Whether you’re a full-time vegan or just trying to eat less meat, there’s never been a better time to go meat-free in London.
Sister to the Neal’s Yard original, Islington’s Wild Food Café is a light and airy space with a counter bar that’s perfect for all-day dining. Pop in for mocktails, wood-fired pizzas (with cashew cheese), or a slice of their rainbow cheesecake.
Kalifornia Kitchen
With its neon, foliage, and hot pink staircase, this Fitzrovia restaurant is an Instagrammer’s paradise. Luckily for us, the food tastes as good as it looks. You can swing by for a healthy breakfast or drop in later for jackfruit tacos, rainbow bowls, and matcha cheesecake.
Following the success of their Cambridge restaurants, Stem + Glory opened a flagship London restaurant earlier this year. It’s a modern space close to the Barbican, serving small plates, craft beers, and a vegan Full English at weekends.
The Gate
There are lots of vegan options on The Gate’s menu, including one of their signature dishes – a wild mushroom risotto cake served with sautéed mushrooms, rocket, and a creamy cep sauce. They now have restaurants in St John’s Wood, Marylebone, Islington, and Hammersmith, so you’re never far from your next meat-free meal.
Forget basic bean burgers, Genesis in Shoreditch dishes up organic comfort food that’s big on flavour and totally meat-free. Alongside the usual suspects – burgers, hot dogs, mac ‘n’ cheese – there are smoked ‘chorizo’ tacos, Korean BBQ seitan wings, and a knock-out salad with hoisin jackfruit and sesame-ginger dressing.
Slaw
After starting out as a pop-up, Slaw has found a permanent home on Upper Street in Islington. The menu has a root-to-stem ethos, aiming to reduce food waste and make plant-based more accessible. Recent hits include spiced cauliflower with a zingy coriander and mint dressing and a flavour-packed squash and kale curry.
New York’s best-loved vegan restaurant now has two London locations – in Covent Garden and Tower Bridge – with more opening soon. It’s a great choice for brunch, a plant-based burger, or a salad to go. If it’s comfort food you’re after, their mac ‘n’ cheese – made with sweet potato-cashew cheese sauce and shiitake bacon – will definitely hit the spot.
SpiceBox
SpiceBox found a permanent home in Walthamstow earlier this year and their vegan Indian food was an instant hit with the locals. Give their fiery jackfruit jalfrezi a try the next time you’re craving something spicy.
Popular with health-conscious locals, this Notting Hill restaurant serves syringe shots, earth bowls, and plant-based brunch dishes. You won’t find any dairy, refined sugars or other nasties on the menu. Don’t miss their CBD-infused ‘high tea’.
Wulf & Lamb
For vegan comfort food in Chelsea, this laid-back eatery just off Sloane Square is the place to go. Choose from sourdough pizzas, chilli ‘non’ carne, or their seitan Wulf burger with cashew aioli.
These are just a few of London’s vegan-friendly dining options – you’re probably already familiar with places like Mildreds, Deliciously Ella, and The Spread Eagle. For a more upscale experience, there’s Vanilla Black or Gauthier Soho, where the vegan tasting menu never fails to impress.
Visit OpenTable to discover more vegan and vegetarian restaurants in London.
