Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Beer/Wine
Take-out
British
Small, licensed veggie cafe situated 100m from Old Market Square. Provides an extensive menu of vegetarian fare that includes 90% vegan options clearly marked on the menu. Also hosts art exhibitions and live music. Reported closed, May 2018.
51 Reviews
First Review by Foxtrot
_vegayn_
Points +88
A small cosy little cafe. - Edit
If you don’t know where Alley Cafe is, then it can be hard to find. I’ve lived in Nottingham my entire life and I ended going up the wrong alley way. It is a hidden gem down a little alley way off angel row.
Read moreThey offer a good selection of food. Sandwiches & burgers. They do a fantastic falafel burger. They also have a range of alcohol and soft drinks to choose from. You can also order take out. Quite a few times I’ve visited and didn’t have time to sit and eat so they allowed me to take away which is useful. They also go vegan garlic bread, which is so good.
The only negative for me is it’s quite small so if you don’t get there before the lunch time rush, then you won’t get a table and may have to wait. Although this is what makes it charming. That being said, it’s a gorgeous little cafe with excellent/informative staff members who are happy to help whatever the query.
Guest
RealGandy
Points +281
Great place - Edit
Stopped off here while travelling from the North to the South. Easy parking reasonably nearby (Wellington Circus).
Read moreGreat selection of vegan food and a nice chilled atmosphere.
Good value and friendly staff, although the one front of house member was rushed off her feet as it was quite busy... make sure you tip her well!
Pros: vegan options, good atmosphere, vegan puddings including homemade ice-cream
Guest
MartinVC
Points +138
You need to try this place. - Edit
I absolutely adore the Alley Cafe, I've visited Nottingham twice first in 2014 and last month in March and on both occasions I ate out here. I got the vegan breakfast which was delicious with a milkshake (many flavors to choose from). There's a wide variety of choice on the menu ranging from burgers to sandwiches and much more all reasonably priced. I really like the layout of the cafe it's very cosy good vibes all around. There's also a bar which I felt gave the place a nice touch perfect for an evening meal and a drink - number of craft beers that you should give a try. Staff are friendly and approachable
Read more10/10 Hit it up if you're ever it Notts :)
Pros: Delicious food, Unique - alternative vibe , Beer
Cons: Would love to see this place go fully vegan
Guest
WeronikaPajor
Points +151
Best all-day breakfast :) - Edit
I love their all-day breakfast. Massive portion for an adequate price. Good deals everyday and creative meals of the day. Friendly staff and homely vibe.
Read morePros: Massive portions of tasty food, Affordable, A lot of choices
Cons: Small space
Guest
kkylaye
Points +936
Chill Vibes All Around - Edit
As a super picky vegan, I love how the staff are open to customising the sandwich up for me!
Read moreI ordered a half-and-half sandwich soup combo and it gives me the best of both worlds because the soup of the day (toasted sweet potatoes) and the sandwich selection are both tempting as vegan paradise would go!!
Pros: friendly staff, good food, chill vibes
Cons: slightly difficult to get to
Guest
JuliaTrigg
Points +78
average meal average staff - Edit
Super expensive for a back street cafe
Read more£6 for a glass of red and £8.95 for a burger.
Potato wedges hard inside and whilst not inedible we’re not nice, had to go to the theatre so didn’t have time to wait for a second attempt.
Don’t think I will go back
Pros: nice ambiance in place, toilet very funky, food delivered quickly
Cons: cost, quality
Guest
Amy1996
Points +27
Love! - Edit
I live in Nottingham and have visited Alley Cafe on numerous occasions! It never fails me and I've even had friends who are not veggie or vegan want to return simply because they loved the food and atmosphere :) one of my favourite vegan spots in Notts!
Read morePros: Cheap, Eco-Friendly, Nice Vibe
Cons: Hard to find , Limited Seating
Guest
AngelicaJ42
Points +254
Lovely bespoke raw vegan salad - Edit
Nice restaurant and friendly staff. Especially, because they've kindly agreed to create a bespoke raw vegan salad and even went out to buy an avocado for it. Five stars.
Read moreGuest
Halkamo
Points +120
portions got very small. - Edit
I used to come here a lot but the portions got incredibly small. We stopped coming when a veggie sausage on a breakfast was cut in half and served as 2 sausages. For £7.95 I expect to not be ripped off. Don't come here anymore.
Read morePros: used to be good
Cons: portions chopping became a pee take.
