I used to dream of being a fine dining chef, but now I just spend my time eating tasty vegan fine dining food in London (and beyond). The vegan scene has really grown in London (it is one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the UK), and with it, we have seen numerous 100% vegan fine dining restaurants open up around the city, not to mention the plant-based tasting menus that you’ll now discover in well-established fine dining establishments.
This is my personal favourite list of vegan fine dining spots around London. It is predominantly made up of fully vegan restaurants, but I wanted to mention a few non-vegan spots as well.
I’m certain you’ll find some delicious-looking vegan fine dining food that’ll whet your appetite! If you have any further suggestions on places to add here, then let me know in the comments below.
Plates
- Best for: Creativity and ingenuity
- Dietary: Vegan
The food I have eaten at Plates was some of the first vegan fine dining food that I’ve had that has matched the creativity and ingenuity of some of the non-vegan Michelin star restaurants I used to eat at in my pre-vegan days.
So it should come as no surprise that Plates now in fact has a Michelin Star (the first vegan restaurant in the UK to achieve this)!
You can tell that the chef behind Plates, Kirk Haworth (winner of Great British Menu 2024), has a classic chef background with a lot of experience cooking non-vegan food. All of which he now pours into creating his delicious 100% vegan dishes.
Plates used to run as a pop-up restaurant, showing up in multiple locations across London, but they have recently opened their new permanent location on Old Street. It opened in July 2024, but tables are hard to come by. Which is a testament to Kirk’s incredible cooking.
I managed to bag myself a table for 1 at the Chef’s Counter in August 2024, find out what I thought in my Plates review!
Holy Carrot
- Best for: Small plates and vegetable lovers
- Dietary: Vegan
The food at Holy Carrot is nothing short of delicious. Whilst not advertised as so, it operates a small plates style menu with a plethora of seasonal dishes championing vegetables and low-waste cooking. Expect to see every part of the vegetable being cooked or pickled, with imaginative and bold flavours.
The space is beautifully designed and offers a lovely, chilled spot for daytime eating as well as a fancy space for evening drinks and small plates.
My absolute favourite dishes of theirs have to be the koji bread (which they serve with seasonal ingredients) and their soft serve ice cream. But due to seasonality, these may not be on the menu when you visit.
They’ll soon be opening their second venue in Spitalfields, which is great news for all the East Londoners reading this!
Studio Gauthier
- Best for: Relaxed fine dining
- Dietary: Vegan
If you want to enjoy a refined plant-based dinner but in a more relaxed setting then get yourself on down to the BFI building off Tottenham Court Road to enjoy a tasting menu at Gauthier’s new establishment, Studio Gauthier. Read my full Studio Gauthier review here.
The food is similar to what you will eat at Gauthier Soho (mentioned below), but you will also find some other exciting dishes like vegan sushi on the menu.
They have an open kitchen which is good fun to watch mid service. The restaurant setting itself is nice enough for a fancy night out, but it also feels quite relaxed and easy going. They do use the space to serve up the food from their other off-shoot brand, 123V, so do expect to see plenty of vegan sushi flying out of the kitchen.
Tendril
- Best for: Non-vegan diners
- Dietary: Vegetarian
Tendril is a vegetarian restaurant but the majority of their dishes are actually vegan. They include just one or two vegetarian options on their menu which are interchangeable with a vegan option. I personally would love to see them go 100% vegan, but I can see how this approach has helped them to grow.
The food is also delicious and I’ve always been amazed at the creativity of their vegan dishes and the flavours they bring to the table. You can either choose from their reasonable priced discovery tasting menu or eat à la carte (Mon-Weds dinner).
You can expect to eat around the world all in one night with dishes like chipotle mushroom skewers, or charred celeriac with kimchi. I am also a big fan of their cocktails, plus their no-low alternatives.
Gauthier Soho
- Best for: Classic French cooking
- Dietary: Vegan
Gauthier Soho is something of an institution in the world of London fine dining. It was a popular spot serving up French cuisine, but in 2021 Alexis Gauthier decided to make the bold decision of changing the restaurant to be fully plant-based. It was evidently the right decision as I personally believe their plant-based food offerings improved vastly afterwards!
Their menu changes with the season and I like to visit every couple of seasons to discover the new dishes they are cooking up. I particularly enjoy ordering their tasting menu with the wine pairing, it will set you back a couple of hundred pounds per person, but you will have an enjoyable evening!
I’ve always enjoyed the service at Gauthier Soho and despite being an old school fine dining restaurant, they make the setting feel quite relaxing.
Pied a Terre
- Best for: Michelin dining
- Dietary: Vegan-friendly
Pied à Terre is the only non-vegan restaurant that I’ve mentioned here, but I do believe it is worth including. The restaurant has 1 Michelin star and offers a fully plant-based tasting menu that can be complemented with a vegan drinks pairing.
If you are looking for the Michelin experience, then this is a great option for you. But do be wary of the fact that animal products are still served here, so you may well be sitting next to a table of diners eating dishes like foie gras.
I found the flavours of many of their vegan dishes to be daring and exciting. It was an enjoyable meal and a great experience.
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