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Vegetarian London (6th edition) Updates
Updates as at 12 May 2013.
This page has the newest places listed first. The pdf has them arranged by area. Vegan social events in London
London Vegan Meetup NEW Just Falafel, Covent Garden vegetarian cafe and take-away, 1 Monmouth Street WC2H 9DA (corner Neal Street). Tel: 020-7836 2066. Open: Mon-Sun 09.00-22.00. The first London branch of an international chain of 500 cafes, with more to follow around the capital. Falafels £3.49 in 9 varieties such as Mexican, Japanese, Egyptian. Falafel meal £4.99 with fries and drink. Hot and cold drinks 99p-£1.99. A few seats inside, tables outside. MC, Visa. Also at 129 Baker Street, Marylebone W1U 6SD (opposite the tube) and Unit 29, Hammersmith Broadway Shopping Centre. www.justfalafel.com NEW Amico Bio Holborn Italian vegetarian organic restaurant at 43 New Oxford Street WC1A 1BH. Tel: 020-7836 7509. Tube: Tottenham Court Rd. Open: Mon-Sat 11.00-23.00. Similar to the original Farringdon branch but this one also does pizzas including vegan. Vegan organic wines. www.amicobio.co.uk NEW NAMA raw vegan cafe 19 Londsale Road, Queens Park NW6 6RA (next to CC cake shop) Tel: 07870 140864. Tube: Queens Park. Open: Tue-Sun 9.00-18.00. Cash only. facebook.com/Nama.Artisan.Raw.Foods NEW Courtyard Cafe, Kennington vegetarian cafe, in Jamyang Budhist Centre, 43 Renfrew Road SE11 4NA. Tel: 020 7820 8787. Open: Mon-Fri 10.00-15.00, later when courses on, Sat-Sun closed. Our write up of them in Vegetarian Living magazine and see also www.jamyang.co.uk NEW The Waiting Room vegetarian cafe, 142 Deptford High Street SE8 3PQ. Open: Mon-Fri 08.00-19.00, Sat 09.00-19.00. Cash only. Facebook The Waiting Room NEW Alkarmel vegetarian cafe, Clapham 95 Landor Road SW9 9PH. Open: Mon-Thu 07.00-21.00, Fri-Sun 07.00-late. Hot meals £3.50-4.50 such as chilli or curry and rice, stew, pasta. Sandwiches, panini. Falafels, mezze, hot dogs, burgers, soups. Drinks £1-1.50. BYO. twitter.com/alkarmel_cafe NEW Oracles Organic, Brixton vegan juice bar and cafe, Shop 60, 6th Avenue, Brixton Village Arcade SW2 8PS. Tel: 07584 240909. Open: Mon-Fri 10.00-20.00, Sat 10.00-22.00. Our writeup in Vegetarian Living magazine and their Facebook page. NEW l'Express French vegetarian cafe, Brixton 15-17 Market Row, Brixton Market SW9 8LB. Tel: 07448 831 937 text for bookings. Open: Thu-Sat 19.00-21.30, Sun 9.00-16.00. Cash only. facebook.com/lExpresscafe Wild Food Cafe
in Covent Garden, has added a juice juice bar downstairs: Vantra in Soho is closed for refurbishment, so go to their nearby sister restaurant VitaO NEW The Gate vegetarian restaurant, Islington 370 St John Street EC1V 4NN. Tel: 020-7278 5483. Tube: Angel. Opposite Saddlers Wells theatre. Turn left out of Angel tube, walk south across the big junction towards Rosebery Ave. Open: Mon-Sun 12.00-23.00 mezze bar menu (except during weekend brunch), a la carte 12.00-14.30, 18.00-22.30, weekend brunch 10.00-15.00. New branch of the top gourmet vegetarian restaurant. Note the Hammersmith branch is closed for refurbishment, reopening 1st October 2012. thegaterestaurants.com NEW VGANGO vegan deli and take-away, Battersea at 39 Webbs Road SW11 6RX. Tel: 020-7228 0078. Open: Mon-Sat 07.30-17.00 (Wed 16.00), Sun closed. Tube: Clapham South 10 minutes walk, Train Clapham Junction 5 mins. Stock most of Frys, Redwood and Vegusto products. Jacket potatoes filled with them, burgers, salads, toasted paninis, wraps, hotdogs, pies. Cakes and cupcakes by Ms Cupcake. Hot and cold drinks. www.vegango.com NEW The Third Estate vegan shoe shop 27 Brecknock Rd, N7 0BT (near Bumblee wholefood shops). Tel: 020-3620.2361. Tube/train: Camden Road overground, Kentish Town, Gospel Oak, bus 253, 29, 390. Open: Tue-Wed 10.00-17.30, Thu 11.00-19.00, Fri-Sat 10.00-17.30. Moved from Leeds, all the shoes are vegan/vegetarian. Brands include Vegetarian Shoes, Macbeth (vegan range), Ethletic (organic and FSC certified) and Novacas. Also a range of independent clothing made from organic or reclaimed materials and clothing which is fairly/ethically traded. Facebook: The Third Estate NEW The Coach & Horses vegetarian pub 29 Greek Street, Soho W1D 5DH
