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Vegan
Fast food
Delivery
Take-out
Asian
British
Fusion
Breakfast
Café offering dumplings with regular special flavours, chips, hash browns, and other specials. Open Mon-Fri 10:30-18:00, Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 11:00-17:00.
33 Reviews
First Review by adventureaardvark
Charlie.Smith97
Points +2
Vegan dumpling place - Edit
Cool location at the top floor, and well priced, would recommend giving it a go!
Read moreGuest
JILES
Points +271
Lovely dumplings - Edit
Great tasting deep fried dumplings. There's not much more to say besides give them a go!
Read moreI especially liked the mock duck and cheezburger
Guest
harveyrj
Points +553
Desert not Dessert - Edit
Nestled in the quirky Afflecks Independent Shopping Emporium, Desert Island Dumplings is a delightful culinary find. We sampled a mix of salt and pepper chicken, hoisin duck, and cheeseburger dumplings, and each one was a flavor-packed delight. The salt and pepper chicken dumplings had a perfect balance of spice and crunch, the hoisin duck was rich and savory, and the cheeseburger dumplings were a fun and tasty twist.
Read moreThe venue itself adds to the experience, with its unique and eclectic atmosphere that fits right in with the vibrant Afflecks.
Pros: Fully vegan, Plenty of options for a mix of dumplings
Guest
MEC70
Points +142
Excellent hidden gem at the top of Afleck’s palace - Edit
Brilliant restaurant and take away. I had the selection of 3 savoury dumplings with a side order of small salt and pepper chips, unusually with roasted red pepper instead of the usual chilli pepper, which was lovely. The dumplings were yummy and they gave me a free one as one of the options I chose was not available. The portion of chips was plenty of one, I could not manage them all. The mug of tea was good too. The place was very busy, obviously very well known. Dumplings were freshly made, so it takes a while, but is worth the wait. Great place to people watch as they wander around Afleck’s.
Read morePros: Delicious dumplings, Vegan, Nice chips
Cons: I did not realise you could order dips
Guest
Seanroy
Points +320
Love the Dumplings - Edit
Awesome food, loved the cheeseburger dumplings
Read moreGuest
deadpledge
Points +12945
Lil' parcels of paradise - Edit
After climbing 3 flights of stairs, we finally reached the promised land of Desert Island Dumplings, where we indulged in some Lil' parcels of paradise.
Read moreWe got the 6 for £9 offer, sharing a mix of ramen, salt & pepper chikn and shawarma kebab dumplings, which were superb.
We also ordered some salt & pepper hashbrowns and chips, which were delicious too. Chocolate oat milk was nice too.
Staff are super friendly and the food is great value for money. Only con is accessibility.
Pros: Great food, Inexpensive , Staff
Cons: Accessibility
VictoriaBarr
There's a lift, if you just go in the back/side door and ask they will point you to it.... don't walk so far ...it's totally accessible once youre uo the front steps which they will put a ramp on for you if you ask...😊
Read moredeadpledge
Well I never! Got to burn off some calories 😂
Read moreGuest
JohnGroot
Points +821
Dumpkings! - Edit
Super lekker gegeten hier. We hadden een combinatie van dumplings. Allemaal super smaakvol!
Read moreGuest
guardianoftheplanet
Points +180
Yummy! - Edit
Really delicious food with a fun take on dumplings. You can tell a lot of effort has gone into every flavour. As a side I’d really recommend the kale!
Read morePros: Delicious, Great value for money, Lovely staff
Guest
aheeley01
Points +470
Already want to go back! - Edit
We ordered the sharer box between two( 8 dumplings, 2 sides and assorted dips).
Read moreHonestly the food was so good, I already want to return!
Put this on your list of places to visit.
Pros: Fully vegan , Friendly staff
Guest
Losori
Points +67
Really good food - Edit
I had the hoisin duck dumplings with salt and pepper chips, and it was all delicious. Even the kale which came with the dumplings were excellent! Perfect salty hot goodness for a rainy manchester day.
Read morePros: All vegan, Nut free, Good vibes
Guest
jennyc32
Points +4027
Really fun dumplings - Edit
This is a really fun and friendly little place with some exciting dumpling fillings. I can't get anything like this where I live, so it had a real novelty to it. We got a plate of nine fried dumplings with three different fillings: cheeseburger, salt and pepper chicken, and cauliflower cheese. The chicken was really well seasoned and had a good texture. The cheeseburger had a lot of flavour and was really enjoyable. The cauliflower cheese (one of the weekly specials) maybe could have done with a bit more sauce and flavour, but it was still pleasant. We also shared some cheesy garlic chips, which did not skimp on either cheese or garlic, so I was very happy!
Read moreService was excellent, the owner was really friendly and helpful.
Note that it's on the third floor, so accessibility may be an issue.
