The Gherkin

More than a mere bistro or coffee shop, The Gherkin is a characterful community-minded, environmentally focused space supporting local artists and creatives, dishing up vegetarian and vegan scran most days, and running a bar serving “mega” cocktails and regional craft beers.

Set up by a team of expert chefs and passionate inclusive event organisers, The Gherkin was born with a vision to work with neighbouring businesses and locally sourced produce to bring healthy, sustainable, meat-free food to the good folk of Levenshulme. Breakfast is served up to 3pm with the likes of vegan gram flour omelette, “full” English with everything including your choice of tofu or eggs, fried, poached or scrambled, pancakes with fresh fruit and maple syrup, and the homemade granola bowl, featuring lashings of coconut yogurt covered in fresh pear, house granola, crumble and – our favourite bit – dark chocolate. Mains range from a burger made using Beyond Meat patties or BBQ seitan, to falafel salad; lunch dishes include VLT bagel with smoked facon and chunna ciabatta, with chickpeas and nori stepping in for fish. There is a selection of small plates, for consuming alone or to share tapas style: sweetcorn fritters are made with plant-based ingredients including oat milk; Sicilian-inspired chickpea rectangles are teamed with beetroot hummus; cauliflower pakora includes secret spices alongside tamarind. Chippy tea Tuesday offers up battered sausages and chip butties, tofish and chips with tartare sauce and mushy peas, and chips and curry sauce, all vegan. But it’s the Sunday dinners people flock to the Levy gaff for – aka “the finest vegan roast in all the land”. Butternut squash parcels, mushroom wellington or superior sausages come with roast potatoes, syrup-drizzled parsnips and carrots, lemony broccoli with flaked almonds, beetroot roasted with red onion and garlic, Levenshulme pudding and, of course, lashings of vegan gravy.

We doubt you’ll have room after all that, but the oft-changing desserts include the likes of vegan and gluten-free New York-style cheesecake with foraged blackberries, dark cherry brownies, panna cotta and a selection of cakes from Black Cat Cakery.

Want to be the first to receive all the latest news, tips, articles, guides and updates from Confidential Guides? Sign up here.