Eating Vegan in London
When I reminisce about our summer in London, it’s not the vibrancy, the architecture, the events, the museums, the art galleries, the people, the culture, the markets nor the shops that tug at my homesick heart strings (though all these things do contribute to my multi-layered feelings of new found love for the city). It’s the food. As a family, our fun-filled, sunny days were dominated by a single over-riding preoccupation: what were we going to have for our next meal? The possibilities were exciting and endless.
Obviously, with six children in tow, we weren’t visiting high end establishments. What we were after was affordable, tasty, vegan food that filled our bellies, fuelled our days and delighted our taste buds. Here’s a round-up of where we went, in order of when we visited. It includes:
By Chloe in Covent Garden
Dou Dou Restaurant in Camden
Picky Wops in Fulham
Club Mexicana in Camden Market
Young Vegans Pie & Mash in Camden Market
Temple of Hackney in Hackney
What the Pitta! in Camden
Vegan Ice-Cream and Soda Bar in Camden Market
Loving Hut in Archway
Arepa de Choclo in Portobello Market
Rainforest Creations in Portobello Market
Doughnut Time in Notting Hill
Honest Burgers in Kings Cross
Pizza Express -Multiple locations
Zizzi -Multiple locations
So here goes...
By Chloe in Covent Garden
It seems a shame to begin an overview of our overwhelmingly positive dining experiences in London with a less than glowing review, but I have to say, as the first vegan establishment we visited in the city, By Chloe left us feeling a bit disappointed and we thought it was slightly overpriced for what it was offering. The restaurant itself is styled like an American diner, it’s light, airy and there was a big table in the middle for us to sit around. It’s a self-service system and you order from the counter. We had the fish ‘n’ chips, the mac ‘n’ cheese and the pesto meatball sandwich. The fish was basically a slab of tofu covered in seaweed and it really lacked flavour. My children struggled to finish their portions purely because of the lack of taste and they usually love vegan fish and chips (our last experience was in Bliss & Chips in Newtown, Sydney which offers out-of-this-world, ridiculously delicious vegan seafood). None of my other children could finish the small portions of mac ‘n’ cheese either. It was just too bland and lacked flavour; we make a much better version at home. The best feedback came from my husband who had the pesto meatball sandwich. He said it was, “alright.” I can’t even remember what I had, that’s how much of an impression it made on me. All in all, I suppose if I was working close-by I might pop in for lunch just to stave off hunger, but as a visitor to the city we definitely won’t go again.
Dou Dou Restaurant in Camden
This is a 100% vegan Thai Chinese buffet restaurant and we were lucky that they managed to make space for us because it’s clearly very popular and was packed. As a family, we love Chinese food and after a happy but exhausting day traipsing around London’s landmarks we were very ready to load up our plates. The best thing was the price: £6.90 for all you can eat, and there was something to suit us all. Sitting alongside reasonably standard vegetable offerings was a host of meat alternative dishes, like sweet and sour chicken, black bean beef and minced pork. In general it was tasty and filling. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not mind-blowingly delicious, but after eating at amazing, cheap vegan buffets in Hong Kong our expectations for Chinese food are pretty high and so we’re tough customers to please. We came away feeling satisfied, however, and would definitely go back.
Picky Wops in Fulham
After another busy day exploring West London and an underwhelming picnic in Kensington Gardens we were really ready to stuff our faces with a delicious dinner. Picky Wops, a vegan pizza joint, really hit the spot! In fact, it’s fair to say it was probably our best all-round dining experience in London. We were welcomed like family by the wonderful Italian owner and felt re-energised by his kindness and passion for the mouth-wateringly good food he offers. It was a small restaurant and we took up the only table but I believe the Fulham branch we went to is now permanently closed. Don’t worry though, you can still find them in Peckham, and they’re definitely worth a visit! It’s all homemade; first you choose your base and then you choose your toppings, which include standard options alongside more adventurous choices like pears, walnuts, grapes and cashew camembert. They also offer mock meat. Just make sure you leave enough space for pudding…I still daydream about their ridiculously good dessert pizza! They don’t serve alcohol but you can BYO.
