The Orchid Vegan Restaurant in York

Possibly the best food in York and it's vegan

I'm not vegan but my partner is. I had a lovely meal of vegan chicken and black beans sauce. Delicious and so reasonably priced. Will definitely be back on our next trip to York.

Can’t recommend this place enough. All the food is AMAZING. There are so many gluten free options too. I would definitely recommend the Lions Mane Toast as a starter and the crispy beef main. All the staff are lovely. This really made my birthday special. Thank you!

Really like the ambience in here, cosy and polite, nice staff. Food options are amazing too many to pick!

This was our second time visiting Orchid (the first time being 2+ years ago) and it did not disappoint. The food is amazing and everything a veggie/vegan would want from a Chinese. The service was efficient and staff were lovely. We ordered the salt & pepper calamari, belly strips, Mongolian beef, general Tso tofu, fried noodles & shiitake fried rice. By the end we were full, but it was the perfect amount for 2. Can't recommend this place enough!!

Service and food was amazing, would definitely recommend here for food

This place has possibly become my favourite place for allergies! I was so impressed with the selection of food (recommend ordering from their actual website). Vegan and GF are pretty hard to come by, especially Chinese cuisine, normally it's basics such as veg with a bland sauce. They even did nut free satay 😍 Definitely going to try and sit in another time for special occasions.

We had a great meal here. I had the Tom Ha (?) soup which was lovely - really chilli hot and tasty. My main was tofu with peppers and chilli which was also really good. My partner is coeliac and they even had a GF menu! The staff were lovely - really friendly - and the service was excellent. Would definitely recommend, even if you aren’t vegan.

This was an amazing vegan restaurant. All the food was delicious and the service was fast and friendly. We wish there was a branch near where we live so we could eat there more often!

Pretentious, condescending, unsophiscated host/ waitress. Host prescreens you and then goes out of the way to be unaccomodating and make you feel unwelcomed. When we first arrived, the restaurant was near empty and we'd requested a table. The host made us sit in the foyer area while she " cleans" a table. We observed her walking to the back of the restaurant, turn around and the walk back towards us. She then tells us that the restaurant does not serve any meat dishes and if we didn't like it, we could go somewhere else. FYI, we are foodies and have traveled to numerous places around the world, and she thinks we don't know what a vegan restaurant is. She than proceeds to seat us in a dark cramped corner of the restaurant. When we asked for an extra chair to put our bags and coat, she abruptly denied us, even though the restaurant was near empty. What a rude host/waitress that treats its customers in such a harsh and unwelcoming manner. Not wanting to get further abused by this person (since she appeared to be the only person working) we decided to leave. -- Tourist from the U.S.A.

Best vegan food ever. Love this place ❤️

Delicious vegan food! Could get a bit sickly but so worth it (and expected for such rich dishes). Great recreations of classic meat dishes. Highly recommend the mushroom toast, crispy chilli beef & sweetcorn soup (all 10/10)!

The food was delicious, and with so many dishes to choose from, we would definitely be visiting again.

We went with our non vegan 11 year old who is a fussy eater and she loved everything. That is a testament to how good this was. For 3 of us, we opted to share 3 different starters and 3 different mains. This was mainly driven by me for, as a vegan, I am not used to being able to go into a restaurant and have options; never mind so many! The only downside is that I live too far away to easily go back but if I do find myself in York again, I will definitely be going back to try more dishes. This is really unmissable whether a vegan or not.

House special was amazing, as were the duck pancakes! Great flavor, textures, and service. Would come here all the time if I lived in York.

Amazing vegan food! We had the salt&pepper “calamari”, the Mongolian “beef”, the “chicken” in black bean sauce, the Singapore fried rice and the fried noodles: all of them were delicious 😋 Would definitely recommend!

Great choices, we ordered a range of starters and mains. The crispy chicken in chilli and the ‘pork’ belly starters were particular stars. Great flavours and very enjoyable.

We were so happy to find a vegan restaurant . Usually we just gead for asian restaurants as they have lovely choices for vegans. However being totally vegan and not gaving to scrutinise the menuwas lovely. What a wonderful choice of extremely well presented food. We really enjoyed our visit.