(just south of Old Compton St). Tel: 020-7437 5920. Bar open: Mon-Thu 11.00-23.00, Fri-Sat 11.00-24.00,
Sun 12.00-23.00; food: Mon-Sat 18.00-22.30, Sun 18.00-21.30. Tube: Leicester Square.
Proper old-fashioned English pub, one of the oldest in Soho, and since March 2012 the room upstairs is
now an evening vegetarian restaurant. Two courses £14.95, £19.95.
The Italian chef was previously at Manna gourmet vegan restaurant in Primrose Hill for four years.
The restaurant can get busy with parties, so best to phone to reserve to be sure to get in. NEW 42°Raw vegan raw food restaurant, near Piccadilly Circus inside the back entrance of the Royal Academy at 6 Burlington Gardens, London W1S 3ES (From Piccadilly Circus go north up Regent Street, turn left into Vigo St and keep going, it's close to Tibits). Tel: 020-7300 8059. Open: Mon-Sat 08.30-18.00, Sun closed. New York City has 10, this is London's first totally raw cafe, though their first branch is in Copenhagen. Look for the massive building with columns. There is a counter service area, then you sit at tables inside the Royal Academy or outside amongst the columns, great if you have a dog with you. All food is raw vegan, but their landlord the Royal Academy insisted they have cow's milk available for coffee. If you'd rather not support the veal industry by buying milk, they also have soya milk and make their own almond milk. Breakfasts £3-3.80 include muesli with raw yogurt and fruit, and chia-cacao pudding. Main dishes £6-7 include salads, sandwiches on flax seed bread, squash lasagne, squash hummus with crispy dehydrated biscuits, and Thai noodles of carrot and zuchini in curry sauce. Tapas selection £10. Desserts and cakes £2.50 include energy balls, chocolate cake, mint cake, vanilla cookies. Green and fruit juices and unusual smoothies £2-4.50. Hot drinks £1.50-2.50). Menus at 42raw.co.uk NEW Orchard vegetarian cafe-restaurant, Holborn at 11 Sicilian Avenue WC1A 2QH. Tel: 0207 831 2715. Open: Mon-Fri, 08.00-20.00, Sat 9.00-20.00. From the people who brought you Vanilla Black. Upmarket non-vegans who are happy with dairy or egg in every course will love it, but vegans and anyone with a dairy intolerance could be extremely frustrated at the total lack of vegan breakfast options and only one main and dessert, but those are exquisite: roasted shallot and hazelnut tart with wilted spinach, sweet onion puree and pickled mushrooms £8.25; followed by seasonal fruit stew with oat clusters £4.50 (no vegan option on the cinammon cream). The food is amazingly presented, the decor is beautiful and there are outside tables to enjoy the summer, but the lack of animal-free options is very disappointing. Excellent drinks choice. Wine from £4.40 glass, £17.95 bottle. Samuel Smiths organic vegan lager and ale £4. English apple juices £1.40. Pear juice £2.95. Around £15 for two courses with drink excluding service. Sample menu at www.vanillablack.co.uk Saf in Shoreditch has closed (page 134) but the Kensington branch at Whole Foods Market remains. Buffet V (page 94) on New Oxford Street is now serving meat, so go to Jai at 33 Old Compton Street. In Islington the Chinese buffet opposite Angel tube that keeps changing its name has also just started serving meat, so you may prefer to go to Indian Veg on Chapel Market.NEW G&T Coffee Shop, 204 Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London E2 9NQ. Tube: Bethnal Green. Open: Mon-Fri 7.30-17.30, Sat 