Hello and happy Friday!
Time is flying, Christmas is nearing, and I still haven’t uploaded a post about my most recent trip to London from earlier this month! So, without further ado, let me share some of the food spots where I had delicious plant-based meals while catching up with friends.
This fully vegan restaurant near Sloane Square is an exciting new addition to the London vegan scene, and a must-visit in my eyes. They serve breakfast (including a unique scramble made of “ackee” – a fruit notably used in Jamaican cuisine) lunch & dinner and desserts, including amazing looking cupcakes by Rubys of London). I went there for lunch, and I strongly (!) recommend getting the Wulf Burger (made with seitan and comes in a dreamy brioche bun with cashew aioli, sauerkraut and perfect potato wedges) AND (trust me!) a side of mac & cheese. This was honestly one of the best meals out I’ve had in a long time. Tip: go sit upstairs – it’s much nicer!
Farm Girl Cafe (1 Carnaby Street)
While Farm Girl Cafe is not a new one for me (it’s in my Ultimate London vegan food guide), this was my first time going to the recently opened one inside the Carnaby St Sweaty Betty store. The space upstairs is beautiful and has a great vibe. As expected, the food was absolutely delicious. I had the pitaya bowl, which was probably the best I’ve had! Tip: ask for nut butter (they have almond butter) on top if, like me, you’re nut butter obsessed. I also couldn’t resist trying the (blue) Butterfly Matcha, which didn’t actually taste like matcha though. That’s probably because blue matcha apparently isn’t actually green tea, but is made from a flower known as butterfly pea or blue pea. It had a nice, mild taste that reminded me of saffron, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. It was definitely worth it for the novelty of it, but taste-wise I’d rather have a regular old green matcha next time 😉
This Taiwanese joint in Peckham is another must! A friend brought it to my attention as they recently added vegan baos to the menu – and who can resist a good steamed bun? Not me, that’s for sure. There is a shiitake mushroom bao and a tofu bao, which was an absolute dream! I tried to eat it as slowly as possible, to savor the wonderful softness of the dough as well as the incredible flavor! We also had some sides, including the delicious sesame spinach (fresh spinach with a fantastic dressing), tenderstem broccoli and sweet potato chips. It was a wonderful meal. Just make sure to book a table in advance!
To fuel my extensive walking around London I had to stop by the Yum Chaa cafe on Berwick St (there are also other locations) for a wonderful almond milk hot chocolate and (warm!) banana bread. This is the same banana bread I had during the yoga & mindfulness workshop of theirs I was kindly invited to a few months ago, and it’s absolutely delicious. Not all the bakes are vegan, but there definitely are some plant-based options, and all the drinks can be made with plant milk. They also have a massive selection of their speciality teas that I definitely recommend checking out. (I talk a bit more about their teas in my Yumchaa Indian Summer Porridge post). I also love the interiors of the cafes – perfect for a catch-up with friends or a little solitary recharge from bustling London 😉
This asian-pacific-inspired restaurant located in the gorgeous hotel The Ned (near Bank station) has been on my list for a while due to the amazing things on their breakfast menu. The morning I went there the options were somewhat limited, however, as the chef had not turned up that day – no black rice porridge for me! There were some smoothie bowls ready in the take away fridge though, so I wasn’t too disappointed. I had the pitaya smoothie with an oat milk matcha latte – a wonderful start to the day. If you’re at the Ned I also highly recommend Malibu Kitchen for dinner (this is also on my more comprehensive London vegan guide).
I came across this little food spot after my banana bread and hot chocolate at Yum Chaa (see above), on my way to lunch at Salad Pride (also in my ultimate guide) and more extensively here). Walking down Shaftesbury Avenue I spotted donuts, so of course I asked if they happened to have any vegan ones. I did not expect a yes, the whole middle shelf is vegan (!!) and simply had to get one. The ‘Jolly AF’ was an epic chocolate-covered donut with cookie dough on top and tasted like a proper, indulgent, all-out donut. (The Crosstown vegan chocolate truffle one is still my all-time favorite, but I definitely recommend checking out the Doughnut Time ones; they also have awesomely wacky names – Veruca Salt anyone?).
That’s it for this trip – hopefully I’ll be back with more London recommendations in the future 😉
xoxo
Blueberrysmiles 