The Glass Guide to vegan dining in London

ACCORDING to The Economist and other main news outlets, 2019 is said to be the year of the vegan. An increasing amount of people have jumped on board with veganism in the last few years as it’s widespread health and environmental benefits are extremely appealing. With another veganuary kicking things off to a great start, menus across the city are offering more vegan options, and more plant-based restaurants are opening. So whether you’re vegan or simply looking to welcome more vegan options into your diet, we’ve compiled a list (in no particular order) of London’s best vegan-friendly eateries.

The Purezza pizza oven.

1. Purezza 

We all know there are plenty of vegan options on pizza menus around town but it’s safe to say that Purezza have take vegan-Italian cuisine to a whole other level as their menu is fully plant-based with all the fresh and punchy flavours of Italy. Staples such as the Parmigiana pizza and Lasagna exceed expectations as their tomatoes are tangy and the vegan cheese is perfectly flavoured mimicking the creamy texture of mozzarella. Other favourites include the Here Comes Truffle pizza which has a rich black truffle base, topped with the meaty wood smoked tofu and mixed forest mushrooms.

Unlike most places with pizza on the menu, Purezza gives the option of choosing between regular sourdough base and their hemp flour base. Although sourdough is a broadly popular choice, the hemp base is certainly worth trying if you want to try something new as it gives the dough a fantastic nuttiness which adds another layer of flavour to the meal.

A steaming hot Margherita pizza.

Although Purezza has become famous for their pizza, they offer a very well-rounded menu with particularly delicious sides and desserts. The courgetti spaghetti side dish is not to be ignored as its punchy-pesto sauce coats a neat tower crunchy courgetti livening the taste buds before mains. As for dessert, the Cashew Dream which mimics a tiramisu is a showstopper as it’s raw ingredients are delicious yet light on the stomach unlike many cream heavy desserts.

Purezza is often from opening to last orders so be prepared to stand around for a while if you want to visit, but remember the wait is very much worth it. Why not order an aperol spritz while you wait?

Purezza, 43 Parkway, Camden Town, London NW1 7PN

The vegan döner and mezze box.

2. What The Pitta

London’s high streets are littered with kebab shops, and it’s safe to say that vegans don’t have many options other than chips if they want a late night snack. What The Pitta finally offers back this experience to the non-meat eater as they serve up their delicious crispy seasoned soya chunks in a döner kebab style for all to enjoy. The idea sprung after co-founder Cem decided to part with meat and dairy and discovered a fantastic vegan döner kebab shop in Germany. After trying that, the idea of What The Pitta was born.

Now with three locations in London, What The Pitta has gone on to please both London’s vegan and meat-eating community as the flavours speak for themselves. All the bread used is freshly made and accompanied by extremely flavoursome vegetables and sauces.

Vegan soya chunks in a wrap.

Ordering the vegan döner is  an unusual experience as its an extremely familiar sight. Its uncanny resemblance to meat is impressive yet worrying as the soya chunks are dark brown in colour and lamb-like in appearance. The soya chunks are cooked in a peppery seasoning which works very well with the sour soy yoghurt tzatziki. Options of homemade hummus and chilli sauce can be added into the wrap in addition to usual kebab fillings such as onions, cabbage and tomatoes.

Along with the famous döner, there are a number of variations such as the couscous salad box, falafel wrap and mixed mezze box which offers guests a lighter option with homemade hummus, mixed olives and fresh bread along with any sauces and additions. Sadly the shop doesn’t have the same late opening times as a regular kebab shop, but it’s definitely worth popping in for a lunch or dinner.

What The Pitta, 89-91 Bayham St, Camden Town, London NW1 0AG

The Spread Eagle pub. Photograph: Jade Nina Sarkhel.

3. Club Mexicana 

Club Mexicana is based in The Spread Eagle – which is London’s first vegan pub in Homerton, East London. This all-vegan pub is the dream if you’re a fan of Mexican food as they celebrate all areas of the cuisine with their street-food inspired menu. With a veganuary, brunch and evening menu on offer there’s plenty of food to choose from however, it’s the brunch menu that best explore the flavours of Mexico

The huevos rancheros is a divine dish as punchy flavours of salsa, chilli and their vegan queso fresca all work in unison with the black beans and creamy avocado. All of this is served on a crispy corn tortilla and makes for an unforgettable first meal of the day.

