Vegan
Beer/Wine
Take-out
British
Jamaican
Vegan pub grub from ciabatta toasties to Jamaican curry and Tex Mex food; plus ciders, beers, and wine. Also sells cakes. Open Mon 12:00-19:00, Wed-Thu 12:00-19:00, Sat 12:00-17:00. Open on Tue for drinks only.
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50 New Wakefield St, Manchester, England, M1 5NP
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- Outdoor seating
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Last update on 11 Sep 2019 by stilleating
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Added by Stevie on 14 May 2010
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39 Reviews
First Review by Kevster
freeform-delusion
Points +73
Amazing place under the bridge! - Edit
Fantastic all vegan Cafe/Pub.
Read moreWe happened to be in the area and looked this place up here on the Happy Cow app. So glad we popped in for lunch. The service was spot on, the staff were really friendly and down to earth and the atmosphere was really comfortable and relaxed. The food was delicious!! I would definitely recommend this place. We will be going back for sure!
Pros: Food, Staff, Location
pphelps83
I want this next time I am back in Manchester~
Read moreGuest
SeitanikKvltist
Points +215
Proper English pub food made vegan - Edit
Nothing less, nothing more. So not great by any means yet somehow perfect anyway.
Read moreGuest
recycled.vegan
Points +141
Tasty burger and chips - Edit
Really good value and tasty burger chips and onion rings sharer
Read morePros: Fully vegan, Good chips, Good value
Guest
CharlieMills
Points +3615
Cheap and cheerful food - Edit
The staff here are lovely, very friendly and excited about the menu. The food is very cheap and pretty standard, but you get a good sized portion.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-12-27
Guest
Barty71
Points +24
Consistently great food and service - Edit
My son and I visited again on Saturday 23 April for lunch. We had vegan ‘fish’, chips and mushy peas.
Read moreThe food was superb and the portion size was great. Good range on the menu to cater for all tastes.
Martin, the owner and chef of Mod’s Vegan Cafe, is always a pleasure to meet and chat to.
All in all, another great experience and we’ll be back again soon.
Pros: Great tasting food , Lovely to know the whole menu is vegan , Excellent service
Guest
Lujgano
Points +42
Sabrosa hamburguesa - Edit
Vine porque lo vi en Happycow y me gustó. Es un pub, la gente irá sobre todo a beber, pero la verdad es que la hamburguesa estaba realmente buena. Burguer con patatas y una cocacola 8£. Eso es barato comparándolo con la mayoría de veganos.
Read morePros: Sencillo y barato.
Cons: Nada realmente, no esperes grandes surtidos.
Guest
satanspropaganda
Points +54
Amazing and well priced food in a great pub - Edit
I love the thirsty scholar, so popping in for lunch on a Saturday and having amazing vegan food alongside a great pint is just perfect. The Udon Noodles were incredible with just a hint of spice and a hell of a serving size, then the hummus plate just delicious.
Read moreNo complaints, cold beer and great homemade food
Pros: Well priced , Owner extremely friendly , Great beer
Guest
AlmaEgan
Points +876
Hidden vegan gem - Edit
It's not gourmet or fine dining but it's a great spot for a burger and chips with a pint. They use faux meat so it's not a vegetable patty . Quirky decor and the chef is lovely and friendly
Read morePros: Huge breakfast
Guest
Absel
Points +22
Great Value and Vibe - Edit
Not sure I would have ever thought to go in here if not for this website. I was expecting a separate vegan cafe within it, but it's actually just that the pub has a vegan menu. I had the Rogan Josh which was lovely, and they certainly didn't skimp on the portion size. The staff seemed personable, and had some good beer recommendations.
Read morePros: Large portions, Reasonably priced, Jolly staff
Cons: Decor was a bit tired, but not unpleasant
Guest
DoctorGrubles
Points +93
Awesome food, cool venue and friendly staff! - Edit
We went here in the evening for drinks, and returned in the “morning” (12:00) for breakfast! They have Free wifi, and also does coffee.
Read moreGuest
rootEth
Points +47
You won't leave hungry! - Edit
This is pretty simply pub grub. It's edible, cheap, and you get lots of it, there's very little risk of leaving hungry!
Read moreI'm a big guy, and I eat a lot, but I ordered the burger and chips plate and could barely finish it. I dread to think how big the platter is!
