Rabbit, Exeter’s Vegan Cafe

On August 19, 2017February 7, 2020 By ClareIn closed downLeave a comment

Edit, February 2019: Rabbit has closed down.

Edit, December 2019: Rabbit has changed it’s menu since this review but it’s still delicious and we still recommend a visit.

Like all good Simpsons episodes the story of our trip to Rabbit starts with a barely related plot point: our blender had broken and Kate’s Wednesday meeting was rescheduled. So off we went to Exeter to buy a Vitamix and why not pop into the city’s only vegan cafe for a meal.

The floor plan of Rabbit is two thirds welcoming cafe and one third sunken garden. The walls are home to gorgeous murals and almost every spare space has its own bunny. I was glad to see a children’s menu as most places I’ve been to recently don’t have one. The grown-ups menu contained a mix of fast food, filling wholesome food and cafe classics. The cake is also a big draw. We saw lots of people come in to take away a box or two.

burger

I ordered from the specials board. I couldn’t resist the Double Cheeseburger, served in a big mac style bun. With Soya Patties, cheese, pickles and sriracha mayo it contained everything I love. It was served with crisps and if I was being picky I might say I would have preferred chips or wedges, but I could barely fit the burger into my mouth so why be picky about the sides. It was a very good burger.

raviolijpg — and the most delicious pasta ever

What really stole the show though was Kate’s order. She went for the Seitan Ravioli. I’m not sure if I appreciated how much she enjoyed it at first but she’s been raving about it for three days now. Every now and then the flat will go quiet and out of nowhere Kate will say ‘that ravioli was amazing’. She’s not wrong. She graciously allowed me to sample some and… wow. The pasta was perfectly cooked, the filling was gorgeous and the tomato sauce was a dream. I loved my burger, don’t get me wrong, but I’m having some remorse over not ordering that pasta.

So what more can I say? Visit Rabbit.

You can find them on Facebook here.

Vegan Kind August Box

On August 14, 2017December 23, 2017 By ClareIn productsLeave a comment

It’s that time of the Month again. wait, that means something else doesn’t it. Whatever. It’s Vegan Kind Lifestyle box time! Here is what we got this month. And it was a good one.

Sweet Freedom Choc Pot

Yay we got a full size choc pot from Sweet Freedom. I’d seen this one in the shops but I hadn’t picked one up yet because it’s a bit pricey. Not to say that it isn’t worth it just to say that I have limited cash. Kate got excited and made a batch of pancakes to spread with chocolate. I asked her for the review ‘nice’ she said. There you have it then. It’s not quite as sweet as your standard chocolate spread. It’s dark and decadent and makes me very happy.

This one is going straight on our shopping list.

Almighty Foods Strawberry Blonde Raw Chocolate Bar

This bar may be lacking in dairy, eggs and all that yucky stuff but it’s definitely not lacking in flavour. It’s a flavour bomb of chocolate and strawberry dust. Tart, creamy and thoroughly unique.

Perfect treat but not for everyday.

Crisps

Emily Crisps Crunchy Sweet Potato, Beetroot and Carrot

Bright and crunchy vegetable crisps. Nice but a bit too sweet for me. I would have liked a bit more salt.

Wouldn’t say no.

Native Unearthed Activated Charcoal Deodorant Balm

I’ve been using this for a couple of days and I get that you probably don’t want a lot of information so lets just say it works. It’s scented slightly with lavender. It’s pleasant but not enough that other people would notice (just how I like it) And my lungs appreciate anything that isn’t an aerosol.

Might have to get myself a supply of this one.

Candy Kittens Sweet Peach Pop Bag

Oh no, not another vegan jelly sweet. Just kidding. These kittens are amazing! Peach flavoured, just the right amount of sour. Lipsmackingly good.

I need more of these in my life.

PHD Superfood Mango and Banana Protein Smoothie

I wasn’t a fan of the texture of this one. It had the consistency of a paste. It was too thick for me anyway. I was looking forward to the mango and banana taste but I didn’t get much of either. It was just bland. Also I don’t think it has a PhD. I tied to engage it in intelligent conversation and nothing happened.

No thanks.

