Genuinely the best food I've had during my stay in England so far. I ordered the falafel wrap and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor combination. Delicious food and great service. I love being able to pay before the meal came so once I was finished I could leave right away without waiting for a bill. read more

Another update for Fuel? Another five star rating? Am I boring you, yelpers? I do apologise. If you wish to snooze through the following transmission I fully understand, but should you choose to, then know that you will miss out on OMG SPLAWSOME FTW. For the very first time I was having a main meal at Fuel. A proper dinner. Not a snack, not a smoothie. Why? Everyone I know is a cow-hide biting carnivore and refuses to come to a vegetarian restaurant with me. I know, the sods. Should I come into a windfall, I may well buy new friends, then pay for their plastic surgery so they'll look just like my old friends. I digress. My mother eats meat, but she appreciates a veggie meal just as much as she enjoys some roast chicken. So she was the perfect Fuel guest. On a lazy Saturday noon, we stopped off here before she was due to get her train back to Liverpool, ordered some of their fine coffee (which I have decided is the best coffee in all of Manchester - and they gave us a pot of hot steamed milk with our Americanos which just makes them even brillianter) and perused the menu. After much deliberation and peering over at other diners' breakfasts with a mixture of intrigue and trepidation (those things are HUGE, people), I went for the blackboard special - stuffed peppers with cous cous and a Mexican side salad. My interest was piqued as to what the salad would contain. My mum opted for the 'fish' finger sandwich, and we had their mixed sweet and normal potato wedges between us. So, the 'fish' finger sandwich, huh? You're curious, I can tell. Well, in the immortal words of one Charles Sheen, WINNING! They use breadcrumbed halloumi, served with homemade tartare sauce on a wholemeal granary bun with a delicious side salad. I of course tasted this. Seriously, if you have any doubts, even really big ones, you've got to order it. It works. It works like a dream. My baked stuffed peppers with fruity cous cous and a salad below containing kidney beans, red peppers, spring and red onion was an absolute treat too. Nobody wanted to kiss me afterwards, but that was fine. I didn't need human contact. I had epic salad. Fuel just keeps getting better every time I try something new, and I'm insanely lucky to have it a mere short stroll down the road. I promise I'll never take it for granted. read more

See all

Talk about flogging a dead horse. What more can I really add here that hasn't been said before? First of all, some context. I am a hungry carnivore. I love meat. Like a shit ton. So the very thought of going to a vegetarian cafe feels very much like a betrayal to my finer meat eating side. If there was ever anywhere though to convince me that vegetarian establishments aren't all *that* bad, then Fuel is the place. Happily situated slap bang in the middle of Withington village, Fuel is easy to find and even easier to kill a few hours in, with comfy chairs and tables and free wifi. What started as a stop for a drink and potentially some breakfast, ended up as an epic sit in, with some web surfage and a quality skype conversation thrown in for free. I partook in a hot spiced apple drink to start with, something I've not seen too frequently since my jaunt stateside last year; not being a coffee drinker often leaves my choice limited to either coffee or tea, so it made a nice change to have a different option, especially one so good. After umming and aahing long enough about whether or not to eat for the main menu to come available at midday, I decided to have a fake fish finger sandwich - imagine a real one but with haloumi fingers in place of the fish ones and you're there - with a side of sweet potato wedges. The food was fresh, served quickly and most importantly was delicious, I almost didn't even notice I wasn't eating meat. They saved the best for last; the milkshakes. I don't really like swearing in reviews, especially not twice, but HOLY SHIT, those milkshakes are incredible! Check out the picture I've uploaded - that pint of malteser milkshake goodness happily fed two, and was good enough for us to punish ourselves with even after scoffing all the aforementioned greatness. Fuel then is somewhere that happily caters for the veggies yet is good enough for us meat eaters to turn a blind eye to their wicked ways. Get in! read more

Fuel - Malteser milkshake. Yummy! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Fuel me up! This place is great. A veggie cafe/bar serving really tasty food in a cute and quirky cafe. There's also music nights put on upstairs. I had a halloumi 'fish finger' sandwich which was really tasty. It came with some salad and some excellent hand cut chips. I was a happy woman. My friend got a big bowl of regular and sweet potato chips with a houmous dip and sweet chilli dip. Again, excellent. I found the food good value and the booze about standard. A bottle of Rekorderlig is £3.80. My halloumi and chips was £5.50. They also do a really good (but hard) pub quiz on Wednesday with free chips! read more

