Norwich’s vegan food offerings have grown extensively in the last five years. There is just so much choice - whether you're after a cake and a cuppa, a full English, sushi, tapas, pizza, street food or fine dining - the list goes on and on.
The Tipsy Vegan is an integral part of the Norwich vegan scene, and if you ask anyone here for plant-based recommendations, it's always mentioned without fail. no wonder it was crowned one of the best vegan spots in the UK last year.
Thinking a trip here would be the perfect way to end the working week, we booked a spot on a Friday night. Even though we booked a week in advance, there were only a few tables left to choose from. It's great that so many people are embracing a meat-free lifestyle here.
The Tipsy Vegan is on St Benedicts Street and, I must say, this is one of my favourite areas in Norwich. Every shop is so unique and every time I walk down there I always find somewhere else I want to visit.
I spent the entire week before our date night scouring the menu. There was so much on offer. I must have changed my decision 10 times before we even visited as everything sounded so tempting.
We were greeted warmly by the waitresses when we arrived and were quickly seated on the right-hand side of the restaurant where there were plenty of tables around the room. Its quirkiness shone through with the red plush seating and green walls with historical framed photos.
The restaurant was busy and despite the fact we were sitting quite close to other groups and couples, it didn’t feel loud or invasive at all.
Our drinks order was taken immediately. I opted for the strawberry and basil lemonade, and my partner ordered a bottle of Modelo. I adore it when restaurants offer a decent range of soft drinks, I’m not a big drinker so being able to have a fruity twist on a lemonade was the perfect refreshing option on a warm evening. My partner was very excited about the Modelo beer.
After changing my mind a few more times, we finally decided on our order. The Tipsy Vegan only offers small plates, a bit like tapas, and they recommend choosing two to three dishes per person. I love this concept as you get to try lots of different things and allows for a much more relaxed atmosphere.
To start, we shared the sourdough and dipping oil with olives, which arrived really quickly. I’m a keen sourdough baker at home and theirs was absolutely perfect. It had been slightly toasted to allow for a crunch but then was so delightfully fluffy in the middle. I love olives and these were slightly spicy which gave the starter a bit of an edge to liven up the tastebuds.
I enjoyed the fact they gave us the chance to finish our starter before bringing out the small plates we had ordered. We didn’t feel rushed at all.
We were quite overwhelmed by the amount of food presented to us. The variety of colour and layout of each dish was spectacular, it was a vegan’s dream!
We ordered six small plates, the arancini (£7.50), buffalo and cauliflower tacos (£8), crispy sushi rice (£7), quesadilla (£8), sticky tofu and cauliflower bowl (£8) and coconut-crusted tofu (£6.50). The smell wafting from the table was very tempting and we were so excited to try everything!
We tried the arancini first which were much bigger than I thought they would be. Made of leek and vegan bacon they were moreish. They fell apart when eating them and were crispy on the outside but soft on the inside with a delicious umami flavour from the bacon. The arancini were accompanied by a maple mustard dip. It’s probably the best I’ve ever had, being both sweet and spicy. The only issue we had here was that there were just three, so I of course had to have two and leave my partner with one!
Next were the buffalo and cauliflower tacos, which came ready for you to assemble at the table yourself. The cauliflower was a little bit too spicy for my liking but once I found the perfect balance of salad, pickled red onion and ranch dressing it was just right and absolutely delicious. My partner is a huge advocate for spicy food so this was right up his street and we polished it off in minutes.
I was so excited about the crispy sushi rice as it’s something that I’ve never tried before. The grains were griddled so parts were soft, while others had a crunch. Freshness came from the sweet Asian tomato salad that coated the top and soaked through to. Stunning. I only wished there was more of it!
My partner persuaded me into ordering the quesadilla as it’s not something I would usually have, but I am so glad we did. Made from black bean and sweet potato it had a nutty taste that worked perfectly with the guac on the side.
The sticky tofu and cauliflower bowl was stacked to the brim, and sprinkled with pickled red onion and spring onion. The sauce that glazed the dish had a sweet and savoury taste which was mouth-wateringly good. And the pickled onion added a tang which had us diving in for more.
Our last dish was the coconut-crusted tofu, made up of large cubes of crispy tofu coated in coconut flakes. You could smell the coconut as soon as it hit the table. And every single bite had a nutty twang. The tofu, which can be rubbery, was cooked perfectly with a good crunch and a soft centre. On the side was a sweet chilli mayo.
We certainly were full after eating all of those dishes but a dessert did catch my eye. I couldn’t say no and had to order their mint choc chip cheesecake. This time we didn’t share and ordered one each - I’m quite protective of my desserts.
A large slab of the cheesecake arrived. They definitely didn’t skimp on the portion size. This was the epitome of a sweet treat, with the mint chocolate really shining through and refreshing our palates after all the rich dishes we'd just eaten. I probably would go back just to eat this again - it was absolutely delicious.
Toilets
The toilets are really clean and inviting tucked away at the back of the restaurant. They offered free eco-friendly sanitary products which I thought was a really lovely touch.
Accessibility
There are steps going into the restaurant but they have a ramp they can use for access.
Service
All staff were so welcoming and polite.
Highlight
The arancini and the cheesecake were definitely my favourite and will be a staple for me to reorder when I go back.
summary
The hype is to be believed! The Tipsy Vegan deserves to be on the list of the best vegan spots in the UK, the food is undeniably incredible and it’s no wonder so many vegans recommend a visit here.
We did spend £90 on our visit but we left feeling extremely full and we did try 90% of their menu!
If you like that, try these…
Namaaste Village
One of my favourite places to visit for a vegetarian or vegan curry. With so many different options of curry with different spices and flavours it’s well worth a visit to try a curry outside of your comfort zone.
Slice & Dice Cafe
I haven’t visited Slice & Dice Cafe yet but it’s just up the road from The Tipsy Vegan and I’ve heard a lot of good recommendations about this. Completely vegan and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner whilst playing board games.
Erpingham House
A staple vegan restaurant in Norwich, Erpingham House hosts an array of dishes from burgers to fish and chips. A beautiful atmosphere and delicious comforting food.
Did you know
The Tipsy Vegan also has a restaurant in Cambridge that is just as popular as this one in Norwich!
Disclaimer
Our food reviews are always independent. They are the opinion of the reviewer based on their experience of the venue when they visited. The establishment is not aware of our visit, is not informed we intend to write a review and bills are paid by the reviewer. The choice of places reviewed is also independent and is not based on venues which do or do not advertise in our publications.
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