We Are Tea Supper Berry Infusion Tea Whole-leaf Tea Bag

I’m a tea snob. I only drink the stuff from bags out of desperation. Go ahead, roll you eyes at me. Deserve it. Instead of sharing it with me Kate shared the tea with a friend of ours who isn’t a pain in the bum. Their verdict: really fruity, bright red and delicious.

Does it come in loose leaf?

Vegan Pasty Options At Warrens

On August 11, 2017December 23, 2017 By ClareIn Torquay1 Comment

One of the benefits of living in Devon is that it is very close to Cornwall. When we feel the need for gorgeous weather, beautiful beaches and amazing coastal walk we can just hop across the border. Sometimes we do get things coming over our side of the Tamar though and if we are lucky those things are bakeries.

Most of them don’t do much for vegans but Warrens Bakery offers not just one but three vegan pasty options and even a vegan sweet. We popped into the Torquay branch to pick up some lunch. The day we visited they had the Vegan Thai Green and the Traditional Vegan. We got one of each, split them in half and here is the verdict.

The Traditional Vegan is Warrens’ vegan version of the Traditional Cornish Pasty. It has no beef but all of the good stuff: nice big chunks of well cooked root vegetables and plenty of pepper. This one was my favourite. Simple but perfect. Vegan Thai Green is Kate’s favourite. It’s bursting full of fresh vegetables in a sauce of coconut, spice and everything nice. Not too much chilli for Kate.

We’re really happy that we can get delicious vegan pasties right on the high street. If you are in the West Country pop in and pick one up.

Trying New Things in Vegan Manchester: V-Rev, Little Aladdin and Mowgli

On August 7, 2017 By ClareIn Manchester1 Comment

Before I get back to writing about the West Country I have one more Manchester post. This one is about places that were new to me.

The first place I had to visit was V-Rev. I was so eager to get there that I went straight from the train with my rucksack on. I’d visited their previous incarnation on Oldham Street but only to grab stuff to take away. Now they are a bright, funky, cheeky restaurant on Edge Street serving vegan fast food. For my virgin visit I ordered the Jerry Zinger and Mac and Cheez Sticks. I have no idea how they make their chicken but it tastes just perfect. My only complaint, as a former Zinger Burger addict, is that instead of the cheap salsaish stuff KFC put on their burgers it was fresh homemade salsa. Delicious, obviously, but not authentic. Really delicious though.

My next trip into town was to do some serious shopping. This time I was looking for a quick lunch. I went to Little Aladdin, a small 100% vegan hole in the wall Indian joint. It’s recently turned vegan, which is very exciting. The food is inexpensive and incredibly delicious. So, so good. I ordered the Chickpea Biriyani. It was beautifully spiced and very filling.

I was clearly on a bit of an Indian food kick because I was also tempted through the doors of Mowgli. It’s a little more fancy pants. It’s all about Indian home cooking and street food. That’s from the website, I can’t exactly judge. They have a whole vegan menu but I didn’t feel like choosing I went with the Vegan School Tiffin for four tiers of food chosen by someone else. When it arrived the dishes where described as lentils, chickpeas, potatoes in tomato sauce and rice. The chickpeas and spuds were fairly standard. Good, but nothing different from the vegan option at the local takeaway. The lentils? I could have licked the dish clean. They tasted of pure comfort; warm, filling, perfectly spiced. In a food face off I’d probably go for Little Aladdin for taste and value but I’m not writing off another visit to Mowgli, especially if I had my meat eating family with me.

So then I’d tried three new to me places in Manchester. What next? Somewhere new for my last dinner out? Or I could just go back to V-Rev. This time I wanted to try a beefy burger. BBQ without the u. It had brisket, BBQ sauce and onion rings. It was great, though I think overall I prefer the fried chicken. This time I upgraded my fries though. I loaded them up with poutine. And we’re going to end the Manchester recap there because those fries are so brilliant I have no words.

Coastal Vegans

Author: Clare

Rabbit, Exeter’s Vegan Cafe

Vegan Kind August Box

Vegan Pasty Options At Warrens

Trying New Things in Vegan Manchester: V-Rev, Little Aladdin and Mowgli