If you’ve been following my Instagram posts and stories, you’ll have seen that the past few days I was back to doing what I do best: eating my way through London like the hungriest of hungry caterpillars. My schedule for those 5 days was literally a list of people to catch up with, and places to eat at (luckily food and friends can easily be combined ;)).
While it’s always tempting to return to old favorites, I wanted to try some new places; and I am happy to say that they are all worth recommending. [For a much longer list of recommendations for plant-based food in London, check out my Ultimate Guide].
This super cute fully vegan (and mostly gluten-free) cafe at The Artworks near Elephant & Castle is a must-visit for anyone looking for a relaxed breakfast and latte, tasty treat or crazy freakshake. I got there at 9 am and, as the first person there, snagged the cozy little outside seating area. Very much torn between the pancakes, pink waffles and peanut butter & jelly freakshake (!!), I ended up choosing the first (I can rarely resist pancakes). They were served with sliced bananas, berries, cinnamon, lots of luscious maple syrup and Oatley cream – every bite the ultimate comforting treat! I thoroughly enjoyed these with my rice milk matcha latte. And, never one to miss an opportunity for vegan dessert, I got a little chocolate cupcake with matcha frosting, to share with friends later. (We weren’t really able to taste the matcha, but it was wonderfully chocolatey and the perfect spongey texture).
Note – They also have a stall in Camden where you can get your hands on their goodies.
Vegan authentic Japanese cuisine? Yes please! Shocking disclosure: I knew about this place for over a year, and even walked past it numerous times without noticing it (?!), and only just made it there. But let’s not dwell on the past. Just learn from my mistake and go there as soon as you can! My friend and I ordered up a feast – including various sushi rolls (not a boring cucumber roll in sight, may I just say), seaweed, miso soup and delicious adzuki bean and sesame puddings for dessert. It was a real treat, all in traditional Japanese style (don’t just take my word for it – my Japanese friend also gave it the thumb’s up 😉 ). Just don’t forget to make a reservation, at least on a Saturday evening.
This place was a find by my lovely friend Leila (@_lifeofleila) who suggested we try it before getting ready for the HBC Health Blog Awards last Thursday. I’m so glad she did, as – located in an area I probably wouldn’t have passed through otherwise (near Tooting Broadway) – I might have missed out on the biggest muffin ever 😀 But first things first: The menu is full of incredible-sounding savory dishes, from the black bean and broccoli burger, sweet and savory buckwheat waffles and a host of pizzas, to tea-smoked aubergine, grilled tandoori tofu and the wonderfully fresh and flavorsome quinoa, avocado, green bean and spinach salad I had. I have to admit though, that my attention was immediately grabbed by the display of mega-muffins, whose incredibly tall tops made them look like mushrooms that had just sprouted out of a fairytale. I ended up going for the double chocolate one for dessert. It was a teeny tad on the dry side, but very satisfying! (Is it just me, or are ‘proper’/not-super-dense vegan muffins hard to come by?).
I only found out about this place thanks to the fabulous Kym (@brixtonfoodfiend) who – you may have guessed it – lives in that South London district. It reminded me of Box Park in Shoreditch (which I also recommend; in particular Cook Daily), and I love the indoor-outdoor, quirky and colorful feel to it all. Luckily I was spared the dilemma of choosing, by following the recommendations of local vegan foodie Kym. Accordingly, I went for the tofu ramen (ask for the egg-less noodles for a vegan option) and veggie dumplings from Koi Ramen Bar – both incredible! The dumplings were a dream – with a wonderfully crisp and golden bottom, and the ramen full of flavor. I messily slurped up every last noodle and every drop of delicious broth.
There are lots of other tempting options, including a Ghanaian place that was unfortunately closed (tip: don’t go on a Sunday).
This is another one suggested by Leila, and as soon as I saw vegan pancakes on the menu I was more than eager to try it. However, long story short, the pancakes turned out not to be vegan after all. In a series of unfortunate events, not unlike something from a Greek tragedy, the online menu turned out to have been wrongly labeled (‘vg’ is actually vegetarian, and ‘v’ vegan), and my friend who kindly called to double check (strong suspicions were aroused in light of the eggs labeled as ‘vg’), was given wrong information by a member of staff. Hungry and eager for pancakes, it was a devastating blow to discover the mix-up on arrival. I have to say I am not at all impressed with the wrong labeling of the menu, the badly informed member of staff and the lack of a seemingly sincere apology. Also not impressed with how the mistake has not been rectified on the website. (Ok, I couldn’t keep it short, but it’s just too cruel to falsely promise a vegan pancake option!).
But why am I still recommending this place? The quinoa porridge (perfectly sweet, with berries and almond butter) and oat milk matcha latte I had were absolutely delicious, and I genuinely enjoyed both. Definitely going to try and recreate the former at home. My friends were also very pleased with their shakshuka And, as the place has a nice, trendy vibe, it’s definitely worth a mention.
Just *be warned* if you’re looking forward to a stack of plant-based pancakes – you’re at the wrong place. (For the perfect plant-based pancake fix go to Cupcakess & Shhht – see above – Farmacy or Redemption instead)
Pride Kitchen, Neal’s Yard
Ok, this is not really a new place for me, as I’d been before and recommended it in my ultimate guide to London food spots. I’m mentioning it again because it’s had a menu change, and because the meal I had there was just so stunning that it deserves some extra love ❤ It’s a tiny, comfortable and fresh-feeling little place in the beautiful oasis that is Neal’s Yard (26 Grains and Wildfood Cafe nearby), with way too many delicious options on the menu to just go once. I went for the Green Feast – which truly was a feast, and also had some of my friend’s super tasty ‘carbonara’. As part of our dessert we shared a chocolate banana muffin, which was really yummy, and not too sweet. Oh and I almost forgot to mention the lattes! That would have been a crime. It was so hard deciding which to go for (raspberry rose latte anyone?), but I was incredibly happy with my fresh turmeric latte (the Golden Spice one is also turmeric, but with powdered instead of fresh), and also sipped some of the matcha latte with rose petals on top. Top marks for this place – it was an absolute treat from start to finish.
Hope you’ve enjoyed reading about these places – It’s been wonderful reliving lots of delicious memories 😉 Let me know if you check them out, or if you have any recommendations of your own!
xoxo
Blueberrysmiles 