9.00-16.30, Sun closed. Tiny but excellent new vegan (apart from cow’s milk) coffee shop and Italian organic grocery with sandwiches, cakes from Manna vegan restaurant, Italian vegan croissants, chocolate croissants, truffles, chocolate. Hooray no “vegan tax” but instead discount for taking soya milk in coffee, we like. Two seats inside, a few outside. It's round the corner from The Gallery, near Saturday Broadway Market, call in here for cakes to take to London Fields or Victoria Park. Or go on a monster all-day five veggie cafes crawl from The Larder to The Gallery to G&T to Gossip to a picnic in London Fields then finish up at Pogo for dinner. gandtlondon.tumblr.com/about NEW The Larder vegetarian cafe replaces Wild Cherry (page 176, Globe Town) at 241 Globe Road, Bethnal Green E2 0JD, next to the London Buddhist Centre. Tel: 020-3490 1404. Open: Mon-Fri 8.00-19.00, hot food till 17.00; Sat-Sun 9.00-17.00. Soup £3.85, specials £5.95-6.95. Lots of cakes £1.60-2.20 including vegan carrot cake, mango cheesecake, chocolate cake. Take-away cheaper. Coffees £1.60-2.50. www.worldslarder.co.uk Friends Organic wholefood shop (page 175) in Globe Town / Bethnal Green has closed. But the nearby Gallery vegetarian cafe in Old Ford Road (page 177) is now open longer hours and has lots of free events: Mon, Tue, Thu 9.00-19.30; Wed 9.00-22.00; Fri 9.00-23.00; Sat 10.00-18.00, Sun 11.00-18.00. Every Wed open mic night for poets and musicians from 19.00. Every Fri free live acoustic or electronic music from 19.00. Time Out's First Thursdays has art, culture and events. NEW Greenz vegan restaurant (previously called A Taste of Heaven) at 5 Station Rise, Tulse Hill SE27 9BW. Tel: 020-8678 0569. Open: Sun 12.30-14.30, 17.30-22.00, Tue-Thu 17.30-22.00, Sat (Nov-Mar) 19.00-23.00; closed Sat (Apr-Oct), Mon, Fri. Healthy vegan Caribbean style food. See website for menu. www.greenzlife.com (Note their original .co.uk website has been hijacked and wrongly says they have closed.) Zen Garden, Leather Lane EC1 closed (page 137, City). Try instead the nearby new Italian vegetarian restaurant Amico Bio, see below. World Food Cafe is now Wild Food Cafe, upstairs in Neal's Yard, Covent Garden. Open: Mon-Sun 12.00-17.00. Gourmet vegetarian and raw food and amazing juices. www.facebook.com/WildFoodCafe As Nature Intended, Stratford, wholefood store, new branch of the popular organic wholefood shops near the Olympic park at Westfield Stratford shopping centre, Great Eastern Market (near Waitrose and Stratford International exit), Lower Ground Floor, Stratford, London E20 1EH. Tel: 020-8534 8807. www.asnatureintended.uk.com CLOSED: new central openings Mrs Marengo's, October Cafe, Otarian, Tata, Zilli Green. Also Veggie Inn in Harrow and Happy Kitchen in Hackney. NEW Karma Free Pizza Company, Harrow at 387 Alexandra Avenue HA2 9EF. Tel: 020-8868 9888. Open: Mon-Sun 16.00-22.30. Tube: Rayners Lane. All vegetarian and they can make pizzas with vegan cheese. www.thekarmafreepizzacompany.com and on Facebook NEW Planet Organic near Liverpool Street station at 10 Devonshire Square EC2M 4AE. Tel: 020-7220 9060. Open: Mon-Fri 07.30-21.00, Sat-Sun closed. www.planetorganic.com NEW Ms Cupcake, Brixton, vegan cake shop at 408 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW9 8LF. Open: Mon-Wed & Sat 11.00-18.00, Thu-Fri 11.00-19.00, Sun 11.00-17.00. London's first vegan cake shop has cupcakes galore, brownies, cookies, tray-bakes, loaf and layer cakes. Also at Greenwich Market Fridays 10.00-17.00 and Tea Rooms Brick Lane on Sundays. www.mscupcake.co.uk, www.facebook.com/Ms.CupcakeUK (lots of hot cake pictures to get you in the mood), twitter.com/MsCupcakeUK, review with photos Rajens (page 222) has closed on West Hendon Broadway. Joi on Percy Street and Wai on Goodge Street have closed (off Tottenham Court Road).
