Plant based cafe The Vibe on Paradise Street is making waves in the city centre.
It opened in autumn of 2020, against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, and offers a plant based menu boasting vegan versions of "eggs", "tuna", "salmon" and more.
Now indoor hospitality has finally resumed, we were keen to visit new venues and show our support for Liverpool businesses.
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The Vibe has an impressive menu and whether you're vegan or not, there's certainly something for everyone.
We opted for the "salmnot bagel" (£4.95), a plant based version of the ever popular salmon bagel. It consisted of carrot "salmon", which was a convincing and delicious substitute for fish though not as strong as salmon.
The faux fish was paired with a decadent Philadelphia-style cream cheese and rocket.
The bagel was tasty and the perfect consistency. If you're particularly peckish, it would be wise to add a side but as the bagel is less than a fiver, you can't complain about the size of the serving.
We also selected the "hash stack" (£8.95), which was made up of a generous helping of crispy mixed potatoes, roasted peppers and carrots with salad, tossed in herbs and spices, with a vegan "fried egg".
It was packed with flavour and tasted incredibly fresh while still managing to be filling.
The vegan fried egg was unusual, the "egg white" was similar to the consistency of a pancake while the "yolk" hinted at an egg flavour but was actually much tastier than a real fried egg.
It was soft enough to dip the rest of the food in and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was made with. The waitress joked the recipe was "top secret" but did reveal the yolk had been made fresh from butternut squash.
Vegan and vegetarian substitutes for meat and animal produce are a great way for people to try plant based foods without losing the flavours they're familiar with and and fond of.
To drink, we chose sugar free cola from indie company Karma Cola (£1.95 each), as The Vibe doesn't stock the likes of soft drink giants Coca-Cola or Pepsi. Karma still manages to hit the spot, though - it's less fizzy than its mainstream counterparts but the cola flavouring is much stronger, which we were big fans of.
The Vibe has been tastefully designed, with forest green and white paint on the walls and matching plush velvet seats, as well as atmospheric rose gold leaf shaped lighting and faux shrubbery to bring the outdoors in.
The only real issue was the temperature of the venue. It quickly felt stuffy and by the end of our lunch, we were desperate to get outside and enjoy some fresh air.
Still, it's a beautiful cafe with a fresh, innovative menu and we will definitely be back.
