The best vegan restaurants in London
As the environmental crisis rages on and concerns about ethical and sustainable food production become ever more urgent, more and more people are moving towards plant-based diets in a bid to do their part. Veganism has come a long way from the days when it was a little-understood regime, marginalised by the restaurant industry. Vegans are now increasingly well catered for, especially in big cities like London, where Veganuary is now a yearly tradition for many, and everyone is sharing their favourite vegan recipes. But for when you want to go out, we've gathered the best vegan restaurants in London, from fine-dining tasting menus to of-the-moment flame-cooked fare and trendy LA-style cafés.
MAY WE SUGGEST: For more recommendations, take a look at our round-up of the best restaurants in London.
1/16Mallow, Borough Market
From the team behind Mildreds, Mallow is a plant-based, ‘minimal waste’ restaurant focusing on seasonal food with global flavour influence. Having heard so much about Mallow since it opened in 2021 I headed to the Borough Market restaurant to see what all the fuss was about. The space is immediately impressive with high ceilings and huge windows that flood the space with natural light highlighting the delicate botanical murals that climb the walls. Mallow has a serene energy and is an incredibly relaxing oasis that floats over the buzz of the busy market below.
Aiming to try as many dishes as I could manage, I opted for the ‘market menu dinner’ which gets you 9 dishes served as sharing plates - the portions are very generous so make sure you arrive hungry! It is worth noting that the menu features seasonal dishes so will change depending on when you visit. Our offering included charred leek bharta, mojo rojo croquettes and a vibrant roast cauliflower curry.
The drinks list showcases wine growers with a commitment to sustainable practices, alongside an imaginative cocktail offering - the elderflower mezcalita was a particular highlight for me. To finish strong I tried a Mallow favorite, the pistachio pandan tres leche, a soaked almond pistachio sponge with pistachio anglais, it’s simply a work of art. Mallow is an absolute winner. Delicious food in a dreamy setting, with a wonderful and attentive team who make you feel right at home. I can’t wait to go back. – Lottie Eustace
1 Cathedral St, London SE1 9DE
2/16Scully, St James's
This namesake restaurant is Ramael Scully's first solo venture, having previously held the position of Head Chef at Ottolenghi's NOPI. Although not a strictly vegan restaurant, Scully’s à la carte menu offers vegetarian options that can be adapted for vegans. If you are after a full plant-based experience, go for the vegan tasting menu. The 5 courses of exquisite dishes challenge your senses with unexpected texture and flavor combinations. The highlight of the menu was the Forbidden Black Rice with Artichoke Flower, Smoked Tofu and vegetable XO Sauce which was one of the best things I have ever tasted. The atmosphere is surprisingly relaxed in Scully, the open kitchen creating a little bit of buzzy ambience and excitement. You can opt in for the wine flight to run alongside the tasting menu dishes which I highly recommend, as you will try some wines that you might usually overlook, and the pairings truly elevate the dishes.
This is an ideal place to celebrate a special occasion or impress a loved one. It’s proper fine dining with a price tag to match, however, if you have the opportunity to dine at Scully, it really will feel worth it. – Lottie Eustace
4 St. James's Market, London SW1Y 4AH
3/16Mildred's, Soho
This all-vegetarian, mainly-vegan restaurant has been a Soho staple for London veggies since 1988. The menu has an international focus; current offerings range from gyoza dumplings to pan-fried gnocchi, beetroot burgers and sweet potato coconut curry. Their takeaway boxes are the envy of packed-lunchers everywhere and tables for dinner remain in high demand. The staff are always warm and inviting and the atmosphere is buzzy. The dessert menu deserves a special mention as it’s rare for vegans to have such great options for a sugar fix - I will be craving the warm cookie dough blondie for years to come. The dinner set menu Taste of Mildreds (available at Soho & Covent Garden) takes you on a delicious journey through the menu's top hits, perfect for the indecisive among us. Highlights of the set menu included the crunchy fried 'chorizo' arancini rossi and the kiri hodi, a Sri lankan coconut curry. Long live Mildreds! – Lottie Eustace
Camden: 9 Jamestown Rd, London NW1 7BW
King's Cross: 200 Pentonville Rd, London N1 9JP
Soho: 45 Lexington St, Carnaby, London W1F 9AN
Victoria: 128 Wilton Rd, Pimlico, London SW1V 1JZ
Covent Garden: 79 St Martin's Ln, London WC2N 4AA
4/16Holy Carrot, Notting Hill
A relaxed but dazzling experience, Holy Carrot is a vegetarian's dream come true. Set on a corner plot on Portobello Road, Irina Linovich's concept puts restaurants who resort to mushroom risotto as their only veggie option to shame.
