Cafe Soya in Birmingham

Delicious, friendly, and quiet. Big portions Attention: cash only

Great Chinese food. Always welcoming with great service too

Traditional oriental delicious food. Our favourite is the steamed rolls. A hidden gem, small but very popular with all locals.

Cute little cafe by the Arcadian with a great menu range and super service. We had spicy chips and prawn toast as a snack before going to a show and it was lovely. The food was fresh and tasty, would highly recommended trying if you’re out and about.

Genuinely my favourite food place in all of Birmingham. The food is always hot, delicious and served quickly by the attentive and friendly staff. I never usually leave reviews online but Cafe Soya is a real gem that proceeds to impress me time and time again. I honestly cannot recommend this establishment enough and will continue to visit when I'm in the city centre!

Really brilliant Cafe. Huge vegetarian menu. Highly recommend.

Great vegan and vegetarian options. Would definitely eat here again if I end up in Birmingham for some reason

Above average priced food. It moved venue from a large place near the markets to arcadian. The food is so delicious. Portions are big. They serve vegetarian/soya option which honestly as a meat eater I couldn't tell if it was real chicken. Food is actually kinda delicious xx

Was recommended by a friend, has an amazing variety of dishes from various asian backgrounds and a large vegetarian menu, as well as an extensive menu of drinks. Lively and inclusive atmosphere with brilliant friendly service. Noted that there's outdoor seating friendly for dogs too. Would recommend to anyone who wants to experience authentic oriental flavours.

Such good value, amazing selection, food cooked to order and arrives well presented.

Tofu curd and syrup are really weird😖😖😖

This is a small restaurant with a good sized menu, offering a great selection of meat and seafood dishes and with an equally sized vegan and vegetarian menu to suit a range of dietary choices. The staff are friendly and the service is speedy. I ordered the chilli pepper fried rice and my friend had the Vietnamese beef soup ho-fun pho. For the side we had a portion of pan fried cabbage and pork dumplings. The food was beautiful and the presentation was really nice. My squid was really well cooked with a crispy coating and the rice was perfectly cooked. The dumplings were also incredible - so crispy and bursting with flavour. My friend also really enjoyed the food. The beer is extremely cheap here too compared to other restaurants. The cost for both of us to eat and drink was very cost effective for such delicious, filling food. I highly recommend cafe soya to anyone in Birmingham or visiting. We will definitely be back !

Large range of vegan items to choose from. Super tasty food with so much variety. I do miss the larger one that closed as it was bigger and more spacious with a better atmosphere and vibe.

Excellent vegetarian options. The veggie hoisin "duck" pancakes are a favourite we always order. It's a starter but it's a lot of food so we share it. The vegetarian chicken and fish options are very good, from the fried rice with chicken breast to the fish noodle soup which includes veggie shrimp and eel. Lovely classic tofu dishes such as the garlic black bean sauce. Great drinks too including vegan milkshakes and fresh soy milk which tastes totally different from soy milk you'd buy in the grocery store.

The portions are quite big, but the quality of the food is average, nothing special. Service good as are the prices. Perhaps if you feel like a quick Asiatic bite.

Las porciones son bastante grandes, pero la calidad de la comida es promedio, nada especial. El servicio es bueno como lo son los precios. Quizás si te apetece un bocado asiático rápido.

He dicho cosas bonitas sobre Café Soya durante años. Es hora de repetirlo: este es uno de los mejores lugares para la comida china y del sudeste asiático en el Reino Unido. Sin duda (y eso es decir algo por el barrio chino de Birmingham pone el listón alto). Café Soya tiene una amplia gama, incluyendo opciones de carne y verduras. La comida es principalmente china o vietnamita. Puede que te sientas abrumado por la opción que te ofrecemos, ¡pero no te preocupes! Lo que pidas estará recién cocinado para ti y estará delicioso. Recomiendo su entrante de alitas de pollo, y sus fideos Vermicelli Singapore.

A vegan haven, with quick service and a top tier reputation for underrated food in Birmingham. I always recommend it to my friends and I always leave full and satisfied. Tight seating area and remember to take cash but otherwise amazing place!

