Not that I’m shouting it from the rooftops, but I’ve stopped eating meat!
It’s been a slow journey which started with me being a fairly voracious carnivore, happily taking on any ridiculous burger challenge I could find or making the most un-godly Internet foods my skill set could muster.
Fast-forward to the present and I wouldn’t have believed the changes I’ve made. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not by any means a healthy eater, it’s just that all the junk food is now vegan! When I was in high-school I tried to go vegetarian and barely made it a week. Although people who were vegan did exist, the term wasn’t as commonplace as it is now.
I can credit the transition to some major contributing factors that helped me with making the change over the last year. The first is having the love and support of my partner Holly who is almost a lifelong vegan that had the ability to help me open up my palette to try new foods, also the massive cultural shift we’re currently seeing that has brought veganism into mainstream consciousness, specifically the options now available to order in restaurants!
While I’d rather keep to companies that are completely vegan, it’s not always possible. So in the list below you’ll find a mix of completely vegan businesses, as well as some of my favourite options from other establishments in Cardiff.
Greazy vegan is a vegan junk food restaurant at the entrance to Castle Arcade. I’ve found myself going here for lunch up to 4 times a week while I’m working in town. My top items from them include their Doner Vebab and Hot Wings although their burgers are nothing to turn your nose up at either! (get the Vacon Double Cheeseburger and thank me later) they also do monthly specials from time to time!
Blanche bakery is a regular haunt these days. I’ve consumed what can only be described as an unholy amount of doughnuts from them. The owners are fantastic and dedicated to their business and it really shows.
It’s not just doughnuts either, they serve full sized meals including Cardiff’s first (and to my knowledge, only) vegan mac and cheese as well as rotating their doughnut selection with new and creative doughnuts all the time!
Anna Loka has, IMHO One of the best “chicken” burgers in Cardiff!! Another restaurant that is 100% vegan from the ground up so there’s no shortage of choice on their menu!
A new place that’s just been flooding my radar recently is a place called Wild Thing a vegan and low/zero waste food joint in Grangetown. From what I’ve heard, I’m gonna have to visit and make a full review post of my own very soon!
I had to update this to let you all know about Got No Beef. Another groundbreaking vegan fast food spot that’s taken up residence on Barrack Lane. The burgers are big, the fries can get dirty and the other options (see the mixed platter) are outstanding!
The Grazing Shed is something of an institution as far as burgers are concerned. They were one of my favourite places to eat back when I was a full-time meat human. And I’m glad to say that they have stepped up their game when it comes to vegan food. Their menu consists of 4 permanent vegan burgers and at the moment also featured the Dirty Vegan burger by Pritchard of S.W.Y.D. another man who has seen the vegan light!
Tiny Rebel is one of my favourite bars in Cardiff and they now serve seitan wings in a variety of flavours, all the way from buffalo to salted caramel (don’t knock it til you’ve tried it, think battered mars bar) the menu is actually pretty substantial, including (as above) tofu bites, corn fritters and cheesy fries. They also have burgers and pizza!
YO! Sushi are so good that they almost bankrupt me every time I go in. They do an outstanding tofu katsu curry as well as a few other favourites including the spicy pepper cauliflower and inari taco (ask for the old recipe if you order it!) also you if you’re particularly hungry they do a larger version on the Katsu! They also do “Green Wednesday” when all vegan dishes are only £2.30 each!
Other places in Cardiff are releasing vegan options faster than I can write a post about it. This article got started 3 months ago and since then it’s blown up even more. Companies such as TGIFridays, Frankie and Bennys and even eds easy diner in st Davids 2 have all released vegan items since January 2019! In fact this post keeps getting set back because new items keep getting released. Even KFC and burger king are trying to stick their oars in.
It amazes me how fast something can catch on. In 2018 the UK released more vegan food than any other country and it was the biggest food trend of the year. source
Even as I finish writing this post, I know more and more vegan products are coming to market every day, and if I don’t post this now, it’ll never be finished because I won’t be able to keep up with the constant influx of new options!
Keep an eye out, because I’ll be doing full in-depth reviews on each of the restaurants mentioned, covering everything from their menu options to their company ethos and the design of the restaurants themselves!
Oxfords Over Brogues. 
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