Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
Organic
Western
Take-out
British
Welsh
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. Little chunk of eclectic fun situated right in front of Betws-y-Coed train station. A subtly rainforest-themed cafe marking the vegan and vegetarian items. Vegan choices include flapjacks and sweet treats, burgers, Mediterranean sharing platters with vegan cheese and chutney. Offers organic coffee. Supports an endangered-ape charity in Cameroon through profits raised and donations made at the shop. Reported closed January 2026.


65 Reviews

First Review by mitzi

The Humble Servant

Points +37

Vegetarian
10 Jan 2011

NOT BAD FOR LOCAL AREA - BUT COULD BE GREAT!

Firstly, not used this cafe for a year or so, but round here, things don't often change much! In a glorious village, in the heart of Snowdonia, a mecca for coach parties, and busy almost all year, this cafe stands out as one of the very few that offers a genuine vegetarian alternative to fish, chips, and dead cows on plates! When we first visited some years ago, it offered a substantial vegetarian biased choice, with even larger portions, and fabulous take-out sandwiches. It also offered a wide choice of flavoured coffees, and I think it still does? On our last couple of visits, the veg choice seemed less, the portions were smaller, and the preponderance of teenage staff made one wonder whether vegetarian principles were being adhered to in the kitchen?
Last time we ordered take-out sandwiches, they were still good, and if you can bag yourself a seat in the conservatory overlooking the miniature train running around on the opposite platform,(Summer only), we think you will enjoy the experience! This cafe is crying out to be vegetarian only, but don't think it's likely!

Pros: Reasonable veggy selection, Cute location when quiet, Take out Sandwiches good

Cons: Portions seem smaller, Less veg choice than before, Staff trained in veggy ethos?

Lolbot2000

Points +37

Vegan
02 Sep 2025

Lovely vegan food at Betws y coed

We visited today and had the hummus and falafel plate plus the hummus and chips with an oat latte and an apple juice. The food was delicious and the coffee is great!
Recommend this if visiting Betws y Coed

Pros: Great location , Lovey food , Plenty of seating

Cons: Only one toilet so a bit of a queue

Nessyxx

Points +63

Vegan
19 Aug 2025

Sustainability

Lovely cafe, nice atmosphere. Raises money for primates. Highlights the destruction of palm oil. Plenty of veggie and vegan options (and has had these for years). Also, meat/eggs seem locally sourced with higher standards of welfare.

Updated from previous review on 2025-08-19

Pros: Plenty of tasty options., Raises money and awareness for animals, Lovely cafe environment

Cons: Didn't see many vegan dessert options, Gets busy (which is great for them), Extra charge for alternative milk

gempon

Points +902

Vegetarian
11 Aug 2025

Great falafel!

Delicious falafel and smoothie. Great stop off for hiking or biking adventures.

ffigan

Points +7739

Vegan
25 May 2025

Excellent Breakfast, Great Place for Vegans!

Alpine Coffee Shop and Gallery is a popular cafe situated in the bustling village Betws-y-Coed. The cafe has lots of indoor and outdoor seating, including an annexe space directly across from the entrance. The decor is modern and purposeful in bringing attention to the important ape charities the cafe contributes to.

They cater very well for vegans. The majority of the menu seems to be vegetarian, and there are vegan options across every section of the menu in addition to a couple of vegan cakes. They also serve oat milk as a non-dairy alternative. Some of the vegan options included:
- Vegan Burger
- Vegan Hotdog
- Sandwiches and Toasted Sandwiches
- Salad
- Hummus and Falafel Plate

I had the Vegan Breakfast and was really impressed. The portion size was good, and the food smelled incredible. The locally sourced sausage was particularly tasty as it was lovely and herby. The cafe also did a nice job with the homemade hummus, which was perfectly creamy. The staff here were very friendly and on the ball. Everyone was served quickly, and the dishes were flying out of the kitchen even on a busy bank holiday weekend. I'd absolutely return here for breakfast again or to try something from their lunch menu, and I highly recommend this spot to fellow vegans!

My only gripe is with something they wrote on their menus. They state that they are prioritise 'ethical' produce and claim to use Red Tractor produce, but as many UK based vegans know, Red Tractor is a scheme run by farmers for their own interests to prioritise sales and not animal welfare as animal abuse has been exposed on many Red Tractor approved farms. Nonetheless, Alpine Coffee Shop and Gallery goes further than most places in what they do for animals and the environment by running initiatives such as the no straw challenge to save on waste and by raising funds for ape charities. The ape charities Alpine Coffee House support include:
- Ape Action Africa
- Orangutan Appeal UK
- Sangha Pangolin Project
- Pangolin Conservation & Research Foundation

Pros: Seperate Gluten Free Menu with Vegan Options, Very Nice Food, Many Vegan Options, Cool Decor, Donates to Animal Charities

Cons: Not Fully Vegan

lydiaevve

Points +30

Vegan
21 May 2025

Cute friendly cafe with lovely staff.

