
Vegan-friendly
Ovo
Chinese
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Asian
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Chinese food restaurant. Offers a separate vegan menu wide various starters, mains, and sides. Sells a line of bottled sauces that are vegan suitable. Open Tue-Sun 17:00-22:00.
12 Reviews
First Review by Stevie
LittleAliceFell
Points +2326
Kept me alive during lockdown - Edit
Sweet Mandarin takeaways honestly kept me going during lockdown! I still order every time I’m in Manchester! Lovely staff and so careful with allergens. I have a severe gluten intolerance, yet always feel completely safe ordering from Sweet Mandarin! The GF/VE Salt n’ Pepper tofu is possible one of the tastiest things on the planet. Thank you guys!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-06-20
Pros: Lots of GF options, Lots of VE options, Excellent packaging - never and greasy leaks!
Kooz
Thanks for your great reviews. Being V + GF myself they are appreciated very much. What was the sauce with the collective dish photo please ? 🙌🏼
Read moreLittleAliceFell
Thank you, that’s so lovely of you to say ☺️ It was sweet chilli sauce
Read moreGuest
CharlieMills
Points +5398
Overpriced - Edit
The food was nice here but definitely nothing special. It was £12.95 for all the tofu dishes plus £4 for chips or £6 for noodles. I thought it was quite pricey for how nice the food was. The salt and pepper box was £16 and was tasty - wish I'd have got this instead actually.
Read moreGuest
Greenbe
Points +22
Love it here! - Edit
They have a separate vegan menu. They also have a separate gluten free menu and as a vegan coeliac this is very helpful, with a wide range of options including vegan, gf spring rolls - which are delicious (so much so my non gf boyfriend took the last one).
Read moreI went this week for the first time in a while. The staff were lovely, friendly and accomodating with my vegan/gluten free requets and the food was delicious! I always love the salt and pepper tofu (previously my family, who are not vegan, said that this was the best tofu they had ever tasted).
This time I had the spring rolls, salt & pepper tofu, jungle curry and salt & pepper chips - all really flavourful and tasty. Friends who I went with were very happy with their dishes. The staff knew that it was my birthday and they gave me a very thoughtful present, which was lovely. I'll have to make sure I don't leave it as long before I go again!
Pros: Delicious food!, Full vegan and gluten free menus., Friendly staff.
Guest
BenedictHodge
Points +20
Best Chinese since being vegan - Edit
Sweet Mandarin is a hidden gem.
Read moreThe staff were friendly and attentive from the get go and the fact that there’s an entirely separate vegan menu makes for an easy eating experience, not having to second guess or keep calling waiters over for extra information.
We had the hot and sticky tofu, chilli and ginger tofu, sweetcorn soup and vegan vermicelli.
Everything was fantastic, all the dishes were fresh and the portions were massive. Just the right amount of spice and sweetness and I didn’t feel like I was going to cry grease afterwards, like I used to when I ate Chinese takeaways with meat in.
Pricing’s great, seems expensive at first glance but two people could probably share a main and a vermicelli or rice and be full off £20.
Awesome place will definitely be back whenever we’re in Manchester.
Pros: A separate vegan menu, Friendly staff, Relaxed atmosphere
Guest
SL17
Points +96
Excellent vegan menu - Edit
The vegan menu is excellent, so many options. Wish I could have tried it all, I had salt and pepper tofu to start which was delicious, then tofu sweet and sour for main which was also delicious. Nicest tofu I’ve had from a Chinese restaurant! All at a reasonable price too. (2 x staters, 2x mains, a cocktail and a beer cost £50). Good portion sizes. The service was good, my partner got a birthday card at the end of the meal which was lovely. Good cocktail menu. Nice atmosphere inside.
Read morePros: Huge range of options for vegans , Good service, Tasty food
Guest
manic-organic
Points +246
Probably the best Chinese food I have ever had - Edit
"Wow" is all I can say about Sweet Mandarin. They have an entirely separate vegan menu with plenty of options. Probably the best and tastiest Chinese food I have ever had. No wonder it is award winning. Definitely worth a visit.
