Journal of a Jetsetter

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Vegan in London

Eating a plant based diet in London is both easy and fun thanks to the many fantastic options out there. Michelin star menus, afternoon teas, pop-up events, food markets and now so many chain restaurants have jumped on board and are supporting plant-based diets.

Here is a list of vegan options in London. I’ll add to this list as I continue on my adventures to try all of the tastiest vegan foods that London has to offer.

Wulf & Lamb

Sloane Square

Tucked away in a cute little mews behind Sloane Street is one of London’s best new plant-based restaurants. Labelling their dishes as “fiercely kind food”, Wulf & Lamb offers up indulgent plant-based comfort food in a light and airy setting with hands down, the best vegan mac & cheese I’ve ever had. Avoiding labelling themselves with the V word, this is a cool space with even cooler food that your most carnivorous of animal eating friends will also love. They don’t take bookings and it was packed out on a Friday night with a great vibe. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as take aways. And just to add the vegan icing to the vegan cupcake, Ruby’s of London are keeping the counter stocked with their famous sweet treats including a triple chocolate cupcake and rose pistachio doughnuts...yum!

Farmacy 

Westbourne Grove

Doors surrounded in growing leaves, Farmacy has a West London meets Bali feel about it, filled with green plants and insta-worthy wooden furnishings. Farmacy boasts ‘clean indulgence’ with plenty of naughty sounding options that are actually super-healthy. Free from dairy, refined sugars, meat, additives and chemicals, the food at Farmacy is instead packed full of taste. Without wanting to exaggerate, the waffles were hands-down the best I’ve ever hand. The only difficulty here is getting a table, make sure to book ahead.

FED by Water

Dalston

An Italian and fully-vegan concept restaurant in the heart of Dalston. Serving 100% plant-based Italian cuisine with the objective to bring the nutritional importance of pure water to public conscience. Also serving the most delicious vegan carbonara I have tasted and while a little hot for me, the diavola king crowned it the tastiest vegan diavola pizza. And the chocolate mousse, oh my! They have recently moved to a new location across the road from where they were and have plans to expand which is good because the world needs more FED by Water.

Tell Your Friends

Parsons Green

A fully vegan restaurant by the Made in Chelsea sisters Lucy & Tiffany Watson was always going to be an Instagram dream. Pink neon lights, potted plants and a terrace for enjoying their cocktails and cold pressed juices. The menu is full of vegan versions of classic dishes; pancakes, chicken bites, burgers, fish & chips. This is one to make non-vegans realise how delicious it is to be vegan.

The Vurger Co

Shoreditch

After successful crowd funding campaign, The Vurger Co arrived with a permanent location just off Brick Lane earlier this year, serving some of the most delicious burgers in London made from 100% vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains and legumes. Team up your burger with skin on fries, sweet potato fries or the irresistible mac n cheese. Turn your burger into a bowl to have it as a salad bowl. And to wash it down, try saying no to their double chocolate cookie, strawberry, banana caramel or shake, or the special edition Oreo shake. 

Redemption Bar

Shoreditch & Notting Hill

Free from dairy, sugar, wheat and alcohol, Redemption Bar feels like a healthy-eating restaurant and bar built for social media. Everything about Redemption Bar is beautiful, from the angel wings mural outside to the breakfast bowls covered in flowers. Brunch, lunch and dinner, the menus are delicious and the options endless. 

Lele’s

Clapton

A cute little cafe in Clapton, going 100% vegan from December 1st. They are passionate about their coffee and for good reason. I discovered them at a vegan food market where they sell their delicious cakes, but going along to their cafe for brunch, I discovered the most delicious vegan sausage and the best vegan brunch I have had (so far!). They only have a small seating space with the food cooked up behind the counter but it is well worth the visit. On Sunday’s they have a vegan afternoon tea and in the evenings they have an aperitif bar serving vegan wines & beers so there are many reasons to head over to Clapton.

Paradise Unbakery

Kensal Rise

In the heart of Kensal Rise, the beautiful and super Instagrammable Paradise Unbakery serves all vegan cooked and raw food with a range of raw cakes and treats. The breakfast menu is a vegan dream with a vegan English breakfast, pancakes, omelette, bagel, porridge and smoothie bowls. Plus an all day menu featuring the likes of a lasagne, mac no cheese, buddha bowls, pizza and moussaka. 

Young Vegans

Camden Town

Vegan pie & mash? Say no more.
A cute little pie shop at the back of Camden market. The concept is simple, four pies to choose from: Seitan & Ale, All Day Breakfast, Curry Pie (gluten free) and my personal favourite, the sweet potato pie (also gf and it has a red wine sauce). Add mash, gravy and crispy onions..delicious. They have a meal deal so you can combine your pie with either their peanut butter & chocolate mud pie or dark chocolate mud pie topped with sea salt & pretzels. 

Deliciously Ella Deli’s

Bond Street, Marble Arch, Herne Hill

Deliciously Ella has taken the plant-based world by storm and along with her cookbooks, she’s made plant based foods cool. If cooking isn’t for you, she has now opened up three delis in London, along with launching a range of products. My first experience with Ella was at one of her supper club events at her Herne Hill deli where a plant-based feast was served in a cosy, intimate atmosphere. Her deli’s are conveniently located to pop-in, and I’ve since popped back in for lunch, dinner and just for cake. I was lucky to be invited to her recent Christmas menu launch where along with changing my opinion of nut roast, she has prepared some delicious mince pies, getting me well into the Christmas spirit back in early November, well done Ella!

