London’s culinary scene is catering to the meat and dairy-free masses with an amazing array of vegan restaurants; here are our favourites for Veganuary and beyond.
By Helen Brown, Abbie Schofield and Orlando Whitehead
The best vegan restaurants in London
Farmacy
Based in Notting Hill, Farmacy is one of the best vegan restaurants for those who fancy indulging in guilt-free vegan grub. Menus contain globally inspired food and support vegetarian, dairy free, and diets free from refined sugars, additives and chemicals.
Lost Boys Pizza
A pinch of vegetable charcoal is added to The Lost Boys’ vegan pizzas for a super cool-looking black base. Their vegan toppings include Not-so-rella (vegan cheese), vegan sausage and No Harm-e-san.
Daisy Green
Daisy Green Collection’s group of restaurants across central London are perfect for a plant-based bite. Recipes include Green Shakshouka, a twist on the Mediterranean breakfast dish with spicy tofu, cavolo nero, garden peas, spinach, courgette and cashew cream.
Patty&Bun
Burger joint Patty&Bun has plenty of vegan options for January. They’ve teamed up with meat-free geniuses ‘This’ to serve This Isn’t Chicken Nuggets, This Isn’t Bacon, and This Isn’t Chicken in their vegan dishes. On the menu is also a plant based version of their super popular cheeseburger and even vegan gelato!
Spice Box
Two years since its opening, Spice Box has cemented its reputation as a fantastic vegan destination. The menu is modern Indian with plenty of nods to the iconic British curry house, featuring classic dishes reimagined with a plant-based spin. There’s also plenty of sweet spice, including Biscoff and cardamom paratha, a warm and flaky paratha topped with coconut ice cream, Biscoff cardamom drizzle and a Biscoff crumb.
Mildreds
After 20 years in the foodie scene, Mildreds is definitely deserving of a place in London’s top vegan restaurants. Its fresh and colourful food takes inspiration from Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines. Mildreds uses organic ingredients where possible and endeavours to source small businesses for their supplies. There are four lively and atmospheric sites around London, each with its own unique style and personality.
The Vurger Co.
This plant-based burger company’s popularity has gone from strength to strength after opening a second branch at Canary Wharf. A string of collaborations with other esteemed establishments has lead to a variety of tongue tingling creations – some of which now feature on the permanent menu. Patties are aubergine and bean-based and are served with melting vegan cheese and a selection of house sauces.
Wild Food Cafe
Thriving amongst alternative enterprises since the 1970s in a secret courtyard of Covent Garden, Wild Food Cafe is a must for those on the hunt for delicious and nutritious plant-based dishes. With a playful approach and a communal vibe, Wild Food offers raw-centric food that is rooted in a colourful, global and eclectic edge. Flavours are inspired from all four corners of the world and are finished with a signature ‘wild’ twist. The recently-opened sister site in Islington also offers wood-fired pizzas, available on a gluten free base.
wildfoodcafe.com
Ethos Foods
This self-service vegetarian buffet lets you pay for food by weight. On any given day the menu might take influence from Japan, Southeast Asia, Italy, Korea, India, Mexico and Lebanon and ranges across breakfasts, light bites, canapés, hot and cold dishes. Be as restricted or indulgent as you like in building a bespoke plate.
ethosfoods.com
Redemption Bar
Redemption serves up delicious-yet-nutritious sugar-free, wheat-free vegan dishes and non-alcoholic cocktails. It was established three years ago as a pop-up and has since attracted a cult following and celebrity clientele. Redemption’s guilt-free cocktails are enough of a crowd-draw, but seeing as you’re there it would be rude not to go for a dessert or three. Highlights include sweet corn and red pepper pancakes and banoffee pie filled with sticky medal date sated caramel, bananas and coconut cream with a nutty chocolate base.
Temple of Seitan
Temple of Seitan has been inundated with a horde of hungry vegans since it opened in 2018. Billed the world’s vegan “fried chicken” shop, the venue serves Seitan, a wheat, gluten and meat-free substitute, served up in fried chicken style wraps, tubs and burgers. The concept is the brainchild of Melbourne couple Rebecca McGuinness and her husband Pat O’Shea. Having worked in KFC before becoming vegan, Rebecca missed fried chicken and so the concept was born. The restaurant has been widely applauded and has a permi-queue of vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike clamouring for this vegan chicken.
Atis
Sustainability is at the core of everything this plant-forward eatery does, from the staff uniforms (Atis is partnered with ethical initiatives Cotton Roots and Impact Trading) to the fully-recyclable and compostable packaging. Serving delicious vegan and vegetarian bowls in Shoreditch, Atis’ winter menu includes new dishes like the smoky butterbean stew, squash coco curry and the Atis x Winter bowl, packed with nutritious, seasonal ingredients. You can also pick your favourite elements to build the ultimate bowl of healthy comfort food.
Avobar
The new winter menu at Avobar is bursting with delicious vegan options that celebrate the avocado, with a mixture of small and sharing plates such as beetroot carpaccio, vegan taccos, and for something sweet, matcha pancakes.
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