I went for an Asian burger, can't remember country right now, but it has a nice flavour to it. The burger toppings weren't anything special, but it is pub grub so was as expected. The chips were just deep fried chunky chips really.
Be aware though that the pub doesn't have a lot of seating inside and I accidently turned up on quiz night so was even less! They do have outdoor seating but bit cold in December! The music was pretty good and not too loud when I was there.
The staff are a bit mixed to be honest, the bar staff didn't really know anything about the food and seemed quite put out by me asking questions, however once they got the chef (and owner maybe?) he was really friendly and helpful.
Also worth noting, the bar mats were promoting mental health awareness, really happy to see this and a great idea!
Updated from previous review on 2018-12-15
Pros: Massive portions., Friendly chef / owner., Really good value for money.
Cons: It's pub grub so not the finest dining!, Bar staff are not very helpful., Limited seating.
Guest
cadugdale
Points +57
Basic vegan pub grub in central Manchester - Edit
A friend and I, both vegan, decided to visit the Thirsty Scholar for lunch today. the pub is set down from the road and would be easy to miss if you weren't looking out for it!
Read moreThe place was empty when we arrived and there was a terrible bass beat booming around. Fortunately one of the staff was able to turn it off, otherwise we would have had to leave.
We were greeted in a friendly manner, and given a menu to read. There was plenty of choice, mostly burgers, but we knew that from the website.
The chef asked if we needed help, and helpfully discussed my gluten free needs. My friend and I both opted for the hummus platter. I had some chips instead of the pitta bread, which worked very well. My friend ordered a medium portion of chips alongside her platter - she was unable to eat it all!!
The platters looked great, as you can see, the salad was lovely and fresh, and the hummus tasty.
The pub seating has seen better days, but the food was great value for money.
Sadly they had no Thatcher's Gold cider, and the young lady at the bar told me that she believed all ciders are vegan, which was a little disconcerting as I know that they are not. However, the Rosie was tasty. We later discovered a list of vegan beers and ciders pinned to the wall, it was a shame that she wasn't aware of it.
My other half loves a good veggie breakfast, so I'll have to take him along another day.
Worth a visit for simply vegan food - give it a go!
Pros: helpful chef, all vegan
Cons: limited choice for gluten free diet but chef helps
Guest
FernandaOliveira
Points +1172
loved it - Edit
had the double lunchfast and everything was ultra delicious and their prices are quite affordable
Read moreGuest
CatrionaTravels
Points +82
Best Vegan in Manchester - Edit
My favourite vegan place in Manchester. Doesn’t seem like a pretentious Vegan restaurant- instead an actual pub with locals! The staff are very kind and the food is amazing- especially the burgers. Would definitely recommend eating here.
Read morePros: All Vegan options, Great pub atmosphere, Reasonable prices
Guest
jstig
Points +203
Great Place - Edit
We had a great chat with Martin "the Mod" (Cook and co-owner)and the bartender. Lots of stories. Typical pub food but vegan which was great.Went for lunch, would have liked to gone back for dinner and music. Definitely recommend.
Read moreGuest
JoelMaz
Points +38
Amazing value, pub classics - Edit
Portion sizes were huge! We got two of the larger meals and we could easily have shared one.
Read moreThe brunchfast was excellent and filled me up all day, along with a few beers.
Pros: all vegan food, good beers, location
Guest
Scarface_9toes
Points +85
Wonderful chili, beer and chat - Edit
Sublime vegan Chilli by Martin The Mod,swept down with a pint of Blonde Rogue. All followed by a nice chat with Martin! Delicious.
Read morePros: Decent menu and everything was on. No specials but
Cons: None
Guest
TrixieFirecracker
Points +3898
Menu not always on - Edit
I knew food was on until 7pm and when I arrived about 3pm I wasn't hungry. I looked at the menu, thought about what I wanted to order, and decided to sit with a drink for an hour then get food. Went up to the bar about 4pm and was told it had been a busy day for food and there was only one dish on. It was a special of a chickpea dish and rice, which I didn't fancy, so left to go elsewhere.
Read moreStaff were pleasant and drinks were reasonably priced (80p for a soda water & lime) but disappointing that you can't rely on the regularity of a menu. I was only through in Manchester for the afternoon, if go back here I'll make sure it's for lunch.