Good vegan options. I had a vegan mozzarella toasted sandwich on the first day which was lovely! And the vegan breakfast when we went back the next day.

Cake options were very minimal, but there was always at least one.

Note: we went during a sunny weekend and the queues were very long. They have a small hatch for takeaway coffees (with milk alternative) which we utilised to get our second coffee.

Pros: Vegan cheese!, Tasty coffee., Lovely atmosphere.

Cons: Long queue for ordering., One toilet.

LettuceMuncher

Points +2147

Vegan
14 May 2025

Good vegan options

Lovely cafe in the heart of Betws Y Coed. This cafe raises money from sales & donations for an ape charity in Africa. So it's well worth supporting them by dining here even though it's a little pricey, as animals are helped in the process. The food is good & staff friendly.

I've had a vegan breakfast here which was great. They also have a couple of vegan sandwich options as well as a salad. Most vegan options come with hummus involved somewhere so if you're not a hummus fan you might be disappointed.

Staff are friendly, there's indoor & outdoor seating on the old railway station platform.

All in all this is a good spot to stop for a bit to eat or drink. Plant milks available. Main drawback is parking but that's a problem all over Betws not just at the cafe.

Updated from previous review on 2025-05-14

Pros: Great vegan breakfast, Fair choice for vegans, Friendly staff

Cons: Parking isn't great, Pricey, Only one wc

Kat3282

Points +55

Vegetarian
11 May 2025

Alpine Vegan Breakfast

Lovely tasting breakfast and loved the sausage. Well presented and set me up for the day. Will definitely visit again.

Pros: Portion size, Tasty sausage

ThomasVegano

Points +2914

Vegan
10 May 2025

Fry

A vegan fry-up—what a great way to kick-start the day!

Touring_in_tillie

Points +1585

Vegan
31 Dec 2024

Lovely breakfast 🦍

Stopped here for breakfast - lovely vegan option.
Potatoes are great but make sure you like hummus(!) (see photos)
I also had the grape escape smoothy which was lovely!

Update: we re try need in December 2024 and it was still great!

Updated from previous review on 2024-10-18

Pros: Dog friendly, Vegan options, Friendly staff

LesleyWebb

Points +438

Vegan
17 Aug 2024

Great vegan breakfast

Excellent breakfast and a decent sized portion (for us).
Fast service and welcoming surroundings.

Pros: Large helping of hummus :)), Fast service and hot food

Claire_Louise16

Points +960

Vegan
06 Aug 2024

Very tasty vegan breakfast

Very nice breakfast. See photo, plenty of options on the menu. Locally made sausages and falafel.

Updated from previous review on 2024-08-06

Mandy_Fu

Points +5018

Vegan
10 Jul 2024

Great vegan hotdog

Has a nice meal here: carrot and coconut soup , hotdog and a vegan flapjack (not on display but had it in the back). They also had a toffee apple slice that was vegan. Recommended!

Pros: Good options for vegans

Cons: Long queues, Only 1 toilet

BarnabyLewis-Jones

Points +18

Vegan
31 May 2024

Barney

Although not a vegan cafe, lots of vegan options and food was great.
Staff were friendly. Good decor. Good background music. Look forward to going back sometime

Pros: Great breakfast, helpful staff, Great vibe.

Cons: Great vegan options but not a vegan restaurant.

HelenaJames

Points +24

Vegan
18 Mar 2024

Updated hours

Wanted to come here as the reviews looked promising, just a note to everyone that the opening hours have changed to 4pm with last orders at 3:45!

CatarinaGalhardo

Points +89

Vegan
22 Jan 2024

Nice lightweight tasty lunch

Really nice platter with hummus, toasted pitta, falafel, veggies, salad, delicious vegan sausage (which was locally-made!) and sweet chilli/tahini/mango chutney dips, the service was really quick even though it was very busy and it is really close to all you'd want to see in the surrounding area.

Updated from previous review on 2024-01-22

Pros: Nice space/atmosphere & location, Many vegan options, Very quick service!