Guest
HannahBear
Points +11
Great food - Edit
Great food like the variety on the specials menu, freindly welcoming cafe
Read moreGuest
nikki88
Points +50
Fantastic cakes! - Edit
Went in today for a drink: had a delicious vegan milkshake made with soy milk and vegan ice cream! Saw others having cakes so had to try them too: had a coffee and walnut cake which was served warm with a scoop of ice cream and it was delicious!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan choices., Well priced.
Guest
markos
Points +64
good vegan cafe - Edit
Nice vibe, good vegan food
Read moreStaff were friendly and helpful. I had the tempeh burger, was great...tempeh seemed to be homemade. Highly recommended.
Cons: none
Guest
rowansilverbreeze
Points +132
Not the same place anymore - Edit
I have been visting The Alley Cafe on a regular basis, since it opened (many moons ago), and i always loved it. However, I haven't been here since late 2016. Boy, has it changed! There were hardly any items on the menu. And there seemed to be a predominence of eggs! Not good if you are vegan. The main course of the day, still hadn't been cooked by 4pm! So sad to see stressed out unhappy looking staff and a much reduced menu. Bring back the old Alley Cafe and all will be forgiven.
Read morePros: still has vegan options
Cons: unhappy vibe, vastly reduced menu.
Guest
imogenmichel
Points +2663
Lovely vegan brunch - Edit
Such a fantastic find in Nottingham! It was so great to get delicious vegan brunch and coffee right in the city centre. They also had vegan cake and ice cream advertised which I might have to go back to try!
Read moreGuest
Jonandmarkuk
Points +211
serves food? - Edit
I'd love to be able to review the food at Alley café, but twice now we have gone and not been able to eat.
Read moreFirst visit in 2016 we were told they were closing because it wasn't busy (we were a group of 4).
We tried again in January 2017 and thought we were in luck when it was open.
Went inside only to be told they weren't actually serving food?
it's so annoying to make a special journey somewhere to find you can't get what you want.
Cons: never seems to serve food?
Guest
EdFleming98
Points +13
Dopest Place in Town - Edit
Come here a few times with mates just to show off how cool we (vegetarians) are. Night gigs here are the best, a posh delicious meal then some grime to finish or sometimes some proper hipster vibes, all good. The place is pricey, definitely a place to go for a meal out but for a regular lunch it's too much, portions are good and drinks are fab, sit in with a drink and go on your max for some good vibes in the day or use it as a chill club replacement in the night. Can be a tight squeeze but still a homely introduction to indie Nottingham, if your a veggie or a vegan it's a 100% must when visiting or living in Notts!
Read moreGuest
FatCow
Points +516
Vegans heaven - Edit
Small hidden gem of Nottingham. Huge vegan/vegetarian menu with loads of options. Mind you: kitchen close at 8 so dinner won't be available after 8 pm!
Read morePros: Very nice menu with sandwiches burgers salads cake
Cons: Food not available at dinner time, as kitchen clos
Guest
mangojunkie
Points +144
deliciously seasoned food - Edit
This place is right in the heart of the city centre and has a variety of vegan options. Food tastes fresh, well seasoned and is prepared to look lovely. Portions are decent, prices moderate.
Read moreYou can have amazing falafels, bean bowls, soups and pizzas. They stock vegan cakes too!
Staff is very friendly and the place is overall very comfortable. Especially love the music!
Updated from previous review on Wednesday March 23, 2016
Pros: many vegan choices, atmosphere
Guest
Aladdin_Sane
Points +21
delicious - Edit
Checked this place out from HappyCow listing , delicious food and super friendly staff !
Read moreGuest
naouk
Points +58
Really good! - Edit
Stayed in Nottingham last weekend and went to eat at Alley Cafe twice and had take out once.
Read moreI think the food is really good. Really tasty and prices are moderate.
Had the burger, a smoked tofu sandwich, pizza and chocolate cake. The pizza was a bit small, but delicious.
Pros: evyerthing vegetarian, loas vegan
Cons: Pizza was a bit small
Guest
ZannaStar
Points +176
Well worth the search and the wait - Edit
Rounding up from 4.5
Read moreMy review is bound to be biased by the fact that I've always visited on a Saturday lunchtime when, obviously, this tiny place is packed and you generally have to wait for a table and your food.