Consistently the top spot for all the best tastiest food at mega economy busting portions. Definitely, a fulfiller fuel packed munch with all the original family taking control of the service logistics to the highest specifications. Loves It’s So That’s Hot!!! First time going fully vegan, didn’t not disappoint. 🔥

A large variety of authentic food including a separate Vegetarian menu. The customer service was fantastic, I was seen to instantly as I entered. Definitely will be visiting again.

Fantastic food, so much choice. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options as well as meat. A really treat to go too for food.

The colours of the cafe was what drew me in and my expectations were surpassed. The staff were very kind, the food portion was bigger than I thought it’d be, and thus was filling (not to mention very delicious) and the mango soya shake was that too and refreshing.

Nice Vietnamese restaurant, food is tasty, I would not give 5* because the fried rice addition cost £3.50, which makes less affordable comparable to the nearby restaurants whose price are competitive.

Absolutely love Cafe Soya. It’s been a staple favourite of meals out with my friends, family and work colleagues for years. The food is delicious and never disappoints. The portions are generous and very reasonably priced considering the quality. The customer service is second to none, with staff being friendly and attentive even remembering my order. When I can’t dine in, I’ll order take away for pick up-it’s mine and my sisters favourite for a night in. When friends come from out of town it’s the first place I’ll take them for lunch dinner or even a tea and snack. Highly recommend this wonderful family run restaurant that does Birmingham proud!

This has been nostalgia as the last time I was here was about a decade ago. I got the chicken chow mein, to be fair I always preferred the soya as it has a better crisp coating (let’s change the food rating back to 5) as that was more a personal choice. With the spicy rice and egg fried rice that my colleague had. We both found the food and the portion to be of good size and filled us. Maybe a tad bit too large whilst working but none the less amazing. Additional with 2 drinks came up to around £33 which is not bad at all. Will be back soon for the soya version.

Great place with a huge vege and vegan menu. Cash only though! Portions huge for the price. Really great quality, super fresh. Recommended!

Small unassuming looking place but the food is delicious and the staff pleasant. Chilli pepper squid fried rice and wonton noodle soup are our top picks but it's all good. Just remember they are cash only.

Great little place. Amazing vegetarian menu

Fantastic little restaurant! They have a separate menu for Vegetarians. The food was great. I had special fried rice with sauce. We shared a garlic book choy. So good. The fried rice was full of all the best bits! My friend asked for spicy, and it was not at all. We believe the sciracha may have been watered down as it was not spicy either. Friendly attentive waitress.

He visto las críticas y estaba viajando para conocer amigos, así que caminamos hasta aquí. No estaba seguro desde el exterior, pero lo que una comida fantástica que tuvimos, era todo fresco y muy sabroso, sin prisas, pedimos inicios primero - pato y tortitas, rollos de primavera y costillas deliciosos, luego tuvimos la red eléctrica todo delicioso, inodoro estaba impecable! Lo recomendaría y volvería

[Date of visit: 21st Nov 24] Really tasty food, the flavours feel home cooked -- like a comforting hug rather than something mass produced and made for a restaurant to cook from frozen. You can tell that each dish is prepared with care and that the people running it are extremely cautious of dietaries and that they know what's going into their food as they were able to answer the vegan status on every single dish they were questioned on. This was not my first visit as I've come here a few times with my mum as this is her favourite place to eat at and I completely understand why. The textures of each component part of the dish are perfect and the combinations of tastes compliment eachother perfectly. I enjoyed sharing the Vegan platter with my partner as it was a great way to try different combinations of sauces and textures for his first visit. This café genuinely has something for everyone as our recent visit was with 2 people who eat anything, a vegetarian, 2 vegans and a child -- I'd highly recommend going if you appreciate small cozy places with high quality food

Delicious food and a nice atmosphere. Cash only though!

Been going here for years, takeaway is rapid. Staff efficient and friendly. Recommend chilli pepper squid fried rice and their Singapore fried noodles is thd best. Lemongrass chicken good too

Lovely little spot. Great veggie food. :)

Increíble comida fresca y sabrosa. Gran servicio. Promt. Relación calidad-precio. Enormes porciones. Sabores fantásticos. Sin duda recomendaría.