Rootmaster (Brick Lane) has closed. You wait years for a decent vegetarian place in south-east London and then two come along at once. NEW Indian Mischief vegetarian Indian restaurant, Dulwich at 71 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich SE22 8EP. Tel: 020-8693 1627. Spud and Fiona report: Very friendly amenable staff, superb service. Everything suitable for vegans is already marked on the menu (about 90%). Vegan wines also marked. Original and unusual dishes across the menu, don't come here for a veggie korma or massala, more typical are a full menu of dhosas, and a seperate menu of house specials, such as Cashew Nut Mahlabhari or Dingri Mattar. Great service, amazing food and really good value. NEW Bio Organix health food shop, 141-153 Drummond Street, Euston NW1 2PB. Tel: 020-7383 3993, 020-3174 0520. Tube: Euston, Euston Square. The street with 3 Indian vegetarian restaurants now has a health food shop. www.bio-organixhealth.com Greens & Beans has closed in Drummond Street, Euston. NEW Falafel stalls in Portobello Road CLOSED: Chinese Veg, 177 Upper Street N1 (oppposite Islington Town Hall); NEW Cafe Pura vegetarian cafe, Greenwich 48 Newton Lodge, Oval Square (Greenwich Millennium Village), West Parkside, London SE10 0BA. Tube: North Greenwich (Jubilee), bus 108, 129. Open: Mon-Wed 08.00-19.00, Thu-Fri 08.00-20.00, Sat 9.00-18.00, Sun 10.00-17.00. New cafe in the same building as the Ayurveda Pura health spa and beauty centre. Breakfast £1.95-2.95 such as rolls or toast with jam or peanut butter, fruit salad, muesli. Light meals and snacks £1.95-4.00 such as samosas, veggie burger, idli lentil and rice cakes with chutney, soup, salads, sandwiches to order. Thu-Fri from 6pm curries, though they use a lot of cheese there is a vegan one. Cakes and cookies from £1.20. Hot and cold drinks £1.40-3.60 including latte, cappuccino, juices, smoothies. www.AyurvedaPura.com NEW Yummy V, Harrow Cantonese vegetarian restaurant, 55 Station Rd HA1 2TY. (next to Sri Rathiga page 359). Tel: 020-8862 6632. Open: Mon–Sat 12.30–14.30, 17.30-22.30. Sun 17.00-22.00. Tube: Harrow-on-the-Hill. Lots of fake meat. No onion, garlic or egg. Menus at www.yummyv.co.uk Veg at 4-6 Theobalds Rd (corner Grays Inn Rd) has closed (p.94). Vegan Routes in Brewer Street has closed. Try Mildred's round the corner. Rootmaster off Brick Lane is temporarily closed and looking for a new location. NEW Amico Bio Italian vegetarian restaurant, the City at 44 Cloth Fair, Farringdon EC1 5JQ.
Tel: 020-7600 7778 . Open: Mon–Fri 12.00–22.30, Sat 17.30-22.30, Sun and bank holidays closed. Tube: Barbican, Farringdon.
Plenty of vegan food including a dessert.
Sample menu (pdf 127KB) Map at
www.amicobio.co.uk NEW
Vx vegan shop, Kings Cross.
Previously the Secret Society of Vegans shop, now at a new bigger location and
a new name at 73 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, N1 9BT, near Tony's vegan cafe (see map page 229, now closed).
