Eighth Day Vegetarian Restaurant Shop and Cafe

Eight Day is very much a cafe of the 80s. It has the basement canteen thing going on, only ever a few options and pretty basic food. But they do that well. It's a pleasant basement canteen and the food is always tasty. I find the vibe and nice reminder of veggie cafe days gone by. I guess it reminds the (then) one veggie cafe in my nearest city growing up so it feels homely but I can see how now everyone would feel that.

I'd usually like a bigger portion, especially because it's not that cheap but it's still reasonable value for money. The food does taste good, occasionally very tasty but never anything exciting. Having everything be one pot dishes to sit on the hot plate really limits them. The choice of vegan cakes is great because they buy in from two different bakeries.

I still go here more often than any other cafe, it's quick, friendly and dependable. I know it's a bit dull but I just still like it.

This cafe has been there forever, it used to be fantastic, great food at good prices. I think the food has gone down hill and the portions are tiny. I still eat there now and again hoping it has changed but alas it doesnt.

On the Eighth Day is an institution in Manchester located on Oxford Road, with a fabulous vegetarian shop on the first floor selling hundreds of products and a vegetarian and vegan cafe below the shop. I had vegan breakfast consisting of cherry tomatoes, fried mushrooms, vegan sausages, fried tofu, baked beans and toast, all helped along by a big pot of Earl Grey tea. They offer hot dishes, sandwiches, salads, cakes and desserts. They hold special evening events like wine tastings with food included which are well worth the money.

I'd been eating at 'Eighth Day' for over 15 years before it dawned on me that I'd never really enjoyed a meal there!

That might sound a little daft but I was always so relieved to have somewhere that I knew provided Vegan options that I'd never stopped to think about the food itself.

Let's put the positive(s) first: the desserts are generally very good with a variety of Vegan choices. There are also good, tasty smoothie options.

As for the rest of the food: personally I tend to find it quite dry and boring. They really do appear to embrace the "wholefood" philosophy which unfortunately can mean lots of bland pulses etc. A non-Vegan friend of mine ate here with me fairly recently as he was genuinely keen to try Vegan food and had an open mind to doing so in the future. The experience has completely turned him off such cuisine and he now refuses point blank to try anything Vegan! Such a shame because whilst what he tried at Eighth Day was pretty representative of their food it was not typical of the tasty Vegan food we all know and love.

A little like 'The Egg' in Liverpool, Eighth Day Cafe is a very dated interpretation of a vegetarian and Vegan eaterie. Certainly not fun or uplifting.

The shop upstairs is however very good and stocks a lot of Vegan foodstuffs as well as alcoholic produce. They also have a deli counter with a good choice of pasties, wraps, desserts and so on. The shop is quite expensive but I guess most places of this type are.

My 3 Star (Cow) rating is an average for both the cafe and shop. I would rate the Cafe itself as 2 stars and the Shop as 4.
Updated from previous review on Friday April 22, 2016

Got a nice lentil curry here, we chilled for hours downstairs sipping tea with soya milk. Lovely vegan cakes,
loved the vegan snacks upstairs, and staff were keen that we had enjoyed the food, asking was all ok.

A Manchester institution, my other half has been coming here since her student days in the city in the late 80s/early 90s. We always try to come for breakfast if we stay in the city and pick something up for lunch from the counter upstairs in the shop.

The shop is very well stocked and the cafe is not salubrious, more a cafeteria but the food is bloody good along with the music and the atmosphere. Love this place.

Good food - mostly vegan, great cakes, we'll run cooperative. Good store on the ground floor.

Not good for the less able. A bit canteen like...and expensive considering that...but the chick pea tagine was very good. Sausage casserole good too. both chocolate and vanilla chai cakes were very dry (if not stale).

Nice lunch with the kids. Haven't been for ages and was pleased to see its still serving trad healthy veggie stuff.

Good choices of basic meals all day. Been coming off and on for 10 years and doesn't change much - but it doesn't need to! Highly recommended.

The shop upstairs is excellent, and has an impressive deli counter (look out for the vegan croissants, they're amazing!). Downstairs you find the cafe and a large seating area. As well as a small salad section, there's a daily bake, dahl and a few chilli/curry-type dishes, with the options of rice, potatoes and green veg. It's really flavoursome food, and the portions are generous. The breakfasts are also good, and it's one of the earliest starts for vegan breakfasts in Manchester.

There's also an extensive cake section (vegan options clearly labelled), and I've never been disappointed. The vanilla chai cake is my favourite.

It's not a fancy place, you collect your food at the counter like a canteen and clear your tray away at the end. Great value for money and a wonderful place in the vegan community.

Both the shops and the cafe downstairs are really great for veggies and vegans, either for picking up supplies, refuelling or meeting for social meet-ups. The salad bar is good for taking food away and the hot meals are really good if you have more time.

If you are visiting Manchester then you can't ask for much more!

My partner and I came for breakfast here just before we had to leave Manchester at the end of our visit in July. As luck would have it we arrived a little while after breakfast ended. Looking at the buffet, although there were a few vegan options, nothing really took my interest, because I was in the mood for light, breakfasty food, so I asked if I could have muesli and the staff kindly obliged. We sat down and enjoyed the buzzy student-life atmosphere (although the cafe is in a basement without windows) and before long I received a bowl of muesli with sliced apple around the rim of the bowl and a dollop of soy yoghurt in the middle. I just managed to make the soy milk on the side stretch to cover the amount of muesli, and the breakfast was pretty OK, kind of what I wanted at that time of day, if nothing special. Afterwards I felt like coffee and cake and so ordered a fair trade soy latte and went to look at the selection of cakes. There were enough (five or six vegan cakes) that I was spoilt for choice, but I ended up choosing the chai cake, which we both enjoyed. If I lived in Manchester I could imagine being a regular here for coffee, shopping (in the upstairs co-op) and the occasional lunch.

The Eighth Day Cafe and Shop is the only place that you can go In Manchester where you can get a good healthy wholesome meal, that you can thoroughly get stuck into because you know it is what you have asked for. the staff are all always very helpful, and will tell you honestly, whether it is Vegan or Vegetarian, which makes it so much more enjoyable. Fantastic.

I ate here for lunch yesterday with my vegetarian bestie.
There was only one main course item I saw that wasn't vegan. I was really impressed by this.
The shop upstairs had a brilliant choice of vegan wraps/pasties and cakes to take away.
I will be returning.

The shop is on pavement level and the cafe down the stairs in the basement.
The shop has a wide and varied choice of foods, beauty, cleaning products, vitamins etc etc. Small fridge/freezer section, personally was hoping for a wider choice of vegan cheese. Well set out, didn't feel cramped like some shops do.

Good deli counter with plenty of vegan choices and well labelled. Food can be taken away hot or cold. I treated myself to a lemon slice which was delicious. Nice selection of fresh breads and bagels available too. I felt the prices were comparable with other similar health food stores.

I did venture down into the cafe but there wasn't anything on the menu that particularly caught my eye although the food looked fresh and the cafe clean and comfortable, if a little dark as there are no windows. I'd definitely return for lunch if in the area again.

I had very nice food in this nice café with friendly service and bought some very nice things in the well sorted shop!
Can really recommend this place!

Fresh, hot, tasty and value for money!

Yes, you can eat here everyday!!

Not so big fan of the shop upstairs but the deli has some good choice!