Restaurants across Leeds have really outdone themselves this Christmas with their vegan menus- check out our top picks this December.
Long gone are the days when we would have to scour the internet to find a restaurant that offers at least plant-based dish on the menu or live on salad, because getting in vegan alternatives 'wasn't worth it because they're too unpopular to sell'.
Christmas is the only time of the year where it feels as if this sense of dread can return: for some reason, everyone seems to think turkey is for everyone- it's not. Not even many meat-eaters like it either.
Luckily, in Leeds we are inundated with vegan friendly restaurants that will be serving up some of the best plant-based Christmas menus around: some with sprouts, some without.
We've rounded up our favourite dishes in Leeds city centre so whether you're looking for a pre-Christmas hearty dinner or somewhere with a plant-based menu for the big day itself, we've got you covered.
Headrow House know how to throw a good vegan dinner party: the popular venue replace the mundane small talk with laughter, a chilled ambience and flavoursome dishes. Their new Christmas Bratz menu isn't just vegan friendly, but takes up almost 50% of the menu.
Opt for the classic Vegan Brat topped with crispy onions, sauerkraut and curry ketchup or go for the Vegan Loaded Pretzel Box which features a giant toasted pretzel, celeriac remoulade, seitan bratwurst sausage and curry ketchup. Pair either of these with a nice pint of german lager and you're on your way.
Yuzu Street Food at Thor's Tipi
The Snowboard Sharing Platter is available as meat or vegan dishes. / Image: Yuzu Street Food
An evening at Thor's Tipi is always a festive night: whether it's the smell of smoke that wafts around the tent, no matter how far you are from the fire or the mulled wine that never seems to leave your hands: it's a Christmas-must-do. This year, the pop-up have teamed with Yuzu Street Food to offer some delicious snacks, with plenty of vegan options available.
Our favourite has to be the Snowboard Sharing Platter. Not only is it served on an actual snowboard, but it's full of tasty small plates like Katsu fries, vegan Yuzu chicken sushi, veggie gyozas and Japanese fried tofu bao buns.
The New Conservatory
The New Conservatory have had a festive makeover too. / Image: The New Conservatory
Who says you have to go to an all-vegan restaurant to get great tasting plant-based dishes? The New Conservatory offer almost everything on the menu as a meat and vegan option, so naturally their Christmas menu is no different.
There's Creamy Garlic Mushrooms on toasted ciabatta on the menu, but it's the Traditional Nut Roast with a homemade red onion marmalade and served with roast potatoes, sage and onion stuffing, brussels sprouts, parsnips, carrots, herb mash, yorkshire puddings and red onion gravy, that's got us booking a seat at the table.
Bundobust
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Bundobust is entirely a veggie restaurant, with plenty of vegan options to choose from. The Indian eatery was popularised after the Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli was spotted with Indian actress Anushka Sharma at the restaurant in the summer, and has gone from strength to strength ever since.
This Christmas, we'll be eating their Sprout Bhaji Butty. We're talking about a sprout, broccoli and onion bhaji patty spiced with fennel and chilli, salad and cranberry chutney in a vegan brioche. Plus, £1 of each butty sold goes straight to a charity to support local causes: a winning combo in our eyes.
Take a bite of an All American Christmas dish from Manahatta's festive menu. / Image: Manahatta
We've all pictured ourselves living through a winter in New York at some point or another. Whether your dream is to feature in Home Alone or simply take a brisk walk through Central Park with snow falling down as we wander through the city on Christmas Day and Manahatta is helping to bring this dream to life with an American-inspired festive menu.
The All American Hot Dog is ten inches of meat-free goodness and available on the Festive Bottomless Menu. We're talking about a Moving Mountains plant-based dog in a brioche bun, vegan cheese, pickles, jalapeños and all the sauces you need: ketchup, French’s mustard and mayo, served with fries.
Leeds Festival 2026 is officially underway and we've rounded up drinks prices at the bars on the festival site.
While many of us will be sipping on warm cans of cider and boxes of wine at the camp sites, you can't take any of your own alcohol into the arena (where all the stages are) itself.
So you'll need to budget for drinks over the course of the weekend if you want to watch the headliners with a pint in hand.
And with headline performances from the likes of Fontaines D.C., Raye, Florence and the Machine and Dave, there's masses of amazing live music on the horizon at Leeds Festival 2026.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
We're already on site at Leeds Festival ready to bring you all the action and updates from this massive weekend - staring with, importantly, drinks prices.
So, let's get into it...
This year you're looking at paying around £7 of beer and £7.50 £7.50 for a pint of cider.
Different for this year, is you'll get 10% off if paying with a Paypal debit card which you can get for free - which we think is pretty class and well worth your time.
You can take your own empty water bottles in to refill at water stations around the festival site.
You're also allowed to bring in sealed water/soft drinks which are 500ml or less.
And if you're taking your own booze into the campsites, remember that there's no glass allowed, so you'll need to decant anything into plastic bottles.
Here are all your drinks prices for Leeds Festival 2026
Beer and cider
Budweiser - £7 (£6.30 with Paypal discount)
Corona Extra - £7.50 (£6.75 with Paypal discount)
Kopparberg Crisp Apple - £7.50 (£6.75 with Paypal discount)
Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime - £7.70 (£6.93 with Paypal discount)
Rose - 175ml £10 / btl £35 (£9/£31.5 with Paypal discount)
Italian sparkling - 200ml £10 (£9 with Paypal discount)
No and Low
Budweiser Zero - £5.80 (£5.22 with Paypal discount)
Water - £2.50 (£2.25 with Paypal discount)
And that should just about do you in terms of booze - as always, please drink responsibly and look after each other.
For all the other important information, you can consult our complete 2026 Leeds Festival guide down below.
Featured image - The Hoot Leeds
News
Leeds Festival warning issued as police announce speed cameras and traffic restrictions
Clementine Hall
Leeds Fest is almost here, but festival-goers heading to Bramham Park by car have been warned to take extra care on the roads.
Driving to Leeds Festival has never been particularly easy, but West Yorkshire Police have issued a warning to those driving by car in an attempt to make it somewhat easier.
Ahead of Leeds Festival 2026, temporary traffic management measures will be in place from Wednesday 26 August until Monday 31 August.
The measures are designed to improve road safety, reduce congestion, and help ensure the safe movement of the tens of thousands of people expected to attend the event.
Speed camera enforcement vans will be operating throughout the festival period alongside clearways surrounding the festival site.
Police have warned that drivers caught breaking the temporary restrictions could face prosecution, so it's definitely worth keeping an eye out for the signage as you approach the festival.
Superintendent Dan Wood said: “Leeds Festival is one of the largest events in West Yorkshire and attracts a significant increase in traffic to the local road network.
"The temporary speed restrictions and clearways are being introduced to help keep everyone safe, including festival-goers, local residents and road users.
"We would ask all motorists to pay close attention to the temporary signage in place and allow extra time for their journeys. Speed enforcement will be carried out during the event, and we encourage drivers to comply with all restrictions for their own safety and that of others."
Festival attendees are also being urged to follow the event signage rather than relying solely on their sat nav. Dedicated routes will direct different categories of visitors to the correct locations, including:
Camping entrances
Day / Non-camping ticket parking areas
Drop-off and pick-up points
Staff and authorised vehicle access routes
Motorists who follow sat nav directions alone may be directed to unsuitable routes, causing unnecessary delays for themselves and other road users.
Sophie Smith -
1st December 2021 