Club Mexicana in Camden Market
We were on our way to the Young Vegans Pie & Mash restaurant in Camden market when this little Mexican street food stall immediately caught my eye. A bold sign advertising vegan tacos is never going to allow me to simply pass by, so I had to give it a go. Now, there’s something inexplicably good about their beer-battered to-fish tacos. I’m not sure if it’s some kind of vegan wizardry but I simply couldn’t get enough of these tantalising creations. Served with pickled cabbage, salsa verde, sour cream and pickled chillis, everything about them is flawlessly balanced for an optimal taste sensation. Thankfully you get two in one serving, so when you’ve finished one the good times haven’t ended and you still have a whole other one to look forward to. I went back several times during our stay in London and even now I find myself licking my lips at the sheer thought of them. My children were also addicted after just one bite, they simply offer the perfect combination of texture and flavours. We also loved their nachos, which are generously loaded with Mexican toppings. I believe their Camden stall is now permanently closed but you can still find them at The Spread Eagle Pub on Homerton High Street, E9, and at Dinerama in Shoreditch.
Young Vegans Pie & Mash in Camden Market
There’s something wonderfully comforting about pie and mash. It’s wholesome, filling, satisfying food that leaves you feeling good about life. So we had high expectations of this vegan pie and mash shop in Camden and it definitely didn’t disappoint! In fact, I fell head over heels in love with the place. It’s a small eatery with just a few stools to sit on if you want to dine-in, but it feels cosy and home-grown. The pies are divine and if you only go once you must try the steak and ale pie, it’s so hearty and full of rich flavour which is perfectly complemented by the creamy mash, gravy and sprinkling of crunchy onions. Yum. On return visits we decided to opt for the meal deal, simply because we couldn’t resist, where you get a pie plus two sides, a drink and a dessert. I was in absolute heaven making my way through perfectly crusted pie, silky mash, thick gravy and cheesy fries (gravy and cheese is such a good combination, I now fully appreciate the passion of poutine lovers). I finished off the feast with a peanut butter mud pie. I think the name says it all. It was deliciously decadent and left me feeling that I could barely walk. My children also raved about the banana muffins, so we were all winners. Perfect.
Temple of Hackney in Hackney
This is a 100% vegan, fried chicken shop and absolute junk food heaven. My husband and kids adored it! I think the universe clearly wanted us to enjoy the experience and reward us for schlepping all the way over from West London because we managed to grab the only seating available, which was outside on the pavement. Unfortunately, it’s next door to a butchers shop, so it was a little unpleasant to have those noxious odours occasionally wafting towards us in the breeze, but I was quietly pleased to see that the butchers shop seemed to be devoid of customers while the restaurant was heaving! By the time we’d placed our order, the queue was curling out of the door and down the street! It’s clearly a very popular eatery and I can certainly see why. We ordered a range of food from a BBQ bacon burger to original fillets, hot fillets, original wings and BBQ wings, which we dipped in chipotle sauce, classic sauce and gravy. The burger was very tasty, just the kind of filling, instantly gratifying fast food that you’d expect from a greasy café. The original fillets and wings were probably my favourite out of the chicken style food as I felt that the spice in the hot fillets overpowered the flavour and I didn’t love the BBQ sauce on the wings, it tasted too artificial somehow. It’s all made with seitan, which is a gluten derivative and has a chewy texture (although there are gluten free options available, made with soya protein). Apparently, it tastes very much like real fried chicken but I can’t verify this as I’ve never eaten fried chicken. At this point I’m going to be brutally honest here and say that I didn’t really love the chicken in general and next time we go I’d definitely want to try the gluten free options. To be fair, gluten doesn’t really agree with my stomach; I generally try to avoid it, or at least limit it, so perhaps that was playing on my mind and didn’t allow me to fully appreciate the meal. I also found it a little too heavy and overly texturous. I desperately wanted to try it because of the rave reviews I’d read but in hindsight it was wasted on me. My husband and kids probably offer a fairer reflection of the quality of the food, however, and they all gave it a big thumbs up -they talk about how delicious it was even now, months later, so for that reason I still highly recommend this place for an authentically greasy, vegan fast food experience. They also have an outlet in Camden.
What the Pitta! in Camden
This vegan doner kebab restaurant was at the top of my husband’s list of places to visit. When we first passed their branch in Boxpark, Shoreditch, it took all of his resolve to prevent himself from going in and ordering. We’d come straight from Temple of Hackney, however, and our bellies were full to the brim of vegan chicken wings, so we simply couldn’t fit in anymore! His much anticipated visit soon came around, though, on our next visit to Camden. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to sample the delights as I’d already eaten at my beloved pie and mash shop in Camden market and I’d sworn off gluten completely so kebabs were a no-go. My husband and daughters, however, raved about it and convinced me that the kebabs were out of this world. They certainly looked good; an appetising, colourful mix of spiced soya pieces, mixed salad, tzatziki (made from soya), homemade hummus and chilli sauce generously heaped into freshly made bread. In fact, they were so good my husband has tried to replicate them a few times now that we’re home, with impressive results.
