Restaurants on every corner, and not one of them vegan! You can have the chips, and if you’re lucky, they have a salad with dressing on the side.
It won’t do. If you’re visiting Belfast or considering a move there, you’ll need to know where it’s safe to eat!
Luckily with veganism in Belfast on the rise, there’s no shortage of delicious vegan food Belfast has from around the world in the city.
Here are the best vegan restaurants Belfast has to offer:
- 387 Ormeau Road
- Umi Falafel
- Green’s Pizza
- Archana
- The Cloth Ear
- Yugo
- Maggie Mays
- Kaffe-O
- 2 Taps Wine Bar
- Yum
- The Woodworkers
Oh, and before starting, if you are more of a home-cooker, take a look at our favorite vegan supermarkets in the UK, such as Lidl and its cool products !
#1. 387 Ormeau Road
Specialty: Coffee Shop
Catchy name? Not really. Memorable address and tons of vegan food on offer? You’ve got it.
Ormeau road’s little restaurant’s entire menu is vegan and filled with your favourite non-vegan dishes.
Let’s be real here. Not all vegans want a kale salad with sweet potato toast and a side of fruit.
Sometimes you need a classic sausage roll or a BLT, with some sponge cake with cream for dessert.
Ormeau road has that and more, washed down with steaming cups of oat milk latés and other beverages. There are alcoholic drinks too!
So if you’re hunting down the typically British and European vegan cafes Belfast has, consider visiting 387 Ormeau Road.
The bagels are one of the best vegan breakfasts Belfast has up its sleeve.
#2. Umi Falafel
Specialty: Lebanese
Let’s shift continents now. What if you’re in the mood for some Middle Eastern cuisine?
Umi Falafel is brimming with vegan options from all around the middle east.
Customers rave about the namesake falafel, served up in sandwiches and wraps or on its own.
There are falafel options in the style of various countries in the Middle East, for a wide variety of taste buds.
For the less adventurous in your party, there are safe options like potato wedges too. They’ll be spicy, though, so watch out!
Be wary of this restaurant, though. There’s no shortage of vegan dishes to order, but they’re not vegan-only. Haloumi cheese lurks around the corner here and there.
Luckily, the menu has (V) after every vegan dish, and you’ll find an excellent number of (GF) markings too.
That makes this one of the most fantastically friendly vegan & gluten-free restaurants Belfast has.
#3. Green's Pizza
Specialty: Pizza
Can you beat a pizza? Many, including Green’s, would say no.
If you want to know what kind of vegan pizza Belfast has around, Green’s has an extensive new menu dedicated to vegetarian and vegan options. It really does reminds us Pizza Co in Bournemouth - you can check our favorite vegan adresses there as well.
There are five pizzas to pick from, alongside the promise that all garlic bread on offer can be made vegan-friendly.
Located at 549 Lisburn Road, the restaurant also provides hot beverages, soft drinks, and wine. And best of all? There’s a delivery option!
If the above location doesn’t work for you, there are two more Green’s pizza locations in Belfast:
- 283/285 Upper Newtownards Road in Ballyhackamore Village (a suburb of Belfast).
- 357/359 Ormeau Road.
#4. Archana
Specialty: Indian food
Shifting continents again, let’s go over to South Asia. Specifically, India.
Like the two restaurants above, this one isn’t wholly vegan, but there’s an expansive vegetarian menu with primarily vegan options.
Situated on the Dublin Road in Belfast, you’re in for some spice if you visit Archana.
Their curry is award-winning, proving this family-run restaurant is grand beyond its humble roots.
On the menu you’ll find things like:
- Vegetable pakora.
- Onion bhajis.
- Veg biryani.
- Alu Gobi.
- Jeera Alu.
And there’s way more than that.
On top of the vegan nature of the meals, the ones listed above are all gluten-free.
Most of their non-vegan dishes are gluten-free, too, so let your intolerant/allergic friends know.
Archana also delivers, so if you’d rather stay in than venture out, you’re covered. Just beware, a large portion of the menu is labelled (hot) or (spicy!)
#5. The Cloth Ear
Specialty: Irish pub
If you prefer a separate vegan menu rather than a mixed selection on the main, consider The Cloth Ear.
It’s a hotel-based restaurant, perfect if you’re looking for accommodation and somewhere to satisfy your cravings.
Belfast’s Merchant Hotel’s restaurant offers a ton of meat-eater dishes, but without the meat and dairy. There’s:
- Vegetable ragout.
- Fried sea veg and chips.
- Vegetable pie.
- Sticky toffee pudding.
And of course, much more than that on offer on the vegan and vegetarian menu.
If those options sound too upscale for your casual trip, no worries, most of the menu has pub-style food, while staying classy.
There’s also a charming drinks list with plenty of tasteful options to accompany your meal.
#6. Yugo
Specialty: Asian cuisine
For Asian cuisine, consider Yugo. The East Asian-inspired restaurant has a vegan and vegetarian menu alongside its regular selection.
However, you won’t just find vegetable dishes and plain noodles here. The vegan menu offers classics like sushi, and there are even desserts you can enjoy.
