New to the Island, new to LoveIOM

Vibey. Vibrant. Vegan.

VIBE, the plant based urban oasis café, is one of a kind for our Manx shores. When we learned a cutesy, insta-worthy, all plant-based café was setting up shop in Douglas and becoming the newest member of the LoveIOM Merchant family, we naturally had to try it out!

Found on Ridgeway Street, just across the road from the bottom of Prospect Hill and round the corner from the Quay, VIBE is ideally placed for Douglas workers to visit for a delicious workday lunch treat. On the right hand side as you walk to the quay, VIBE stands out with its on-trend, pink, rustic and plant filled shop front, with ‘VIBE’ spelled out across the windows and an adorable bike parked out front. Even looking in, you know it’s going to have an excellent atmosphere.

On stepping in, the thing that caught our eye was the amazing tiled flooring. Giving us all the Mediterranean vibes, the colourful patterned tiles made us forget we were even on the Island, let alone on a lunch break on a random Tuesday.

We sat at a table in the centre of the café floor, on rattan style seating with the coolest, print cushions that were super comfy, to the point we could have sat and worked there all afternoon. There was also booth-like seating along the left hand side, and smaller tables on the right, as well as bench seating in the window, if, like us, you love to people watch!

After discussing the amazing lighting (dozens and dozens of light bulbs hanging down in wicker lampshades covering the entire ceiling), the zillions of plants and the abundance of cookbooks all around the room, we got down to the important business of studying the menu. And WOW.

After discussing the amazing lighting (dozens and dozens of light bulbs hanging down in wicker lampshades covering the entire ceiling), the zillions of plants and the abundance of cookbooks all around the room, we got down to the important business of studying the menu. And WOW.

Now, when we say impeccable, we mean impeccable. It’s been a long time since we had a good Buddha Bowl style lunch and this really hit the spot. The Tofu, which can often be hit and miss (at least when we cook it at home… maybe that’s more a reflection on us) was soft and full of flavour; the “housemade” kimchi was mouth-wateringly good; the rice was soft and fluffy; and the veggies were crunchy and fresh. With the sweet miso sauce drizzled over, every single mouthful was heavenly.

The carrot lox bagel was truly noteworthy too; on a Noa Bakehouse Bagel, this dish is like the vegan version of smoked salmon, and you almost wouldn’t know the difference. The cream ‘cheeze’ was made of cashews and was layered with cucumbers, whilst smoky marinated carrot made the salmon-like substance on top. An absolute delight of a bagel.

If you were to hang around after lunch, there’s a great range of cakes and other sweet treats to tempt, all vegan and some gluten free but everything scrumptious. If you were to pop in for just a drink, you’d have a wide range of smoothies to pick from, each with their own benefits, from de-stress to detox. Nearly twenty “functional” (AKA healthy) teas and the usual selection of coffees with three alternative ‘mylks’ to choose from, as well as superfood lattes and CBD fizzy drinks, popping in for a drink is more of an occasion at VIBE than elsewhere. To top it off, we were in and out with plenty of time on our lunch hour, and we paid with LoveIOM! What more could you possibly want?

By paying with a LoveIOM Gift Card, you are supporting Manx hospitality and food & drink businesses. A LoveIOM Gift Card is not subject to transaction fees for the merchant so every penny spent goes to them – it truly is the easiest way to support local businesses.

Buy a LoveIOM Gift Card today, for yourself, or a loved one, in digital or in physical form here – https://loveiom.com/buy-a-card and go out and support local!