Food Review: Prickly Pear at The Golden Fleece

Anyone who has been fortunate enough to visit Prickly Pear on Mansfield Road since they opened in 2019 will know to expect an eclectic, vibrant and fresh plant-based menu. It’s no surprise that, owing to their popularity, the Prickly Pear team have branched out to a second location only a few doors down the street, having set up shop at the Golden Fleece. 

Having previously been occupied by 13th Element, the kitchen at the Golden Fleece appears to be prime real estate for vegan diners, and anything that the popular pub lost when 13th Element departed to their forever home on Castle Boulevard has been comprehensively replaced by a new menu packed full of cruelty-free comfort food. 

With nine solid main choices, including pub classics like burgers, tofish and chips and an all-day breakfast, as well as a tasty looking selection of sides, the menu looks to cater for both dedicated diners and drinkers who fancy a quick nibble over a sunny pint. I was firmly in the former category, and went for the ‘sham’ and pineapple. Having been a big gammon fan in my meat-eating days, it felt a treat to be enjoying a vegan version, fully equipped with chips, pineapple and a dippy egg sauce that more than rivalled the real thing. The food was fresh, reasonably priced and, most importantly, absolutely delicious. 

Chatting to Head Chef Linda after our meal, I was informed that the vegan Sunday roasts have proven enormously popular, and that booking was essential in order to avoid disappointment. I assured her that I’d be back, and it wasn’t just British politeness. There wasn’t a single dish on the menu that I didn’t want to try, from the seitan Caesar salad to the seasonal platter of roasted veg, chipotle hummus, toasted chickpeas, babaganoush, olives and pickles, it’s a vegan’s dream pub menu. Get yourself there immediately.

105 Mansfield Rd, Nottingham NG1 3FN
pricklypearcafe.co.uk