Vegan London, Part Three

[Marrers]

I would say the acoustics and layout at Mildred's make it one of the noisiest places in London to eat when it is busy. Tibits manages to be large and busy without being so intrusively noisy, although of course it is veggie not totally vegan.

I highly recommend Manna (Chalk Farm tube) which is also 100% vegan. I tend to get the mezze where you pick three starters as your main as the starters are the star for me here. The ravioli is fantastic and can be a starter or a main. Last time I was there they had a light, airy and delicious blood orange cheesecake.


On a separate note I was shocked to see inSpiral cakes are now £3.99 a slice at Wholefoods. For a while it was cheaper to buy their cakes at Wholefoods but now it is cheaper to buy from inSpiral.
Cat and The Cream cupcakes (available at Wholefoods) are now all both vegan and gluten free. Unfortunately this seems to have affected the texture and they are now harder and more dense than the vegan ones used to be. Also the Camden branch are stocking two flavours I haven't seen at Soho branch.

[begreendee]

Marrers....You are probably right. I have been in crowded and noisy restaurants before but was never as perturbed. Inspiral, for instance, is rather small and crowded but I felt I could breathe in there.

Manna is excellent, yes. Great choices of good food. The owner is very pleasant and very committed.

[Troutina]

Manna is such a nice restaurant; we went there for our anniversary last year and it was perfect. Brilliant food, lovely service and a romantic atmosphere

[harpy]

Even 222 gets noisy when it's crowded, in my experience - restaurants used to be quieter when they had curtains, carpets, wallpaper and stuff like that to absorb the sound (but those did have their disadvantages too). Must go to Manna again, haven't been since it's been vegan. It seems a long way from here but I know it isn't really

[Mymblesdaughter]

Harpy I think you could be right, I wondered if it was lack of things like carpets. We went to a Moroccan restaurant last year in Covent Garden and although it as really big and packed with people it wasn't loud. It was full of carpets wall hangings etc. The fashion now is to have big open spaces with tiles or hard floors which look great but don't absorb any sound.

[victoriangirl]

On a separate note I was shocked to see inSpiral cakes are now £3.99 a slice at Wholefoods. For a while it was cheaper to buy their cakes at Wholefoods but now it is cheaper to buy from inSpiral.

I just had to mention that I am totally and completely in love with InSpiral's tiramisu! I've never been a huge cake/cookie/dessert eater, but I do like to try interesting vegan desserts at times. I was in Inspiral last Friday so I had to try the tiramisu there and I am so glad that I did because their tiramisu was simply DIVINE! The best tiramisu I've ever had! I was glad to find it the next day in the Whole Foods in Soho - I went from someone who barely eats desserts to someone addicted to the Inspiral Tiramisu!!!!

[victoriangirl]

Indeed, same here!! How long are you over for Victoriangirl?

So Rainbow, joining us at the next Vegan Drinks then?

Sorry that I am posting so late. I was in London for only 2 days and am now back in snowy & much colder Istanbul. My weekend in London was simply amazing - the Awolnation concert I was going to was cancelled but we decided to go see a musical as one should when being touristy in London! We saw 'Crazy for you' on Saturday, had lovely vegan food in Inspiral, Tibbits & Whole Foods, I bought all my vegan goodies (=spreads, nutritional yeast, candies etc.) and had the best time ever!

[Troutina]

Can anyone suggestion anywhere similar to Manna? We are looking for a romantic restaurant for our anniversary, but the menu at Manna hasn't really changed since we went last year!

[rainbow]

Manna do seasonal and daily specials so it would still be worth a return trip. Most other London restaurants fall down on atmosphere, the inclusion of non-vegan items on their menu or similar. I've only been to 222 veggie vegan for their lunch-time buffet but the ambiance was nice and the evening menu looks amazing (and all vegan) so that might be worth a try? I once went to Plant (the predecessor for 222 veggie vegan with the same chef) for an anniversary dinner and had a great time.

[Troutina]

Manna do seasonal and daily specials so it would still be worth a return trip. Most other London restaurants fall down on atmosphere, the inclusion of non-vegan items on their menu or similar. I've only been to 222 veggie vegan for their lunch-time buffet but the ambiance was nice and the evening menu looks amazing (and all vegan) so that might be worth a try? I once went to Plant (the predecessor for 222 veggie vegan with the same chef) for an anniversary dinner and had a great time.

