For those following a plant-based diet, navigating a city's culinary scene can be a challenge. While many urban centres offer a plethora of dining choices, a new comprehensive study has identified which UK city truly leads the way for vegan options, dethroning a former title-holder.
Edinburgh Takes the Vegan Crown
Research conducted by catering supply experts Alliance Online has analysed Tripadvisor and Google search data to pinpoint the nation's top spots for vegan dining. The results have delivered a surprise: Edinburgh has emerged as the UK's most vegan-friendly city, claiming the crown long held by Bristol.
The Scottish capital achieved a near-perfect vegan-friendly score of 99.8. Crucially, it boasts an impressive 132 restaurants with vegan options per 100,000 people. This victory follows significant policy moves, as Edinburgh became the first European capital to sign the Plant-Based Treaty in 2023, a decision aimed at reducing meat and dairy consumption to meet climate targets.
The UK's Top Ten Plant-Based Hotspots
Following Edinburgh in the rankings, Manchester secured a strong second place. The northern powerhouse offers 99 vegan-accessible restaurants per 100,000 residents, featuring everything from high-end plant-based bistros to a vibrant vegan street food scene.
The former 'Vegan Capital', Bristol, now ranks third. It recorded the highest amount of national interest with 3,913 online searches and provides 88 vegan-friendly restaurants per 100,000 people, scoring 79 out of 100 in the study.
The full top ten list of the UK's most vegan-friendly cities is:
- Edinburgh
- Manchester
- Bristol
- Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
- Glasgow
- Leeds
- Brighton and Hove
- Cardiff
- Plymouth
- London
Policy Paving the Way for Plant-Based Growth
Edinburgh's commitment appears to be more than just culinary. By endorsing the Plant-Based Treaty, the city council expressed support for a global companion to the Paris Agreement on climate. Council Leader Cammy Day clarified that while the treaty itself is not legally binding, it signals a clear intent. A council report at the time stated unequivocally that 'the science is clear: Meat and dairy consumption must reduce to achieve climate targets.'
Edinburgh was only the second UK authority to adopt the treaty, which launched in 2021, following Haywards Heath Town Council in West Sussex. This progressive stance seems to have directly fostered a thriving environment for vegan businesses to flourish.
For vegans with global travel ambitions, the study's insights extend beyond the UK. The Vegan Society has identified New Zealand as the global leader for vegan dining options per capita, with 344.81 restaurants per million people, proving that plant-based living is gaining ground worldwide.
