Good Life Wholefood Restaurant

I first came here in the 1980s and 1990s, and it's great that it's still going! I was here at the weekend with a relative and although the menu board didn't specify what was vegan there was a good range of options, including 3 of the 6 desserts. I chose a fab pecan pie (sweet), and a savoury ragu.

Several vegan options, but probably not as many as you'd expect from an all-vegetarian restaurant. The food, while much of it is not prepared on the spot but rather reheated in a microwave, was fairly good. The soup (vegetable) was especially nice (and was not microwaved, I think), while the ratatouille and side salads were good too (these were all vegan). There were several vegan desserts, which looked good, but we didn't have any. The portion sizes are a bit small, so that the prices are moderate. The food is ordered and received at a counter with many salads to choose as accompaniments, and we didn't have to wait long. The restaurant itself is cozy, which is nice, but also means it could become fairly crowded. It's in a really nice location, down a small alley with old and interesting buildings. Updated from previous review on Monday September 02, 2013

Having visited the Good Life several times for coffee and cakes, I finally made it there for a lunch. Worth the wait not disappointed! A lovely spicy veggie dish with a side of lentil salad (all vegan) while my partner had a goats cheese lasagne. Portions not large, I must say... but they left room for delicious and positively wicked puds!

I was very close to giving this venue the lowest score I have given to a restaurant or cafe so far at only two happy cows, but in the end I went for three. If I could have given two and a half I would! The main reason why I was so disappointed was the real lack of vegan options (only 1 hot dish was vegan) and the small size of the portion for the price. I also had to wait over 15 minutes at a counter to be served food which was heated in a microwave. Although the food was quite nice (I had ratatouille with side salads) I was still left hungry. Most things on the menu seemed to be drenched in animal milk cheese, and even the nut roast was non-vegan! The saving grace for this review was the vegan desserts available; out of a choice of two desserts, I had a great fruit crumble with Swedish Glace vegan ice cream which was very nice. Whilst I appreciate that this is the only veggie restaurant in a small town, it would have been nice if they had made more of an effort, especially for vegans but also in the value and quality of food served.

The Good Life is to be found in one of Shrewsbury's historic alleys. I often pop in for lunch and there's always a warm friendly welcome from the staff. All food is freshly prepared which includes quiches, lasgne, chilli, baked potatos accompanied with your choice of homemade salads and there's usually a pot of steaming homemade soup bubbling away, delicious!! There are vegan options available to, which the staff are happy to show you. The puddings are are to die for especially the lemon pie!! I had the roasted vegetable and goats cheese quiche with salad, you get a good portion and reasonably priced, you can't go wrong. If in Shrewsbury stop by you won't be disappointed.