Tube: Kings Cross (5 mins walk). Tel: 020-020 7833 2315. Open: Mon 11.00-19.30, Tue-Sun 10.00-18.30. Shoes
(Bourgeois Boheme, Veganline, Macbeth), grocery (vegan Oreos, biscuits, vegan pet food etc),
frozen ready meals (+ burgers and nuggets), refrigerated French vegan cheese spread, cakes (cupcakes, whoopies),
books including Vegetarian Guides, clothing (T-shirts, hoodies, fake leather jackets, bags, belts).
www.vegancross.co.uk or
www.facebook.com/vxshop NEW Saf, Kensington at Whole Foods Market, 63 Kensington High Street W8.
Tel: 020-7368 4555/6, 020-7613 0007. Open: Mon–Sat 12.00–21.30 (last orders 21.00).
Tube: High Street Kensington. Bus 9 or 10 from centre. New second branch of the gourmet vegan and raw licensed
restaurant opened April 2010.
www.safrestaurant.co.uk/kensington.html NEW Loving Hut, Camden, Chinese vegan buffet, eat and pay as you like (but be fair).
3 Plender Street, off Camden High Street NW1 0JS. Tel: 020-7387 5710. Open: Mon-Sat 12.00-21.00, Sun closed.
Fabulous vegan cakes. Hot and cold drinks, soya cappuccino. Big veggie burgers and kebabs
(great for people who miss Red Veg). Eat and 2 Veg has closed in Marylebone. Try Woodlands Marylebone instead, Tibits (below),
or head to the Euston section. NEW Itadaki-zen organic vegan Japanese restaurant, 139 King's Cross Rd, WC1X 9BJ.
Tel: 020-7278 3573. Open: Mon-Thu 11.00-22.30, Fri-Sat 11.00-23.00, Sun closed. Lunch sushi set
£7.50. Multi-dish dinner with dessert £19-21 + 10 per cent service.
www.itadakizen.com Inspiral Lounge in Camden now has an alcohol and dance licence and is open till past
midnight. And the food is mostly vegan.
And they have lots of vegan ice-cream. It’s brilliant for meeting friends.
NEW Sagar Covent Garden Indian vegetarian restaurant 31 Catherine Street WC2B 5JS
(near Aldwych).
Tel 020-7836 6377. Open: Mon-Sat 12.00-23.00, Sun 13.00-22.00. Like the branch at Tottenham
Court Road, page 101.
Health Food Centre, Warren Street (page 100) has taken over the shop next door and
now has a vegetarian café
plus therapy rooms offering acupuncture, reflexology, nutrition etc.
Soho The Chinese vegan buffet restaurants in Lexington Street and at 10 Greek Street have closed.
V and M fast food has closed. Red Veg has closed for the new Crossrail station, try Maoz instead for fast food.
NEW Lo Fu Buffet Shepherds Bush (north side of the Green), 86 Uxbridge Road W12. Tel 077950 80418.
Open every day 12.00-22.00. Yet another new Chinese all-you-can-eat vegan buffet restaurant.
£5.50 lunch, £6.50 evening and Sunday, +10% optional service charge.
Hot and cold drinks £1.50. No alcohol. Cash only. Take-away box £3.50. NEW Vasanta Bhavan Indian vegetarian restaurant, East Ham 206 High Street North E6 2JA
(junction Sibley Grove, by East Ham tube). Tel: 020-8475 8986. Open every day 10.00-22.30.
Fantastic value south Indian restaurant with young staff from Chennai. Over 100 items on the menu.
Starters, dosas,
utthappam, curries and Chinese dishes £1.40-3.40. Fri-Sun lunch buffet 12.30-16.30
£4.75. Mini meal set lunch 12.30-16.30 every day £3.50. Butter ghee used in some
dishes but can substitute oil for vegans, but there is no vegan dessert. Tea 60p, coffee £1,
no soya milk. All prices plus VAT. No alcohol.
www.thevasantabhavan.com
NEW Falafel King, Portobello Market 274 Portobello Road, W10 5TE (by the Westway near
Portobello Wholefoods).
Open every day 11.00-19.00. Omnivorous cafe and take-away with what they call "the best falafels
in the Western world." Falafel £5 with hummous, salad, tahini, chili sauce and a fresh
lemonade. Half portion £3. Kids falafel with drink £3. Freshly squeezed
orange juice £3. Some seating outside. NEW Tibits vegetarian restaurant, 12-14 Heddon Street, W1B 4DA (off Regent Street).
