Best plant-focused restaurants in London for vegans, veggies and veg lovers alike

Best plant-focused restaurants in London for vegans, veggies and veg lovers alike

Credit: Courtesy of restaurants

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Best plant-focused restaurants in London for vegans, veggies and veg lovers alike

By Miranda Larbi

9 months ago

8 min read

Want to eat more veg? Not sure how to make them more interesting? Get a dose of inspo from these veg-heavy restaurants.

Pure, unadulterated veganism seems to have taken a bit of a hit this year but that doesn’t mean plant-based living is dead – far from it. Restaurants are increasingly shining the spotlight on plants these days, showing just how delicious and versatile they can be. Oyster mushroom skewer? Head to Bubala. Pickled salisfy? Schlep across to Hackney’s Edit. For something creamy, try Pied a Terre’s macademia nut carbonara with white alba truffle.

Even if you are a herbivore, it can be hard to get the most out of vegetables. Steamed, roasted or raw aside, it takes hours of experimentation to create something really unique. But these plant palaces are all about showing what is possible with a root or a fruit – if you’ve got the imagination.  

Jam Delish

Veganism has a long history in the Caribbean, with the Ital diet focusing on meat-free, high vibe ingredients. The best known dishes in this country, however, tend to be animal-based. So what do you do if you’re plant-based or trying to eat more plants but want a plate of salt fish or curried goat? Head to Jam Delish, of course!

Based in Angel, this modern Caribbean kitchen has already become legendary. We visited early one Saturday evening and people were queuing to get in – it’s that good. 

Start with a sorrel margarita (pink, sweeter and more delicious than the classic), before diving into a plate of jerk ‘pork’ belly tacos – packed with slaw, pickles, salsa and crispy onions. For mains, you can choose between classics like ‘oxtail’ chow mein, jerk ‘chicken’ skewers, grilled ‘codfish’ and callaloo fritters (incredible), curried ‘goat’ and fried ‘chicken’ with Jamaican gravy. Be sure to leave room for a go at that week’s cheesecake.

Visit Jam Delish

NAÏFS

naïfs

Nestled in a residential street down in Peckham is naïfs. From the outside, it kind of looks like it might be someone’s conservatory and once you get inside, it kind of is like you’ve come for dinner in someone’s conservatory. Staff greet you like friends, dish up promptly and offer loads of info on the food. 

The menu is simple: a bunch of appetizers (the lentil pate with fig jam is a non-negotiable), followed by a £30pp set spread. Served ‘family style’, be prepared to dip, spoon and reach across each other to get your fill of smoky celeriac, too-pretty-to-eat radicchio salad and tangy aubergines. 

Unusually for vegan restaurants (in my experience), the puddings here are every bit as good as the starters and main. Stewed apples sit on cloud-light whipped almond custard with a slice of sweet filo, while the chocolate mousse with yuzu curd is probably one of the best you’ll ever taste. 

Visit naïfs

Tendril – A (Mostly) Vegan Kitchen and Bar

Setting out to help Londoners to eat less meat and to move away from heavily processed fake options, Tendril is all about celebrating the power of veg. Everything about the place is plush, from the upmarket décor to the well-stocked bar (the cocktails are sublime) - and that’s before you get onto the food. It’s mostly small plates (think: white bean and tahini spread; beetroot ‘ndjua; grilled chimichurri melon) with a few larger mains (beetroot feta borek).

The odd splash of cheese is great for keeping non-vegans happy but the key things – like pudding – are pure plant-based magic. 

Visit Tendril

Mallow

Brought to us by the same team behind vegan stalwarts Mildreds, Mallow is a fully vegan restaurant loved by plant eaters of all persuasions. It’s minimal waste, locally sourced and beautifully appointed – it’s worth going for the décor alone.

It’s got two sites, one in Borough and the other in Canary Wharf, with a range of menus embracing breakfast, weekend brunch, onion- and garlic-free options and special occasions (like Christmas). The starters are so good, you might end up just having to order them all (the son dumplings cannot be missed), but the but the thali – a huge tray of curry, pickles and raita – is just incredible. 

Visit Mallow

Bokan 37 risotto

Bokan 37

Canary Wharf isn’t a place traditionally associated with vegans but it seems to be undergoing a mini plant-based revolution. Mallow opened up a second site in the middle of the financial hub and now, Bokan 37 – an elegant, skyscraper restaurant overlooking the Thames – has a seven course vegan tasting menu. 

From high in the clouds, sit back and warm-up with a golden pumpkin soup before enjoying spoonfuls of winter truffle and black trumpet risotto (which the non-vegan we took said was “the best risotto” he’d ever eaten). 