Guest
MaggieSychta
Points +202
Dangerously addictive dumplings. - Edit
I popped in to Desert Island Dumplings for a quick post-haircut snack. I've been hearing a lot of great stuff about this place, and let me tell you: all of it is true. I had three dumplings (salt & pepper chickn, cheezburger and shawarma), but I could have easily devoured thirty, they were simply AMAZING. Had a lovely chat with the person working there, too - they were super friendly. From now on, I'll be looking for every possible excuse to swing by and treat myself to some little parcels of deliciousness at Desert Island Dumplings 😍🤤
Read morePros: Delicious food, Friendly service, Reasonable prices
Guest
Jastilus
Points +359
Desert Island Dumplings - Edit
Taste great, and good value too. I love how they have specials, so there's something new every time. Plus 100% vegan!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-03-12
Pros: All vegan, Diverse menu
Guest
SlickVik
Points +329
Dumpling roulette - Edit
A selection of 8 dumplings for £10 - we had half steamed and half fried. Flavours were cheeseburger, hoisin duck, schwarma kebab and chicken (either Kiev or salt and pepper, not sure). All were very tasty, the duck and kebab were my favourite, and fried over steamed but they were all good. Friendly service in an interesting setting
Read moreGuest
ChesterLeBone
Points +308
Tasty bites - Edit
Opted for a pot luck of 8 dumplings, a mix of fried and steamed. All were tasty.
Read moreMenu includes noodles and sweet dumplings too.
The space is tucked away on the 3rd floor of Aflecks but worth climbing the stairs.
Pros: Good food, No fuss
Guest
lh0p98
Points +500
Yummy!! - Edit
The fillings are so good and the dumplings are filled full. Get a mix of steamed and fried. dumplings. Noodles are great too if you can get them
Read moreGuest
LezTravelVegan
Points +462
Drunken udon - Edit
Went for steam dumplings but the steamer wasn't working
Read morePros: Decor, Crispy kale
Cons: Steamer not working , Bit more expensive for going solo
Guest
bonbonbiscuits
Points +16
Banging!! - Edit
Incredible range of flavours, fun decor and friendly staff - what more could you ask for?
Read moreYes, it's fried food. No, it's no more oily than you'd expect from a deep fat frier.
Their Xmas menu is unrivalled. Salt and pepper brussels sprouts are enough to turn the biggest sprout hater 😁
Guest
Happy_Bart
Points +3298
Great dumplings however... - Edit
I really liked the flavour of all of the fillings , but made a mistake of going for the fried version instead of the steamed one which made it really oily & super heavy. Plus we had some deep fried kale which was also too oily to the point of being inedible - I think a roasted version would have been a lot better.
Read moreAlso the sweet dumplings were delicious but again go for the steamed version if you can. I think there should be a defibrillator on site just in case 😅
Lady who runs the piece (Lucy) super friendly and welcoming.
Guest
LawrenceArnold
Points +104
THIRD FLOOR! - Edit
Wasn't sure where it was but go up up up and you're there. Worth the climb
Read moreGuest
Jack.of.all.Fruit
Points +151
Dumpling Heaven - Edit
Dumplings with loads of goodies in box, along with cupcakes, can it get more perfect?
Read morePros: Dumplings, Cupcakes, Atmosphere
Guest
LauraHelsby
Points +296
Best dumplings around - Edit
Amazing tasting food, brilliant fusion dumolings, wonderful selection of food options and the most lovely staff you'll ever meet
Read morePros: Great flavours, Incredible staff, Good prices !
Guest
askaweis
Points +141
So tasty! - Edit
The chikn salt and pepper dumplings were amazing!! Very sweet staff.
Read moreGuest
Fattyted
Points +3759
Epic hangover food! - Edit
I had the worst hangover on Saturday but eating at the amazing Desert Island Dumplings definitely made me feel TONS better!
Read moreDesert Island Dumplings is housed within the legendary Affleck's Palace in Manchster, and is well worth a visit, highly recommend!
We shared a Hungry Heart Big Boy Combo Box, which contains 4 dumplings each (we had the hoisin mock duck dumplings and the salt & pepper chikn flavour dumplings) 2 sides and 2 drinks. Chips & vegan gravy – yum yum yum!!!
Pros: 100% vegan, Fun friendly vibe
Guest
LisaSpykers
Points +7473
A unique dumpling experience! - Edit
I really like that the fillings are completely different from your regular dumpling offerings. We got the cheeseburger ones which were super tasty. The menu is full of deep-fried delights. A little on the pricey side for the size, but definitely worth a visit.
Read moreGuest
LoVe20
Points +1581
Worth the trek to the third floor! - Edit
So good!
Read moreVisited here for my boyfriend's birthday (very kindly letting me choose the venue ha!)
We chose the 'Come Together' Combo box in which you get 8 dumplings, salt and pepper chips plus salt and pepper hash browns!
You get to choose the dumpling fillings so asked for 2 of each from the menu. We somehow got 12 dumplings instead of 8 but I wasn't complaining! Some of the flavours weren't too strong and it was occasionally difficult to determine which was which, but the Hoisin Duck and the Cheeseburger ones were incredible! Next time I will definitely get these ones! Looking forward to trying some of the other menu items too!
They also do breakfasts which is interesting! They have a nice little setting with board games to play and you can also graffiti some of the tables if you so wish!
Guest
Nattyy
Points +2719
Kaletastic 😍 - Edit
We got the Hungry Heart, definitely enough for 2, well worth £24. Poutine chips were amazing and the Kale was really good, could eat a full tray of that !
Read moreThe dumplings were really fresh and really tasty.
Staff were lovely and very helpful. We will visit again. And defo recommend for Vegans and none vegans.
Pros: Big size drink, (chocolate milk) value for money
Guest
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