I eat here more often than anywhere else in Birmingham. I am never disappointed. Good food, plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. It is rather cosy but that just makes it more authentic with a good Asian feel. Sadly the super value lunch menu is no longer available.

Amazing food, happily changed veggie dishes to be vegan, can’t wait to come back!

Very nice menu and special vegan/vegetarian part of menu

Really great vegetarian choice. Such tasty food.

Popped in for food before going to the theatre. Food was delicious, generous portions, friendly staff. Will definitely be returning 😀 Cash only !!!!!

Have been using this place for years inc eating in and takeaway, the service is exceptional and pleasant but the food is amazing, top quality and content

Nos encanta Café Soya. Esta vez tenemos algunas costillas de repuesto de chile pimienta - siempre se caen del hueso. Y también algunos rollos de primavera fritos vietnamitas - picante, crujiente, gran salsa para mojar. Tenía los fideos de sopa de dumpling, siempre generosos con bak Choi y antojos; un tazón enorme. Hija tenía dulce y agrio y tuvo que llevar un poco a casa. Viniendo por 25 años y siempre consistente.

Great surroundings with restaurants and supermarkets next door and it can get really busy. Pop in to grab a quick lunch, ordered a Crispy fried Won Ton starter and a Main, to my disappointment the Won Tons was just a piece of 4x Spring roll pastry with a nail sized filling😶 not worth (£6.50) ! The main was nice to say but not recommend the starter.

Food lovely, polite staff members, great atmosphere

Good food. Very tasty. But the crispy shredded beef is too hard.

Delicious food, lots of choice. Something for everyone. The staff were friendly and polite. The food came out fresh and hot. We will definitely visit again

First thing make sure you bring cash, no card payments. Very reasonably priced, £30 is more than enough for main, side and a couple of drinks. Not the poshest of places but by god THE FOOD. Incredible. As a vegetarian the all vegan menu (allows veggie alterations like eggs int he fried rice if you want it) makes life so easy and so much to choose, I have vegan friends that love this place for that reason too. If you eat meat, visit. If you’re vegetarian, you need to visit, if you’re vegan - you will probably end up living here 😂

Great affordable food and relaxed atmosphere

What an amazing place! The food was exceptional, even for Chinatown standards, and great value. Service was friendly, and the food came out really quickly. They also have an extensive drinks menu which isn't on their website. The Vietnamese iced coffee is just how I expected it to be 😋.

A small cafe/restaurant with an excellent vegetarian and vegan options. Located in the brilliant China Town in Birmingham. Food is delicious and the staff are friendly and welcoming. Perfect for solo-dining or a meal out with family and friends. Highly recommend.

Tucked away GEM!! Love this place! Great service and awesome food. Super quick too! Lemongrass mock chicken was yummo!

Amazing food served quickly so no long waits. Note that it is cash only.

My first visit was a great experience! It was busy but they found space for our party of four and quickly brought out menus and glasses of water for the table. The food was delicious (I had stir-fried noodles with chicken), and reasonable prices too - but be aware they take cash only. Staff were friendly and welcoming and it's clear that they are very popular. Look forward to visiting again to try something different on the menu.

I have been wanting to go here for so long. Positively overwhelmed with vegan choices. Tofu. Vegetables. Faux meats. There are faux prawns, faux beef, faux chicken, faux duck choices. Even vegan milkshakes. Truly mind boggling amounts of choice. Everything clearly labelled. Is cash only, but there's a natwest cash machine about 25 steps away so not an issue. Service was swift and efficient, food was visibly sizzling hot.

Been eating here for over 14 years. I’ve had the Chilli Pepper Squid every single time. One of my favourite meals of all time. Highly recommend

First of all customer service is non existence. The staff was rude and impatient. Secondly the food was so greasy and bland. What's worst it was stone cold. When I mentioned it the waitress, she lashed out on us. Thirdly, it's cash only. In this day and age I can't believe they don't accept card payments. Maybe they are fiddling with their accounts and being untruthful to HMRC.

