Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian or just trying to eat less meat, you’ll find plenty of incredible vegan restaurants in Leeds. Long gone are the days of vegans gnawing on side salads and bowls of chips. Now, you’re spoilt for choice; think vegan junk food joints loading up fries and burgers with meat-free alternatives, colourful Asian cuisine packed full of veggies and independent cafes serving up deliciously fresh and healthy bowls of goodness.
Vegan food in Leeds is having something of a moment, with so many fantastic restaurants to choose from. So, to help you choose between the lot, we’ve rounded up the 10 very best vegan restaurants Leeds has to offer.
Be sure to check out our guide to the best Sunday lunch in Leeds, too!
10 Best Leeds Vegan Restaurants
Meat is Dead
The first Leeds vegan restaurant on the list is the aptly named Meat is Dead, a junk-free, plant-based restaurant and bar situated down Kirkstall Road. With a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, this is the perfect vegan restaurant in Leeds to share some good food with some good friends. Offering a fabulous range of small plates and large sharers, the menu is always changing with the seasons to ensure you’re eating only the freshest.
Whether you’re nipping in for an early-morning breakfast, a chilled brunch, or even Sunday lunch, you can select from a menu of delightful, veg-based, seasonal dishes. You can expect the likes of crispy Cajun wedges, pesto-stuffed risotto balls, or delicately spiced leeks wrapped in crisp pastry. For Sunday lunch, think juicy butternut squash crammed with cranberry, lentil and mixed nut stuffing; braised mushroom and roasted beet wellington; or aubergine steak with green peppercorn sauce and round-cut chips. For dessert? Get stuck into mint chocolate brownie, scrumptious maple and pecan pie or sticky toffee ginger pud. What more could you really want?
So, go ahead and take a trip to this good-vibes-only vegan restaurant in Leeds for a casual dining experience with great company and even better food.
Find out more here.
Issho
The next must-try Leeds vegan restaurant is Issho, a delightfully contemporary Japanese joint that serves a very yummy selection of vegan goodies. Sat at the top of the swanky Victoria Gate centre, Issho is one of Leeds’ finest Japanese restaurants, and provides the perfect setting for munching on some vegan or vegetarian sushi.
Who ever said sushi has to have fish to be delicious? Not Issho, that’s for sure. With menu stand-outs including vegetable tempura, whipped tofu Issho sushi, pumpkin gyoza, cauliflower karaage with spicy sauce, teriyaki tofu bao or vegetable zen rolls. If you’re really looking for something special, make sure you book in for their Japanese-inspired afternoon tea. Tuck into three extravagant tiers of veggie sushi, savouries and sweets, while sipping on traditional sushi drinking tea (green tea).
Make sure you add this vegan restaurant in Leeds to your list if you like sushi without the fish, served in a fancy rooftop setting.
Find out more here.
Bundobust
Another hard-hitting Leeds vegan restaurant option is Bundobust, renowned for it’s incredible contribution to the Leeds food scene. A collaboration between Prashad veg Indian restaurant and the Sparrow pub from Bradford, this quirky vegan restaurant in Leeds serves the best Indian street food that is bound to convince even the biggest meat-lovers. The combination of tantalising Indian street food, fantastic craft beer and cool decor, makes it easy to see why this is one of the best vegan restaurants in Leeds.
When it comes to the menu you’ll be delighted by the huge range of small-plate options. Enjoy getting stuck into the Aloo Gobi Paratha (flatbread filled with potato and cauliflower massala), a bhaji butty in a brioche bun, Paneer Tikka (barbecued paneer, mushroom and peppers marinated in tikka massala yoghurt), or Mung Chatpata (sprouting mung beans, toasted corn, cucumber and tomato in a chaat masala sauce). Need something a little extra? Get a side of okra fries, spicy nuts or smacked khakri.
If you’re a fan of full-flavoured Indian street food without the meat, Bundobust is the must-visit Leeds vegan restaurant for you.
Find out more here.
Cantina
The Old Red Bus Station is well-known for their ever-changing calendar of events and fantastic nights out. But, did you know they also offer some of the best vegan food in Leeds? With a nightclub downstairs and a vegan Cantine upstairs, this Leeds vegan restaurant has the best of both worlds.
With a menu full of your usual favourites, along with street food and tapas dishes, your stomach will be howling. Fancy something classic? Why not try one of their burgers, done to perfection? Choose from the likes of ‘Mac Got Fat’, a deep fried mac and cheese patty with spicy seitan chilli and salad on a fresh bun, topped with deep fried pickle; the ‘Hellfire Burger’, a battered seitan patty with sriracha sauce, beer battered onion rings, jalapenos and vegan mayo; or the ‘Ve-Bab’, seitan kebab in pitta with tomato, salad leaves, spring onion, chilli sauce and vegan garlic mayo.
Prefer something a little lighter? Opt for some ‘Not Wings’ (vegan hot wings with buffalo style sauce), Mac n Cheese balls (battered mac n cheese balls with vegan garlic mayo), crispy battered ‘shrooms’, salt n pepper chips, or ‘Cheesy-E’ (deep fried dairy free cheese with tangy ketchup).
Don’t think you can resist? We couldn’t either! Make sure you take a trip to this vegan restaurant in Leeds for some of the best plant-based burgers in town, perfectly matched with a good ol’ pint.
Find out more here.