We really enjoyed our visit. Usually we eat Asian foods for our restaurant meals as this appears to be the best cuisine for vegans. We wrre really happy to find a totally vegan restaurant where we could have a large choice of suitable foods, without having to scrutinise the menu, as everything was suitable and a wonderful choice of foods too.

Fantastic vegan restaurant, staff are very attentive. They were on it with gluten intolerances - they have separate gluten-free and soya-free menus. Particularly recommend the Mongolian beef. Been here with non-vegans and they really enjoyed it too.

Really delicious vegan food, such a range of choices. The vegan crispy shredded beef (main menu) was particularly amazing. My husband only stopped eating meat a year or so ago and said this was the closest meat imitation he'd tasted so far. The portion size is good and price is fair. We live quite far away, but if we're ever back in the area, we will definitely make a return visit.

This place is vegan food heaven. From the crackers, the starter, the mains, the rice, and the deserts (we tried the cheesecake). Even the americano coffee was artisan quality. Very friendly staff who were also very knowledgeable and explained the lengths they go to ensure everything they source is vegan.

Dropped in to eat, noted about being coeliac to the server and ordered. Once we ordered, on the menu for an item didn't state that it contained Gluten/Wheat (despite them listing allergens) and only told us after we placed the order. The server was really dismissive and quite aggressive in her response when I pointed out it should then be listed. She said "yeah but we have a separate menu so if you order and anything happens to you it's your fault" (exact quote). We left immediately as I am not eating somewhere that doesn't take allergens seriously. Response to your reply, the restaurant wasn't busy as there was only 1 table with 4 people on that had already been served. You didn't try to call us as we were walk-in. The item your staff talked to us about was told at the counter to contain gluten (hence not appearing on the separate menu) but it didn't MENTION the allergen on the main menu. I was calm, and your server STATED that it DOES have gluten in it. This clear lying in your response isnt shocking considering my experience. It's actually disgusting that you are still trying to continue to palm off customers that raised a genuine food health and safety risk that can cause serious illness/death. I suggest you spend more time researching rather than trying to excuse poor practise. As someone who has run a restaurant, this is not the best response. We will be ensuring everyone is aware of this and it has been posted around.

Avoid the The Orchid Vegan Restaurant in York if you have any allergy/intolerance!!! My partner and I popped in for a meal whilst in the area for the day, we explained to the server that I was GF (coeliac) there were allergens listed next to all items on the menu, so I ordered the meals that were not listed to contain wheat or gluten... after ordering I was then handed a separate menu and told one of the meals I had ordered contained gluten, however, it was not listed on the normal menu (we pointed this out to them) I was then told "if you order and anything happens it is your fault" We had checked out the menu online beforehand and felt very confident going there as every menu item on the menu listed the allergens next to it .. or so we thought. Absolutely disgusted, felt so belittled and ashamed to have an allergy that we cancelled our order and left. It felt as though I was a hindrance and they were not accepting the fact that they had mislabelled their own menu and not taking responsibility for it. Genuinely left the place quite upset, the allergens were, I thought, so clearly marked which made choosing a meal relatively simple. In response to the managers reply: You could not have tried to phone us as we were a walk-in, we had not booked and you did not have our numbers. You did tell us the dish was not gluten-free and once again are not taking responsibility for your mistake. You also told us that if we ordered the dish from the normal menu (which was not on the GF menu I was not given when I said I had an allergy) and anything happened to me that it would be our fault. Please read up on Natasha's law before someone is hurt.

Had the fried rice, mushrooms and a couple of starters. I generally found that food fine but the setting and atmosphere just adequate, inside and out.

We ordered a takeaway and we were hugely impressed. One vegetarian and 3 non-veggie customers thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The portions are large, including portions of noodles and rice. Very tasty, excellent value for money and fast delivery. Highly recommended. If this was our local Chinese/Asian we’d be happy, regardless of the vegan aspect.

