Eighth Day Cafe

Growing from the roots of a craft exchange and alternative centre, Eighth Day has been a central point for Manchester’s vegetarian and vegan community since the 1970s. Perched on Oxford Road close to the Manchester Metropolitan University campus, the ground floor is a shop selling wholefoods and natural remedies. However, it is the basement café that really sets Eighth Day apart from its competitors. The fifty-cover space has a natural and earthy vibe that hums with chatter and the clinking sounds of happy eaters from opening to closing.

The menu changes daily, offering a wide range of vegetarian and vegan food. Dishes such as the veggie sausage and cider casserole, lentil and coconut soup or the intriguingly titled Red Dragon pie cost just £4.90 and portions are large enough to fill up even the emptiest of student bellies. Lighter options, such as the range of jacket potatoes or hummus and crudités, are still satisfyingly large, while the vegan salads at £3.30 are a rare treat.

The attention to detail is one of Eighth Day’s biggest draws. Mains are served with organically grown brown rice and even the cakes give a nod to the health-conscious, with organic flour and fruit sugars which have a lower glycaemic index than your average granulated white.

Though Eighth Day isn’t licensed, there are plenty of tasty treats on the drinks menu. Herbal tea aficionados will be in heaven with the range on offer, and if you prefer smoothies or fresh juices the sheer variety will guarantee return visits. We particularly like the Jade Garden juice, with apple, mint, cucumber, lime and parsley for £2.90. A word to the wise though – steer clear of the spirulina. It may be healthy but it tastes exactly as you’d expect dried algae would do.