Sitting on 3 Wellington Street, it’s a dine-in restaurant but has shown great initiative during times when dining-in isn’t an option.
Converting to a takeaway with delivery options but collection-only for hot meals, the business manages to withstand any complications life throws its way.
So if you’re looking for a reliable Asian fusion place with a vegan menu and a dedication to serving customers well, Yugo is it.
#7. Maggie Mays
Specialty: Vegan breakfast
If you're hankering for the best vegan breakfast Belfast has to offer; Maggie Mays specialises in it.
Whether you’re an early or late riser, you’re covered, because the menu extends breakfast into an all-day affair. But dinner is available morning and night, too!
If you’ve been partying all night or you’re a shift worker, your final meal before bed doesn’t have to be breakfast-based.
You have a choice from dishes like avocado toast using sourdough bread, and burgers loaded with vegan cheese and mayo.
It’s a quaint little café offering all-day breakfast, all-day dinner, no dress code and BYOB.
There are separate vegan and vegetarian menus, indoor and outdoor dining, and best of all, you can top off the experience with a to-die-for vegan milkshake.
Literally to-die-for. The chocolate milkshake is called The Vegan Death By Chocolate.
Milkshakes are cheaper if you get them as takeaway drinks!
#8. Kaffe-O
Specialty: English and Irish cuisine
While the previous café was a delightful combination of British and Irish, here’s one that’s less homey, more chic and Nordic.
Kaff-O is a trendier spot with exquisite coffee as its speciality, but there’s some incredible food that goes alongside it too.
Most of the time, the daily soup is vegan, but there are also things like:
- Vegan breakfast pot.
- Sandwiches on rye loaded with crunchy vegetables.
- Roast sweet potatoes on rye.
- Peanut butter balls.
Kaff-O delivers on Fridays, but the rest of the time you can find the nordic cafés at:
- 411 Ormeau Road.
- 73 Botanic Avenue.
- 7 Donegall Square North.
- 613 Lisburn Road.
#9. 2 Taps Wine Bar
Specialty: Tapas restaurant
Trendy cafés aren’t your thing? Looking for something classier and more adult? Consider 2 Taps Wine Bar on Cotton Court, 30–423 Waring street.
It has a vegetarian menu featuring lots of vegan options, much of it is gluten-free and all of it classy.
You’ll need to read the ingredients of each dish, but they’re listed plainly. Beware of the cheese that creeps up in some of the meals!
For vegans, a few examples of what’s on offer are:
- Crispy potatoes, fried and topped with avocado and tomato sauce.
- Fried, crunchy green vegetables with garlic shallots and hummus.
- Roast potatoes with rosemary, garlic and salt.
Unfortunately, the dessert menu has nothing vegan-friendly on it.
On the other hand, the drinks menu—alcoholic and non-alcoholic—is as extensive as the food menu, making up for the lack of desserts.
The sourness of some of the cocktails can be a substitute for the sweet in the missing treats, right?
#10. Yum
Specialty: European cuisine
A descriptive name, Yum is a restaurant on 157 Stranmillis Road with Irish, International, and European dishes, and a cosy feel.
There’s a vegetarian and vegan lunchtime menu as well as a vegetarian and vegan evening special menu.
Both menus are far from limited, with an array of starters, mains, and even a dessert in the evening selection.
An excellent lunch meal to consider is the honey chilli and garlic infused vegetables with rice, followed by the Mexican vegetable fajita wrap with salsa dip and spicy home-cut chips.
In the evening, replace the latter with the homemade curry with butternut squash, sweet potato, lentils, and rice.
You may want to skip the naan bread, though; it may not have a vegan alternative.
Then follow it up with a fresh fruit salad for dessert. Unfortunately, unlike many of their other items, the dessert menu lacks vegan alternatives to classic desserts.
#11. The Woodworkers
Specialty: Irish pub
At 20-22 Bradbury Place, you’ll find a rustic yet chic tavern with a great atmosphere and an expanding vegan menu.
This isn’t your traditional going-out-to-eat restaurant; it’s more for a night of drinking and laughter with friends.
But as we all know, it’s best to soak up the alcohol with something, so the vegan menu is worth a browse.
Vegan options include:
- Soup of the day with ciabatta.
- Sweet potato fries with spring onions, salsa, and guacamole.
- Chickpea or cauliflower bites.
- Loaded nachos with vegan cheese.
- Vegan platter.
- Sloppy Joe burger, but vegan.
There are no dessert options whether you’re vegan or not, but with the above array of options and the classic booze of the bar, you’ll probably be too full for more.
For a bar, this is an incredible display of intuitiveness for vegan and vegetarian customers.
Conclusion
Although they don’t make it obvious with a plant sign and neon lights reading “VEGAN FRIENDLY,” there are tons of hidden vegan gems in Belfast.
The vegan restaurants Belfast has to offer are varied, friendly, and accessible.
Any tourist looking for a smooth experience should consider visiting or ordering in from at least one of these!
And of course, this is only a small selection of what’s in the city!
By the way, if one day you pass by Newcastle, check also our selection of vegan restaurants there!