London: Being Vegan in the Capital
Ranked by Happy Cow as number one in the top 10 vegan-friendly cities in the world, London currently has 161 fully vegan restaurants and over 350 fully vegan establishments. I try to visit London at least once a year and visit as many vegan spots as possible. This has quickly become the highlight of each year seeing the advancement in veganism year on year. Of course, I have my favourite spots (as we all do) but seeing new vegan establishments grow gives me faith for the future. From Soho to Camden, covert gardens and everywhere in between, the word vegan can be seen all over the city and that must be why there are 1,997 total listings on HappyCow!
I truly believe every vegan visiting London owes it to themselves to visit Unity Diner! I make sure to check out Unity Diner every time I go to London and it has never disappointed me. With a seasonally changing menu, you’re always in for something fresh and different. Some of my highlights have been the Redefine Meat 3D printed 5oz sirloin steak, the award-winning to-fish & chips and the sauteed prawns. However, in this post, I want to talk about the gammon & egg burger and the surf n’ turf dog. As a Veganuary special Unity Diner launched the OmniFoods gammon, egg & pineapple burger. Featuring a 100% vegan fried egg, OmniFoods pork steak & grilled pineapple served on a bed of lettuce in a toasted brioche bun with a touch of rosemary-applesauce. It was as good as it sounds and OmniFoods is a real game changer in the vegan space. We also got the Moving Mountains hot dog topped with caramelised onions, tempura-battered vegan prawns & smoky-sweet UD hot dog sauce, served in a charcoal hotdog bun. Located in the heart of Spitalfields there is no reason you should miss out on the always impressive experience of Unity Diner!
At this point burgers are a vegan staple, everywhere does one. From a bean burger to VFC to Beyond Meat and Linda McCartney the options for a vegan are endless. Which is why I want to talk about Bang on Burgers and Neat Burger. When starting my yearly food visits to London to very first place I ended up at was Bang on Burgers. Located in Camden Market Hawley Wharf, I stumbled upon the stand hungry and cold so as soon as I saw a vegan chicken burger with cheese, tomato relish, lettuce, tomato, caramelised red onion and fries, I was all over it! The burger did not disappoint and similarly, there seemed to be endless food options on Hawley Wharf for vegans or non-vegans. Sadly I have been back to the wharf since and Bang on Burgers no longer seems to be occupying the space. Someday I hope to stumble upon them again in a similar scenario. A short walk away from Hawley Wharf in Camden is Neat Burger. Advertising themselves as “a delicious and sustainable plant-based alternative to meat.” and I’m inclined to agree with them. Offering burgers, seasonal super salads, handmade artisan ciabatta and sharing plates, there is something for everyone. On this visit, we went for the crispy chick’n Sandwich with triple pickle, shredded romaine and creamy mayo with potato puffs. It was delicious and with all of Neat Burgers options, I belive it would be a great place for anyone of any dietary requirements.
When I first stumbled upon Franco Manca I had no idea it was a chain. To me, it was just a cute little pizza place specialising in sourdough pizza, so I went in with 0 expectations and became a huge fan. With the benefit of a huge Veganuary push throughout the entirety of London, looking for somewhere for lunch was pretty easy but pizza was on the card that day. Upon first glance, I could see that the no.1 pizza was already vegan with it being just organic tomato, garlic, basil & oregano. I then saw that vegan cheese was also available, and could be swapped instead of mozzarella opening up even more pizza possibilities. If that wasn’t enough Franco Manca has a daily changing vegan special in every restaurant so how could I turn it down? This year’s Veganuary special was organic tomato, caramelised red onions, mixed wild mushrooms, spicy watercress pesto and roasted hazelnuts. Hazelnuts on a pizza was something different for me but I have to say it will be something I try again. We also went for the signature margarita with Violife vegan cheese, you just can’t go wrong with a margarita. I understand some people are averse to visiting chains, but I must say no matter what group of people you are with pizza will always go down well and for vegans, Franco Manca does it well.
Breakfast at Kin Cafe has become a staple of my yearly visits and just looking at the photos you can see why. KIN is a cosy spot for delicious plant-based dishes, as the whole cafe is vegetarian and vegan. Located less than five minutes from Oxford Street, KIN offers a quiet brunch escape from the city. With so many vegan and vegetarian options on the menu, I promise you your meat-eating friends will not miss out here. When visiting Kin we have always gone for the same options, one classic Kin burrito with sweet potato and kale, grilled peppers, avocado, refried beans, scrambled tofu, vegan cheddar cheese and hot sauce. As well as the vegan version of the KIN breakfast. Home-style potato hash, fried mushrooms, smashed avocado, spinach, grilled tomato, baked beans, hummus, sourdough toast and scrambled tofu! Kins atmosphere, food and vibe are what keeps bringing me back year after year and why you should go too.