The best vegan restaurants and cafes in London
Long gone are the days when being a vegan meant ordering a sad side salad without dressing for your main meal. Whether you’re a die-hard plant eater or have jumped on board for Veganuary, here’s our pick of some of the best vegan foodie hotspots to get your meat and dairy free scran in London right now…
For those who miss their meat
Who says you have to forgo juicy burgers if you stick to a plant-based diet? It can be a miserable ol’ time of year so pep up your winter’s day with a signature ‘bleeding’ burger from Halo Burger. Two patties are made from pea protein mixed with a top-secret seasoning which promises to makes it taste just like a real beef burger. It’s vegan, but not as you know it. They’re in Shoreditch and Brixton and also have an outpost in London’s little sister by the sea, Brighton.
For afternoon tea
Glorious vegan cakes that taste even better than they look – and they look utterly delightful – Lele’s delivers their afternoon tea boxes across the country, so you don’t have to live near their Hackney bakery to appreciate them. A box of lemon and blueberry cake, brownies, scones and jam and coffee and walnut cake, as well as vegan sausage rolls, means there’s no deprivation whatsoever going on this January.
For bold Asian flavours
The first London outpost of this popular Cambridge restaurant dishes up globally influenced flavours from Asia and the Middle East for both lunch and dinner in Barbican, and they’re crowdfunding for a second restaurant in Broadgate, set to open this April. Expect delights like kimchi pancakes with yangnyeomjang (try saying that after a few vegan wines) dipping sauce and spiced aubergine chermoula.
For brekkie (and dining with non vegan pals)
For when you just need a Danish pastry
This Clapton-based bakery is the promised land for plant-based pastry fans. There are vegan croissants, pain au chocs and cinnamon buns, and their Danish pastries are off the chart. Choose from pear, peach, apple crumble and almond flavours.
For bottomless brunches
Boasting the accolade of being the UK’s first bottomless vegan brunch bar in honour of Veganuary, cheer up your Jan weekends with re-imaginings of brunch classics and some classic cakes like Victoria sponge and lemon meringue pie, all made with a clever liquid vegan egg, that acts, bakes and tastes just like an egg and is made from pea protein. Get in quick, it’s a pop-up and only running until 23 January.
