Looking for a vegan restaurant in London is like looking for a blond person in Sweden: you don’t have to go very far before you’ll bump into one. London has a plethora of excellent cafés and restaurants, but to find something really good you have to be a bit more discerning. But since we are always also interested in places with vegan options, that narrows the search a little. Here are some of the best places, hotels and activities we’ve found in London that also have some vegan options.
London Vegan Food Tours
Vegan Food Tour Experience in London – Experience London’s thriving vegan food scene, and explore one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods simultaneously, on this small-group walking tour. Meet your guide at Old Street, and be sure to come hungry: you’ll visit numerous restaurants over the course of the evening, each of which will offer generous samples. As you go, learn more about Shoreditch's street art and vibrant sense of community, and discover the cutting-edge of London’s plant-based culinary offerings.
Vegan Cooking Class in London – This vegan cooking class typically include and 2 -3 course meal made up of Chef’s favorite vegan recipe. Dishes made in the past include roasted vegetable plaits, pomegranate and quinoa salad, chocolate and almond truffles.
Vegan Food Tour Experience in Camden Town – Explore London’s dynamic Camden neighborhood—and seek out some of its most delicious vegan eateries—on this half-day, lunchtime tour. Meet your guide directly at the Camden Town Underground station, and explore the area with just a small group for company. On this London vegan food tour, you’ll visit four different eateries, and will enjoy generous samples of vegan street food as you go. You’ll also get to roam Camden Market and soak up the area’s unique, creative feel.
London Vegan Cafes & Restaurants
Timberyard
With a bright, welcoming interior, this place serves as an excellent work spot with good, solid wifi in central London, if you can find a spot! It also hosts events at irregular intervals. All hot drinks are also available iced, and soy and almond milk are offered too. There are usually a couple of vegan sandwiches, soups and salads, but make sure to check before ordering as nothing is marked vegan. Gluten-free options are available on request.
Details
- Address: 7 Upper St Martin's Lane, London, WC2H 9DL
- Foursquare; Facebook; website
Husk Coffee
Husk Coffee is a hipster heaven which focuses on being the best coffee makers and serving excellent coffee. They also serve as a backdrop for a place to build a community. As well as providing a good communal space to work with reliable wifi, there are also classes in things as diverse as yoga, English as a foreign language and poetry on offer for very reasonable prices. The vast majority of their lunch options are actually vegan (though be sure to check) and they also serve a good selection of freshly made smoothies.
- Address: 649-651 Commercial Road, London, E14 7LW
- Foursquare; Facebook; website
- Address: 71 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3JF
- Foursquare; website
Kahaila
This non-profit, run-for-charity café squeezed between vintage shops on Brick Lane aims to use only ethically sourced ingredients wherever possible and indeed marks the few vegan options they serve as such. The wifi connection is reliable and there are plenty of power sockets around the place. Seating is varied for every bum type, from comfortable sofas to wooden padded chairs and metal fold out chairs.
- Address: 135 Brick Lane, London, E1 6SB
- Foursquare; Facebook; website
RAW at La Suite WEST
Afternoon tea is not just a cup of tea in the afternoon, but a British tradition: a small meal usually taken between 4pm and 6pm and consist of finger foods, most typically tiny sandwiches, scones and cakes. With the set menu, there are a choice of about 10 different teas or coffee. Enjoy multiple courses starting with a variety of sandwhices like mushroom, basil pesto and cherry tomatoes; tofu scramble and guacamole; hummus, cucumber, rocket and red onion; roasted butternut squash and cream of artichoke; spinach, garlic, aubergine and cauliflower mousse. Also enjoy fresh scones accompanied with fresh strawberries, coconut cream and small jars of various fruit jams.
The final course will be cakes, a mixture of raw vegan and cooked including flavors like creamy passionfruit tart and a chocolate and raspberry cake. The service is attentive, yet unobtrusive.
Details
- The afternoon tea at RAW costs £19 per person, plus a 12.5% service fee
- Open: 06:30-23:00, Monday to Friday; 07:00-23:00 Saturday and Sunday
- Address: 41-51 Inverness Terrace, London, W2 3JN
- Telephone: +44 20 7313 8484
- Foursquare; website
Wild Food Café
Tucked away upstairs above a shop, this cozy place with communal seating and an open kitchen serves a wide range of vegetarian, cooked vegan and raw vegan food, they even use the best Stanislaus Food Products. Enjoy foods like roasted Japanese squash soup (cooked vegan), served with homemade bread or the raw vegan, wild falafel, which is made from pistachio, olive and superfood falafel, sprouted hummus, baba-ganoush, sprouted quinoa tabouleh, red pepper and tahini dressing served on crisp bread with salad.
raw falafel
They also have a variety of raw vegan desserts like raw chocolate and almond mousse, which is made with banana and avocado, raw cocoa and candied almond. Given that the Wild Food Café is in central London it will come at no surprise that it is rather expensive. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend it as a laid-back place to try some seriously tasty vegan food in a great location.