Fuel - Halloumi fish finger sarnie - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manchester, XGM

I was surprised when I was first introduced to this venue in Withington - it would certainly not be out of place in Chorlton or the Northern Quarter. But the fact that I, like Sam, would endure a bus ride out of town to visit Fuel certainly says something about it. I've been to a couple of live music events here, and I've never been disappointed. Each time there was a great atmosphere - entry was free, beer was plentiful, the upstairs room was packed full of cool types and the music was awesome and importantly at a volume where the ability to lip-read friends' drink orders is not necessary. After reading these reviews I feel there is so much I'm yet to experience - Oreo milkshakes, sweet potato wedges? Yes please! Thank you fellow Yelpers for your hearty recommendations - a re-visitation to Fuel is now on my agenda. read more

Fuel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Does what is says on the tin and nothing more really. A affordable student aimed cafe/take away in a student rich area. Turn up refuel, leave. No expectations- no disappointments. read more

Fuel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Fuel Cafe bar is a great place for uni students and young professionals to hang out and do little more than watch the world go by and chit chat the afternoon evening away- sound fantastic to me. This is definitely a place for young chicks and dudes to relax and unwind. The menu is by no means extensive but what they do serve is good - all that matters in the end. I would definitely recommend this place for a great cup of coffee or as a hang over cure/hangout. Really decently priced- what more could you want! read more

Fuel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Almost directly within ear shot and a 10% trajectory across the street from Solomon Grundy, lies Fuel. With the demise of pleasure it's now down to Solomon's and Fuel to fan the flames of alternative bars in Withington. Withington is about to change fairly dramatically through a series of regeneration projects especially the 'entrance' to Withington from the Didsbury end: 'we ain't in Kansas any more' cry the visiting Didsburians, probablyno, but there's certainly more character in this neck end than the upmarket (and increasingly chain anchored) Didsbury Village. Hopefully we'll see these new developments (on the graves of pleasure, Cine City and White Lion) contain at least one independent new barthere's seemingly dozens in Chorlton surely 'Withers' can support a couple more? So we're left with the fantastic Solomon Grundy (an old haunt of mine now I guess) and the FUEL café. FUEL differs from Solomon in that it doesn't serve the cooked/cured flesh of recently expired wildlife. Even though I'm no longer vegetarian (I was veggie for 10 years) I still enjoy that style of food (I had no choice at the time!). Thankfully FUEL serve the right kind of vegetarian food here (some places non specifically vegetarian can make a 'quorn on the dog's ear' of it. So here you can get bagels, bruschettas, chilli's and all day breakfasts. They have also invested in a 'smoking area' outside the front entrance: this consists solely of an old, rickety chair. With folk nights such as 'red deer' and the acoustic showcase 'songs from the bathtub' this is a royal gem in current Withington. Grab your beard and hummus denims and take a visit to Fuel. read more

Fuel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Great Vegan breakfast. Pros: Quality food and lots of it plus very good value. We haven't tried the rest of the menu but it looked good with lots of Vegan options including desserts. The staff were very friendly. Cons: I'm all for "shabby chic" but it is bordering on "tatty" plus the toilets were minging. The jazz muzak also gets very annoying. read more

What do you call it when you have a mistress, but you're a straight woman? A mister? Anyhow, whatever the word may be--Fuel is it for me. When I am not home around meal time my man knows that this is where I am likely to be. As a vegetarian Fuel has fulfilled my affordable-meets-quality choices fantasies. You can dine in, and you can get take away. If it's a night where there is music happening upstairs it might be a little loud and less cozy, but if you time it right then it's also a nice place to sit down for some romance. The staff here is friendly. I have pretty high customer service standards and, I'll be honest, Manchester hasn't really tickled me in that regard since moving here a couple of months back. However, this place ticks all those boxes. Fave mains so far are: Veggie fish and chips. I love you genius person who decided to make fried cheese "fish." Goats Cheese and field mushroom ciabatta. Starter of choice: spicy sweet potato wedges are delish. Working my way through the rest of the menu. Say hi if you see me. I'll be the short blonde in the corner with five meals in front of me. read more

