The Best Vegan Eateries in London City
If you are living in or visiting London, know that you’re in one of the most vegan-friendly cities on earth! Bursting with bold flavours and fresh ideas, you can find everything from vegan fast food food to an afternoon tea, right through to international flavours and gourmet cuisine.
Read our post on food safety for people and pets.
Unity Diner (profits help an animal sanctuary)
Unity Diner is a fantastic place, at Spitalfields (a few minutes walk from Aldgate East and Liverpool Street tube stations). Run as a non-profit to help fund Surge Sanctuary (a farm sanctuary that rescues barnyard friends from neglect or abuse), it offers fast food and a vegan carvery.
Co-founded by the well-known animal welfare campaigner Earthling Ed, this is a happy story. Due to rising rents and costs, it sadly had to close down, and many locals were heartbroken. But thanks to public support, investment from a co-founder and landlord talks, it re-opened!
All payments are by card (due to bank notes containing animal fat).
The menu includes plant-based versions of:
The carvery offers plant-based:
- Roast Chicken
- Braised Turkey
- Roast Lamb
- Mushroom Wellington
- Nut Roast
Then help yourself to all the sides including:
- Yorkshire puddings
- Creamy leek gratin
- Cauliflower cheese
- Roasted parsnips
- Roast spuds
- Vegan crackling!
- Rich gravy
Plus Unity Diner offers all your favourite puds:
- Sticky toffee pudding
- Raspberry gin cheesecake
- Mocktails!
There is still a weekday menu. Everything is vegan:
- Double ‘Bacon’ Cheese Burgers
- Tofish & Chips!
- Caesar Salad
- New York Dog & Chips
- Salmon Sashimi
- Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Steaks
- Charcoal-Grilled ‘Steak’
Mildreds (a restaurant in Soho)
Mildreds started out as a vegetarian restaurant in London’s Soho. But now has gone completely plant-based, and also has eateries in Covent Garden, Camden Town, Kings Cross, Dalston and Victoria.
The restaurant donates surplus food to local charities and foodbanks via Plan Zheroes – a London based initiative that donates surplus food to local charities and foodbanks. And also partners with Streetsmart (pay £1 extra and it goes to help homeless people).
The menus are extensive, with starters, salads and mains (from kebabs to curries to beetroot burgers). And delicious desserts like vegan cheesecake and tiramisu – all plant-based.
All locations are dog-friendly and child-friendly (check for updates), and most are also wheelchair-friendly (see site for details). You can even order a vegan celebration cake online, to be presented at the table, after your meal.
Mallow (owned by Mildred’s)
mallow is a small chain of (two!) plant-based restaurants, from the same team as Mildreds. You’ll find one in Borough Market and one in Canary Wharf. The name ‘mallow’ is from a native edible plant.
Ingredients are sourced from small business, often right on the doorstep, for low food miles. The menu includes an all-day breakfast and mains like wild mushroom ravioli. Plus tasty afters like vanilla crème brûlée with brown sugar and macerated blackberries.
Holy Carrot (gourmet vegan fine dining)
Holy Carrot is an esteemed restaurant and low-waste cocktail bar, located in vibrant Notting Hill.
This is upscale dining, and if you have room, make for their matcha vegan tiramisu.
Jam Delish (Caribbean food in Islington)
Jam Delish is a Caribbean restaurant in Islington, serving modern cuisine influenced by the siblings’ grandparents.
From a vegan ‘pork belly’ starter to jerk ‘chicken skewers’ and grilled ‘codfish’, you can even order vegan goat curry, and finish off with homemade banana cake.
Dauns (affordable Scandinavian food)
Dauns is an affordable vegan cafe, based on Scandinavian tastes. Enjoy plant-based meatballs and hot dogs, finished off with traditional cinnamon cream buns and coffee. Find this cafe in Spitalfields.
Club Mexicana (Shoreditch, Soho, Mayfair)
Club Mexicana is a plant-based food chain, if you like your enchiladas and margaritas. In Shoreditch, Soho and Mayfair, enjoy vegan tacos, nachos and burritos.
The Spread Eagle (London’s first vegan pub!)
The Spread Eagle is London’s first vegan pub. Located in Homerton High Street, this sustainable eaterie offers vegan ales along with meals like Pie & Mash and of course a traditional Sunday roast including slow roast ‘celeriac crackling’.
Purezza (quality vegan pizzas)
Purezza is a lauded vegan pizzeria chain, with branches in Brighton, Camden (London) and Manchester). Everything is made from scratch, even the homemade vegan mozzarella cheese.
Founded by an Italian (obviously!) the chain uses organic ingredients (often locally sourced) and does not use palm oil in any of its food. It also reduces food waste, to minimise anything being sent to landfill.
All takeaway packaging is either cardboard or sugar cane, and it runs on green energy, and even uses reclaimed wood for its decor, and recycled paper bathroom tissue!
The menu includes:
- Caesar Salad
- BBQ Bourbon Pizza
- Margherita
- Four ‘cheeses’
- New York Vegan Cheesecake
Did you know that you can’t recycle the greasy parts of pizza boxes? Just tear off any oily parts and bin (you can recycle the rest). Also never give leftover pizza crust to garden birds or wildfowl (it could choke them).