The menu never changes, but hey, it's a sound menu with lots of choice, and the specials are usually temptatious. Comfort food dominates but there's plenty of yummy salad and such going on too
The folks are absolutely lovely, the vibe is blissfully chilled & it's one of those lovely places where you feel you're eating your ethics and compassion goes for all animals, humans included - would be better if they went 100% vegan obviously ;-)
I've brought committed omnivores and they loved it so good place for feeding a mixed group, and obviously, plenty of alcohol for those who partake
Pros: excellent food, value for money, super friendly relaxed vibe
Cons: a bit hard to find, may have to wait at busy times
Guest
sareta
Points +30
Top vegan food in Nottingham - Edit
Amazing veggie, vegan cafe bar in the centre of Notts. Does fantastic all day veggie or vegan breakfast (scrambled tofu for the win!) as well as loads of salads, sandwiches, burgers and faves like burritos and tapas bits. Great menu that indicates what is, or can be made, vegan as well as g.f. dishes. Portion sizes are good - I have always cleared my plate but never been left hungry! I don't tend to have a sweet tooth but oh my, the desserts... raspberry & mango sponge with ice cream, chocolate torte (all vegan!)
Read moreThe staff are really chilled & friendly. There are tables outside too - looks like a great place to chill with a beer! Free wifi too (I've been known to spend a couple of hours here at a time!)
Pros: Very vegan friendly, Value for money, Chilled atmosphere
Guest
llamapower
Points +147
Awesome place - Edit
I absolutely love the Alley Cafe! I've eaten there a few times (every time I've been in Nottingham, I think), and it's a lovely little place with funky decor/cool art exhibitions on the walls, great atnosphere, friendly staff and delicious food, with loads of vegan options (I love that the dishes have 'people' names too), including daily specials. I particularly liked the vegan lassi milkshakes, which have an alcoholic option too!
Read morePros: Tasty, tasty food, Lots of vegan options, Lovely decor
Guest
isabelroo
Points +156
Loved it - Edit
Visited the Alley Cafe Bar after a day of wandering around Nottingham.. and what a great ending to my day trip!
Read moreHad I not been with someone who's visited before, I probably would've had difficulty finding it. Anyway, the tucked away location suited the cosy atmosphere inside. And I loved the interior, with its character exposed beams and the dessert menu written in rainbow colours on the mirrors. Judging by the previous reviews, we were lucky to get a table that fitted all of us (4 people) on a Saturday. I think we arrived at about 5/5:30, so perhaps that's the best time to go before it starts to fill up.
The menu is well-designed, as it is easy to see what's vegan and what can be made vegan. Plus there's a section on the back which tells what's in certain food items, e.g. soya, gluten in some dishes, so it's useful for allergy sufferers too. Everything on the menu looked so good, my companions were getting annoyed with me for taking so long to decide on something!
In the end I ordered the burrito.. with cocoa! Such a temptingly odd ingredient for a burrito (in my mind at least) so I had to try it. I wasn't disappointed. It was big and delicious and came with a nice salad and vegan sour cream/relish dip. Every now and then I got what I thought was the subtlest hint of cocoa.. delish!
I couldn't leave there without trying one of their desserts, so I had the raspberry and coconut cheesecake and they included a scoop of vegan cookie caramel ice cream as I was so keen to try it even if it didn't match perfectly with such a cheesecake flavour wise. Oh my GOSH. It was so good.
If you're in the area then seriously consider coming here! It's not often vegan food this good is available!!
Pros: Great food, Loads of choice for vegans, Lovely interior and nice, relaxed vibe
Cons: I imagine it gets quite tight for space
Guest
jennyc32
Points +3391
Excellent cake - Edit
I only visited for cake, and it was worth it! It's quite a small place, and the main menu looked tempting too. There were two vegan cakes, and they were both really moist and tasty. I'd definitely go back again!
Read moreGuest
LeonaB
Points +16
quirky! - Edit
love this little cafe. very relaxed laid back style...wish it was a tad bigger but thats how it is, small n cosy! first time I went I had full vegan breakfast..very nice. waitress was so friendly and cheerful. need to pay a visit there again soon!
Read moreGuest
LeanneV
Points +57
Amazing - Edit
My partner and I visit a few times a month and it is our favourite Vegan restaurant. Amazing food every time, I would recommend anything and everything from the menu. I always look forward to whatever is on the specials board :D
Read morePros: Fantastic tasty filling food, Plenty of options, Great quality for a great price
Cons: The cafe is quite small, Sometimes have to wait for a table
Guest
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