Pros: Reasonably priced drinks, Spacious table areas, All food is vegan
Cons: Irregular food hours, Menu taken off without warning
Guest
VickiWanSlattery
Points +1395
Hearty vegan pub grub, plus cakes - takeaway available - Edit
This was the nearest place to me yesterday, found it using Happy Cow!
Read moreGreat central location.
Got a very reasonably priced, tasty chilli and bolognese for £10 to take away and also some vegan cupcakes, 3 for £5.
The chef was very friendly and welcoming, he took time to talk through options of what to buy and was very accommodating.
He also told me about the vegan group that meet up once per month and invited me to that too.
Pros: Friendly and welcoming staff , Sells vegan cakes , Reasonable prices
Cons: Dark inside , No parking outside
Guest
DelPickup69
Points +31
Belly busting great food - Edit
I found this place slightly hungover and very hungry, and after struggling to decide from all the options available I ordered the big vegan breakfast. It was fantastic, but I was unable to finish it, there was so much food. The food, the pub and the chef were great, I will be visiting Manchester again just so that I can go here and try the rest of the menu.
Read morePros: Excellent Food, So much choice, Great music
Guest
Sudokanji
Points +42
Fun and satisfying pub grub - Edit
Martin The Mod is friendly and down to earth. There are loads of options for the food and it's good value. I really like having a big veggie fry-up breakfast and a pint of beer with music in the background: the Thirsty Scholar is a relaxing and chilled place to eat. Martin's always happy to have a chat, making it feel really friendly. In fact, I'd taken my Italian family - they said "In here we are not foreigners, we are friends." What more can I say? Last time we were in I had a huge fried breakfast (which filled me up - glad I didn't go for the next size up!) Someone else had noodles and crispy tofu, another salad, and we all shared the biggest plate of chips I have ever seen. One of the best meals I had in the city centre.
Read morePros: Friendly, Good value, Comfort food
Cons: None
Guest
Alyson
Points +749
Vegan pub grub - Edit
A very friendly welcome from Martin the Mod the chef, when I visited with friends and family at the weekend. Something for everyone from the vegan pub meal menu, including a massive bowl of chips! Friend loved the vegan breakfast. Also has vegan cup cakes available - very tasty, but we were so full could only manage one to share!
Read morePros: Classic vegan pub grub, Friendly, Choice
Guest
CarolaMontagut
Points +40
Lugar pintoresco. - Edit
Típico pub inglés, con la singularidad que está debajo de un puente. Comida muy limitada, mayormente hamburguesas con patatas. El jefe muy simpático. Bien para comer rápido y barato en un típico pub inglés.
Read moreGuest
Dusty27
Points +153
Interesting - Edit
Cheap and cheerful, set in a bar, food not the greatest but cheap enough
Read morePros: Cheap, ok portions
Cons: no healthy options, a bit bland
Guest
dreamofhorses
Points +44
Vegan pub food - Edit
Fantastic customer service and staff when I visited. Really friendly and happy to advise with food orders. Menu is your typical pub food, beer and burger, etc but all 100% vegan! Vegan junk food, very generous portions. No health food here!
Read morePros: Friendly staff, Plenty of seating, Comfort food
Cons: Bit greasy-spoon esque - though could be a pro!
Guest
vegankitten_uk
Points +28
A manchester legend! - Edit
Mod the DJ and resident chef at the thirsty scholar takes pride in his cooking. Always makes generous portions so everyone is very satisfied after one of his meals.
Read moreThe majority of his food is actually vegan. the only vegetarian thing he offers is a fried egg option on a full english breakfast! which are massive!
As a regular visitor I know that he will make adjustments to meals on request such as smaller portion or less spice if you ask at time of ordering.
He also offers a 'meat-free monday special' of rice and three for £5, or everything for £8, this is held from 4pm to 7pm most mondays except for bank holidays.
Pros: generous portions, variety, not too busy
Cons: can be noisy due to pub location, dull lighting - pub
Guest
blinki
Points +908
Good Food in a Good Pub - Edit
Only been the burger menu when I've been there but there's a good few options on there. I strongly suspect the burger I had was one of those packet mixes but it was still good. Nothing fancy but typical pub food done vegan, what's not to like?
Read moreGiven the huge portion sizes I think it actually works out pretty cheap. The biggest size burger, chips, onion ring meal should really be considered two meals.
Mod is a nice guy and the bar staff are all friendly, the pub generally has a good feel to it.
Guest
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