Black Cat

Clapton

Clapton’s Black Cat cafe runs as a not-for-profit workers’ co-operative. The menu is simple but it is spot on for plant based food that’s also healthy. Weekend brunch here is delicious. The cafe is as you would expect, mismatched tables and chairs, it’s got a great vibe and the staff are really friendly.

Broadway Vegan Market

London Fields

Where to find me on a Saturday in London? Broadway vegan market! Being plant based can often be frustrating filtering through to find the one sad looking vegan option. But Broadway Vegan Market, does for plant eaters what Broadway Market does for meat eaters. It’s a celebration of some of the best vegan options in London and is a great opportunity for start-ups to reach their audience. There are some regulars, but others change every week and walking round finding out about different businesses is almost the best part. Except The Big V are always here and their Big V cheeseburger (without the pickles, eugh) is just pure heaven in a vegan bun. When the weather is better there is live music and sitting in the sun with a vegan beer and a vegan burger to some chilled out tunes is what Saturday’s are all about.

Vida Bakery

Brick Lane

Creating the most beautiful cakes and cupcakes there ever were, Vida Bakery have just opened up their very own, equally as stunning bakery on Brick Lane that also serves soft ice! All vegan, all gluten free, all utterly delicious!

Manna

Primrose Hill

A gourmet vegan restaurant now celebrating it’s 50th year tucked away in Primrose Hill. Over the years Manna has built up a reputation as a leading vegetarian restaurant with worldwide fame. They have a great menu that seems to have a little bit of everything from everywhere, the leek and almond tart is sublime. They also have a special Sunday roast, but I found their nut roast to be too dry and dense and not up to the standard of the rest of their menu.

Mildred’s

Soho, Camden Town, Kings Cross, Dalston

Mildred’s has been catering to vegetarians and vegans for more than a quarter of a century, now making it a bit of an institution in the veggie world. Starting life in a small cafe in Soho they now have four branches across London and with their no bookings policy, always have a lively queue of people desperate to fill their tummies with their inventive menu. The menu takes inspiration mainly from Asian & Middle Eastern dishes with curries and stir fries, but you can also expect a burrito and a burger. They serve a wide brunch menu and it all tasted so good.

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Picadilly/Green Park

The most British of experiences in the most traditional of settings. Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon should be at the top of everyones foodie visit to London. As traditional now as it probable was 300 years ago and more varieties of tea than it’s possible to imagine. I was so happy to find out that they serve a fully vegan menu along with vegetarian and gluten free menus. Finger sandwiches, soft, warm scones with dairy free spread and preserves, quite the selection of sweet treats plus my absolute favourite, the salted caramel chocolate cup. This is a must-do for every vegan in London.

Lyle’s

Shoreditch

There has been such a song and dance about Michelin starred Lyle’s creating a buzz in London’s restaurant scene. They serve a set menu every night based on the freshest ingredients. And they get an extra 5 stars for serving a vegan set menu too. The setting is white, woody, Scandi-style cool, only out-cooled by the staff and guests alike. This isn’t your traditional Michelin experience. Dinner here is a long, leisurely affair, they don’t turn tables so you can spend as you like to enjoy the experience. The food was good, it was definitely fresh, but the vegan menu at least seemed to lack a little compared to expectations from the hype. One course was broccoli, really good broccoli, but still just broccoli. The main course consisted of two small pieces of pumpkin adorned with various nuts and leafs. It’s super cool that they are catering to plant-based diets, but could be fluffed out a little to compare to other parallel menus. It’s very reasonably priced for what it is though and the menu is always changing so still worth checking out.

Andina

Shoreditch

Andina has taken Shoreditch by storm serving up healthy Peruvian-inspired street food in it’s hyper-fashionable setting. And yep, they have a vegan menu! They serve up dishes that are far more exciting than what you will find in some of the more ‘mainstream’ places, using ancient Peruvian superfoods from quinoa to Incan peanuts and their braised aubergine dish is absolutely delicious. 

Kobo

Angel

Any place with oat milk on their board is a winner in my book. But Kobo puts this oat milk to good use serving the most delicious oat matcha latte I’ve had to date! On top of that, they have some of the most delicious vegan cakes on offer, vegan breakfast pots and vegan options for lunch. Upstairs is a really cosy spot for catching up with friends or catching up with work. This is a great little spot in the heart of Angel.

Wahaca

Various locations

Wahaca is always a good idea. The vibe, the food, the drinks, they’ve got it just as you would want from a Mexican street food restaurant. They have a separate vegan menu which is full of so many great options that plant-based eaters face that unfamiliar issue of having to decide. Always kick things off with guacamole & tortilla chips, then I went for the tacos, the sweet potato burrito and a side of rice n’ beans, not realising that the burrito itself was big enough to feed a small family!

Foxlow

Farringdon

Foxlow is the sister restaurant to London’s famous Hawksmoor steak restaurant, taking its inspiration from a more relaxed neighbourhood restaurant. They always have vegan options on their menu, but they jumped well and truly on board with World Vegan Month in November by offering a complete vegan menu. Roasted acorn squash pie, aubergine ‘steak’, spice-roasted cauliflower, such a great menu, it will be a shame to see it disappear.

The Garden Gate

Hampstead Heath Village

The Garden Gate next to Hampstead Heath has a vegan option on the menu every day. This includes a vegan roast on Sundays. They have one of the best beer gardens in London which is sprinkled with fairy lights when the sun sets. Vegan beer is available and the Sunday roast was great.