Myself and the lass popped to fuel the other day for some munch, and were not disappointed in the slightest! The place is lovely, and typical Withington, with a quirky kitsch interior and some mismatched furniture to boot. The food was excellent too, and as its vegetarian this came as something of a shock to me given my carnivorous habits. My ho had a veggie chilli burrito which she was happy with but not raving about. I, on the other hand, put away a gorgeous halloumi pitta with chips and cous cous for a mere five pounds something. On top of this, the drinks were great. The Cruzcampo was crisp and appropriately glassed, and the pear cider was unusual and tasty. Plus, a quiz was beginning as we departed and the questions sounded good. You cant ask more than that from a quiz, and I couldn't possibly ask more than this from a vegetarian café. read more

Not eaten here ever but always a good stop for a drink and live music. It's very relaxed, friendly and there's always something going on. They have a good selection of drinks and some good drink deals! Double Spirit and a mixer comes in under £4 which isn't bad. I find it quite hippy-ish in there but I am a bit hippy-ish myself so that's ok! Not for people who like a more formal and dancey night out; it's definitely an alternative place and being in Withington it's not all that studenty either. The toilets aren't the nicest but I don't go in there to exclusively use the toilet...obviously. It's a good solid drinking destination; check out if they've got any live music going on before you drop by as their upstairs space is fun and intimate...like the band is playing in someone's living room. read more

If this café is slightly out of the way for Manchester's student population, being all the way down in Withington, then it's massively out of the way for us Northern Quarter types. Fuel Café is so awesome that even I've been there a few times, when there's lots of cafes in the same vein not too far from my own flat. It's the mix of amazing atmosphere, incredible vegetarian food and quirky, cool, live music that makes me such a fan. The staff are friendly and interesting. It's the kind of establishment where you can tell the staff actually want to work there and believe in the business. It means you get great service and their enthusiasm makes you love Fuel too. The live music happens upstairs. Promoters usually run the nights as free entry, and keep things friendly by passing around a hat to get the bands a few pounds for their efforts. The bands perform on the floor, and when it gets busy the vibe is pretty magical. read more

It's so cheap and student friendly! A large meal with grilled halloumi cheese (yum!) sets you back about £5-6. It's quirky and there's always something going on, from local bands playing to the quiz night they have regularly. The place has a lovely, cosy feel and the staff are friendly and fast. :) read more

Best place in Withington for a drink out!! I am a big fan of the decor in Fuel, it is interesting, quirky and unique. The also serve a great combination of real ales and craft beer more typical of the northern quarter or Chorlton. I know they are also a very highly rated vegetarian cafe and so will 100% be coming back here for lunch and/or a coffee. read more

Fuel is a vegetarian cafe and live music venue. Oh and the odd stich and bitch meeting, that's a knitting club. I never knew things existed. It wa a very chilled out place, quirkiness shone through its decor. The food and drink menu was extensive. There's a mezze platter and a bottle of wine deal for £13. Great one. Just unlucky I'm feeling the effects from the night before. No wine for me. We still feasted on a mezze platter which was wonderful. Pittas, falafel, hummous, chilli sauce, some other strange dip thing, potato chips and sweet potato chips. Washed down with a pot of tea and a banana bread beer. All was lovely at Fuel, a great Withington hang out next time I'm down the area. read more

As a life-long vegetarian, I know good veggie grub. And yes, Fuel does provide a nice range of meat-free food, but I am at a loss as to why they cannot do it with at least a sprinkling of acceptable customer service on top. We visited for a friends birthday as part of a large party; we'd rung ahead and warned them that we were coming, and even pre-ordered most of the food. We entered the place to discover that they had not even attempted to provide somewhere for us to sit- after 10 minutes of embarassingly having to ask fellow diners to lend us their chairs, we finally managed to sit down. Almost 45 minutes later, the first lot of food started to arrive, but obviously we were expected to locate our own cutlery and condiments. Further to this, the staff behind the bar must have been on a very heavy cocktail of sedatives, because in what universe does it take 10 minutes to open a bottle of wine? A bottle which, frankly, tasted like the kind of corner-shop piss one usually only drinks at 3am when you're trying to keep the party going at all costs. Except no-one has dared charge me over £10 for a bottle of paint-stripper before. A final point- we were asked to work out our own bill. Sorry, WHAT? Is this a restaurant or a hippy commune? And if it is the latter, I wouldn't expect to pay so much for shocking service, measly portions and useless staff. 2/5. Disappointing. read more

