Where to eat vegan & vegetarian food in Cambridge

In the late 2000s food writer Michael Pollan summed up a good diet as “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”

It’s fine advice, and it’s been getting markedly easier to follow in British restaurants over the last few years, too. “Plant based” food has surged across the menu, and more and more chefs have started actually making an effort.

The flow of food trends across the menus of Cambridge is a little gentler, reflecting its peculiar status as simultaneously a vibrant international city and a provincial market town. Which is to say you sort of roll the dice and hope. Lately it’s shaking out better and better.

To help, I keep a reasonably up to date list of places it's worth going for food and drink here. But one question I keep getting asked is: Where should I go for vegetarian or vegan food in Cambridge?

Here’s my answer.

It’s broken into two sections: dedicated veggie/vegan/plant-based places, and omnivorous establishments at which those who prefer not to chow down on creatures might still have a nice time.

As ever, please leave recommendations in the comments.

Vegetarian & vegan restaurants

These are actually all vegan.

Vanderlyle

This is my favourite restaurant in town, plant-based or otherwise. It's innovative, approachable, and extremely polished. The menu rotates quickly, staying seasonal and skewing local. It's a multi-course tasting affair, making it both quite expensive and astonishing value at its price point (£75 per person when I wrote this), and honestly it can't be that long before the fussy people from the tyre company rock up and make it even harder to get a table. Somehow. Right now the reservation blocks sell out in minutes 🤷‍♂️

Worth it though, so worth it.

(On Mill Rd.)

The Tipsy Vegan

A good time with small plates, especially if you like almonds. I've reviewed it here in more detail, and honestly you should go for the arancini and the chickpea stew. If it’s still on - they refresh the menu fairly often.

It's fairly casual - good for lunch or dinner, and it's on the quayside, making it the most central dedicated vegan ticket in town.

(Quayside, near Magdalene college)

Stem & Glory

The Cambridge outpost of a three-branch London-based chain. They offer small plates as well as more sizeable mains and a small but exciting looking vegan pizza selection. Stylistically it's... global? Fusion? I don't know - there's no single through line. But it's good. Loved the pumpkin ravioli.

(By the station)

Vegan Vice Club

"You what, mate? Come over here and tell me 'vegan food is healthy' to my face!"
More? Ok. It's a really solid dirty burger joint. They're on East Rd, and acting as the kitchen at The Snug bar. They do excellent excessively-topped burgers and loaded fries. The faux chicken is probably the highlight (good texture, sage notes, crispy), and the milkshakes are slightly sweet but delightful.

(Near the Grafton Centre)

Also available:

Doppelganger Burger
The burgers are decent, if a little overly sauce-slathered. I love the loaded fries. Better as takeout than eat in, hence being lower down this, a dine-out listing.
Thrive
It's fine. Lunch & brunch. Try the vegan hot chocolate.

Restaurants with decent vegetarian & vegan options

Tilting towards "many options”, rather than "just one option but it's great".

Tawa Kitchen
Near the station. Modern Indian. The menu is about half veggie, and the quality is solid. There's not a lot more to say really, it's a place I go a fair bit and enjoy.
Tradizioni
Mill Rd. Pizza & pasta. For my money the best vegan & vegetarian pizzas in town (and some of the best carnivorous ones, too), with a solid selection of vegetarian pasta dishes. Recently expanded and smartened up their indoor dining space, with plenty outdoors too.
Old Bicycle Shop
Central ish (Regent St.) So you like to eat entirely or mostly plants, and you need to take that "difficult" uncle out for dinner. You know the one, best not talk about, well... hmm, yeah ok, doesn't leave us much. Anyway. You can both have dinner here, and you'll both enjoy it. Fairly eclectic selection, gastropub vibe.
Novi
Central ish (Regent St.) Brunch, cocktails, dinner. In the evenings they fire up the smoker. A simple, light menu with a solid drinks offer and a nice atmosphere. The venue is bright and airy, like the food. A sound pick for a summer lunch.
The Tiffin Truck
Also central ish (Regent St, again) also modern British Indian. Is "Dishoom-wave" a thing? No? Ok. It's more of a wannabe Bundobust in any case. Small bites with some mains, not that much meat, decent quality, fairly casual.

Right. There you go. I’m sure I’ve missed some, and I’m equally sure people will let me know.

Caveats

As with my other guide, there are some ground rules here:

I'll try to keep it up to date, but look - we're all busy
If I've not listed somewhere, I've either not been yet or I think it's bollocks, and it's kinder all round to assume the former
My definition of "in Cambridge" is capricious, high-handed, and entirely not at home to negotiation.
It is roughly "within an hour's brisk walk of the market square"
I’m not bothering with large chains. I’m also not bothering to define “large” there - see point one about us all being very busy, and probably quite tired. Let’s just duck type it and carry on with our lives.

I do think it’s interesting though (given that last point) that three of the four dedicated vegan restaurants on my list are small chains. Tipsy Vegan had its first branch in Norwich, Vegan Vice Club and Stem & Glory both have outposts in London. Vanderlyle is deliciously home-grown, as is the Wandering Yak food truck.

Why? I’m not sure. But there’s that old joke “How do you make a small amount of money in the restaurant business? Start with a large one”, and I feel like it’s especially gallows humour in Cambridge. Unless you stumble into the exact Goldilocks zone of Mill Rd gentrification, good luck affording premises with any footfall to speak of. The market square has gone more street food lately, or I suppose you could put your faith in the all-powerful Algorithm and try a Deliveroo dark kitchen…