Tel: 020-7758 4110. Open: Mon-Wed 09.00-22.30, Thu-Sat 09.30-24.00, Sun 11.30-21.00. Big and beautiful new gourmet vegetarian
buffet restaurant close to where the much loved Country Life used to be, operated by the owners of a chain of vegetarian restaurants
in Switzerland. Country Life fans will enjoy the big buffet with
over 50 items. Buffet price for
breakfast £1.50 per 100 grammes, lunch £1.90, dinner £2.10, and £1.40 take-away.
They now have more vegan hot dishes and hooray vegan desserts
on the buffet. Unlike Country Life, Tibits is open Friday night and Saturday too,
and they have an extensive wine list, from £3.50 glass, £12.50 bottle.
Organic lager £2.10 (25cl), £3.90 (pint, 568ml).
Cocktails £7. Freshly squeezed juice £3.70-4.10. While Soho has a vegetarian restaurant or cafe every 100 metres,
Tibits is the only vegetarian restaurant on the west side of Regent Street and therefore very welcome. Coffee and
cappuccino are good value for the area at £1.60-2.40. They have soya milk. Kids
area downstairs. Some outside tables. Big area downstairs is good for parties, groups and events. No reservations (except
for the party area).
www.tibits.co.uk NEW Jai Shri Krishna, Turnpike Lane 10 Turnpike Lane. N8 0PT. Tel: 020-8888 7200.
Open: Tue-Sun 12.00-14.00, 17.30-23.00, closed Mon. New branch of the popular
Finsbury Park Indian vegetarian restaurant.
NEW Vanilla Black, off Chancery Lane 17- 18 Tooks Court, The City, EC4A 1LB. Tel: 020-7242 2622.
Open: Mon-Fri 12.00-14.30, 18.00-22.00, closed Sat-Sun and public holidays. York's posh vegetarian
restaurant has relocated to the City. 2 courses £24, 3 for £30.
Set lunch menu 2 courses £18, 3 for £23. Optional 12.5% service charge.
Wine from £4.50 glass, £14.50 bottle.
www.vanillablack.co.uk
NEW Alchemy vegetarian cafe and juice bar, Camden Stables Market, Unit 101,
Chalk Farm Road, Camden NW1 8AH. Tel: 020-72676 188. Open: Mon-Fri 10.00-21.00,
Sat-Sun 10.00-19.00. Very conscious cafe in a yoga and meditation centre.
Hot and cold meals such as hot rice bowl, hot grains and soups, salads, vegan chocolate,
cakes, coffee and tea, and lots of fresh juices and smoothies.
Seats 20. Main course £3.50-£7. Entrance is on Chalk Farm Road
at the intersection with Hartland Road. "Go straight through the entrance
and follow the signs straight ahead. 150 yards inside the market. Just pass Cuban
restaurant turn left and go up the stairs (towards the bathroom). Cross the short
bridge on the right. We are above Karmaa, the kickboxing studio."
www.alchemythecentre.co.uk
NEW Planet Organic, Islington 64 Essex Road, N1 8LR.
Tel: 020-7288 9460. Open: Mon-Fri 08.30-21.00, Sat 9.00-21.00, Sun 10.00-20.00.
New branch of the organic supermarket opened September 2008. See map on page 229 of
Vegetarian London 2008.
www.planetorganic.com
NEW Planet Organic, Muswell Hill 111/117 Muswell Hill Road, N10 3HS.
Tel: 020-8442 2910. Open: Mon-Fri 08.30-21.00, Sat 9.00-21.00, Sun 10.00-20.00.
New branch of the organic supermarket opened August 2008.
www.planetorganic.com
Spirited Palace phone number (page 278) is now 020-8768 0609.
Lush and B in Carnaby Street, Soho (pages 69-70) had their leases terminated and
had to close but you can still go to the nearby Regent Street Lush (page 69) and Mayfair
Lush (page 127), and the flagship Covent Garden Lush (page 84).
Total Organics, Marylebone (page 125) has closed.
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