A Review of Vertigo, Manchester
I’ve been itching to write this post for ages now. After visiting Vertigo on Cross Street in Manchester earlier this year, I was really excited to see they were opening a second cafe on First Street near Oxford Road.
If you haven’t visited them before, Vertigo is a fully vegan, plant based cafe. From full vegan brekkies to the most delicious plant based sandwiches, they have a bit of something for everyone.
It’s the perfect place to go whether you’re on a health kick or even when you’re feeling more indulgent, as they have a great mix of dishes on the menu.
The Vibe
The cafe on Cross Street can get a little crowded as it’s quite small and very popular, so the new bigger site at First Street is ideal for escaping the crowds. Well, until everyone cottons on to how amazing it is, I guess!
They have lush greenery adorning the walls, as well as plush velvet chairs and cosy bench seats. And a ‘100% plantbased’ sign that I definitely spotted someone getting a selfie with!
It’s a really laid back spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner, perfect if you don’t like a super formal meal. There’s no waiting around for the bill either, as you can just pay at the counter while you ogle/buy all of the cakes.
The Food
We actually went to Vertigo this weekend and last (don’t @ me), just in case you were thinking ‘wow, girl can eat’. So we’ve managed to delve through quite a bit of the menu already.
On our first visit I had the Seitan Skewer (£7.50), which was served with rice, Persian slaw, mint & radish salad, turmeric yoghurt and walnuts.
If you’ve not had it before, seitan is basically a vegan meat substitute made from rehydrated gluten. Sounds a bit sketchy but it’s actually really tasty, has a meaty consistency and absorbs flavours well.
The skewer was really tasty but I wasn’t blown away by the rest of the dish. I think if you’re going to get this dish, I’d definitely order an extra skewer (the option is on the menu for +£2.50).
On our second visit, Mat went for the Reuben Bagel (£5.00) again as he loved it so much on our first visit. It’s not super photogenic, but it’s a toasted bagel filled with peppered tempeh, sauerkraut, vegan ‘cheese’, gherkins and vegan mustard mayo.
I was so jealous I didn’t get it too as I had a bite last time we went and loved it. He also had the Cinnamon Waffle (£6.50), which was served with almond butter, cherry compote and yoghurt. Another great brunch choice that I was more than a little jealous of!
For my brunch, I went with the Full Breakfast (£9.00), which consisted of sausage, scrambled tofu, beans, mushrooms, avocado & sourdough toast.
It was a nice hearty dish and I loved the addition of scrambled tofu. More of a personal preference, but I probably would’ve preferred a few more spices in the beans and a chunkier smashed avocado (it was more of a puree).
The Cakes
After you’ve wolfed down your brunch, you’ll probably struggle to leave without at least considering buying all of the cake counter. No, really.
They’ve always had brilliant vegan cakes at Vertigo, but they recently started selling slices of cake from Hillgate Cakery, a vegan bakery in Stockport. It’s actually where I got my amazing mint choc Oreo 28th birthday cake from.
I grabbed a slice of Biscoff cake, which was delicious, as well as one of their chocolate & cherry brownies. You wouldn’t know they were vegan at all – whatever that even means!
If you leave with one sweet treat though, I’d definitely make it one of their brownies. And an oat milk flat white to wash it down with, of course.
You can find out more about Vertigo on their website here.
Have you visited Vertigo yet? What’s your favourite dish?
