Independently run vegan-vegetarian restaurant with a 100% vegan kitchen (offering dairy milk, butter, and grated cheese at the front for non-vegan friends), serving fresh, wholesome food made from scratch using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, with a diverse menu for breakfast and lunch in an animal-friendly, community-focused space welcoming to everyone
open Mon–Sat 8:30am–5pm and Sun 9am–4pm. Open Mon-Sat 08:30-17:00, Sun 09:00-16:00.
Lunch is served from 12pm-3pm.
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17B Burgate, Canterbury, England, CT1 2HG
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 12 Jan 2026 by HenryBlane
Update business info -
Added by Elizabeth Child on 26 Oct 2009
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112 Reviews
First Review by shloobee
HenryBlane
Points +13063
4.5/5 stars - Delicious and fresh food - Edit
We went for breakfast and got The VB Farinata, The Full English, and Banana Biscoff Triple Stacked Pancakes.
Read moreAll the food was delicious! The farinata had a lovely herby flavour and great texture and came with most of the same bits as the full English including scrambled tofu, mushrooms and spinach. Every part of both savoury meals was excellent with fresh ingredients and great flavours and textures.
The pancakes were also delicious with a great combination of flavours from the Biscoff, banana and yoghurt. My wife also really enjoyed her oat latte.
All the food was really good and the environment was peaceful with a nice decor. The staff were also friendly and helpful, and the prices were good value (we paid around £35 for 3 mains and a coffee). It’s also worth checking out the website as you can get 10% off your first visit!
The only negative is that they offer cow’s milk with the hot drinks which is disappointing for an otherwise fully plant-based restaurant. This is the reason for my 4.5 star rating as otherwise it would be an easy 5 for me!
Updated from previous review on 2025-12-22
Pros: Delicious and fresh food, Peaceful space
Cons: Offers cow’s milk for hot drinks
Guest
vegansheep
Points +3600
Cute healthy cafe - Edit
I doubted its fully vegan status at first as the menu makes no reference to plant-based/vegan, but the staff assured me it all was. I enjoyed my fritter and salads. Would come again.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-12-21
Guest
Laicasarde
Points +63
Brownie super! - Edit
Ho pranzato qui, buoni piatti con verdura di stagione, ma la cosa migliore è stato il dolce: un brownie al cioccolato e burro di arachidi!
Read moreGuest
StephanSLS
Points +525
Everything is vegan - Edit
We had the jacket potato and the mediterranean platter. Both nice but not great. Location is very busy and you need have some time while waiting. People are very friendly.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-08-01
Guest
Kriscatch
Points +830
Great lunch and breakfast place - Edit
2025: I’ve been back a few times recently, and all the dishes are vegan now. Each time I really enjoyed the food!
Read moreGreat place for lunch and breakfast.
2017: I used to go here fairly often because it was one of the rare places where you could get a proper vegan lunch. The best-looking options were often vegetarian but not vegan so I stopped going.
Updated from previous review on 2017-09-17
Guest
Himself¹
Points +78
Great vegan cafe - Edit
All vegan, they say (2025-06-23).
Read moreI had the very tasty full-English 😋
Updated from previous review on 2025-06-23
abicado
I was told all vegan too as I asked upon entry then when I ordered they asked if I wanted vegan butter or dairy…
Read moreGuest
GiraffeGirl
Points +302
Lovely staff & tasty food - Edit
Very friendly and helpful staff.
Read moreFood was very tasty.
Mediterranean tapas plate all very nice but underwhelming in terms of size, for the price. Definitely could be more on the plate.
Mushroom Wellington plate with salad all very good.
Updated from previous review on 2025-05-18
Pros: Great coffee, Great service, Tasty food
Cons: Some dishes little overpriced
Guest
ClaireLouiseH
Points +199
Delightful lunch! - Edit
This is a glorious place. We both had the vegan lasagne with all of the salad! This included a range of dishes such as quinoa, chickpeas, hummus, lettuce, beetroot, kimchi…! The coffee and cakes were great too!
Read morePros: Range of options, Homely-feel to the food, Staff and environment
Cons: None!
Guest
helenkk
Points +398
Nice lunch; slightly chaotic venue - Edit
The food was tasty, nicely presented, and was brought in a timely manner. I thought it was slightly overpriced for the portion size.
Read morePros: The food was delicious., All food items vegan, Good location if visiting Canterbury
Cons: I had booked a table but they hadn't saved me one, Loud and slightly chaotic atmosphere, Had to ask for table to be wiped down
helenkk
I forgot to mention: my friend was offered cow's milk with her cup of tea.