Udon noodle not quite as expected. Service was quick and friendly staff

Each time I visit Birmingham, I eat at Cafe Soya. It’s cash only, so I always visit the nearby cash machine in the Arcadian first. I appreciate having a separate vegetarian menu from the regular menu. I’ve eaten here for breakfast, lunch and dinner over my 5 visits so far (twice in one day happened). I also order takeout to bring home with me (it’s 2.5 hours away) - it’s always well packaged for travelling with. I enjoy all the fresh soy - fresh tofu dessert 豆腐花 is consistently excellent - make sure you save lots of space for it as it is not a light dessert! The soy milk drink is not-too-sweet. The soy based mango milkshake is loved by myself and my family. The red bean & coconut ice drink is delicious - and very filling, treat it like a dessert! The Vietnamese steamed rolls are clearly made fresh too - by that I mean the white “sheets” of the roll are steamed from a viscous mixture before adding fillings and served - these are not pre-made dishes that are re-heated. And they’re excellent: smooth, springy, slippery. Portion sizes of rice and noodle dishes are big and hearty. All served with the Vietnamese herby leaf garnish. For me, it’s all comfort food. I will return again, and again.

Good place, but it was a bad surprise you need to pay by cash only. My friend needed to find a cash machine to pay. It was not good news for us.

This has been my favourite restaurant in Birmingham going 3 years. Very friendly staff, and very quick. They also have a vegetarian menu which is a breath of fresh air for my friends and family who do not eat meat. The food is top notch, almost every dish is unique and fantastic. I personally recommend the Vietnamese chilli chicken fried rice. Prices are also affordable (around 11 - 13 for a main). Highly recommend this restaurant. (NB they are cash only).

AVOIDDDD unless you like bad customer service. I would give Zero stars today. Been good in the past, though today very bland food. The lady decided to lash out when I gave her a genuine, usable but torn 20 pound note and ridiculed me in front other customers. She stalked me out of the shop when I went to get some more cash to pay since they didn’t accept card payment and then refused to bring me my change! Not the first time THIS LADY had an attitude - a previous time, THEY made an error in the order and WE got blamed!

Absolutely amazing food. I am working my way through the menu, the staff are kind and amazing.

Very good food - good vegan options , quite a small place tho

I haven't been to this cafe in years. It was nice to come back. Delicious food and a good choice. Quick and friendly service. It can get busy and it's cash only. I enjoyed my food and I'll be visiting again soon.

The amount of vegan choice was incredible it is cash only please be aware but the food is so worth it and the chocolate vegan shake was scrummy

Great food but takes rather long to come. The only downside is they don't take card payments. I had to go out to the cash point which luckily is very close.

Waiting in line to eat here was well worth it - delicious, healthy veg options, always a favorite, the rare but tasty soya textured chicken or ham, a vegetarian's delight. Would eat here again!

Best noodles in Brum, good prices and generous portions, Brumfurs montly go to.

Impeccably clean place. The staff are attentive and friendly. The food is absolutely amazing I love the food here and always visit when in the city centre

We were looking for somewhere to eat and stumbled upon this place - it was absolutely amazing! Cash only but large portions for the price and delicious, the staff really friendly and helpful aswell. Definitely recommend, 11/10!

Friendly as soon as you walk in and super attentive. The food’s amazing and the portions are just amazing! Went in today and ordered the vegetarian tofu rice to 6/6/2024 Thank you so much!

Food was excellent and plentiful, service was friendly. Would go again.

Really really nice for vegans! I got vegan chicken kung pao with boiled rice and some Chinese tea. Came to £16.20 which is a decent price and the food was delivered super quickly and nice and hot. Definitely recommend- the menu is massive, people are friendly and the location is great. Will be going here lots more!

Really nice food; great vegetarian menu! Quick service, good enough value for money - will definitely be coming back again soon.

Just perfect, my favourite ramen in the city, the fake chicken is phenomenal

We had the vegan duck pancakes and some noodles, absolutely 10/10! Brilliant! Would have come again but sadly didn’t realise they close at 9pm so we missed them.

Great options and tasty food. Tried lemon grass mock chicken rice, chicken noodle soup, tofu peppercorn and spring rolls. All items were good, especially the starters. It's cash only but they let you know it in the first place. They explained how the food will look like and very supportive staff. It's busy almost all the time, but worth it.

Excellent food and such quick service!

