The Egg Vegetarian Cafe — Restaurant in Liverpool

Been coming back to the Egg again and again for 15 years now, I was only a veggie for 3, the only truly bohemian place in the city, a little awkward to get to, no good for wheelchair users or anybody with a pram, or a big bag, lots of stairs, small door. but once you get inside it's spacious, there's real art on the walls (for sale, changing monthly) and the walls themselves are painted with a mural that I remember a lovely young lady painting years ago over a summer, maybe two, it starts on the ground floor and winds its way up if you follow the vines.

It's a vegetarian and vegan cafe, so set your expectations for that and you'll find some of the fullest plates of healthy, hearty food in Liverpool, (protip for the very hungry: order the bean burger and ask for no leafy salad, just pasta and couscous, they will still fill the plate, that's a lot of filling food!)

There are some sides that double as snacks, cheese on toast is always a winner, or the hummus. A large pot of tea lasts for ages and they have a good selection if you are in to fruity or flowery teas, I just like breakfast or earl grey, which are both as good here as anywhere else that uses twinings tea and Liverpool's bottle quality tap water (we get it from North Wales here, companies have tried to bottle it and sell it, ended up somewhere else with a more pliable council)

Desserts: fresh cakes and tray bakes, vegans come back again and again for the choice, the chocolate crunch is my favourite, dark chocolate and golden syrup mixed with chunks of digestive biscuit and left to set. simple but doesn't half go with a cup of tea, I'm reliability told it's a vegan wonder that should be everywhere but isn't.

(another protip: they don't sell alcohol but you can take your own and pay corkage of 50p, there's a bargain booze within 5 minutes walk, you can easily have one of the best cheap nights out starting here for dinner and a bottle of wine or 6 then wandering through to bold Street and the Rope walks area where bars abound)

Lastly the atmosphere, It's one of the best places I know, I bring visiting friends and family here to take a breather from tourist mayhem. I come with my laptop to get some work done in the day sometimes, as long as there aren't people who can't sit who want to eat, they don't mind if you are just drinking tea for hours. of an evening it's a bit more lively, you can share one of the long tables and chat with new friends, get a table by a window and enjoy the strange but interesting view of the railway station back and the building tops or sit upstairs and just people-watch the crowd downstairs, they seem to stay open until it's gone quiet, I've been here at 11:30 but I've come at 10 and found it closed, part of the way it keeps going I suppose. Sometimes there's poetry or open mic in the evening but I'm not sure when any more, used to be a Monday but don't quote me on that.

To gist it, it's not fancy, but it's homely, friendly and welcoming, so long as you embrace what it is, you'll realise why 15 years after a "cool older girl" showed me where it was, I still love it here. A...

Few years ago I was visiting liverpool. Nearly 20 years old, female me walked into the egg cafe ALONE. there was no other customers, was early on as i had ordered breakfast when i walked up to the till. I placed my order and went to sit back down near the window. (I either paid then or after a diff man delivered my food to the table).

A male who works there dressed in a black top "age late 30s-40" walked over with my food. Before he placed my food he stood over me staring out the window for a minute. Until i looked up and said is that my food politely. He was dazed and said oh yes sorry and made up a story about some rude women the other day.

He started to ask me all sorts of personal questions such as "are you visiting alone" "do you workout" "what hotel are you staying at" "what are you doing after this" then telling me how nice my body looked and he can tell i walk/run/get some type of excersize.

All while my food was going cold. I played along terrified and make short replies acting dumb.

I either asked the owner or him about work and one of them said they would get the female waitress to talk to me as she was also from belfast, but the 30-40 year old male told me she was busy and he proceeded to talk rubbish anyway.

As soon as he walked away back to the kitchen i got on my phone shaking and pretended to ring someone and ran for my life down those wonky broken spirally steps. Especially after he mentioned about finishing work early/meeting up with me when i gave him no sign i wanted to. I gave him short awkward replies, clearly uncomfortable.

Why was an old man talking about my body, looking me up and down, asking where i stayed, am i visiting alone etc. Easy, he was preying on a young female who was by herself in a new city. Yet i guarentee the owner will make up an excuse for the creep. He had black curly hair tied up, facial hair and maybe tattoos. This is part of the reason females don't go out alone if they can help it.

Stay away from this place, very strange man works there. To top it off i paid for food and didn't get a bite. Just got harrassed...

I visited at lunchtime as I hadn't been able to eat at home. I was surprised by how much I felt that I had missed this venue when I walked in. Used to ordering from the counter I was taken aback to find myself directed to a table and informed that someone would take my order shortly. This gave the space a much different vibe which I find to be fitting for the space. A glass of water was brought to my table along with the menu and I was told someone will be back shortly to take my order. I was already feeling very welcome once again. I opted for three courses which is anything off the menu, the value of your main and add six pound to it. It makes for a very simple pricing structure. I had curried parsnip soup for starter, sausage and mushroom pie with lots of salad for main and banana cake for dessert. Each course was the perfect size and I was left requiring only a snack for my dinner that evening. The soup came with garlic bread and was perfectly spiced. The pie contained, mushroom, carrot, cauliflower and a tasty gravy. The banana cake was tasty as always. My one criticism is that the cakes have never changed in the many years that I have been eating there. Whilst the banana cake is very tasty, it is the only one they have which is vegan although there are lots of other great looking cakes that they sell.

Let's talk about money. It cost me £15.50 for a three course meal including a drink. The costs vary depending upon what you order but if you are going for three courses like I do, expect to pay between £13.50 and £16.00 pound which will obviously increase depending on when you view...