Read moreGuest
diodradek
Points +242
The Veg Box - Edit
Venue
Read moreGreen & blue walls with artwork. A “Fermentation Station” display of the veg currently fermenting. Colourful chairs. Dog friendly. Looks like seating for around 40 inside and more outside.
Service
Ordered and paid at the counter. Friendly and happy to explain the options for toppings/sides etc.
Food
I had the Buddha bowl. Nice mix of veg. Tasty dressing. The hummus and chickpeas were great.
Price
£12.90 for the Buddha bowl. Fairly typical for a “main” in Canterbury.
Guest
SophieKennard
Points +56
Fully Vegan - Edit
The staff assured me their kitchen is vegan and all food items are vegan. The only non-vegan items are cows milk and butter if anyone wants them. But they have plenty of vegan milks.
Read moreI ordered a farinata with salad which was delicious, good portion size, and great value. Very friendly and approachable staff too and nice decor. Great place - highly recommend!
Updated from previous review on 2025-03-21
Pros: Fully vegan kitchen, Yummy food, Good value
Guest
danautomatic
Points +17
Great lunch spot - Edit
So glad Canterbury has this place. Consistently good food. Well worth a visit.
Read moreGuest
CharlotteFogg
Points +80
So yummy - Edit
I had the most delicious lasagne. Certainly would like to return and try more of their offerings.
Read more4 stars as they're not fully vegan. They state that their kitchen is fully vegan but they do offer cow milk and cheese.
Pros: Delicious, Staff, Vibe
Cons: Cow milk and cheese offered
Guest
Vegan cake lover
Points +304
Very average lasagne from a "vegan" cafe that also served cows milk - Edit
I was assured by the staff that everything was vegan. I had the lasagne which was very average and served from the hot hold counter. When I ordered coffee I noticed that they had cow's milk in the fridge which is confusing for a cafe that claims to be 100% vegan
Read morePros: Good location
Cons: Cow's milk in a vegan cafe
Guest
Amunra61
Points +268
Busy cafe close to Cathedral. - Edit
Was a bit wary of notice on profile that this cafe was not 100% vegan - it had been suggested some dishes contained egg. The young customer assistant did say everything was completely vegan so assume they have dealt with previous accusation. Or am I being too trusting?
Read moreNice Sri Lankan Curry. Quite mild.
Pros: Nice range of dishes, Friendly staff, Good buzz n vibe
Guest
Clara_D_M
Points +22891
Good value for money - Edit
I ordered a dish via the zero waste app TooGoodToGo so it was definitely super good value for money… everything was vegan (& indicated on the app). I don’t know exactly which non-vegan items they have to be honest, it seemed to me they were fully vegan but I might be wrong
Read moreGuest
Pupnik
Points +1851
Good healthy food - Edit
Veg Box Cafe has gone through a lot of changes over the years, and it's great to see them succeeding (with a London cafe opening too!) The food is nutritious and healthy, all supposedly vegan by default although they do have cow cheese/milk on site, and I see other reviewers mentioned they sometimes do have dairy dishes for sale so it's worth double checking.
Read moreEach day they have a "baked" dish (their lasagne is delicious!), a slow cooked dish (such as stew or chilli) and a seasonal fritter using different vegetables as a base. The salad section/buddha bowl is always available too, with a wide choice of ingredients to choose from, as well as baked potatoes and other staples.
On my most recent trip I had the beetroot fritter with salad leaves, toasted seeds, aoli and roasted baby potatoes. The food was excellent and I would have happily eaten anything on the menu. For dessert I had a raw coffee and walnut cake and while the texture was nice (cheesecake ish) it didn't really have a strong coffee taste, unfortunately, so I won't be going for that again (but there are plenty of cake choices!)
The cafe is in a great location with a spacious but cosy interior and outdoor seating.
Updated from previous review on 2023-10-01
Guest
Yogiküche
Points +241
Highly recommend! - Edit
Wonderful place, delicious food, friendly staff. Everything is perfect in this vegetarian Café.
Read morePros: Great food, Many options, Delicious
Guest
**Fab**
Points +1703
The Veg Box was brilliant. - Edit
First time at the veg box. Service was prompt, and we did not have to wait long for our food. Friendly staff and a good atmosphere. Dog friendly venue and an outside seating area, which was a bonus. Highly recommend the Budha bowl 😀.
Read morePros: Outside seating., Prompt service.
Guest
BethAni
Points +86
Great vegan breakfast - Edit
Great breakfast and friendly staff. I had their Farinata breakfast which was really tasty and a generous portion. Was nice to find a place with a 'plant based' vegan menu rather than vegan fast food.