An authentic find in China Town! I didn’t know what to expect when I walked in as it didn’t look like all the other restaurants in Birmingham. I couldn’t book a table, it was 1st come 1st served and they only take cash! The kitchen also closes at 9pm. All I can say is this was very authentic and I loved every bite. If you want some Chinese and Vietnamese food without all the fuss this is the place to go! The staff were very nice and had a great energy about them!

Cash only so beware. Food is delicious and as I remembered it from 7 years ago. Try the fried rice with some chilli oil. Will definitely return

Really enjoyed this spot, went with some work colleagues. Authentic food, with great flavours and dishes

Fantastic food, very tasty. We had chicken wings, fruity spare ribs, sizzling crispy beef in tangy sauce and chips... Plenty for two. Quick and friendly service. It was a Thursday lunch time and we got there for opening so wasn't very busy. Would definitely recommend.

What can I say, everything was amazing, my favourite place to eat.

The food is fresh, fast, and delicious. Never have I been disappointed here. The cafe is small and bustling, so ensure to get there early. If not, it's certainly worth the wait. My favourites here are: the prawn toast; the spicy Vietnamese fried rice; the pineapple fried rice; the sweet and sour; and the satay hot pots. Also, the honeydew melon bubble tea. This place is cash-only, so ensure to bring some with you!

Fast and very tasty. And I liked the tea (from white flowers and to my taste there was something from needles, without sugar, but the fruit tea was sweetened, which gave it even more taste).

We went here to have a celebration birthday meal. The food was delicious and hot which all came out at the same time. The staff are very pleasant and welcoming which adds a nice touch. This is a small restaurant in the heart of the Chinese Quarter and gets very busy. Just so you know it’s also cash only so remember to take some money out if you visit. I highly recommend this establishment.

Love cafe soya! We have been going for years, as a vegetarian you have just as many options as anyone else. It's our place to go for a reasonably priced pick-me-up and we regularly walk half an hour purely to go there. Consistent food quality and amazing service. Would highly recommend!

This place was brilliant 10 years ago. They used to do an awesome lunch time menu. Visited a few days ago and ordered a noodle dish. I was do disappointed, not only was it expensive but it tasted overly salty and sweet. There were no Chinese customers - always a bad sign. They also stop giving out chopsticks!the only thing I enjoyed was the soya bean drink

Absolutely excellent! Staff were so friendly. It can be hard to find good vegan Chinese food, but this was the BEST vegan Chinese food we’ve had by far! If we visit Birmingham again, will definitely come by here. Great atmosphere. Highly recommend.

I been here so many times while I was at college, they moved across the road since then, still a wodnerful place for those who are vegan and vegetarians, they have wide variety on their menu and the food is as delicious as it looks. One of the only Chinese restaurants I recommend to people who go Birmingham.

I have been there many times. I just love this place! The food is always tasty and freshly cooked! Excellent service as well! The friendly staff always keen to help you!! Definitely a 5 star!!!

This is a real gem, in Birmingham. One of our favourite places to eat. Great selection of vegetarian options - all of their dishes can be done with mock duck, mock chicken, mock beef & mock prawn. Food is always served steaming hot and fresh. Service here is outstanding, nothing is ever too much effort.

Just popped in to have a hot soya coffee. Lovely it was too. Recommended as a change.

I enjoyed the soup noodles it was my first time

Friendly staff and great vegan selections

Fantastic food. Vegetarian food was incredible. Vegan duck pancakes are very very good. The portions are massive. Asked for some veggie satay sauce in a pot and they gave us a massive pot so was very happy. Pineapple fried rice with tofu strips is so good. The peppercorn tofu is so nice as well, crispy on the outside whilst still creamy in the middle

Amazing little cafe, went today with 3 of us based off just searching for a vegetarian restaurant whilst on Brum for the day. It was absolutely smashing. Great service, amazing food and great value for the quality. Will deffo be coming back!!

Love this place. It’s small and a bit chaotic but is has character and delicious food.

OK but not as great as it used to be…

Really nice food, served by friendly staff. It's very much a cafe set up, and gets busy at peak times. There are separate vegetarian and fish/meat menus. I had the Vietnamese pork rice dish, and it was great. This is a cash only place.