Hi Rainbow, thanks for the response I think we probably will return to Manna, we had such a lovely time last year. And you're right, there are specials! Just wondered if there were any restautants that I'd missed. I've been to 222 during the day, but I think we're looking for something a bit more 'restaurantey' for the evening, if that makes sense!?

[Risker]

Saf?

[Troutina]

Saf?

We've been there before and weren't very impressed! Didn't think the food was that nice, but the bill was pretty hefty! Also, the dessert portions are ridicolous! Good atmosphere though!

[harpy]

There's the Gate, but the tables are rather close together for romance, and it's not all vegan of course.

[Troutina]

There's the Gate, but the tables are rather close together for romance, and it's not all vegan of course.

Ooh that's a good suggestion, I've never been there before! Maybe for lunch the next day!

[harpy]

I haven't been there recently, but when I have the food has always been nice and quite well presented If you order a "vegan option" dish make sure you emphasise the "vegan" bit.

[Troutina]

I haven't been there recently, but when I have the food has always been nice and quite well presented If you order a "vegan option" dish make sure you emphasise the "vegan" bit.

Ah ok, will do! I've heard very good things about The Gate from veggies.

[Gwydion]

Haven't been myself yet (was planning to on valentines day, and then...err, yeah. Anyway..), but Vanilla Black is supposed to be pretty special. You do need to pre-warn them that you are vegan though.

Edit: If a hefty bill needs to be avoided, probably best to not head to Vanilla Black

Was personally rather disappointed after a recent visit to Manna (my first time), I put it down to a guest chef or something. Will need a re-visit. Have always had excellent food @ Saf, but haven't been for a while.

[rainbow]

I've heard that Vanilla Black isn't great for vegans, but haven't been there myself so can't confirm. Valentine's Day is a pile of over-rated twoddle. There are better days ahead! And when they come, give Manna another try - hopefully next time you will get the experience that we have all been raving about.

[Gwydion]

^ For certainly for sure on all counts Will do and Thanks!

(sorry to post intrude Troutina. Good luck and let us know the outcome / review?)

[Troutina]

Haven't been myself yet (was planning to on valentines day, and then...err, yeah. Anyway..), but Vanilla Black is supposed to be pretty special. You do need to pre-warn them that you are vegan though.

Edit: If a hefty bill needs to be avoided, probably best to not head to Vanilla Black

Was personally rather disappointed after a recent visit to Manna (my first time), I put it down to a guest chef or something. Will need a re-visit. Have always had excellent food @ Saf, but haven't been for a while.

Vanilla Black looks quite nice - money isn't so much of an issue, just rather enjoy food that is worth the bill! Terre a Terre (Brighton) is my favourite restaurant so we're looking for something fairly similar, really. Do you have to pre-order the vegan options? Seems strange for a veggie restaurant not to have a wide variety of vegan options!

[Gwydion]

Aye, know what you mean. Terre a Terre is due another visit and all!

Do you have to pre-order the vegan options? Seems strange for a veggie restaurant not to have a wide variety of vegan options!

I am not sure if you have to pre-order as such, but rather make them aware so that you will have at least some options :-/ Yeah, pretty poor show! If I catch up with anyone who has been in the meantime, I will update you.

[Troutina]

Aye, know what you mean. Terre a Terre is due another visit and all!

I am not sure if you have to pre-order as such, but rather make them aware so that you will have at least some options :-/ Yeah, pretty poor show! If I catch up with anyone who has been in the meantime, I will update you.

I see - thanks very much! Terre a Terre is amazing, one of a kind! Which is a shame, I would like something similar in other areas of the country!!

[Marrers]

http://www.safrestaurant.co.uk/shoreditch

The main Saf restaurant in Shoreditch closed down on Monday. I'm very surprised noone seems to have heard about this beforehand - were they keeping it quiet?
I'd have loved to fit in another visit to enjoy the food and the fab cocktails. The branch in Kensington Wholefoods remains and there will be a new outlet in Harvey Nichols but for me it was all about the class and ambience of the main location, it was somewhere many of my omni friends loved going.

I've been to the Wholefoods Saf only twice. Very noisy obviously as it is in a food court, I wouldn't be in a rush to go back and it's not somewhere I'd arrange to meet anyone for a meal.

