The best vegan food in London 2024: fine dining, junk food +

Plates

• Location: Shoreditch
• Cuisine: Fine dining
• Dish recommendation: Barbequed maitake mushroom, black bean mole, kimchi, aioli, and puffed rice

Plates is undoubtedly my favourite vegan fine dining spot in London. It is run by vegan chef, Kirk Haworth, who won Great British Menu. You will get the opportunity to try a few of the dishes he made on the show as they are featured on his tasting menu. I was amazed by the barbequed maitake but in heaven when I got to try the raw cacao gateaux that helped him win the show.

Plates have a choice of either a 7 or 8 course tasting menu with an optional drinks pairing (with alcohol-free options). Everything is completely vegan and is mind-blowingly delicious. But do note, they don’t offer an a la carte menu.

I’ve eaten at all the vegan fine dining spots in London, including Gauthier (multiple times), Studio Gauthier, and even had the vegan tasting menu at the non-vegan Michelin starred Pied à Terre, but Kirk Haworth is on a whole other level! I’m glad he is finally getting the recognition he deserves. But if you do want to eat here you may need to consider eating solo (at the chef’s counter), or booking months in advance.

Find out more about why I love Plates in my full and honest Plates review.

Purezza

• Location: Camden
• Cuisine: Italian
• Dish recommendation: Pepperoni pizza

Purezza is a fully vegan pizza restaurant located in Camden. However, you will also find Purezza in Brighton and Manchester. I’ve eaten here more times than I care to tell. But that is a testament to the great pizza!

They make their pizza bases using sourdough but you can also opt for a gluten-free or celiac base instead. They have a variety of toppings including the classics like Margarita, Marinara, Four Cheese, and Pepperoni. They also have more inventive pizzas like BBQ Bourbon Pizza with Fable Mushrooms and Kimchi.

Thankfully, they are also on Deliveroo and Uber Eats. So you can order some to your home/hotel/workplace, instead of a boring Domino’s or Papa Johns! I also really enjoying dining in, the restaurant has a nice chilled out vibe with some outdoor seating.

Pastan

• Location: Barbican
• Cuisine: Italian
• Dish recommendation: Smooth Operator (pumpkin and sage tortellini)

I’ve been following Pastan’s journey since the beginning when they were holding pop-ups across London. I was incredibly happy when they found their first permanent home in Barbican. I have been visiting them religiously ever since.

They make all of their pasta fresh and they are VERY generous with their portion sizing. All of the dishes are comforting and fresh. I really enjoy covering my pasta in their homemade vegan parmesan. If you have room for dessert, their Biscoff doughnuts are an absolute must.

Pastan is continuing to expand so you will now find them in Bristol, Brighton, Barcelona, and Fuengirola, as well as London.

Beaten by a Whisker

• Location: Walthamstow
• Cuisine: Bakery
• Dish recommendation: Peanut latte & focaccia

This is one of my new favourite vegan spots in London. It is a bakery and cafe with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, plus a variety of cakes and savoury baked goods on offer. They also sell a variety of drinks and sourdough loaves for you to take home.

You will find a few different sweet treats, like loaf cakes and cookies, as well as savoury focaccia and sandwiches. Their menu changes seasonally, so you will find soft serve ice cream in the summer and roasted squash focaccia in the colder months.

I also recommend buying one of their freshly baked sourdough loaves to take home with you. The smell of the loaf wafted out of my bag as I carried it home on the tube and I could tell it was going to be delicious. It had a lovely crust with a spongey and airy interior. Plus it tasted amazing!

Mildreds

• Location: Soho, Covent Garden, Camden, Dalston, Victoria, and King’s Cross
• Cuisine: Variety
• Dish recommendation: Hot mango glazed chick+n burger

Mildreds is a vegan institution in London. They were serving the veggie and vegan population long before I was even born. To be precise, they first opened on Greek Street (Soho) in 1988. They switched over from vegetarian to vegan in 2021 and have continued to expand across London.

They have even launched a sister brand called Mallow which you will find in Borough Market and Canary Wharf. Both brands are incredible and serve some delicious and inventive food. I recommend visiting for brunch and enjoying a cocktail (or mocktail) with a stack of their pancakes. But I also thoroughly enjoy their burgers, which are always made using unique ingredients.

Mildreds is the perfect place to eat with non-vegans since they have a varied and appealing menu. Plus they have a great drinks menu.

EDIT

• Location: Hackney
• Cuisine: Hyper-seasonal fine dining
• Dish recommendation: Wild ‘Chicken of the Woods’ Mushroom

EDIT is a low-impact plant-based dining experience. They source as many of their ingredients as possible from local growers and you will often find a few locally foraged ingredients on their ever-changing menu too.

They follow the seasons, which means their menu changes every week, sometimes even daily. You can tell how much effort they put into sourcing the best and most seasonal ingredients because their food tastes insanely good. I’ve discovered so many incredible foraged foods that I never even knew existed before.

I also really enjoyed their low-intervention wines, beers and ciders. It is a fine dining restaurant with a great atmosphere but is reasonably priced.

Jam Delish

• Location: Islington
• Cuisine: Caribbean
• Dish recommendation: Jerk “chicken” skewers

Jam Delish is a vegan Caribbean restaurant located in Angel, Islington. The brand started in market stalls across London before securing their permanent restaurant space a few years ago.