One word: mediocre. Two words: spicy beans..... Last words: yr spicy beans were tasteless and yr food is boring. read more

Are you a vegetarian or is somebody close to you a Vegetarian? If you answered yes then its time for you to start re-evaluating your life choices. However its also time for you to get your malnourished frame down to Fuel! Think Trof but in Withington... sort of. In fact in many ways Fuel is better than Trof. For instance the food is less expensive and there's not quite as many students wearing red socks and reading poetry to themselves as you might find in the more illustrious fallowfield venue. Actually Fuel does offer really nice food so get down there for some daytime food action and then go back in the evening for some evening-time upstairs live music action. read more

I have visited Fuel on two occasions and both times it has been a pleasant experience. It is clearly drawn from the conventional blueprint for independent cafes, restaurants and bars in Manchester such as Font and Trof, which involves the contrived scattering of vintage prints, dodgy murals and kitch interior design. The worst thing about this one is that it's entirely painted yellow. However it's small and cosy and the staff are very welcoming. The chai tea latte is divine and costs a fraction of the price the ones in Café Nero and Starbucks set you back. It's even served with one of those little cinnamon biscuits that come in a wrapper on the side of the saucer. I haven't tried the food but I've heard great things and the prospect of grilled halloumi practically has me foaming at the mouth. Upstairs is a fantastic venue for all manner of events although, unfortunately, Fuel is only licensed to stay open until midnight. A couple of months ago I went to Fowl Mouth a poetry and music night themed around all things foul or fowl, depending on your interpretation of the title. Hardboiled eggs were on hand, scrawled with obscenities, with thoughtful little packages of salt stolen from Burger King. The poetry ranges from the brilliant to the bizarre with several impromptu performances from some older men from Salford and plenty of live blues! read more

A hidden gem well worth getting the bus out to the suburbs for this slice of veggie heaven. Gorgeous, fresh food (I especially love their falafel) and a lot of variety. Large drinks menu and relaxed, informal atmosphere means you could stop by any time and feel welcome. Various themed nights throughout the week means there's always something fun going on upstairs. A firm favourite read more

Fuel is amazing! Where else can you soak up a fantastic soundtrack while drinking Badger beers and eating gorgeous veggie burritos?! It's a great place to come for a nice brew or a hot Vimto in the daytime too. Fuel is much more than a vegetarian café though. It also puts on some ace live music, comedy and club nights mostly free! I've put a few events on here in the past, and I'd definitely recommend it as a venue to other promoters. The staff are really supportive, friendly and helpful, and there's always a great atmosphere. read more

Fuel is a cracking little space - a space to eat and drink and generally be very merry. In the day, it's decent little cafe. The food is generally pretty good (it has been patchy on occasion, but for the most part, good). The breakfast is always good value. At night, you can still get decent food but effectively, it turns into a place to drink booze in. They've got a good selection of bottled ales (Badger and one that tastes like banana bread). As well as beer, there's quiz nights, DJs and gigs upstairs, generally focusing on acoustic and folk music... which is just as well as the floor isn't too thick. I'd give Fuel more stars, but there's an unquantifiable thing that's lacking. I always enjoy my visits there, but never really rave about it to anyone. read more

Some could call me a bit of a salad and veg dodger (that's not to say I'm chubby though), but whilst flat hunting in Withington, I came across Fuel. Not knowing that it was strictly vegetarian at first, I was enticed in by the delicious smells and promptly ordered about 5 dishes. This wasn't because I'm greedy, more because I didn't expect the portions to be so huge (they were) and because the dishes were very inexpensive. The food was fantastic, and I left with a general sense of wellbeing, like I'd consumed something healthy without much effort. The staff, too, were great and the clients were an eclectic bunch of young and old. This great little place has a very similar vibe to Trof - live music, good food and just a friendly atmosphere and is an example of what we need more of in Manchester. It is full of character and relatively inexpensive. You get a good deal. read more