Cons: Only 1 toilet which always had a line

dymdarp

Points +183

Vegan
24 Nov 2023

Big portions of tasty food

We had a vegan breakfast, carrot soup, chips with hummus and a Bakewell tart. All 100% vegan and large portions.

The Bakewell was utterly delicious, maybe the best I've ever had.

The breakfast was a bit weird but very tasty. It includes a sausage (locally made), toast, grilled tomatoe, baked beans, hummus, falafel and fried potatoes.

All of this along with a lemonade and pot of tea was only £26.

The service was friendly and the atmosphere was very warm and inviting.

Updated from previous review on 2023-11-24

Pros: Large portions, Tasty, Amazing Bakewell tart

Cons: Not many vegan options , Long queue

NimiM

Points +62

Vegan
06 Nov 2023

Helpful and tasty food

Very helpful staff, able to do an order that takes in allergies too. Very tasty vegan breaky... maybe bit too large!

Dearme

Points +153

Vegan
05 Sep 2023

Tasty hotdog and cake

Warm and inviting atmosphere. Kid and dog friendly. A few good vegan options but also some missed opportunities e.g. vegetable soup has chicken stock in it (why?). I really enjoyed the vegan hotdog, very tasty and it was a large portion. Only 1 vegan cake option when I visited but it was also delicious. Overall, a nice little place I'd recommend.

Pros: Welcoming atmosphere , Multiple vegan options

Cons: Busy, Non vegan vegetable soup

MaiLykke

Points +246

Vegan
22 Jul 2023

One of the better places in Betws-y-Coed

I had the vegan toaster sandwich for breakfast which was kind of disappointing, I returned and had the vegan burger for dinner the next day and it was great, the woman at the counter didn’t know what it contained though when I asked if it had a patty or just hummus (the menu wasn’t clear) which made me sceptical. My partner tried their vegetarian breakfast which was pretty standard but the portion size was satisfactory.

Pros: Multiple options (not many though)

Cons: Very long que at times

LouiseBB

Points +82

Vegan
08 Jul 2023

Great vegan options

We had the vegan burger, the vegan platter and oat milk lattes, all of which were great!

lisaheath89

Points +363

Vegan
20 Jun 2023

Great vegan options

Lots of interesting options! The highlight is the handmade vegan sausage.

Pros: Amazing handmade sausages , Some interesting options , Nice atmosphere

Cons: Extra 40p for oat milk, Salad choices a little boring

PhiPhi

Points +29

Vegetarian
23 Apr 2023

Good breakfast

We wanted to get a good breakfast before heading off into the hills and this was perfect.
There were good vegetarian and vegan options which set us up well for the day.
Be prepared to queue though as it's very popular and get there before the coach parties start arriving.

Pros: Tasty food, Good coffee

Cons: Very busy

LoVe20

Points +2082

Vegan
07 Mar 2023

Loved this place!

Such a nice vibe, just like it's sister (I think) place at the Pizzeria!
I chose the Hummus and Falafel plate and it was lovely. The warm Pitta bread was delightful. The cold vegan sausage bites were enjoyable too.
They offer Oat milk as the alternative for 40p extra, suits me as Oat milk is my usual choice but may be nice to have more options.
Couple of vegan cakes too, I had a Plum and almond Flapjack that was very nice.

Pros: The support of the ape charity (again) , Good amount of options , Clearly labelled menu

Cons: Could have more milk choices , No afternoon tea vegan option

nicole_m

Points +4569

Vegan
31 Dec 2022

Tasty food

Plenty of well marked vegan options on the menu here. The place was pretty busy and we waited a few minutes to grab a table inside. Ordering is all done at the counter where they make your hot drinks at the same time so you can carry them back to your table yourself. I tried the leek and potato soup (yum) and vegan cheese, pesto and tomato toasted sandwich (also yum and came with a decent side of salad). My companion had the cooked breakfast. All the food was tasty and a decent price. It’s also lovely that the cafe donates to animal causes.

Pros: Well marked vegan options , Tasty food

Cons: Busy and short staffed so not many tables free, Won’t take £50 notes like many uk places

Owen2393

Points +346

Vegan
13 Oct 2022

A café with a conscience

Lovely ethos to the cafe, with support for orangutan’s and gorillas behind it. The falafel and hummus plate was fantastic, and plenty of other vegan options. A wonderfully unexpected find in rural wales!

VegAnnie_

Points +438

Vegetarian
08 Jul 2022

Wonderful place and dishes!

Hip place which donates to an ape rescue center. Lots of vegan options. Serve alcohol. Hummus/falafel plate is amazing!




This page has been viewed 0 times.