Vegan Ice-Cream and Soda Bar in Camden Market
Our experience here was a timely reminder that you should always try before you buy. When I saw the sign for vegan soda floats I felt excitement pulsing through my veins as childhood memories of summer coke floats swirled in my head and made me lose all power of reasoning. I ordered one each for our family of eight at £3.50 a go. Obviously I should have just tried one first, but we all make mistakes. The soda was virtually tasteless and the vegan soft serve was icy and not creamy in the slightest. There was no glorious fizz as the ice-cream hit the soda and no buttery froth. It was just a sad, sloppy mess. None of us could finish it. I kicked myself for being £28.00 poorer and resolved to learn a valuable lesson from the error of my ways.
VBurger in Camden Market
This vegan burger bar in the heart of Camden market caught my husband’s eye as he wanted to try something different from our usual to-fish tacos and pie and mash. Obviously the twins and I thought he was mad and were too full of glorious tacos to even contemplate a vegan burger. So he and our four daughters ordered burger and fries each and said they were okay. I don’t have anything more to report on that verdict unfortunately.
Loving Hut in Archway
This was our second attempt to get a table here as the first time they were booked out all evening, which is always a good sign. Loving Hut is a chain of vegan restaurants which has branches all over the world. We’d been to two in Hong Kong a number of times and they always offered a taste explosion of glorious Chinese flavours. We’d visited another in Brisbane, Australia last year which was good and yet another in Melbourne which was fantastic. My husband has also been to a branch in Indonesia a few times which he raves about, so we had high hopes for this restaurant in Archway. The menu is full of mock meat dishes and the options are endless, from crispy aromatic duck with pancakes to veggie drumsticks. I absolutely loved the satay skewers with peanut sauce and the kids adored the veggie spare ribs. We ordered a range of other dishes to share which all really hit the spot. The tempting smells, the sizzling sounds and the diverse range of textures and flavours in their meals really makes for a satisfying dining experience. It’s probably not as good as our favourite branches in Hong Kong but nevertheless their food is undeniably delicious and definitely worth the trip up to Archway.
Arepa de Choclo in Portobello Market
A big sign advertising the vegan, gluten free quinoa pan at this stall in Portobello market caught my eye and I couldn’t resist ordering one. It turned out to be unexpectedly delightful, which is always a nice surprise, and particularly appreciated because I wasn't feeling too well that day. Freshly made in front of me, it was jam packed full of fresh avocado, plantains, quinoa, crispy kale, spinach, red onions, black beans, vegan cheese and lime sauce. It was an unusual combination of flavours for me, plantain doesn’t regularly feature on my ingredients list, but it worked perfectly and I loved every mouthful. In fact, my seven year old son, Oscar, who had already ordered some veggie noodles from another stall, took one bite and begged to have one too. Unfortunately when we went back they’d all finished, but it’s yet another good reason to return to this brilliant market!
Rainforest Creations in Portobello Market
My husband was drawn to the delightful array of colours at this vegan food stall in Portobello, which specialises in tropical, raw and organic food, and was overjoyed with his choice. He tucked into a very tempting looking, hefty Caribbean roti wrap which was bursting with glorious fruit and veg, including kale, plantain and avocado, and drizzled in hot sauce. He said it was the perfect blend of complementary flavours and textures; hot, sweet, crunchy and smooth, and he’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for healthy, satisfying, delicious food in West London!
Doughnut Time in Notting Hill
My husband and kids absolutely loved getting vegan doughnuts from Doughnut Time in Australia, so when they found out they had branches in London too they were over the moon! Thankfully they were just as delicious as they remembered and there were lots of appreciative noises coming from them as they wolfed down these huge, sweet delights! Their favourite was the Sia Later red velvet doughnut which, I have to say, looked heavenly!
