Black Mamba Tapas & Cocktail Bar

Black Mamba Tapas & Cocktail Bar

Saturday, 20 January 2024

Black Mamba opened at the end of last year - a tapas and cocktail bar, serving “tapas without boundaries” from the people behind Giddy Goose. I saw some vegan options on the menu so we went to try it out.

First impressions, the interior is gorgeous; contemporary luxe vibes and I love the attention to detail with the little lamps on the tables. There’s a long marble bench in the centre which would suit communal dining and drinks, or could be fun to book for a special event. The bathrooms are beautiful too, with gold accents and emerald tiles. I’m sure that’s enough about interiors (though it’s very much a topic on my mind as we’re mid bathroom renovation), time to talk food.

I had a tangerine & cinnamon mojit-no to drink which was lovely and refreshing but with delightful warming spice flavours. I love to see a more unique mocktail and there were plenty of interesting alcoholic ones too. We ordered our food and were recommended 2-3 dishes per person and told that they would come out as they were ready.

We basically went for all of the vegan dishes to share; patatas barbacoa (crispy potatoes, Korean with BBQ sauce), padron pepper poppers (tempura, onion ash), Korean fried oyster mushrooms with sticky Gochujang sauce, roasted butternut squash (adapted to be vegan, with whipped tofu), and stir-fried greens (long stem broccoli, bean sprout, spring cabbage and chilli crisp). The food was beautifully presented and the dishes all complemented each other deliciously. I think the stir-fried greens were actually my favourite, but David loved the mushrooms and BBQ potatoes.

The menu has clear labelling for vegan options, though we were dining with non-vegan friends and found that our waiter seemed a bit confused about which dishes were vegan when they were brought out which gave me a wee bit of food anxiety. We were also a bit disappointed that there were no vegan desserts on offer - especially as some of the brunch options include desserty sounding vegan French toast which sounds amazing.

Black Mamba have a selection of offers for weekdays, such as 2 tapas for £9.99 (Mon-Fri, 12-4pm) and Mambacita Club on Fridays (3 cocktails & 2 tapas for £27.99). They also have a wee kids’ menu and high chairs are available. You can even bring your furry friends as Black Mamba is dog-friendly! It’s so great to have new places like this open up, we’ll definitely be back in to try brunch soon.

Follow @blackmambadundee for updates and let us know if you go!

Find Black Mamba at 141 Nethergate, DD1 4DP
https://www.blackmambadundee.co.uk/

Angus Grill & Larder

Angus Grill & Larder

Tuesday, 20 June 2023

Angus Grill & Larder recently launched their new summer menu and kindly invited* us along to see what vegan treats were on offer for lunch. Just off the A90 before Brechin, Angus Grill & Larder serves fresh food with an emphasis on locally sourced produce. With plenty of seating (indoor and out), a wee doggy park, and to-go service, it’s a handy stopping point - but worth making the trip just for a visit too.

We’d actually been here before when we got a flat tyre on our drive back from the Blue Door Walk in Edzell. Luckily for us, we were able to wait for the recovery vehicle from the comfort of the outdoor area with a coffee by the fire pit that day. It was great to come back under nicer circumstances and actually enjoy a meal this time.

After being shown to our table by the friendly front-of-house team, we found there were lots of Scottish brands on the drinks menu, like Bon Accord and Nuisance. I chose a refreshing Summer House raspberry lemonade which was perfect for a hot day. We were very excited to see that they offered a vegan milkshake; made with vanilla ice cream, oat milk and Oreos. It was served in a traditional steel malt cup and was deliciously thick.

To eat, we decided on the vegan dog and club sandwich. There were also vegan wings and a falafel burger which could be made vegan on the menu. The food was quick to arrive and the portions were very generous.

The herby vegan dog came grilled, in a pretzel bun with freshly fried onions and fries. David really enjoyed this, though it was missing the mustard which would have made it even better. We both agreed that the club sandwich was our favourite. Toasted ciabatta, stuffed with vegan bacon and chicken, plant-based cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato and vegan mayo. It was such a tasty combo and great to see something a bit different. I opted for fries but you could have this with the house salad instead, which might have been a better idea as we were both so full.

Angus Grill & Larder has quite a minimal but modern interior vibe, so it’s a fun surprise to find the colourful art gallery toilets (“lavatoriums”). There are three, each painted by a different local artist, and finished with eco-friendly products. Pictured here is Arbroath Adventures by Laura Darling, the other two are Fields of Forfar by Louise Kirby and Pamela Scott’s Bonny Brechin.

As well as using local suppliers in their kitchen, you’ll find some fab products in their larder area. These shelves are filled with goodies such as drinks (I spied Angus Alchemy!), jams, candles, coffee and soap. We picked up a jar of Dip Club Rasp-beret Chipotle salsa which I’m very much looking forward to opening soon.

One thing worth noting is that although Angus Grill & Larder is dog-friendly, dogs aren’t allowed inside the restaurant. There’s Hallie and Maple’s doggy play park which is a secure area for letting them off the lead, and you can have them in the outside seating area too.

You can find Angus Grill & Larder at Balnabriech, Brechin, DD9 6RN
https://angusgrillandlarder.co.uk/
@angusgrilluk

*Angus Grill & Larder gifted us our lunch, all opinions are my own.

Dundee Espresso Lab

Dundee Espresso Lab

Friday, 2 June 2023

Dundee Espresso Lab opened on Commercial Street towards the end of last year. We’d been meaning to visit, and after messaging to see if they had vegan food options, we popped in for a light Sunday lunch after wandering around the waterfront with guests we had staying for the weekend.