Döner Summer
Most vegans and vegetarians assume that after forgoing meat, they’ll never taste fried chicken or a doner kebab again. Well, we’ve got good news – Doner Summer, one of the best vegan restaurants in Leeds, is here to satisfy your greasy meat cravings. Doner Summer’s vegan junk food is pretty legendary. They’ve innovatively developed their very own vegan mock chicken and doner meat – and they’re both top notch.
Craving a kebab? Try the ‘Bad Girl Kebab’, doner and garlic chilli chick’n with pink cabbage and scotch bonnet and garlic chilli sauce; or the the ‘Nashville Hot Kebab’, buttermylk fried chick’n strips in cayenne pepper oil and creamy parsley mayo. Or, opt for their speciality fried chick’n – choose classic or spicy, with a choice of sauce options, including Buffalo hot, Kansas BBQ, Hon’y butter, salt & pepper, and Korean BBQ. Pair your plant-based meal with one of their summer cocktails – think Dundee Daiquiri, Passion Fruit Flossi, Parma Swizzle, or Peachy Keen.
You won’t want to miss this laid-back vegan restaurant in Leeds. If you’re heading to the city, ensure you head down to Call Lane for a bite of these meat-free kebabs.
Find out more here.
Gron Kafe
No list of the best vegan restaurants in Leeds would be complete without a mention of the infamous Gron Kafe. Truly embodying what it means to be vegan. Gron Kafe is all about starting the day healthy and sustainably – and they make it easy with their delicious plant-based breakfasts.
This Leeds vegan restaurant/cafe have got delicious offerings to suit any time of day and any mood. Choose from a big bowl of heart-warming porridge drizzled with maple syrup (add berry compote, peanut butter or banana), a hefty stack of pancakes coated in cinnamon sugar and served with homemade granola, soy yoghurt and your choice of toppings (banana, almond brittle, banana whip and maple syrup or spiced apple and berry compote, fresh berries and maple syrup), warm banana bread served with spiced apple and berry compote, fresh berries and maple syrup, or sweet potato and halloumi hash served with rocket, tomato and red onion salsa, avocado, cucumber, chilli, radish and chive oil. Or, maybe you fancy something a little more classic, such as scrambled eggs on toast, avocado on toast, beans on toast or poached eggs on toast.
So, if you’re looking for a vegan restaurant in Leeds for a healthy breakfast or brunch, make sure you pop round to Gron Kafe on Roundhay Road.
Find out more here.
FINT
Fint is a Scandi-inspired vegan restaurant in Leeds that offers refined, healthy and unique cafe-style dishes. While this Leeds vegan restaurant does serve up both delicious meat and meat-free options, their vegan plates are unbeatable. Vegetables are the real stars of the show here, with the chefs combining only the best quality and freshest of ingredients.
Browse the beautifully simple menu and find delights like beetroot tartare with horseradish seed cream; herb baked celeriac with onion puree, rhubarb walnut salsa and a warm watercress and shiitake salad; and sweet potato and lentil soup served with sourdough bread. Alternatively, why not drop by for brunch or lunch and peruse options like pan-toasted, citrus custard-dipped French toast with rhubarb and vegan vanilla ice cream; shiitake and celeriac benedict with spinach, horseradish seed cream and pickled apricot; and pan-toasted gnocchi, sauerkraut and cavolo nero pumpkin seed cream. What more could you want?
Visit this healthy vegan restaurant in Leeds for a balanced meal, morning or night. Enjoy their minimalist menu and simple but effective dishes, comprising only the freshest of ingredients.
Find out more here.
JJ’s Vish & Chips
Unlike any other vegan restaurant in Leeds and beyond, JJ’s Vish & Chips provides the city with a truly delicious alternative to the traditional fish and chips. So, as a vegan or vegetarian, if you’re missing that classic chippy tea, you won’t want to miss this absolute gem on Kirkstall Road.
Choose from a range of fish-style dishes, including ‘Kalamari’, ‘Scam-pi’, battered tofu fish, battered banana blossom, vegan bratwurst and ‘spam’ fritters. They use nori and a special marinade to get that traditional fish taste, but if fish isn’t your thing, they’ve also got various other non-fish options. Think deep fried cheezy bean balls and classic potato scallop. Move onto dessert, with delights like deep-fried Oreos and pineapple. You really can’t go wrong.
Take a trip to this Leeds vegan restaurant if you fancy a good ol’ plate of fish ‘n’ chips with a slight twist.
Find out more here.
Eat Your Greens
Eat Your Greens isn’t just a vegan restaurant in Leeds, it’s also an organic grocery store and bar. Designed around and inspired by a love of plants, they have an omni menu, but all ingredients are farm to fork, locally grown and fresh. Visit during the daytime for your organic grocery shop, or during the night to make the most of this humble European-style vegan restaurant with an organic wine bar.
Pop down for brunch and choose from options like shakshuka with hummus and aubergine, squash tagine with chickpeas and apricots or fried eggs with Dukkah, harissa and potatoes. Or, visit in the evening for a dinner of roasted aubergine with tabbouleh, toasted sesame, almond, pomegranate and sumac; orzo with fennel and za’tar; or winter vegetables with dukkah crumb.
If you’re looking for an organic, vegan restaurant in Leeds, then Eat Your Greens is the one for you. You won’t find higher quality produce or fresher ingredients anywhere else.
Find out more here.
That rounds up our list of the best vegan restaurants in Leeds in 2023. Be sure to check out our guide to the best afternoon tea in Leeds, too!
Techno-Mads 
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