Read morePros: Separate vegan menu, Good range of options , Award winning food
Guest
DMZ8022
Points +17
not authentic at all - Edit
unfortunately the food here was mainly catered towards western tastes and when looking for an 'authentic' chinese experience we did not get one. riddled in the menu were dishes such as crispy beef, shredded spicy chicken and all of these items that you would be familiar finding on any 'chinese' takeaway menu. The vegetarian options were just as uninspiring unfortunately - bits of tofu in a bland, watery sauce with overcooked vegetables.
Read moreAlso - what is this with no chopsticks on the table? How can it be authentic when diners are provided with knives and forks? It just didn't seem right for a chinese restaurant.
With all that being said the staff were incredibly friendly and there was true service with a smile.
Pros: Really friendly staff, Location, Interior decor
Cons: Food - not really authentic chinese, very westerni, Food quite tasteless and disappointing, Veggie options generally poor
Guest
Amiressy
Points +290
meh - Edit
Not traditional at all. Very small portions for the price.
Read moreGuest
bamboonuts
Points +40
Warm welcome & lovely food - Edit
I ate here early evening on Saturday 25th October. The staff are extremely friendly and attentive. It was a joy to be served vegan Chinese food without any MSG or other additives and all from a separate vegan menu. I'll definitely be returning as I enjoyed every dish. The only minor changes I would make are to serve the food in small bowls instead of on small plates and to change the background music to traditional Chinese classical music.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Friendly and attentive staff, Good atmosphere
Cons: Background music needs changing, Serve meals in bowls not on plates
Guest
Travels_in_Reggie
Points +3630
Worth a try if in Manchester... - Edit
Visited Manchester and used Happy Cow to find a vegan friendly restaurant. A little walk from the main central area but easy enough to find.
Read moreSeparate vegan menu with some good choices available. I felt the prices were a little on the high side for the portion size/cost of ingredients used. Good knowledge on requirements for vegans. Own brand of bottled sauces being sold too which are also vegan.
Staff friendly if a little over attentive. Came back to clear the plates several times before we had even finished. Had the restaurant been busy I could perhaps understand the rush but we were the only two people eating. As such the atmosphere was flat, no music and we felt watched throughout. Decor is a little strange, we sat next to what looked like a couple of fence panels nailed together.
Not somewhere I'd rush to return to but I wouldn't rule it out altogether if in the area.
Pros: Separate vegan menu, Staff knowledgable
Cons: Fairly pricey for what you get, Flat atmosphere
Guest
hillbill
Points +178
Standard Chinese fayre and no bother for vegans... - Edit
Standard Chinese fayre in pleasant surroundings, a specific vegan menu most welcome and helpful staff takes the worry out of eating out (especially in a place that does meat too). Vegan food is all cooked separately.
Read moreFood was good and tasty but quite salty, portion size was not a problem (they were pretty generous on my visit).
Not particularly cheap but in keeping with restaurant (as opposed to cafe) prices.
I would visit again if in Manchester.....
Updated from previous review on Wednesday December 04, 2013
Pros: Vegan menu, Good portions, Tasty food
Cons: Meat served as well, Not the cheapest place to eat out...
Guest
Stevie
Points +11765
Sweet Mandarin, Manchester - Edit
I had dinner here tonight. There is a separate vegan menu with approx 7 - 8 starters and approx 20 main courses. The next thing that struck me about the menu is that its pricey. Main courses are around a tenner (extra for rice).
Read moreI ordered the tofu claypot with (non egg) fried and my friend ordered the mixed veg vermicelli. Both tasted fine. It was a smaller portion size than I expected based on what other Chinese restaurants in the UK serve up, especially the tofu claypot and the friend rice. Interestingly I don't feel the sort of almost marcotic hit that I usually get from eating in a Chinese restaurant in the UK. I suspect that is an indication of the non use of msg.
No issues with the decor although the (Western) music played wasn't to my taste personally. Service was polite and efficient.
I'd rate this place higher if it was all vego as the food was pretty tasty. There's better value for money in many of the other listings on happycow for Manchester.
Pros: Vegan friendly
Cons: Not 100% vego, On the pricey, Not the biggest portions
Guest
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