Honest Burgers in Kings Cross
After spending the day in Paris and trying, but failing, to find a vegan restaurant to go to for dinner (they all seemed to be closed for the summer), we hot-footed it back to London and made it to Honest Burgers in Kings Cross just in time to order their Beyond Meat burger. This vegan, gluten-free burger has taken the US by storm and at the time this restaurant was one of only two places in the UK where you could try it. I’m so pleased we did! It was hands down the best burger I have ever tasted. It has the most perfect juicy, slightly chewy texture and is bursting with all the right burger flavours. I went for the double up option so I got two burgers in my gluten free bun, along with smoked vegan cheese, chipotle vegan mayo, red onion, pickles, French mustard and lettuce. It also came with rosemary salted chips. It was definitely one of the stand out meals of our holiday and I know if I lived in London I’d be going up to Kings Cross as much as I could to repeat this fantastic experience again and again! Honest Burgers isn’t a vegan restaurant, unfortunately, but it’s still definitely worth going to for this perfect plant-based burger!
Pizza Express -Multiple locations
This high street chain of pizza restaurants was our go-to place whenever we needed somewhere reliable within walking distance of our base in Chiswick. They offer a separate vegan menu and you can request vegan cheese on any of their pizzas. I have to say, the vegan giardiniera on a gluten free base has to be one of my all-time favourite pizzas. Topped with artichokes, mushrooms, red onions, black olives, tomatoes, garlic oil, fresh parsley and vegan mozzarella, it really is an exquisite combination of gorgeous flavours in just the right amounts. Added to that, their blackcurrant and limoncello semifreddo dessert is so decadently good, I had to double check that it was, in fact, vegan!
Zizzi -Multiple locations
This is another Italian high street chain which has a separate vegan menu. The twins liked it so much it was their restaurant of choice after we'd visited the Harry Potter Studios on their 7th birthday. I was particularly impressed with the pink vegan ‘beetballs’ polpette: pink beetroot balls, oven-baked in a pomodoro sauce with melted vegan mozzarella, chilli threads and fresh oregano. It was a cheesy, tomatoey taste sensation and the beetballs provided the perfect amount of bite. Their pizzas are dependably delicious and if we were feeling particularly worthy we would indulge in their delectable sticky chocolate and praline torte: a dairy-free chocolate dessert with a date, hazelnut and walnut base. It’s perfectly accompanied by coconut and chocolate ripple gelato. Heavenly.
Next time…
Since we left London in August, Sutton & Sons, a vegan fish and chip shop, has opened in Hackney. They use banana blossom to mimic the taste and appearance of fish and so far it’s had some great feedback. I can’t wait to try it. Also new on the scene is a non-profit restaurant called Unity Diner, opened by an inspirational vegan spokesperson who I closely follow called Earthling Ed. It’s in Hoxton and offers a varied menu of traditional favourites like burgers, spaghetti, loaded fries and cauliflower wings. I’m desperate to go there! I’m also dying to visit Cookdaily in London Fields, an iconic vegan eatery that offers a range of very tempting international dishes that have received rave reviews.
Eating vegan in London in general
The main vegan hot spots in London do seem to be centred in and around the areas of Camden and Shoreditch, so it’s definitely worth staying in, or at least visiting, these places when you go to London. Aside from the purely vegan eateries, however, most restaurants seem to have cottoned on to the fact that veganism is an increasingly popular diet/way of life and offer at least one or two vegan options on their menus. As for home delivery, some branches of Pizza Hut can put vegan cheese on their pizzas and Asian or Indian take-outs are always a good option (we had a fair few) as they tend to have lots of vegan dishes. If all else fails, you can rely on that trusted British favourite: chips, vegetable spring roll and curry sauce or mushy peas, from a local fish and chip shop, as long as you make sure that they use vegetable oil and you’re satisfied that there are no animal derivatives in it. Thankfully, every food establishment where we enquired could produce a thorough ingredients list of the food they offered.
Lastly, if you want to cook at home, your options are endless. British supermarkets offer a huge array of ‘free-from’ products and it’s very easy to pick up a range of meat alternatives in every form, as well as vegan cheese (I particularly love Sainsbury’s cheese), vegan pizzas, vegan ready meals and vegan treats. The vegan Quorn range is also widely available.
So there you have it! All this talk of food had made me hungry so I’m going to make myself something to eat now. I just wish I was in London so I could pop out for a pie! Needless to say, everything I have written here is completely subjective and just the humble opinion of me and my family. You may visit any one of these establishments and have a totally different experience to me, which is actually great because life would soon become pretty boring if we all had the same tastes! Viva les Vegans!