Food at Club Mexicana. Photograph: Jade Nina Sarkhel.

It’s a very refreshing experience visiting The Spread Eagle as there’s no need to worry about non-vegan ingredients. Everything from their beer on tap to the food served on your plate is 100% vegan. In the case of drinks, their selection of spirits and cocktails is impressive with the delicious passion fruit mimosa winning first place as a brunch accompaniment.

The mexicana fry up is essential ordering if you’re a fan of a fry up. This is Club Mexicana’s Mexican take on a full English as they go all out with vegan bacon, sausage and eggs. The bacon is perfectly crisp and thin which is a first when it comes to vegan bacon as it normally has a clumsy rubbery texture. When it comes to dessert, there’s one thing that steals the show. Their tequila lime pie is a pot of sour-boozy heaven. Much like a regular key lime pie, the tequila lime pie has the tangy lime layer which is mixed with tequila and topped vegan cream.

Club Mexicana, The Spread Eagle, 224 Homerton High St, London E9 6AS

The Vurger Co interior.

4. Vurger Co 

With the recent welcome of Gaz Oakley as their executive chef, Vurger Co have evolved from a small market stall in Tottenham to a fully running burger restaurant. Their growth has been spectacular with the help of their crowdfunding  campaign which raised over £300k in just 77 hours. Since then, they’ve opened their flagship restaurant in Shoreditch along with their second London site in Canary Wharf .

When it comes to food, their burgers are all killer no filler. The Auburger is a staple if you’re a Vurger Co first-timer as it’s their most talked about burger. A patty made of aubergine, caramelised red onions and chipotle tabasco chickpeas provides the burger with a juicy bite accompanied by red cabbage, tomato, gherkins, vegan cheese and their special house cumin mayonnaise. Although the menu offers 4 permanent burgers, they often introduce bespoke specials to the menu such as their newest burger, The Kentucky, which was launched as a veganuary special.

Burgers at the Vurger Co.

Typical sides such as chips and sweet potato fries are available to order with the burger however, the mac and cheese is the true dark horse on the menu as it easily stands as one of the creamiest vegan mac and cheeses I’ve ever tried. The sauce is cheesy and sharp like cheddar and works nicely as a side instead of chips.

Vurger Co, 9, Avant Garde Richmix Square, Cygnet St, London E1 6LD

Mildreds, Dalston branch.

5. Mildreds

Ever thought vegans don’t have fun? Walking into Mildreds in Dalston at 11am on a Sunday is like walking into a buzzing club in Berlin. There’s DJ playing funky tunes and the bartender is shaking up cocktails for thirsty guests. Weekends at Mildreds are lively as they offer their brunch and roast menu on Saturdays and Sunday from 10am-1pm.

The Buffalo Chick’n burger.

Two stand-out vegan brunch dishes are the Bourbon Buffalo Chick’n burger and the big brunch. The burger comes with a vegan chicken fillet and is slathered with ranch dressing making it a fantastic saucy mess and the big brunch is essentially a big vegan fry up. The tofu scrambled eggs are moist and buttery making a great replacement for regular eggs and the vegan sausage is hearty and more filling than many alternative sausages available in restaurants. The fun thing about MIldreds is there is no clear theme or cuisine. You can order gyoza dumplings for starters, a burger for mains and toffee apple crumble for dessert and leave feeling satisfied.  

Mildreds, Thomas Tower, 1 Dalston Square, Dalston Lane,, London E8 3GU

Pie and mash.

6. Young Vegans

Traditional pie and mash shops have seen a huge decline in the past 50 years. They were once scattered across the city only to now become something of a novelty. Thick pastry and rich meaty fillings were a cockney classic and it was definitely unheard of to get a vegan pie back in the day. That’s where Young Vegans come in as they have embraced the traditional idea of pie and mash with their completely vegan pie and mash shop in Camden.