Read moreI was only in Canterbury for the morning but their lunch menu looked really good too.
Updated from previous review on 2024-09-10
Guest
dougmorgan97
Points +336
Amazing vegan restaurant!! - Edit
Defo get the mixed plate and choose everything you can bc it’s all so delicious! 10/10 recommend this place I go all the time. Super super good value and all healthy too!
Read morePros: Price , Options , Portion size
Guest
GustaVtheVegan
Points +132
Luft nach oben... - Edit
Wir waren auf einen Kaffee und Kuchen hier.
Read moreDas Café als solches ist supernett, sehr zentral gelegen und nett eingerichtet. Der Kaffee war gut und die Cupcakes zuckrig-süß lecker.
Wir finden aber, hier geht noch was, zum Beispiel in puncto Sauberkeit. Unser Tisch war zwar frei, auch frei geräumt, aber nicht abgewischt worden. Das empfinden wir als selbstverständlich, wenn der Gast gegangen und der Tisch abgeräumt wurde.
Am Nschbartisch wurden Gläser abgeräumt, dabei reichlich Wasser verschüttet, dies wurde auch bis wir das Café verließen nicht aufgewischt.
Das ist sehr schade, da dieses Cafë ansonsten wirklich einen guten Eindruck macht. Vielleicht braucht es hier einfach eine Person mehr im Service, damit für diese Dinge Zeit ist?
Pros: Location , vegetarisch mit vielen veganen Optionen, gratis Leitungswasser zum Trinken
Cons: Fehlende sorgfalt in puncto Sauberkeit, rel. lange Wartezeit
Guest
Raw Morka
Points +399
Amazing! - Edit
Such a unique food! Many vegan restaurants serve unhealthy heavy food even when they call it healthy is usually fried or just a plain salad. Here everything was fresh, light, healthy, and delicious. Not a boring salad but selection of veggies, legumes, seeds, fermented foods, sauces, dips, all full of colours and flavour.
Read morePros: Delicious healthy ‘eat the rainbow’ food
Cons: Low quality matcha powder
Guest
littlehinchy
Points +385
Lunch - Edit
Had lasagne with salad, and you get to choose several toppings - I had kimchi and sauerkraut. Delicious. Generous portions.
Read moreSoy flat white also very good 😊 busy wee place with friendly staff.
Pros: Tasty food, Nice setting
Cons: Only one toilet for quite a busy place
Guest
SJS5
Points +1322
Okay breakfast but would not rush back - Edit
We had breakfast at the Veg Box today, I like to support vegan businesses where possible, but sadly, I would not rush back. When we ordered, we were told it would be a 20 min wait, and they didn't have mushrooms, which was fine, 35 mins later, the food arrived and no idea why it took so long as the food seemed to be sitting in ban maries already. Smaller portions than expected but tasty enough. All around us people were being told that their food had run out and did they want something else, the couple next to us got one meal delivered and a curt we've run out of the other, why wait to tell them? Tell them before bringing one dish so the other person has a chance to order. Another table had 6 diners but only 5 got their food. Crazy! I'd have been furious had I waited 35 mine just to be told my choice had run out. The people next to us didn't seem surprised... ?
Read moreGuest
Jemmaceg
Points +1017
Really lovely lunch - Edit
We loved the food here, it’s so great being able to have fast, delicious homemade vegan food out and about, would love there to be more places serving this kind of food. My omni family loved it as much as I did😄the only thing in need of improvement was the matcha, really lumpy and not up to the standard of all our other food, shame the kombucha was sold out too! Otherwise there were a few downsides to watch out for-we emailed and called and left a message to see if they could accommodate a group of our size and we heard nothing at all back, so we arrived early to try and get a table and even then it wasn’t easy with the few people already there scattered across the tables. There is also only one loo, which led to long queues which took away some of the relaxing element and we left sooner rather than getting more drinks as a result. Finally, as many reviewers have said it’s a shame they serve dairy, the signage is misleading as it’s not a fully vegan cafe at all-so take care ordering.
Read moreGuest
Kittylou
Points +156
Lovely little veggie cafe - Edit
My boyfriend lives in canterbury and for the last two years as tradition every time I visit him there we make sure to visit this cafe and get the ‘Sharing platter for two’. We love the food and coffee here, such a nice atmosphere and the sharing platter is such a lovely option for a little vegan date!
Read morePros: Lovely healthy options , Feel good food , Nice atmos
Cons: Not a vegan cafe.
Guest
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