Absolutely amazing food and service. My non-vegan friend said it was the best Asian fusion food they had ever had. Great value too.

The only word to describe this place is "fantastic". I'm not vegan or vegetarian and I couldn't tell the difference between this and a normal Chinese restaurant. Wonderful food and fantastic service.

Tasty vegan Chinese. I particularly enjoyed the lemon chicken and crispy duck.

Always a favorite when we're in York. The mushroom-based vegan dishes are amazing.

Amazing. Edit: Just ate here again. Still amazing.

One of my favorite places to eat Chinese food! The staff are lovely and welcoming and the food is incredibly flavourful. I've had a few dishes from their menu and I love the duck pancakes, croquettes and the vegan chocolate cake is amazing! I'd come here just for the desserts! Flavours are on the sweeter side, but there's a variety to enjoy.

The food was delicious and there was plenty of choice on the menu. The spring rolls were particularly good! The staff were really friendly, and prompt to provide service and water top-ups. We really enjoyed our meal.

We visited with our friends who are vegan. Myself and my husband aren't but we couldn't tell the difference between Orchid and our regular Chinese restaurant. It was delicious! The restaurant was clean and well set out. The staff were attentive and friendly. We had starter, main, and dessert with coffee, which came to about £35 per person.

Amazing vegan food! Lovely staff. I went with my omni husband who loves his meal too. We shared the vegan duck starter which was delicious but we could have done with a couple more pancakes. I had the house special stir fry in szechuan sauce with fried noodles (amazing) and my husband had sweet and sour vegan king prawns. We shared a stir fried broccoli with garlic. We thought the price was very reasonable (not as expensive as where we are from!). Hopefully we get to visit again when we return to York.

The food was delicious, portions were quite large and the staff very nice. Special mention goes to the chocolate fudge cake, cannot recommend it enough!

Excellent food. Really tasty and delicious. Lots to choose from. Staff were really good. Clean and tidy. Will definitely return.

Travelled solo to York and treated myself to some great vegan food here and it didn't disappoint. Tassicka gave great customer service, suggestions and was top all round. Had pumpkin croquettes for starters that were soft and melted in mouth and general tso's tofu had the saucy and kick I wanted. Hidden gem not to be missed ✨️

Always a lovely meal in Orchid and the service is great.

I had high hopes for this restaurant. The Mushroom Toast just tasted of oil. The Chef's Special Chicken and Mushroom was just alright. If I had rustled it up at home, I would have been satisfied, but then I'm no chef. The service was friendly and efficient. It was a Monday night, which isn't a good litmus test for atmosphere.

Amazing food, first of all, let alone the best vegan food the wife and I have ever had. I'm not a veggie or vegan myself but I'd happily eat Orchid's aromatic "duck" starter or Mongolian "beef" any day. Spring rolls and General Tso's tofu were also amazing. And wonderfully cooked salt and pepper chips - properly crispy and great taste. Only small criticism is that we only had 6 pancakes for the mock duck - I think 8-10 would be a better number! Orchid should 1) charge a few quid more, becsuse it's thst good and 2) please expand!

Very very oily food, also flavor was missing. We asked for spicy and it was not even medium spice. Atmosphere was okay nice restaurant. Both the waitresses seemed to have attitude problems. I felt scared to ask for anything because of their rude tone and judgement.

Ordered the General Tso’s Tofu and was very underwhelmed based off these reviews. It contained 15 cubes of spongy deep fried tofu, 2 broccoli and a couple of onion slices for £11. No heat/spice either after it stated ‘medium’ on the menu. Quite disappointed after booking here for my partners birthday after reading such exceptional reviews. Weirdly, for a vegan restaurant it definitely leaves you craving vegetables afterwards.

Totally spoiled for choice here. Every dish we have tried so far has been delicious 😋. Highly recommended!

Really good food, great service. This was a Surprised find and the food was genuinely delicious. No other words needed.

So pleased we got to experience this restaurant whilst we were in York! Food is unreal and very authentic. The staff were lovely too.