Fuel is a neat little vegetarian cafe/restaurant in Withington. I'm not actually a veggie (quite the opposite!) but took a friend here for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. There's a great range of food, and even the most hard-core red meat eater will find it hard to complain with the delicious range of veggie salads, pastas, burgers, sandwiches and wraps on offer. It's a funky little place full of cool people, with a chilled out atmosphere and a load of artsy posters/notices on display if you're looking for a new exhibition/band to see. read more

Great place. Especially love the pub quiz on tuesdays. Richard and Ed Barry are legendary, seriously, these guys should have their own TV show, cabaret, band, you name it. I've never had food here although I'm told it's really good, especially if you're a meat-eater that wants to kick the habit. I love the beer selection (Dobber & Lagonda ftw), it is a bit pricey however (£4 for a local Manchester pint, but also £4 for a 12 oz american craft beer). But yeah, definitely worth it! read more

Fuel is a vegetarian restaurant based on Withington high street. The decor is quite modern, lots of steel and pine. The food is brilliant. As a huge carnivore, I was convinced I'd hate it but it goes to show that veggie food doesn't have to be soggy tofu. As part of my meal, I had some nachos which came in an edible nacho bowl! I've not been at night but they do a lot of open mic nights and the like as well. read more

Fuel is one of my favourite little south manchester haunts. Although it can get really busy of a weekend the relaxed atmosphere, good soundtrack and community feel never fails to dissapoint. The food is great; simple but effecitve veggi fayre and very decent portions for the price. The upstairs room plays host to any number of music, art and craft events and should you ever happen to be passing through on your way to the toilets even when there's not an official event on you're likely to stumble upon some bizzare happening or another. The Tuesday night quiz hosted by Manchester's very own answer to Stephen Fry is definitely a highlight of the week if you can get a seat! The Oreo milkshake with fresh strawberry is also a taste to behold. read more

I lived over the road from here for two years and I always took my friends there for lunch. Relaxed atmosphere, good music, friendly staff and most nights there's good live music upstairs. I'm not a vegetarian either but the food was great. Keep it up! read more

Great food , drinks and sounds. Been coming here since it was called 60/40 in the 1990s . Love it. My only sticking point is it's not dog friendly . My favourite dish is the halloumi and chips . The burrito is good too. read more

I took my non-vegetarian friend to Fuel a couple of weeks ago; 'This menu menu may as well be blank,' he said, staring at the selection of things without meat. To be fair, the Fuel menu isn't particularly varied, and it wouldn't be enough to convert me to vegetarianism, but what they do, they do well. I always study the menu and then just order the sweet potato wedges. I don't even think I've tried anything else there; they are that good. Coated in cajun spices and served with chilli dip and sour cream, they are the best snack food I can find. The mezze platter is also very good. The atmosphere in Fuel is lovely - like sitting in your own living room but with table service - and it's good to go to at any time of the day. In the morning, you can enjoy a delicious fried breakfast and one of their great selection of smoothies, during the day it's nice to grab a sofa and read while having a brew and a slice of cake. There's free wi-fi so it's a good place to sit and do some work as well. Then in the evening, there's a fridge full of good-quality bottled beers and ciders to choose from (try the strawberry and lime cider) and usually some entertainment in the upstairs room. Fuel is supportive of the local talent, and has regular open-mic nights, or readings by young poets and writers. There's also a good quiz on Tuesday, with a free bowl of chips for every team, and a host with a delightfully booming voice - like a young Brian Blessed. I'd say that Fuel is the best place in Fallowfield or Withington if you want a nice chilled environment, and don't mind paying a little bit more for it. read more

This is probably my absolutely favourite place to eat in Manchester. Massive portions, amazing food, great prices. I'm vegan and always find loads of options that don't make me feel like I've been duped. Most of my friends are meat eaters and they love it! Cannot recommend enough!! read more

Love it here, great vegetarian food and nice relaxed atmosphere. Service is friendly. Like the quirky feel. Will be back.

