprised to learn that The Warehouse Cafe offers fully vegan business catering and an accessible meeting space for groups and organisations. They collaborate with Birmingham Friends of the Earth to do this, in the building next door. If you’re part of a student group committee, this might be somewhere to consider if you have vegan members or just want a change of scenery.
7. Natural Bar and Kitchen
Address: 1 Sirius, 24 Suffolk St Queensway, Birmingham, B1 1LT
Their website declares them to be ‘Birmingham’s first vegan bar and kitchen’. Always the trendsetter, Natural Bar and Kitchen serve a range of healthy, plant-based foods, but they also have a list of vegan wines, beers and spirits. Drinking can be a nerve-wracking experience for vegans as it is hard to tell whether a drink is truly vegan or not, so this place has you covered!
If drinking isn’t your bag, they also offer teas, coffees and soft drinks, completely vegan and delicious. Great for a day out with friends or to kick off the evening with a lovely meal in the heart of Birmingham!
Before we wrap up our list of the best vegan restaurants in Birmingham, I have to give an honourable mention to Not Dogs. They ran from 2017-2019 in LinkStreet, before ‘taking the business in a different direction’. Serving Quorn hot dogs and vegan shakes, they were a favourite among Midlands vegans.
There are so many options for vegan diners now. Birmingham boasts a brilliant collection of vegan restaurants, many of which have continued with takeaway and collection services even whilst their shops have been closed. Many are independent and now need support as they begin to reopen. What better reason to treat yourself to some tofu nuggets!