Be a vegan many years, overated the reviews as very dissapointed the salt n pepper tohu, either it's overcook or redeepfried, Mini S/Rolls and Dumpling aren't handmade, which easilly can get it from any supermarket brand QDao and itsu but recommended the crispy aromatic duck, shredded mushroom with Thai sweet chilli sauce and Brocolli with garlic sauce. We still emty plates, as didn't want to wasting the foods we ordered.

Plant based Asian food, just 2 mins walk from Micklegate in York. We went here for my partners birthday and she absolutely loved it. The food was cooked to perfection, and so much choice. Everything tasted wonderful, and was seasoned and spiced perfectly. Even had plant based Thai crackers. 😍 Highly recommended and the wine selection was really good as well. We had a fantastic bottle of Chablis.

Good for Chinese flavours but made from vegetables.

We've been to Orchid a couple of times when we've visited York. The food is always varied, interesting, tasty and so enjoyable. Staff are welcoming and attentive, and obviously enjoy what they do. Would highly recommend Orchid for all, regardless of whether you're a veggie or vegan!

This place is heaven for anyone who is vegan or vegetarian. The entire menu is vegan, giving lots of options. We had the general tso tofu and the Mongolian mock beef, which is made using tofu skin. Both were absolutely delicious! I would also recommend the hot and sour soup...boy does it cleanse your pallete! But what was the best was the service! Really top notch and fine dining vibes /atmosphere at decent prices...even for Canadians converting from Canadian dollars.

An absolute gem for vegan food in York. Visited for dinner with friends, and we were blown away by the variety available on the menu, and spoilt for choice. As vegetarians you often only get a couple of options on menus, so it was great being able to order anything. We tried about 6-8 dishes between us, and everything was so well seasoned and flavoured. The staff were very helpful and kind to recommend different dishes to us too. We all tried a dessert as well, and these were also excellent, much tastier than other vegan cakes/desserts I've tried elsewhere!

Vegan prawns in oyster sauce. The "prawns tasted a bit funny and were very rubbery. But that's just a personal taste. Everything was great. Vegan salt and pepper munch box was huge! Excellent value. Very hot and fresh. Staff were lovely and smiling on collection and very helpful. Would 100% be ordering again if I'm in York!

We loved the entire experience. The food was top class (some of the very best Asian food I've ever had). The restaurant is popular and do not accept walk ins. So book in advance. The waiting is top notch. Very efficient and extremely attentive. We had the shredded vegan duck pancakes to share to start, the crispy shredded vegan beef, the vegan house special stir fry (Szechuan) with some fried noodles and Singapore style special fried fried rice. All exceptional. This place is a must visit.

I find the food in this place mind-blowing. There is clearly a lot of love and hard work put into it. The staff are always great too. It's a place not to be missed.

Family get together, good choice of Chinese cuisine. Service good, and prompt, staff friendly and accommodating.

Nothing wrong with vegan food, I just can't get behind a restaurant that lies about their food in order to sell more of it. Who knows where they draw the line.. Hopefully before health standards 😬

Everything great, on time and hot

Excellent service alround! Thank you!😊

I can’t speak highly enough of this restaurant. The food is simply wonderful and the staff and service are first class. Two of my friends eat meat and yet they couldn’t stop talking about the flavours and texture of the food. They now look at vegan cuisine in a totally light and I will most certainly be returning. I can’t recommend Orchid Vegan restaurant highly enough. Book yourselves a table now!!!

This has been my favourite restaurant and takeaway anywhere for quite a few years. Several of those were before I even went vegan. It's an absolute treat every single time. My wife and I always recommend it to others. And when we have guests, we go there/order in. Either way, the service has always been top.

Simply amazing - gorgeous food and super fast service. Reccomend booking a table !

Best meal we had whilst on holiday in York. The black bean “chicken” and the fried noodles were stand outs for us. Highly recommend for vegans and non-vegans alike!