Their menu is made up of classic Caribbean dishes, like jerk ‘chicken’, curry ‘goat’, fried ‘chicken’, and festivals (a deep-fried dough). All of their dishes are beautifully spiced and well-balanced. For example, their jerk ‘chicken’ skewers have a deep umami jerk flavour which is well complemented by the addition of pomegranate seeds.

They also have a great cocktail menu and space at the bar to chill out with a few drinks and some small plates. It is a trendy spot, so make sure to book a table!

Club Mexicana

• Location: Soho, Shoreditch, and Brixton
• Cuisine: Mexican
• Dish recommendation: Jackfruit rib burrito

This one is for all the taco and burrito lovers out there! Club Mexicana is a vegan Mexican restaurant with a simple but delicious menu. They offer a couple of starters, as well as tacos, burritos, and burrito bowls. They tend to have about 4-6 different fillings for you to choose from, as well as the occasional special.

I really enjoy all of their fillings but my go-to is their jackfruit rib burrito. I am always amazed at how meaty the jackfruit ribs are! On special occasions, I will also treat myself to a frozen margarita which makes me feel like I am back in Mexico.

Club Mexicana is perfect for a quick lunch but you could easily spend a few hours eating your way through the menu with a few beers in an evening. Particularly in their larger venue based in Shoreditch. Find out more about Club Mexicana in my review.

The Fields Beneath

• Location: Kentish Town
• Cuisine: Breakfast & brunch
• Dish recommendation: Rarebit croissant

The Fields Beneath is one of my favourite vegan cafes in London. All of the staff are super friendly and happy, which is quite infectious. They sell a variety of coffees and hot drinks alongside baked goods like cookies, cakes and pastries. They also have a few hot dishes each day, like a tofu breakfast bagel.

The Fields Beneath is my regular haunt. I like to take a book and sit out front with a coffee and a cookie. But I also like to go for breakfast and sometimes lunch because their bagels are delicious.

It is a popular spot so it may be a little busy at weekends but there is plenty of outside space, so getting a space shouldn’t be too much of an issue!

Temple of Seitan

• Location: Camden and Hackney
• Cuisine: Junk food
• Dish recommendation: Garlic parmesan wings

I remember when Temple of Seitan launched and there was an insanely long queue wrapping around the pavements in Hackney. Seitan was having a bit of a glow-up at the time and veganism was becoming quite popular. Thankfully, Temple of Seitan has stood the test of time and is still running out of two venues across London.

Their seitan chicken is really tasty and makes for great hangover food. They use it to create wraps, burgers and ‘wings’, as well as my favourite vegan popcorn chicken.

If you visit their Camden branch you will also discover their newly launched Shotwave Coffee shop which is situated inside the same space. They sell one of my favourite vegan croissants in London!

Tofu Vegan

• Location: Golders Green, Islington, and Spitalfields
• Cuisine: Chinese
• Dish recommendation: Dim Sum

Tofu Vegan is a vegan Chinese restaurant, and one of my favourite vegan Asian restaurants in London, with 3 venues across London. No matter whether you dine in or order for takeaway, all their food is delicious.

You can order some of the typical British Chinese takeaway dishes, like a vegan chicken sweet and sour, but you can also order vegan Dim Sum and other authentic dishes.

If you enjoy eating at Chinese restaurants in the UK then you will really enjoy eating at Tofu Vegan. The experience is very similar, but you can enjoy your meal knowing that absolutely everything is vegan!

Cream Dream

• Location: Charing Cross
• Cuisine: Pastries
• Dish recommendation: Lemon cake

Cream Dream is a vegan and gluten-free pastry cafe selling a variety of plant-based desserts, cakes, and delicate pastries, founded and run by Ukrainian refugees. It is centrally located, making it a must-visit if you are in London for some sightseeing.

They offer a variety of beautiful pastries that look so good you won’t want to eat them. Like my lemon pastry which looked just like a lemon and when you cracked the outer shell it let out a liquid centre. If you haven’t got a sweet tooth, you can also try one of their dumplings or bagels.

The cafe itself is very pink but has a great atmosphere and very friendly staff. You could easily work here with an iced latte and cake.

DÁPPA

• Location: Brick Lane
• Cuisine: Ice cream
• Dish recommendation: Soft serve

As soon as the sun makes an appearance I head straight over to Brick Lane to get myself a vegan soft serve from DÁPPA. They make their soft serve using nut ice cream and cover it with a variety of delicious toppings, like chocolate, strawberry, and biscoff.

The soft serve is wonderfully creamy and has a great depth of flavour to it. It is quite easily my favourite vegan ice cream in London!

The ice cream stall is located just off Brick Lane and is surrounded by loads of benches for you to relax on and enjoy your ice cream. I wouldn’t recommend walking through Brick Lane with it though, as you don’t want the ice cream dribbling down you as you dodge the crowds. I speak from experience…

What The Pitta

• Location: Camden and Brick Lane
• Cuisine: Turkish
• Dish recommendation: Döner Gyros

Got a hangover? Or fancy treating yourself to a greasy vegan kebab? Then look no further than What The Pitta, a vegan kebab joint with 2 locations in London. They make their pitta from scratch and cook it to order, so it has a wonderful fresh taste and texture to it.

If you are trying to be healthy, you can also order one of their rice, bulgur, or falafel bowls. All of which are equally delicious. However, I can never resist their Döner Gyros which is made using meaty soya pieces, fresh vegetables, vegan tzatziki, and a fluffy pitta.

You can dine in or order a takeaway. But beware, this is a fast food joint that may leave you smelling of fried food. So I always like to take mine to the park.