Turtle Bay has upped their vegan menu for 2020. We checked it out to see what it’s all about. Here’s what we found…
What’s Turtle Bay about and why did you go?
Turtle Bay is a Caribbean-Themed restaurant aiming to bring the party vibes to Manchester. For 2020, they’ve upgraded the menu with crowd-pleasing vegan options that should appeal to both vegans and v-curious alike. We went down earlier in the month to find out if it’s a #veganuary hit or miss.
Inside, Turtle Bay is exactly what you would expect from a Caribbean restaurant – bright colours, graffiti art and a beach hut style bar. Clearly Turtle Bay have really gone to town with the theming. The Soundsystem wall to the back of the venue is a great touch.
What was the food like at Turtle Bay?
If you think of Caribbean food the first thing that comes to mind will be jerk chicken. However, Turtle Bay have veggies and vegan covered, with a range of options to please.
Of everything we tried the real star was the Vegan Motherclucker burger. Veggie and Vegan Burgers have come a long way from the ubiquitous bean burger (remember them?) and to put it simply – this is one of the best vegan burgers I’ve had. It’s a chicken-style vegan patty in Jamaican spices, smashed avocado, wild rocket, pink onions, jerk mayo & BBQ sauce. Delicious!
Whilst I can’t compare it to the ‘real’ thing as I’ve never had one, Lizzie thought that it was unbelievably close to a chicken burger in both texture and taste. If you’re trying to cut down your meat consumption or doing meat-free Monday, this is an ideal starting point.
If you’re looking for a healthy option the Island Buddha Bowls is a great choice. Each one is packed with chilli lime steamed white rice or quinoa, festival salad, roasted jerk red peppers, mushroom, avocado, cucumber chutney & watermelon. I got mine topped off with tofu for an extra bit of protein.
As well as the mains, the menu at Turtle Bay offers a large variety of vegan sides that are worth checking out. First up were the avocado fries. Crunchy on the outside with a surprisingly soft middle. I’m not sure if there any healthier than standard fries but they are tasty nevertheless.
We also tried the Bara Roti, four hand-stretched fluffy roti, that work well with a curry. We matched these up some curried chickpeas.
Any offers on through the week?
If there’s one thing Turtle Bay is known for in Manchester it’s the 2 for 1 Cocktail offers it runs, making it the perfect venue for after-work drinks. It’s available until 7pm every day and 9.30pm until Close Sunday to Thursday & 10pm until Close Fridays and Saturdays. You do have to order two of the same cocktail and have them at the same time.
I tried the Rum Runner, one of the most popular cocktails they sell at Turtle Bay. It’s a frozen blend of dark rum, amaretto, blackberry, banana & lemon juice.
Final thoughts?
With a great selection of vegan options for this year, Turtle Bay is worth checking out. If you’re after a place that brings the party atmosphere that doesn’t break the bank Turtle Bay is a great choice.
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