I had the pleasure of dining at one of the finest vegan restaurants I've encountered since adopting a vegan lifestyle two years ago. Every dish I tried was delicious, with some menu items so convincingly tasty that I couldn't believe they were vegan—particularly the "duck" pancakes, which were a standout. Moreover, the staff were incredibly courteous and accommodating, enhancing the overall dining experience. Leaving the restaurant, I was not only thoroughly satisfied but also pleasantly surprised by how full and content I felt. Should I find myself in the area again, a return visit to this establishment will undoubtedly be on my agenda.

Delicious food done well. Great ambience and friendly service staff too.

Food was okay maybe we didn’t order the right things Chairs were pretty uncomfortable Staff were really nice

food was really lovely, shame it turned up 15mins early while i was putting the kids to bed

1st time here.omg it was amazing .the food was that good we are going back again.staff were very nice.

Discover vegan bliss at York's Orchid Restaurant! From Singapore rice, to shredded battered chicken, their plant-based dishes are a culinary delight. With a welcoming ambiance and impeccable service, Orchid is a must-visit for vegans and food enthusiasts alike in York.

If I could give it 6 stars I would! My girlfriend and I enjoyed two starters and two mains between us and all of it was absolutely unreal. The waiting staff were brilliant - so helpful and attentive. A must visit if you don't eat meat and love asian fusion. We're just hoping that they open a branch in Newcastle!

I want to preface this review by saying the service and staff were impeccable. The atmosphere was warm and appropriate for a romantic dinner or family celebration. It was very exciting being at a vegan restaurant where I could order anything on the menu! However, both my husband and I were extremely disappointed by the food. We had the Mongolian Beef and Stir Fry in Spicy Szechuan Sauce. Given reviews, service and atmosphere, we were expecting something different than what we got. Maybe that's our own fault for setting expectations high, but it tasted like a vegan version of something you could get at any westernized Chinese take out restaurant. We are from the West Coast of the US, so perhaps we just expected something different than what is standard in the UK. We probably should have adjusted our expectations when they didn't ask us how spicy we wanted our food or give us chopsticks. Still, the sauce wasn't just uninspired, it was downright bland. I'm thankful to have an asian vegan restaurant, but I'd prefer fewer vegan options at a restaurant with more authentic flavor.

Brilliant vegan food and at a great price. We had a tough time choosing our food and everything coming out of the kitchen looked and smelled brilliant. Service was quick and the staff were friendly. The location makes it very easy to get to. Highly recommend if you want some vegan food. Recommend booking ahead as they were full and it was mid week

I've been vegan for 9 years now, this by far has been the best vegan restaurant I've been too in a long time. Not only was the food fantastic, the staff were super friendly and the atmosphere was lovely and relaxing. Would absolutely recommend the vegan duck pancakes for starters, really hit the spot. It's nice to have such a range of options to choose from, will be recommending everyone to come here and hopefully we can come back soon ourselves.

Not my first visit and won’t be my last. Lovely surroundings, perfect service and the most delicious vegan food. What more needs to be said.

Amazing vegan restaurant! The best Asian oriental vegan food we've ever had! The restaurant was lovely, simple and understated, the staff were lovely, friendly and efficient, the food was delicious - the vegan beef and prawns tasted as good as the real thing! They also did proper vegan desserts, something we struggle with at other restaurants, and they were yummy too. This is a must for vegans in and around York and we will definitely visit again - gutted it isn't closer to where we live!

Absolutely fantastic and delicious food, me and my boyfriend went here for my birthday and it was one of the best meals I have ever had! If not THE best. I had the crispy beef in ok sauce and my boyfriend had the chicken in sweet chilli sauce. They were both delicious! We also had the duck pancakes, noodles and salt and pepper chips. My boyfriend who is a meat eater actually said the taste was better than real meat. The texture and the flavour were both extremely appetising. Sometimes with vegan food the texture can be a bit odd but this was not the case whatsoever. All the food was seasoned extremely well and you can tell they were made with care. The atmosphere and lighting was very calm and intimate. In total it cost us £57, it was very very worth it and tasted better than any other restaurant I have been to. I would definitely recommend this place not only for vegan/vegetarians but meat eaters too!! If I could give more than 5 stars I would, we will be coming back again!