Vegan pie.

The steak and ale pie is a great choice if you’re looking to eat a classic pie as the dark brown gravy coats chunks of vegan steak. The pie crust is thick and holds the runny contents in very well without going soggy. Moving away from British traditions, their katsu curry pie offers an asian fusion with vegan chicken in a katsu curry sauce. All the pies come with the traditional options of mash, fries, gravy and peas along with the random but delicious mac and cheese.

For a small pie shop tucked away in Camden Market it’s easy to miss Young Vegans so make sure you pay a visit if you want an authentic London pie without the meat!

Young Vegans, Camden Market, 60 Camden Lock Pl, Camden Town, London NW1 8AF

Vegan brownie.

7. Bills 

Bills is not strictly a vegan restaurant but it deserves a place on this list as they’ve always been incredibly thoughtful with vegan and vegetarian options. This January they’ve launched their veganuary menu along with new vegan options on their fixed menu which give plant-based eateries a real run for their money.

Vegan duck starter.

For veganuary there is a special set menu where you can get three vegan courses for £14.95 or two courses for £11.95. The vegan duck salad is a divine starter as it’s miso and sesame dressing celebrate the traditional flavours of East Asian duck dishes and the red chilli garnish gives it an extra kick. A recurring theme of Asian dishes appear when it comes to plant-based options on the menu. The aubergine, lentil and chickpea dhal and butternut squash and turmeric and coconut stew are rich and much healthier options in comparison to the fried dishes on the rest of the menu.

The Bills menu is a glorious jumble of comfort foods and healthy treats. A new entry on the menu this year is the Moving Mountains burger which is on the veganuary menu. This vegan patty is made of a succulent mushroom and beetroot filling topped with lettuce, tomato and red onion.

Bills, 36-44 Brewer St, Soho, London W1F 9TB

Fillet-Om-Phish burger.

8. Mooshies 

Mooshies is a trendy vegan burger bar based in the food centric area of Brick Lane. The restaurant is covered in graffiti and has a very relaxed atmosphere with long canteen style benches and for diners to sit at. The fillet-om-phish and magic mushroom burgers both have indulgent deep fried fillings whilst the pulled mooshie and the what’s your beef burger are softer and more interesting in texture.

Pulled Mooshie burger.

Like any fast food restaurant, Mooshies have a selection of tasty sides to go with their burgers. Fries, chickpea bites and nachos are only a few of the sides but it’s the cheese sticks that have become somewhat famous in the vegan community. If you are looking to fill a cheese shaped hole the cheese sticks will satisfy craving as they are not dissimilar to mozzarella sticks. The golden brown-breaded outer shell covers a yellow molten filling of vegan cheese which delivers the all famous stringy cheese pull.

If you have a weakness for baked treats, you’ll want to save room for their oreo brownie which comes with an optional scoop of ice cream.

Mooshies, 104 Brick Ln, Spitalfields, London E1 6RL

The Kalifornia Kitchen interior.

9. Kalifornia Kitchen 

Entering Kalifornia Kitchen is like walking into the set of an influencers latest instagram post. The restaurant is lit by pink neon lights and is scattered with looming plants. Their ethos is “healthy is sexy” and their menu echoes this message with a clear emphasis on healthy ingredients. Trendy health foods such as chia, tumeric and jackfruit make appearances on the menu and drinks such as kombucha and their famous cbd latte are brilliant enough for you to stop by for a drink.

Their menu is split equally between brunch friendly dishes and dinner options. Following the pink theme of the restaurant, Kalifornia Kitchen do their own homemade pink croissants which go brilliantly with a cup of their cbd latte. In terms of fuller meals the Klassic Kalifornia burger is remarkable as it has a moving mountains b12 patty which tastes very much like a beef burger with its texture almost similar to a medium rare meat.

Food at Kalifornia Kitchen.

If you’re visiting with one or more people, the jackfruit and guac tacos are a great sharing dish as they serve 4 mini tacos with the sweet and sour jackfruit filing which comes garnished with garlic and ginger and aioli.