It’s on the pricey side (£99pp) but if you’re after a celebration meal somewhere fancy (perhaps you’re treating a vegan or looking for Veganuary inspiration), then this hive of high-end dining is ideal. We especially loved the tropea onion and tomato vol au vent which burst with late-summer fruitness and almost pizza-like flakey pastry.

Seven course might sound like a lot but you’ll leave feeling comfortably full and inspired.

Visit Bokan 37

Edit

Nestled on Hackney’s Mare Street, Edit is all about hyper-seasonal, low impact cooking. Everything is sourced from small-scale farms, foragers and independent producers who all use minimum-intervention methods to ensure minimal waste. And because of their commitment to seasonality, menus change weekly – meaning you never quite know what you’re going to get.

The only thing you really need to know is that the food is inventive and delicious - the bread and butter alone is worth a visit. Edit is doing a Christmas three or five course menu (£48pp/£57pp), with interesting dishes like haggis terrine with cep mushroom sauce and pickled samphire, and pied de mouton (a type of mushroom) with potato dauphinois. There’s a vegan cheeseboard and two pud options. On all menus, every dish is either gluten-free or has a GF option. 

Visit Edit

Neat burger

Neat Burger

If you’re looking for fast food that doesn’t cost the planet, then Neat Burger’s for you. With four locations in London, you’re never that far from a brioche bun burger, an artisan ciabatta or fully loaded super salad.

Choose between crispy chick’n, chickpea patties and plant-based versions of familiar American-style burgs. The standout offering, however, has to be the chopped seasonable supergreens bowl. It’s a fact that vegans do salads better than anyone else and this number is overflowing with crispy fried courgettes, plant-based feta, loads of zingy green goddess dressing and, of course, a load of veg. It’s a meal in its own right but if you need a little extra something on the side, then go for the hummus and baked pita chips or za’atar coated skin-on fries.

Visit Neat Burger

Naifs

Down in Peckham, Naifs is a shared family meal-style place which focuses on showcasing “the abundance and beauty” of plants and pulses. The bar is stocked with natural and biodynamic wines, ciders and beers, and there’s plenty of homemade kombucha and soda for no-alcohol dining.

There’s one set meal (£30) that’s served ‘family style’, with desserts and digestifs served separately. Look forward to grilled mushrooms with cauliflower skordalia (a creamy, garlicky Greek dip) and salsa verde, warm butter bean salad and a sticky, sweet french bean and aubergine agrodolce with tahini sauce. 

Visit Naifs

Pied a Terre

If you’re looking for plant-based fine dining, then hot foot it over to Fitzrovia, where Pied à Terre – a Michelin Starred restaurant whose kitchen is run by Greek chef Asimakis Chaniotis. It’s got a pair of omnivorous menus and two fully plant-based ones, and the latter is so good that it’s recognised as the “No 1 Vegan tasting experience in the UK”.

Choose between A La Carte or a tasting course (10 plates comes in at £120), where you’ll be treated to a beetroot meringue canapé, oven-roasted celeriac scallops and a blood peach, lemon verbena, fig and basil sorbet. 

Visit Pied à Terre

Bubala

Tel Aviv-inspired Bubala has two sites (Spitalfields and Soho), but that doesn’t make it any easier to get a table. You’ll have to book way ahead if you want to have dinner on a Friday or Saturday but it’s worth the admin. Choose from a set menu or pick your choice of small plates, starting with a range of dips (arguably the best hummus in London) and pickles, before moving onto crunchy falafels, fennel-soaked halloumi and smoked Jerusalem artichokes.

The menu’s mostly vegan but there’s one veggie option per ‘course’. You can order The Bubala Knows Best sharing menu (£42pp) as fully vegan or mixed. 

Visit Bubala

Itadakizen

Japanese food is largely plant-based but it can be tricky finding enough fish-free dishes in your typical UK restaurant. Over in Kings Cross (other branches can be found in Paris and Shrovesbury), Itadakizen solves that issue with an extensive menu of vegan tapas dishes, from teriyaki tofu steak and mixed veg ramen to irini, gyoza and seaweed salad.

Prices range from around £4 for stir-fried veg to £10 for curry and soboro don (finely scrambled organic tofu with marinated carrots and sweetcorn). 

Visit Itadakizen

Plant Club

Nestled in a corner of Newington Green is Plant Club - the spot for exceptional plant-based pizzas and pastas. Run by Antonio Alderuccio and Daniele Inn Rivolta, everything is organic, gluten-free, vegan and easily digestible – no mean feat for a restaurant essentially dedicated to carbs. 

Order the fresh, creamy ball of burrella for starters (made from soy), before ordering the truffle-scented gnocchi cacio. If you’re after a doughy dinner, you’ve got six savoury pizzas to choose from, as well as a pudding option. 

Visit Plant Club

Images: Courtesy of restaurants

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