[Risker]

It is a shame. I'm not sure I believe the positive spin they've put on the news on their website. I can't imagine they'd have closed it if they were doing good business. I also notice that their opening hours were evening only which isn't a good sign for a restaurant I don't think.

[harpy]

Oh no, what a shame about Saf. I only went there once, a couple of years ago I think, but it was pretty busy back then. OTOH I quite often go to the Kensington one and it's not usually that busy, but it may be the time of day I go at. I didn't know that they had a branch in Harvey Nicks, suppose that's something

[Troutina]

We went for dinner at The Gate a couple of weekends ago - I have slightly mixed feeling about the restaurant! My food was brilliant - I ordered the stuffed courgette flower and aubergine teriyaki which were both superb, however my partner ordered the wasabi potato cake and pea risotto, both of which weren't very nice (the risotto was verging on bland...). The actual restaurant was nice enough but we were seated at the very front which wasn't great, especially as when we walked into the restaurant there were only a handful of tables taken. We also felt quite rushed, and had finished the meal in an hour. On the whole I probably wouldn't go back in a hurry, baring in mind the vegan options are limited already!

[harpy]

That doesn't sound so good Troutina - I wonder why they rushed you if it wasn't busy? I remember they sometimes used to be trying to fit in two sittings in an evening, which meant it could be a bit of a rush if you were part of the first sitting.

I always think the tables are a bit too close together there, but can be pleasant there in the summer as you can sit in the courtyard, weather permitting.

[Troutina]

That doesn't sound so good Troutina - I wonder why they rushed you if it wasn't busy? I remember they sometimes used to be trying to fit in two sittings in an evening, which meant it could be a bit of a rush if you were part of the first sitting.

I always think the tables are a bit too close together there, but can be pleasant there in the summer as you can sit in the courtyard, weather permitting.

You're right, they might have been trying to fit a second sitting in - we were seated at 8pm and left shortly after 9pm. I think the tables are close together, too. But the restaurant is quite beautiful, with the huge glass windows!

[harpy]

Yes, it used to be an artist's studio didn't it?

[Mija]

Is it true that Buffet (on 40 New Oxford St., WC1A 1EP) now has new owners and they started serving meat? Or is it just a rumor?

[Troutina]

I went for lunch at Urban Eats Raw at the weekend - bit of a mixed experience! The cafe is fairly small with little atmosphere as there is no music, but the staff were (on the whole) really friendly, enthusiastic and helpful. I get the impression they are still finding their feet? I had a large salad, which really was large and brilliant value but really didnt taste very nice. Some parts were quite nice, other parts just tasted odd. It was a mixture of all the salads that they have that day. My friend ordered the cabbage pillows which were really tasty! Next time I would definitely order something like this, which comes with a salad - like the raw pizza or samosas. The dessert was absolutely amazing though!! We had a raw chocolate orange torte, and it was the best dessert I think I've ever eaten! Would definitely return for this. The cafe has no toilets, which is a major flaw (and also, illegal...?) so if they had some installed and started playing music I think this could be a great place to meet for lunch!

[harpy]

Not heard of that one but it sounds interesting, though not tasting nice is a bit of a drawback. Glad your torte was good though.

Also, raw food and no loo sounds like a lethal combination from my point of view Maybe they have got themselves classified as a takeaway or something to get round the loo requirements?

Thanks for the report, Troutina

[Gwydion]

Aye, thanks for the report! Interesting - hopefully they find their feet fully soon, looking forward to trying the nosh there.

Just a quick reminder that Thursday (19/04) = the monthly Vegan Drinks event, held @ Tibits (just off of Regents Street). Should be a biggun again. You can RSVP via Meetup; Facebook or FGV's Blog.

Or just turn up Hope to see some of you there....

[Troutina]

I went for lunch at Urban Eats Raw at the weekend - bit of a mixed experience! The cafe is fairly small with little atmosphere as there is no music, but the staff were (on the whole) really friendly, enthusiastic and helpful. I get the impression they are still finding their feet? I had a large salad, which really was large and brilliant value but really didnt taste very nice. Some parts were quite nice, other parts just tasted odd. It was a mixture of all the salads that they have that day. My friend ordered the cabbage pillows which were really tasty! Next time I would definitely order something like this, which comes with a salad - like the raw pizza or samosas. The dessert was absolutely amazing though!! We had a raw chocolate orange torte, and it was the best dessert I think I've ever eaten! Would definitely return for this. The cafe has no toilets, which is a major flaw (and also, illegal...?) so if they had some installed and started playing music I think this could be a great place to meet for lunch!