The kitchen is headed up by Daniel Watkins, previously of Dalston’s ACME Fire Cult, and the majority of the cooking is done over an open flame. The menu is plant-based, filling and designed to be shared, so go with a big appetite so you can sample more. Top dishes include the coal roasted leeks with corn, almonds and aji chilli, as well as the artichokes in a massaman sauce.
In the summer, diners can sit by the open windows and watch the market's bustle go by, but the setting lends itself to a romantic dinner for two just as well, with candlelight flickering and bouncing off the steel bar. – Arabella Bowes
156 Portobello Rd, London W11 2EB
Patricia Niven5/16Bubala, King's Cross, Soho, Spitalfields
Bold, bright, vegetable-forward dips and heavenly dishes paired with pillowy soft breads are the name of the game at Bubala (think: labneh, confit garlic & za’atar and hummus with burnt butter wiped clean with freshly baked laffa bread). Though they only open at 12pm, so brunch here would be on the ‘lunch’ end of your day, the dishes really embody what a great brunch is all about. It also works for almost every type of eater, whether it's your vegan friend, alcohol-free friend or someone who can't go anywhere without their dog (they're all dog-friendly). Brunch here comes complete with some of the tastiest, freshest cocktails and sparkling ‘gazoz’ we've tried in a really long time. If group decisions are hard, we highly recommend going all in with the gorgeous ‘Bubala Knows Best’ sharing menu for those wanting basically everything or those not in the mood to make any difficult decisions. It's available in vegan too. – Tal Dekel-Daks
King's Cross: 1 Cadence Court, Lewis Cubitt Park, N1C 4ED
Soho: 15 Poland St, W1F 8QE
Spitalfields: 65 Commercial St, E1 6BD
6/16Café Petiole at Somerset House, Covent Garden
Museum restaurants in London have come a long way over the last few years. While Spring in Somerset House is the place to go for fine dining, Rishim Sachdeva (the chef behind one of our favourite vegan restaurants, Tendril in Mayfair) has set up a delightful 'almost vegan' cafe' for more casual outings and grab & go options. The pretty, pastel-hued space, from the female-led studio Duelle, overlooks Somerset House's courtyard. As with Tendril, the vegetables take centre stage in the dishes which are categorised into sweet bakes, savoury bakes, dips and bread, sandwiches, salads and desserts. On our visit, we opted for a mix of two salads (smoky grilled hispi cabbage and a whipped feta tabouleh with beetroot and pomegranate) and a beautifully creamy braised butter bean focaccia. – Tal Dekel Daks
South Wing, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
7/16Tendril Kitchen, Mayfair
Tendril is a popular, cosy and largely plant-based restaurant just off Regent Street. Chef Rishim Sachdeva (ex-Chiltern Firehouse, The Fat Duck, The Dairy) uses his background to put creative culinary spins on seasonal vegan ingredients–from brunch with dishes like vegan pancakes, with cinnamon banana, quince compote & vanilla syrup and vegan doughnuts, served with espresso cream & salted caramel to dinners which end with vegan sticky toffee pudding, bay leaf custard & miso toffee sauce.
5 Princes St, London W1B 2LQ
Steve Ryan8/16Acme Fire Cult, Dalston
Sprung during a Covid lockdown from the minds of chefs Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins, Dalston's Acme Fire Cult began as a live-fire weekend pop-up that later evolved into something more permanent. Drawing on the fact that Dalston is the spiritual home of conscientious dietary habits, the menu moves away from BBQ “dude food” and put an emphasis on fired vegetables. The vegan-led menu features predominantly plant-based dishes, with vegan alternatives for the likes of butter and creme fraiche used as standard throughout. Think, Coal Roast Celeriac and and Grilled leek, Pistachio Romesco. So while it's not all vegan, it is one of the few places in the city to get a very delicious vegetarian barbecue.
