There’s no shortage of amazing fry-up venues in Liverpool but recently, I was craving a different kind of breakfast.
I ventured to plant-based café The Vibe, on Paradise Street in the heart of Liverpool city centre, on the hunt for something that differs from sausages, eggs and beans. The café is a calming oasis - an impressive feat considering its busy location.
It’s often packed to the rafters, yet its stylish green and white décor with accents of gold and plenty of foliage, ensures the space remains tranquil. The impressive menu is packed with vegan versions of "eggs", "tuna", sausages, "salmon" and more. No matter what your dietary preferences are, there’s definitely something to tickle your taste buds.
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I haven’t eaten meat for 12 years so I do enjoy venturing out to entirely vegetarian and vegan restaurants, as nothing on the menu is off limits - it's the simple things, eh? We opted for Veggs Benny (£10.50), which includes homemade vegan poached eggs on a bed of smoked pulled jackfruit - reminiscent of pulled pork - with spinach, served on a beautiful, soft English muffin with a cashew hollandaise sauce.
I absolutely adored this dish and didn’t want it to end. The flavours were rich and vibrant - the hollandaise sauce was delightfully tangy and creamy while the poached eggs, though not identical to the real deal, were a light, fluffy treat. The jackfruit was a genius addition that added punch to the dish.
I struggled to concentrate on what my lovely friend was telling me at multiple points because the food was so distractingly delicious. At £10.50, it’s not a cheap option for breakfast and, though the portion was perfect for me, it might not satisfy someone with a heartier appetite.
We also chose the Avo Smash and Salsa (£8.95), which includes avocado smashed with zingy lime and chilli flakes, slathered on two thick slices of sourdough toast. It’s topped with house salsa and fresh rocket, with plenty of finely chopped vegetables, ensuring the salsa is fresh and zesty at every bite.
This was a gorgeous, light and refreshing dish that, for all the high quality ingredients packed into it, was absolutely worth the price. It’s a healthier breakfast option that still manages to keep you full while venturing out for a bit of retail therapy - or, if your bank balance resembles mine, a spot of window shopping around town.
If you fancy a more traditional full English breakfast, The Vibe has The Big One (£11.95) which includes sausages, scrambled “eggs”, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and more of the trimmings you’d expect from the iconic dish. Next time I go back, I’ll be giving this one a try.
When ordering our drinks, we must have subconsciously assumed we weren’t going to be able to get our hands on any beverages for a few hours as, for no apparently obvious reason, we got two each. A sugar free cola from indie company Karma Cola (£2.50) hit the spot, as The Vibe doesn't stock famed soft drink giants Coca-Cola or Pepsi.
My friend got an oat milk caramel latte (£3.50) and we both indulged in a Snickers Shake (£4.95 each). The Snickers Shake is made with banana, peanut butter, cocoa, maca, dates and coconut milk and it is absolute heaven in a glass. It’s quite expensive but if a “five dollar shake” is good enough for Mrs Mia Wallace, then it’s certainly good enough for me. It was creamy, decadent, sweet and rich. As Pulp Fiction’s Vincent Vega tells Mia: “That's a pretty f***ing good milkshake” - sentiments I wholeheartedly agree with.
Minus the tip, our bill came to £35.35, which is quite expensive for breakfast but in all honesty, I thought it was worth every penny. Of course, you can make it cheaper by forgoing the dreamy milkshakes but that’s not something I’d be willing to sacrifice on my next visit.
I’m not wealthy enough to be spending almost £40 on breakfast every week but as an occasional treat, it’s something I’ll certainly be replicating - and I'm already counting down the days until pay day. For the foreseeable, a bowl of Shreddies will have to do.
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