I'm not a Vegetarian but in summer I do tend to eat more healthy :)) I shared a mezze plater ( there was loads of grilled halloumi, delicious hummus, homemade red cabbage cole slaw, qualitative green & black olives, grilled courgette, goat feta cheese and salad!). They served it with sweet potato wedges and sour cream AND additionally per person a whole brown pita bread. Wowzer! All this for approx. £11! Lovely and cute place / quite alternative or even hipstery but I really enjoyed having my first time lunch with my boyfriend. Recommend it! read more

Interesting place! Myself and a friend visited there for their Open Mic Monday recently. The place seemed clean and I found it amiable, but unfortunately some vandals had desecrated our table upstairs with glue and pieces of porcelain meaning that you couldn't put a drink down or it would literally fly down the stairs. Beer selection was good, except the barman kept trying to push very obscure variants of IPA on me until I found myself presented with a fermented fig drink and minus twenty eight pounds. Open Mic was fun, although seem to be run by a blissfully oblivious homeless person who presumably just crossed the hipster threshold enough to be someone to encourage, rather than spit at. Most of the acts were fun, but one guy brought up a fishtank and pissed in it and everyone could smell it, it was horrible. I'd definitely go back again, the food looked great and I didn't get a chance to try it. The couple next to us had this huge bowl of hummus that stank like fuck and everyone complained but they were too stoned to care and took some of it home. Overall I'll give FUEL a tentative 3 stars, and wait til I've caught a big mouthful of noxious hummus as the bowl flys off my stupid porcelain table before I give it full judgement. read more

Cool veggy place with food good enough to eat for us meat eaters too! Have been on many occasions for breakfast. Very tasty indeed!

Fuel is a vegetarian Cafeé, and while I do laugh (with intent!) at jokes aimed at vegetarians, I had a guilty pleasure here last week ... it was filling ...and not at all brown, dry or tasteless!! It's a small, cosy with your typical relaxed "student" atmosphere. There are a great number of beers as well as non-alcoholic drinks like Oreo smoothies and milkshakes. read more

Withington isn't exactly the coolest of places. When I lived there following graduation, I spent as little time there as possible because there's very little to do unless you venture into Withington Village, which involves a looooong walk down Burton Road. Anyway, whenever I would go out in Withington, I'd be heading to Fuel, a lovely little vegetarian café bar. It's a friendly down-home kinda place, with quirky artwork on the walls (local indie hipster artists, I assume) and mismatched tables and chairs. The staff are all friendly and polite and the service is great, unless it's super busy in which case it's understandable. To be fair to humble Fuel, the setting really isn't important. It has the basics that every café bar needs, but doesn't stretch itself. Where Fuel really succeeds is in offering a great selection of booze and a relentless programme of events. From their Tuesday Quiz & Chips, to their monthly Comedy in Progress night, there's something for everyone. Occasionally they'll have gigs, small indie affairs in the upstairs room with its clandestine red lighting and squishy sofas. Me? I'm a fan of their knitting circle, Stitch & Bitch. As far as vegetarian food goes, I avoid it. In fact, I'm likely to try and sneak a KFC into most veggie joints, but Fuel's menu is alright. I've never been struck by the lack of meat on the menu, but maybe that's because I'm only in the mood for snacking when I visit. Either way, their nachos are great and the sweet potato wedges come with a lovely dipping sauce. The food and drink is fairly priced, especially their smoothies, which weigh in at £3 but take you about an hour to finish. At the end of the day, Fuel has a formula; simple food, good drinks, nice music, good atmosphere. It's got no bells-and-whistles, and that suits me down to the ground. Great venue for a few drinks with mates, or a hangover Sunday toastie. read more

Fuel is good for me who does not drink as they serve a cuppa at night time too. ( after 8 pm!). They have massive collection of teas so quite hard to choose one. I like thier live music events which held upstairs. Pretty much cool place in Manchester! read more

Fuel is on the main street through Withington village and is well worth a visit whether you are after the food, the drinks or the live music. The upstairs room for live music is intimate but if you're going to see an unknown band then its a cosy and comfortable venue. It is a vegetarian establishment but its good for a quick snack or to catch up with friends. Fuel is a small venue, but one with a really nice atmosphere to it. It is slightly arty and quirky without being too weird. read more