Half-arsed vegetarian options be gone. Veggies and vegans are no longer the pariahs of the dinner table. Far from it. Cutting down on your meat intake is more popular than ever before, and it is environmental and health concerns, not bacon butties, that are on many people’s lips these days.
Nowadays, vegetarians, flexitarians and adventurous omnivores can sample inspiring menus from Michelin starred chefs, with courses such as ‘new season asparagus, vintage birch sap, brown butter’ at The Forest Side, ‘whipped yukon gold, soaked Pedro Ximénez brioche, truffles and ceps’ at The Grosvenor, or ‘aubergine masala caviar, saffron poached apricots, rolled medjool dates, coconut and cardamom gel, coriander cress’ at Hrishi.
The array of incredible meat-free food on offer in the North West is dazzling, and options for fine dining are better than ever. To celebrate this, we have drawn up a list of eight restaurants with outrageously good vegetarian tasting menus for your delectation.
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CumbriaThe Forest Side
More detailsMichelin-starred restaurant and hotel The Forest Side, owned by Lakes hotelier Andrew Wildsmith, is built on the foundations of the cooking of former L’Enclume forager, Kevin Tickle.
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Book Now DerbyshireFischers Baslow Hall
More detailsFischers Baslow Hall delivers fine Michelin-starred dining with local foraged aspects in homely, romantic surrounds. Using the fruits of the region when everyone else was importing from abroad, Fischers stuck to its guns and now does it arguably better than anyone else in Derbyshire.
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Book Now LeedsHome
More detailsHome in Leeds is the brainchild of MasterChef finalist Liz Cottam, and business partner Mark Owens, formerly head chef at Ilkley’s The Box Tree (also in our Top 100).
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LancashireNorthcote
More detailsNorthcote is where chef-patron Nigel Haworth earned his stripes as an instigator of contemporary British fine dining. Today, Michelin star chef and one of BBC2’s Great British Menu winners, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, heads up the kitchen.
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LydgateThe White Hart at Lydgate
More detailsThe White Hart at Lydgate is a rustic dining pub with an excellent reputation and wine list. Located 700 feet above sea level, where Saddleworth Moor starts, the restaurant is in an impressive former coaching house, and it’s a place for all: there’s a restaurant and brasserie with two AA rosettes, a pub, function areas and a boutique hotel.
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Manchester City CentreMana
More detailsMichelin-starred restaurant Mana is the brainchild of chef patron Simon Martin who mastered his trade at the renowned Noma in Copenhagen. In his first few years at Mana, Martin has succeeded in carving his own path – one which confuses and delights people in equal measure.
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BradfordPrashad
More detailsPrashad is a Gordon Ramsay-rated thrill for anyone craving Gujarati vegetarian food. Since starring on Ramsay’s Best Restaurant show, the team have made the most of the exposure. Expansion, relocation and even a Sunday Times top 40 rated cookbook followed.
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Book Now North YorkshireThe Burlington at the Devonshire Arms
More detailsThe Burlington at the Devonshire Arms excels in delivering fine dining and extraordinary wine in the hills. This extremely plush restaurant is an established proving ground for new British chefs. Two Michelin star guru Michael Wignall was in residence before he moved to The Angel at Hetton. While current resident Peter Howarth was head chef at The Samling, and before that at the Michelin-starred Gidleigh Park and The Latymer.
