Vegan in the City: Down the Hatch (Liverpool)

Down The Hatch, is a favourite haunt of mine, boasting the reputation as one of Liverpool's best vegetarian restaurants. Setting itself apart from others by providing the food which you miss most as a veggie, the unhealthy stuff! Yes of course I love kale and quinoa salads, and eat hummus by the tub, but sometimes all I really want, is a blooming kebab with salt and pepper chips! I know, I know. As a vegan we are supposed to be above such thoughts, but let's get real here guys, we may be trying to save the planet one carrot at a time, but hey, we're only human! And it would be pretty nice to be able to act on such cravings without jeopardising our ethical values, now wouldn't it?

 Now, this is where the fabulous Down the Hatch comes into the equation! Offering up and incredible menu of dirty veggie junk food which will leave even the most carnivorous of friends satisfied! The menu is pretty extensive yet not very expensive, with no single meal coming in at over £11, and for the quality of food, I cannot grumble. The upgrades are certainly worth it, and I would whole heartedly recommend getting some form of fries based upgrade, because the salt and pepper ones are simply divine, balancing the spice perfectly with the carby fried goodness of the fries and the cutting flavour of the salt, working together to create a chip like no other! Now, that may sound a bit ridiculous to say, but don't judge until you have tried them!

I think one of my favourite things from Down the Hatch has to be, 'The Don', which is a warm pitta stuffed with vegan donner style seitan, serves with crunchy salad, tangy tzatziki  and fries. You really don't feel as though you are missing out on the meat with this one. The seitan is simply incredible, the texture truly does mimic that of meat, without the unpleasant gristle or toughness which inevitably comes with a kebab. The flavour is bold and works well with the tzatziki, which you honestly cannot tell is vegan. But be warned, like almost everything else on their menu, it is really filling, which can be a bit of a problem because the Vegan Sundae is not to be missed!

The Vegan Cookie Sundae is out of this world. The ice cream comes from Cafe Creme and is utterly delicious, and super creamy, regardless of which flavour you choose (although I would recommend the mint chocolate every time!). It is filled throughout with pieces of freshly baked vegan cookies, and brownie, interspersed with an indulgently delightful chocolate fudge sauce. 

This, is a bit of a star item that you simply must try, well, that is if you can manage it after all of the savoury! I often end up having to share this dessert, although my friend and I do find ourselves fighting over who gets the pieces of cookie... 

Down the Hatch have recently started doing a Sunday Lunch on certain weekends, and it looks incredible! As a vegan, Sunday lunch can be a bit of a disappointment, with your plate being filled almost entirely with vegetables, because the roasties and Yorkshire puddings, and even the stuffing has been made with animal fat! But thankfully, the guys at Down the Hatch have put an end to our suffering and have offered up what looks like an incredible option! 

I just need to get myself down there on Sunday and finally give it a go! 

So, whether you are vegan or not, I would wholeheartedly recommend that you give Down the Hatch a go! 

Location - Basement, 62 Duke Street, Liverpool, L1 5AA

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