Vegan Restaurants You Need to Try in London

I realise that this post won't be helpful to anyone at the moment as the majority of these places are closed due to lockdown in the UK. However, I've actually been writing this for almost a year, slowly adding more and more restaurants, and I'm hoping that maybe these can be put on your lists of "things to do when lockdown is over" because they really are something to look forward too! 

Although not technically a vegan myself (I've been vegetarian for 19 years) you can't deny that vegan food is taking over! I think it's great that so many places, including more commercial chains and supermarkets, are getting involved with the vegan trend and creating products that not a single animal was involved with. I'm not going to get preachy or anything but I think it is worth mentioning how eating more plant-based foods is a lot better for the environment (as well as being healthier) and, believe it or not, vegan food is actually bloody delicious! Here are a few of my fave vegan restaurants in London for anyone who wants to give it a go...

Eat by Chloe, Covent Garden/London Bridge

Being the first restaurant that I tried in this list; Eat by Chloe really set the bar high. Offering American Deli/Diner food I was spoilt for choice with this menu. The stars of the show were the Pesto Meatball Sub and the Sweet Potato Fries. Seriously yummy and would deffo eat again. I also had the Mac & Cheese, I wasn't as blown away by this but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. Just not as creamy as I'd normally like. The cake was also, uhm, interesting. I think it was just the flavour I wasn't a fan of; not the fact it was vegan. I think next time I'll go for the Banana Walnut Bread; definitely more up my street.

Young Vegans, Camden Market

Pie & Mash; a British food staple and now available to the vegan market. How can you not be excited? Pie has always been one of my favourite foods and being vegetarian the options for me have been very few and far between. Until Now! Tucked away in a corner of Camden Market, it's a tiny little "over the counter" shop which, in all honesty, doesn't really look like much but MY GOD don't let the appearance put you off. This whole meal was delicious, I think I finished it in about 5 minutes I just couldn't stop eating. I went for the "Chicken" Katsu Pie; which may sound a bit odd but trust me when I say it was reallllllly good. They do also have many fake beef pies if that's more your taste; as well as a choice of a few sides, but if you're not getting mash with your pies then you're not doing it right!

Genesis, Shoreditch

Genisis really had the whole package; great food, great service and a really cool vibe. Similar to Eat by Chloe, the menu was filled with American diner-style dishes. There were quite a few options, however, I actually got really panicked at what to choose. I think, at places like this, it's good to order different mains and a couple of sides where you can really try as much as possible. If there is one dish you have to try, it's the Korean BBQ Wings. Possibly one of the tastiest dishes I have ever tried; I literally said "wow" after having my first bite. I also got the Banh Mi Dog and we shared the Jackfruit Hoisin Taco, both were also incredible. There wasn't a single part I didn't enjoy; I dare you to go to Genisis and not be impressed!

Unity Diner, Shoreditch

Another day another hot dog, my food choices are getting a bit predictable aren't they? This time it was topped with macaroni "cheese" and whoever made that decision deserves a medal! I also must mention the burger Sam had was delicious; but, the star of the show was definitely the Chicken Satay Skewers. OMG. I would have ordered ten more plates if it wasn't going to cost me a fortune. A slight drawback for Unity Diner was the service, it's not that it was bad, everyone was lovely, but it was a Sunday and I think they were a bit overstretched and it did take over an hour for them to get us our food. That being said; since we ate there I believe they have moved to a different location so hopefully they now have more staff on hand.

Tell Your Friends, Fulham

Taking a break from hot dogs and wings; Tell Your Friends is more of a cafe/bistro vibe where you can get some really good brunch dishes. I went for french toast, my Achilles heel of brunch dishes, my friend went for a chickpea "tuna" toastie and we had broccoli and fried chicken on the side. You can't really go wrong with french toast, but it is remarkable that it tastes exactly the same as when it's made with eggs. I'm not sure why I'm so surprised; I just always expect vegan dishes to taste more...vegany. The stand out dish was the broccoli; honestly, that may seem like the most boring but it was soo tasty. And what's not to like about fake fried chicken?

Rudy's Dirty Vegan Diner, Camden Market

Okay, back to Camden and back to hotdogs! The main draw for this restaurant was the Biscoff Banana Milkshake; as a huge fan of Biscoff and banana, we were incredibly excited about this. Turns out the food was actually better. The milkshake itself tasting solely of banana and it's safe to say we were a little disappointed, especially thinking about the price we paid for it! There was no such disappointment with the food, however. Getting the usual combination of burger, hot dog, fried chicken and fries, we definitely ate until we were about to burst. I also really like the location; it's in the midst of Camden Market and on a sunny day you can sit outside and take in the atmosphere. You may have to fight off other hungry vegans for a spot mind you.

The Vurger Co., Shoreditch

The Vurger Co. home of the most incredible Biscoff Milkshake I have ever tried; I still have dreams about it. I honestly don't know how they made it taste so good. It's the perfect ratio of Biscoff to "milk" and it was love at first sip. If you're going to order anything from The Vurger Co. make sure it's that. You've probably noticed that I've only got the one picture from this restaurant. Well, if I'm being totally honest, sometimes my hunger gets the better of me and I finish everything before remembering that cameras even exist! I think it was the Biscoff Milkshake, it threw my focus. I'll do better next time I promise. The Vurger Co. offers burgers and salads with quite impressive flavours and ingredients. If that's not enough you can also grab yourself a side of fries or mac'n'cheese. Whatever you chose, you will be walking away satisfied - trust me!

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