Veganuary may have been and gone, but with a raft of plant-based restaurants and cafes opening in the capital, there’s plenty of choice to satisfy you all year round.
The Brook
Originally hailing from Wallington in South London, The Brook upped sticks and crossed the river at the start of the year, opening a new location in Hackney close to London Fields Overground Station.
Wallington’s loss is Hackney’s gain, with the restaurant and cocktail bar serving dishes including The Brook beet burger, beer battered tofish and chips, jackfruit quesadillas, squash crostini and beetball lettuce tacos.
The Brook also holds regular open mic music nights, and has a private basement party room for up to 20 guests.
By Chloe
Founded by vegan chef and author Chloe Coscarelli (although she is no longer involved in the business), the By Chloe brand has around ten established locations across New York, Boston, LA and Providence.
The group opened its first London restaurant in Covent Garden’s Russell Street in February, with a second set to follow in Tower Bridge.
The fast casual menu features dishes including kale Caesar salad, the guac burger, and their version of mac ‘n cheese with (with sweet potato cashew ‘cheese’, chiitake bacon and almond parmesan).
The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker
Not strictly speaking a new venue, but this pub on St John’s Street in Islington converted to an all-vegan menu at the start of the year, and says that food sales have tripled as a result.
The pub serves dishes including a Nashville hot seitan burger, ‘chorizo’, jalapeno and refried bean grilled ‘cheese’ sandwich, and banana cinnamon and date bread and ‘butter’ pudding.
The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker also runs a quiz every Tuesday evening, and is dog and child-friendly.
Purezza
The vegan pizzeria brand opened in Brighton in 2015, and is set to add its first London venue in March, close to Camden Town Underground station.
The group says it spent two years developing its own mozzarella alternative using Italian brown rice, and also serves raw cashew cheeses, a ricotta style cheese and a creamy coconut cheese.
Pizza choices include the Fumosa, featuring a smokey tomato base, chestnut mushrooms, smoked beet & fried tofu, topped with BBQ sauce, and the Vulcano, with roasted aubergine, green chilli peppers, sweetcorn, romano peppers and red onions, topped with sririacha sauce.
Wulf and Lamb
Located on a pedestrian-only street close to Sloane Square Underground station, Wulf and Lamb opened late last year and offers “plant-based comfort food”.
The venue is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with dishes including Wulf Pie (pulled jackfruit and lentil stew with mashed-potato and baby carrots), and chilli ‘non’ carne (a smoky chilli of spiced mushrooms, lentils and kidney beans on basmati herb rice with cashew sour cream, lime and coriander cress).
Others coming soon
What the Pitta – the vegan doner kebab brand already has established outlets at Boxpark locations in Croydon and Shoreditch, and will open a new eatery in Bayham Street in Camden on March 9. whatthepitta.com
The Vurger Company – the pop-up vegan burger brand will open a permanent restaurant on Richmix Square near Brick Lane this month. Expect more of the group’s signature Auburger, MLT and Mexican burger choices, as well as mac ‘n’ ‘cheese’ and ‘milkshakes’. thevurgerco.com