I've been dreaming of this place since we went. We even ordered extra dishes after eating to take home with us! The best vegan food and friendly, fast, and efficient service.

Possibly the best food I've ever eaten. Definitely worth a visit! Wow...

Brilliant food and Very friendly staff. Would highly recommend.

One of the best places to eat in York! 😋 Food is so nice and the menu is very extensive. The food is amazing and definitely impressed my partner that vegan food can taste this good! They also have a separate gluten free menu. Staff are friendly and attentive. I recommend booking a table online, rather than walking in!

We visited here on 3 January - an amazing restaurant with so many options. Will definitely visit again if I come back to York

Delicious and easily worth the price.

Beautiful food as always and the servers are always so professional and polite.

Although only two out of the eight of us were vegan, everybody enjoyed the food.

Lovely vegan food. Not expensive. Loved it

Fantastic place - beautifully decorated and a good size, with tables comfortably apart which I appreciate. The staff are polite, friendly and swift to act. The food came incredibly fast, was just the right temperature and was absolutely delicious! Just the right portion sizes, so please treat yourself to a starter and dessert as well. Their desserts were absolutely outstanding, the high point of a brilliant meal - can't recommend them highly enough. Perfectly reasonably priced, a wonderful experience all round. About all I can suggest is - please introduce even more options! Can't wait to see what else you can create!

I cannot tell you how excellent the food was here. Even my non-vegan Auntie loved it!! Service was second to none. Staff are so hard working & really take care of their customers with a big smile. Highly recommend you eat here!

A superb meal for us and two little kids. It was lovely to have full access to a menu and a wide variety of delicious dishes. Staff were welcoming and helpful with the kids and supportive of more unusual requests they had! There was a chilled out vibe which was nice.

Delivery arrived on the early side of estimated delivery time. Food was hit and delicious, we will definitely order again.

Not normally a vegan diner but we all had really nice meals. The staff were lovely and made it a lovely experience. Definitely would recommend without hesitation.

Well let's start with negatives for a change - um - 5 minutes later - NOTHING! POSITIVES then? Food - Fab-u-lous! Value - Exceptional Ambiance - Relaxing and warm (on a very cold evening) quiet background music. Service - Attentive without being intrusive Staff - Patient, as there was so much choice, the waiter came over 3 times but we didn't feel rushed at all. We couldn't decide! I can't believe we are York born and bred and never heard of The Orchid. I was given a voucher for my birthday. Philosophy - As vegetarians, we often have little to no choice when out with our meat eating friends. Just recently out of two vegetarian choices in another establishment, my favoured option was not available, so I had the curry which is my least favourite food of all. I pushed it around the plate. Vegetarians and meat eaters, please go and try The Orchid for yourselves, you won't be disappointed. We will definitely return.

We visited The Orchid mid-week during a trip to York. Fully vegan Chinese restaurant offering a good sized menu. We had shredded crispy vegan beef in OK sauce, and Mongolian vegan beef, both were delicious. Would highly recommend.

Incredibly fast service and great tasting food

The worst experience ever. Ordered 2 dishes one a stir fry and a vegan mongolia beef dish with salt and pepper fries. The good literally came out within 5 mins stone cold. After complaining they took it back and said it would be remade. No apology. The same food came back out within a few minutes still stone cold. A stir fry should be sizzling hot. No way was this food ever freshly made. They were more concerned that the couple who had just come in would overhear us saying it was still cold. They couldnt have cared any less. Awful place with worse food and staff. Such a shame as we had high hopes as pure vegan places are not easy to find

Always great food and speedy delivery. Best salt and pepper chips EVER. We <3 Orchid Vegan!

An excellent find! Very tasty food at reasonable prices, and very good service.

Super impressed. Best vegan prawn crackers I've ever had. Will visit again when near York.

Food was fabulous, service prompt and atmosphere perfect. Really impressed and highly recommend. The Mongolian vegan beef and General Tso's tofu were delicious.

Delicious food, all vegan and arrived within half an hour of ordering.

Excellent service, delicious Vegan food, nothing was too much trouble, even got a table somehow without booking. AA++ Would come again.