On a whole, the presentation of the food is very appealing but when it comes to dessert Kalifornia Kitchen take it  very seriously. The matcha cheesecake is almost fit to be an art piece in the Tate as it deep red raspberry chia jam is garnished with delicate flowers. The nutty base is creamy and sweet without being sickly and the chia jam is the finishing touch. Whether you want a full meal or a quick coffee, be sure to try one of their desserts.

Kalifornia Kitchen, 19 Percy St, Bloomsbury, London W1T 1DY

The simple interior of Wulf and Lamb.

10. Wulf and Lamb

Situated in the heart of Chelsea, Wulf and Lamb is wedged in the centre of Sloane Square’s upmarket shopping district. The restaurant has two levels of indoor seating along with an outdoor balcony for al fresco dining on those warmer nights. Having recently their launched a pizza menu, Wulf and Lamb give other vegan pizzas a run for their money as their cheese is gooey and stringy when it comes out of the oven.

Vegan pizza.

The main menu features a handful of random but delicious things such as the wulf burger, which comes with a seitan filling and their special cashew aioli which gives the burger extra moisture and flavour. When it comes to making dishes creamy, Wulf and Lamb have mastered the art. The mac and cheese is covered in their cheesy sauce and remained moist after it cooled down which is a great sign. As for their creamy linguine, it comes in a white wine and parmesan sauce   which is very different to the mac and cheese sauce.

Wulf and Lamb, 243 Pavilion Rd, Chelsea, London SW1X 0BP

Dead Barbie pizza.

11. Death By Pizza 

This 100% vegan pizza joint in Hackney is the love child of Young Vegans pie shop in Camden. Death By Pizza are based in Netil Market which is a East London foodie hotspot with a hybrid of cuisines and street food. Death By Pizza make wood fired pizzas using vegan dough and toppings such as vegan cheese, fake meat and rich sauces – all of which are the secret to their tasty pizza.

For a classic, order the margarita as the combination of the fresh sauce and vegan cheese is delightfully simple. For a more topping-heavy pizza the Devils Coglioni is a treat as it has double seitan pepperoni, vegan mozzarella and a marinara sauce base.

Devils Coglioni pizza.

If you’re one of the many people who think it’s acceptable to put pineapple on the pizza then you’ll enjoy Death By Pizza’s Filthy Weekend option. This pizza has a special ham-style seitan with marinara sauce, spring onions, vegan cheese and pineapple.

Their pizza dough is authentic and fluffy as it’s cooked in a large wood fire oven which makes the bread rise and bubble into perfectly golden brown crusts.

Death By Pizza, Netil Market, 13-23 Westgate St, London E8 3RL

The very pink interior.

12. Genesis

Organic + healthy is the motto of Genesis in Shoreditch. Looking at their menu, it’s hard to believe that anything is actually healthy as we normally associate burgers, tacos and fries to be junk food. On closer inspection all the ingredients that made junk food unhealthy seem to have been replaced with a healthy vegan alternative. The Genesis burger is packed with veggies and the hot dog isn’t processed meat but instead a low sugar and fat seitan dog.

The decoration of Genesis is very in-your-face as neon lights illuminate the room much like Kalifornia Kitchen. Diners are seen to be snapping pictures of both the food and restaurant as both are very appealing. Each table bares an oil-filled test tube which releases scents of lavender into the air. A candle beneath the test tube heats the mixture up much like a regular oil burner, but this is the exact kind of entertaining gimmick I expect and enjoy about Shoreditch.

Tacos.

The smoked chorizo tacos are soft and meaty as shredded seitan sits with picco de gallo, salsa and potatoes on a soft corn tortilla. For those not very into fake meats, the fried avocado taco is creamy and succulent and comes with vegan sour cream and refried beans.

Something great about Genesis is the sheer amount of options on the menu. It’s tricky deciding what to have as so many things sound appealing. Luckily the enthusiastic staff on hand are more than helpful to recommend dishes. If you have space for dessert, you must order the bread and butter pudding.

Genesis, 144 Commercial St, London E1 6NU

by Katrina Mirpuri

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