The coffee shop is bright and welcoming with exposed brick walls and tungsten-style bulbs - a mix of vintage and industrial aesthetics that works nicely in the space. The window seat was taken when we arrived but it looks very inviting, I do love a people watching spot and it would be ideal for that - or cosy to look out from on a rainy day. Espresso Lab is dog friendly so we brought our two along (spot Izzy peeping out on that last photo!).

We ordered a selection of coffees and some fresh orange juice which is squeezed to order - delicious and refreshing. The mocha (or hot chocolate) can be made vegan if you order with plant milk which is always good to know, it’s disappointing when places only stock a chocolate powder with milk in it. I had an oat flat white which is always a great way to test the coffee and I can confirm that it was perfect. They also sell coffee beans by the bag if you want some Espresso Lab blend for home.

The lunch options are labelled vegan on the chalkboards, there was a choice of greek pies or soup of the day. The pie options were olive, tomato and pepper, or herby leek - we had one of each and they came with side salads. The flavours were great, very rich and Mediterranean, it was nice to have something a bit different to the usual offerings.

They did have one vegan cake which was an apple and almond one, it was on the crumbly side as it was also gluten free but tasted lovely. I’ve had a brownie from here since, and that was nice and sticky. I would absolutely love to see vegan cannoli - we had at Purezza in Manchester and wish there was somewhere that sold them locally!

If you’re looking for something to do on a Thursday evening, Dundee Espresso Lab has been opening from 6-8pm for a craft club. It’s fab to have more options for week night hang outs, especially for a creative get-together. 

Find Dundee Espresso Lab at 31 Commercial Street, DD1 3DG
https://www.dundeeespressolab.co.uk/
@dundeeespressolab 

Sweetpea Cafe

Sweetpea Cafe

Wednesday, 22 May 2019

While Falda was on holiday I visited Sweetpea Cafe in Broughty Ferry for lunch with my (newly vegan) friend Sam Baxter Art as guest blogger. There wasn't a menu as everything is on display in the counter but it's clearly labelled and there was a lot to choose from! 

Choice:	★★★★★		Staff Knowledge:	★★★★★
Value for Money:	★★★★★		Overall:	★★★★★

We decided to share a couple of things as they all looked so good. There was a jackfruit sweet potato wrap, and spiced roast vegetable tart. Both were served with beautiful, colourful salads topped with flowers, the wrap with crisps and the tart with vegan coleslaw which is always a bonus! They were delicious, enough of a treat to be comfort food but still felt healthy.

Sam had a Teapigs berry tea and I had an oat milk latte with chai syrup. There was also soya and coconut milk to choose from for hot drinks. Sweetpea Cafe offer a lot of vegan sweet options too, we had a pineapple crumble cakey thing which was very tasty. They also had ginger tiffin, scones, and a chocolatey nut thing.

Hopefully we can visit again soon since the menu changes all the time (we spotted vegan sausage rolls on the Sweetpea Cafe Instagram) and Falda doesn't want to miss out!

327A Brook Street, Broughty Ferry, DD5 2DS

08.30-17.00 Mon - Fri | 09:00-17:00 Sat | Closed Sun
https://www.facebook.com/Sweetpeacafebroughtyferry/

Menu Key:	Vegan options labelled + ask staff
Suitable for Little Vegans:	Yes but no baby changing
Dog Friendly:	Yes
Accessibility:	All ground floor but not a huge amount of room around tables.
Top Tip:	Ask staff for vegan cake options!

The Braes

The Braes

Wednesday, 22 August 2018

We were so excited to see a new vegan section on The Braes menu and couldn’t wait to try it out for ourselves.  It’s full of comfort food dishes which is exactly what we needed on a drizzly day. This was our first time out in more than a year without a baby so we could really sit back and enjoy a girly chat over delicious food.

Choice:	★★★★★		Staff Knowledge:	★★★★★
Value for Money:	★★★★☆		Overall:	★★★★☆

We decided to order two dishes and share them; we went for the Butternut-squash Mac and Cheese and the chilli cheese fries.  We both enjoyed an iced lemonade while we waited for our food to arrive, it was quite quiet so we managed to get a comfy seat by the window.  The Mac and Cheese arrived first so we dug in, it was super tasty and filling, it came with a side salad but we both agreed that it would be served better with their skinny fries.   The Chilli Cheese Fries were massive and super tasty, with big lumps of sweet potato which were delicious and LOADS of cheese.

Although it was quite a big lunch we decided to try the Vegan Chocolate Orange Torte after the staff recommended it.  It did not disappoint. We were expecting a cold dessert but it was hot and gooey and super delicious. It was quite a big slice so we’re glad we had just gone for one to share.

The Braes is a fantastic place to grab some comfort food and a drink, there are high chairs too, so you can bring the whole family for a pub lunch. However, at almost £9 for the Mac and Cheese it would be great to see a bigger portion and maybe a more filling side.  It’s great to see so many vegan options and we can’t wait to try even more of them.

14/18 Perth Road, Dundee, DD1 4LN

Mon-Thurs 10am-12am | Fri-Satu  10am-1am | Sun 11am-12am

Menu Key:	Vegan section on main menu
Suitable for Little Vegans:	Yes
Dog Friendly:	Yes
Accessibility:	Ground floor access with disabled toilet but downstairs not accessible
Top Tip:	Get a loyalty card for 10% in points to spend next time