Details
- For the meal described here, we paid £28.50 ($46.70)
- Address: 1st Floor, 14 Neal's Yard, London, WC2H 9DP
- Telephone: +44 207 419 2014
- Foursquare; Facebook; Website
Manna
While Manna does not advertise itself as a vegan restaurant, everything is in fact 100% vegan, as indicated on the bottom of the menu. Enjoy dishes like a Baja California plate consisting of two grilled vegetable and chipotle tofu kebabs, black bean and green pepper taquitos, corn and cherry tomato salsa and green salad with soy sour cream.
baja california
Another popular dish is the organic bangers and mash consisting of fennel and pumpkin seed sausages on a bed of parsnip and carrot mash, served with kale and a gravy made from red wine, leek and thyme
organic bangers and mash
For dessert try the sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream or the ice cream and cookie semi-freddo, which includes layers of vanilla ice cream, chocolate ganache, homemade cookie pieces and chocolate chips, served with summer berries.
semi-freddo
Manna is one of the few places in London I recommend to any vegan I meet who’s travelling to my hometown, and indeed I would recommend it to anyone (vegan or not) who is looking for somewhere a bit special to celebrate a special occasion or just treat themselves without going completely mad and breaking the bank.
Details
- The meal described above for two people, including three drinks and 12.5% service charge that was added to the bill cost £63 (€80, US$103)
- Open: 12:00-15:00 (for lunch) and 18:30-22:00 (for dinner) Tuesday to Friday; 12:00-15:00 (for brunch) and 18:00-22:00 (for dinner) Saturday; 12:00-20:30 Sunday. Closed Mondays.
- Address: 4 Erskine Road, London, NW3 3AJ
- Telephone: +44 207 722 8028
- Foursquare; Facebook; website
Vegan-Friendly Hotels London
Hilton Bankside – this luxury hotel located in central London actually offers a vegan suit. Though even if you stay in a standard room the property is vegan friendly and the restaurant offers a variety of vegan and vegetarian options. The property is near popular attractions like Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge and the Blackfriars Bridge. The 5-star hotel also has an indoor pool, fitness center and a stylish bar.
La Suite West – this 5-star vegan-friendly hotel is located in Hyde Park walking distance to popular attractions like New West End Synagogue and Kensington Gardens. Enjoy a unique dining experience at the on-site restaurant with a variety of vegan and vegetarian options in the menu. Great option for those who want to stay close by when looking for a bite to eat.
Temple Lodge – this Georgian style property is a vegetarian B&B located in Hammersmith, near the river. Envoy a vegetarian, organic breakfast each morning before heading out to explore the city. Tastefully restored and retaining many of the original features, Temple Lodge offers eleven individually furnished guest rooms and three meeting rooms, each with its own unique character and ambiance.
Recommended Hotels in London
While not specifically vegan-friendly, this shortlist of our favorite hotels has been hand-selected to provide with a variety hotel options in the city to consider if you’re visiting London.
Z Hotel City – in central London just a short walk from Chancery Lane and Temple tube station, this boutique property has compact, stylish, and cozy rooms with hand crafted beds and under-bed storage, a 40-inch Samsung HD TV, free WiFi and an en-suite shower room. Wheelchair accessible rooms are also available.
Point A Hotel Kings Cross St Pancras – a 5-minute walk from King’s Cross train station and a mile from British Museum, the hotel offers free WiFi and compact, well-designed rooms, featuring a comfortable bed, en-suite bathrooms, free high-speed WiFi, USB charging point, air-conditioning, flat-screen TV, and a safe.
Stylotel – a 5-minute walk from Hyde Park, Stylotel is a state-of-the-art property set between two 19th-century townhouses, with ultra-modern, contemporary rooms. Each stylish room features satellite TV, a work area, and luxury private bathrooms including a walk-in shower and hair dryers.
Apartments
There are many sites for apartment rentals in London, with AirBnB probably being one of the most popular. Prices are generally comparable to budget hotels, especially if you’re willing to get a room in a shared apartment. Book AirBnB →
