Vegan London, part 1

[VeganDaze]

Hey all. I just read on happycow that bourgeios bohem are opening a store in Richmond next month:

Clicky (http://www.happycow.net/blog/?p=135)

yippee! I hate buying shoes online!

[yum]

I'm looking for a vegan resturant to go to for my bday next week and fancy going to london for the day. Anyone know of any vegan restuants in london?

x

[Stu]

222 is really good. Also Mildred's has a good reputation, but you can't pre-book. I'll have to reply more comprehensively later; no time just now. But yeah, there are loads of places. Riverside Vegetaria would be a good bet, but it's a bit out of the way.

[BlackCats]

Riverside Vegetaria is in Surrey so wouldn't be too far for you Yum. I want to try there actually, I've heard really good things.

Stu is right - 222 and Mildred's are very nice. :) Mildred's is in Soho so there would be more for you to do if you wanted to go out afterwards like to a bar or a show or sightseeing or a park if it's not freezing.

(Pogo in Hackney and Eat and 2 Veg in Marylebone are supposed to be yummy as well but I also haven't tried them yet.)

[Marrers]

The only 100% vegan places are Pogo (http://www.pogocafe.co.uk/) and the new upmarket Saf (http://www.safrestaurant.co.uk/). Oh and isn't 222 (http://www.222veggievegan.com/) is totally vegan too, except for having cows milk available for drinks?

Of the veggie places as well as those already mentioned there is also Manna (http://www.manna-veg.com/home.html) - you could have a walk on Primrose Hill before or after dinner.

[flying plum]

has anyone been to saf yet? my mum suggested going there for my birthday next friday, but imagine it might be pretty booked up? was well impressed she mentioned it, and that she's even willing to go to a raw restaurant!

yum - looks like we share a similar birthdate :D taurean vegans ROCK :D

amanda

[alisont]

Yes 222 is totally vegan bar for the dairy milk they keep hidden in case any non vegans want it.

I love 222, Mildreds is good but can involve a long wait, but foods good. 222 is my fave:)

Also heard Riversides good,

So much vegan choice in London:D

[yum]

Happy Birthday Flying plum for friday- yes your bday is the day before me. Taureans kick ass!:p

Cheers for the link Marrers- 222 looks quite yummy. I have been to the riverside vegetaria and thought i might try something diffeent. But then again it is close by and so we might go there.....


decisions, decisions.......

Thanks for the recommendations

x

[Marrers]

flying plum Saf is not 100% raw so it shouldn't be too challenging for the folks! It may not be booked up, you should definitely try enquiring.

It is a shame they don't have the menu on the website yet. I have a paper copy of the menu from when my friends went to the pre-opening night do but that is not much help to you is it! At this do they served some finger food for people to try and my friends were very impressed.

[flying plum]

marrers - cheers for that :) going to ring them in a bit - they weren't open when i tried earlier!

yum - actually, my birthday is on saturday, so we are birthday-twins :D

amanda

[yum]

Oooooh a birthday twin- never had one of those. How old are you going to be( don't have to answer that of course)?
I'm going to be 22.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Riverside vegetaria i think it is!

[flying plum]

23 :) and you must live reasonably near where i grew up too, if the vegetaria is close. how weird! (i grew up in surbition/thames ditton).

have fun a the vegetaria - hope it's a nice day so you can sit outside!

amanda

[yum]

How funny. I use to live near the heathrow area and so kingston was always the shopping centre to go to when i was younger.

Have a lovely Birthday

x

[mariana]

Hey I'm from the US but I'll be studying abroad in London starting in September (until August 09). I'm really excited to be in London as the town I'm from is not that big (has a few health food stores and one vegan restaurant) and the town where I go to university is even smaller (population: ~8,000). So I'm wondering if I could get some suggestions as to the best places to buy groceries, eat out, etc. are in London. Are there any good British vegan products you recommend that I might not know of/aren't offered in the US? (i.e. when I was in London before I discovered I preferred Alpro to American soymilk brands) I'd love some vegan/vegan-friendly restaurant suggestions, too--I really love ethnic food. And one very important question--are there any good vegan-friendly coffeeshops? There's one about an hour away from me here (I don't get to visit it often) that's amazing! They make their own soy cheese and vegan waffles and chocolate syrup and they even make soy "frappuccino" type things. I LOVE frappuccino-type blended soy mochas, so I'm wondering...do you know of any good coffeeshops in London that have those? Thanks in advance for your help! :)

[flying plum]

well, there's a lot of info in this thread, but i appreciate it's got very long! however, london is massive, and there's no point in us giving you info for one place if you're going to be living in another (well, you can always make a special trip, but local info is what you're going to want on a day to day basis).

so, first off - where will you be studying? perhaps you don't know where you're living yet, unless you're in halls though?

to answer your coffee question, most chain coffee shops will replace milk with soy - some at a surcharge, others for free (costa! woo hoo). i can't think of a specifically vegan coffee shop off hand, but i do know a few that are friendly...

amanda

[maikeru]

No one sells vegan sandwiches at London Bridge station. Gah!

Michael.

[mariana]

hey flying_plum! thanks for the advice--it probably IS a lot more helpful to ask about specifically where i'll be living! should have thought of that before. ;) i will probably look through the thread at some point, but it's so long it's a little intimidating! hehe. well, i'll be studying at lse, and i just found out where i'll be living--it's in the area near spitalfields market and brick lane. know of any good restaurants in that area?

[Stu]

Yes! It's not far from Pogo, which is in Hackney. Pogo is not a restaurant; it's a cool little hippyish, dingy cafe thingy. Also, it's not too hard to get into central London from Brick Lane, so you'll have fairly easy access to all the places in Soho etc., for example Mildred's and Vita Organic and some others.

[bryzee86]

Where are you studying, might I ask?

[Stu]

She already said: LSE (London School of Economics).

[bryzee86]

Silly me, I missed that.

An American at LSE....how strange :D

[mariana]

Thanks, Stu!! I'll definitely try those places -- I've heard good things about Pogo.
bryzee86: Is there something weird about an American studying at LSE? :)

[VeganDaze]

I'm moving to that area in the summer mariana - we'll be neighbours!

[flying plum]

mariana - i think bryzee is being sarcastic. there are LOTS of americans studying at LSE :D

as for around LSE, there are plenty of sandwich shops around there. I know nero and pret used to do vegan sandwiches - have they brought them back yet? There will also be a new veggie restaurant, although i think a bit dear, just off chancery lane. you're near food for thought on neal street in covent garden which is great for students. if LSE is anything like King's across the road (where i was) you should be able to get something like a jacket potato with beans on it for lunch in the canteen. indeed, if lse is as clued up as UCL where i am now, you might even be able to get some vegan-labelled sandwiches in the shop.

i'll have a think about coffee shops for your frappacinos...i can't think of anywhere specifcally vegan around there, but nero are usually pretty good about substituting soy for lots of things. sadly, where LSE is, it's a bit 'corporate' - lots of barristers chambers and solicitors firms, so more faceless chains, rather than cool little cafes.

i don't know brick lane so well, but there are others who live around there who i'm sure can help you better with the local scene ;)

amanda

[Marrers]

Rootmaster (http://www.root-master.co.uk/location.html) - that vegan cafe on the London bus - is quite near Brick Lane.
Has anyone been there yet?

Not seen any vegan sarnies in Pret last few times I looked though they do a vegan 'breadless sandwich', ie a salad (yawn). Depending on your views Boots is another option for getting hold of one of those Fresh! sarnies and Starbucks also have soya milk (the Starbucks vegan list was copied on to here recently - try doing a search if interested).