Abbot St, London E8 2LX
9/16Club Mexicana, Soho, Liverpool Street, Mayfair
Club Mexicana began in 2014 as a Saturday night supper club in a Hackney cafe-and now founder Meriel Armitage's all-vegan all-flavour Mexican restaurant has three permanent locations around London serving everything from Birria Tacos made with marinated slow-cooked ‘beef’ brisket to burritos and nachos. Visit on Tuesdays for an all you can eat from 5pm.
Soho: Ground Floor, Kingly Court, W1B 5PW
Liverpool Street: 1-27 The Arcade, Liverpool Street, EC2M 7PN
Mayfair: Upstairs @ Mercato Metropolitano, St Marks' Church, N Audley Street, W1K 6ZA
10/16Facing Heaven, London Fields
Facing Heaven is a Sichuanese food concept from LA chef Julian Denis that was once Mao Chow. There is plenty on the menu to keep even the most experienced vegans busy. Dumplings, tofu and noodles in a variety of complex sauces should all be ordered - make sure you’re hungry when you visit.
1A Bayford Street E8 3SE
11/16Gauthier, Soho
If you thought veganism meant an end to fine dining, Gauthier is here to challenge that. Chef Alexis Gauthier has already pioneered an entirely plant-based tasting menu named 'Les Plantes', but has now taken things to the next step by pledging to make their entire menu vegan. This hasn't yet happened but it's coming soon and Gauthier is the ideal person to make such a move; he created a plant-focused ‘garden menu’ all the way back in 1997 at his restaurant Roussillon. Dishes such as 'Faux Gras' and and autumn truffle tortellini on the vegan tasting menu promise a seasonal offering combined with the rich, deep flavours of classic French cooking.
21 Romilly St, Soho, London W1D 5AF
12/16Rovi, Fitzrovia
Yotam Ottolenghi is always a good bet for vegan food, whether by way of his multiple, excellent cookbooks or his six London restaurants. Nopi offers a fair selection of plant-based dishes but his newer venture Rovi in Fitzrovia has a truly stellar line-up of delightful options. When the restaurant opened, diners rhapsodised over the 'corn ribs' on the menu. They have since disappeared but have been replaced with other inviting plates, such as the celeriac shawarma, reportedly a favourite of Nigella Lawson.
59 Wells St, Fitzrovia, London W1A 3AE
13/16Pied à Terre, Fitzrovia
Michelin-starred Pied à Terre is pioneering vegan fine dining, offering plant-based versions of its incredible tasting menus. Try the Celeriac with salt-baked kohlrabi, parsley and grapes or the grilled Maitake mushroom, aubergine caviar, king oyster mushroom and vin jaune foam – these are just some of the delights available to try. Head to Fitzrovia to experience this high-end vegan cooking.
34 Charlotte St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2NH
14/16Temple of Seitan, Camden, Hackney
With branches in Camden and Hackney, Temple of Seitan was the first to offer up the sort of fast food that had previously been notably absent from the vegan sphere. Serving fried ‘chik’n’ and burgers made from seitan (a meat substitute made using wheat gluten), they produce the fast food of vegan dreams - and have garnered many non-vegan followers in the process.
Camden: 43 Parkway, NW1 7PN
Hackney: 10 Morning Lane, E9 6NA
15/16Pastaio, Soho
Fresh pasta is often difficult for vegans due to the egg used in the dough. Luckily, Pastaio takes an inclusive approach and has created a dedicated vegan menu, produced with no eggs in sight. Punchy, complex sauces are made using only the freshest ingredients, and the relaxed vibe of the restaurant has made it a firm House & Garden favourite.
19 Ganton St, Soho, London W1F 9BN
16/16Itadakizen, King's Cross
Creating a fully vegan Japanese restaurant may sound like an impossible task, but the team behind Kings Cross’ Itadaki Zen have pulled it off with flair and flavour. Tofu and vegetarian sushi are firm features on the menu, as well as noodles made from sweet potato starch, vegetable tempura and spring rolls. They have also recently introduced a new tempura menu consisting entirely of different kinds of seaweed.
139 King's Cross Rd, London WC1X 9BJ