UPDATE! They have now closed....

[Marrers]

Oh dear, what a shame. I was thinking of checking it out (best dessert ever eaten is some recommendation!) They certainly didn't last long.

Thanks for letting us know Troutina as there is no clue that they have closed on the website.

[Troutina]

Oh dear, what a shame. I was thinking of checking it out (best dessert ever eaten is some recommendation!) They certainly didn't last long.

Thanks for letting us know Troutina as there is no clue that they have closed on the website.

They announced in twitter and facebook, and have said to keep a close eye out for updates - so maybe they will be selling things at markets or packaged and in Whole Foods/ Planet Organic etc? I certainly hope so, I want more dessert!

[Gwydion]

Yowza!! That lasted long

[harpy]

Damn. How long had they been open then? I wonder whether their demise had something to do with the lack of a loo, although I have known other places get away with that for quite a while.

[Marrers]

This thread used to be the place to hear about new vegan eateries but I don't think Urban Eats was mentioned until Troutina's post despite being open since late last year and I haven't seen any reference to 42Raw either - unless I missed them? Where do people find out about new places these days?


​

Damn. How long had they been open then? I wonder whether their demise had something to do with the lack of a loo, although I have known other places get away with that for quite a while.

From what I read on Facebook it was because there weren't enough people coming in to carry on financially. I think the prices were a bit on the low side too maybe, at least for raw cake at only £2.

In fact it appears they are trading til tomorrow (Friday) which is a real shame because if I'd known that earlier I could have gone there today.

[Marrers]

The Gate in Hammersmith is closed for refurbishment 19th May til early September but The Gate in Islington opens on !st June.

THE GATE AT HAMMERSMITH WILL BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT FROM 19TH MAY, REOPENING ON 3RD SEPTEMBER 2012 FOR BUSINESS AS USUAL.

WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPENING OF OUR NEW RESTAURANT ON THE 1ST OF JUNE. RESTAURANT IS LOCATED JUST OPPOSITE SADLER'S WELLS THEATRE AND AROUND THE CORNER TO UPPER STREET. A SHORT WALK FROM ANGEL TUBE STATION

http://thegaterestaurants.com

[harpy]

Thanks for that Marrers. ISTR they once had another branch somewhere else before - Belsize Park? Islington's probably a better place for it.

[Troutina]

Tomorrow is the launch day of The Third Estate in Camden - it looks fantastic, I'm gutted I can't make it!
Full details are here: http://fatgayvegan.com/2012/05/06/th...g-celebration/

The day includes 10% off all purchases, free samples, some chocolates, a bit of pampering - Ms Cupcake, Tibits, Saf and Inspiral are all involved!

27 Brecknock Rd, N7 0BT Camden Town

[rainbow]

Argh, I hate having to work all the bloody time! I would love to go to this! Oh, for a day off!

[Troutina]

Argh, I hate having to work all the bloody time! I would love to go to this! Oh, for a day off!

It's from 10am - 6pm if you're located in/ near London? I'm really disappointed I can't go, it sounds like such a fun day and a great way to meet loads of brilliant people!

[rainbow]

Working outside London and long day, alas. Hope others have fun!

[Annie M. Green]

wasn't gonna go to the launch, as i have loads of work and also galleries to go to tomorrow in east and central, but all the goodies listed lured me in

[Gwydion]

^ Cool. Hopefully see you (and others) there

[VeganMonkey]

Just heard about this: 2 veggie pubs opening (Smithfield and Soho). Not sure it the transition has happened yet as their websites aren't up to date. Very good news though!

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Busi...6OR7FaFxGg8SHU

[harpy]

That's great VeganMonkey! About time London had some pubs specialising in veggie/vegan food. I suppose the drink won't all be, but perhaps they will at least know which is.

[harpy]

Mind you I think there may be at least 2 pubs called the Coach and Horses in Soho so we'll have to make sure we get the right one!