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Rome (if you want to)

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Last year I travelled to Rome to be in the presence of my spiritual leader. I lined up in the scorching heat with fellow disciples, for what seemed like eternity, to have my soul nourished by his teachings. Looking back on that trip to the Holy City, I recall vividly the wonder and grace exuded by this man and it is hard to believe it is the same person I heard about just last week. You can imagine my distress on hearing the news that the great one himself had taken gravely ill and could no longer fulfil his work commitments.

But enough about Morrissey. This is a food blog so strap yourself in.

In celebration of my trip to Rome last year, I wanted to share a few food photos of a friendly vegetarian eatery tucked ever-so-slightly behind Piazza del Popolo. FGV readers, I give you il Margutta.

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I’m a lot like those people

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With the increasingly-popular London Vegan Drinks taking place at tibits vegetarian restaurant and bar tomorrow night, I thought it the perfect time to remind you why it is still one of the finest places to dine on vegan food in London.

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Edgware of glory

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There is something comforting about the international chain of franchised vegan restaurants known as Loving Hut. They are simply everywhere. I have eaten in LH locations in Brisbane, Australia and Madrid, Spain. Outlets have popped up in Philadelphia, Nice and Xalapa. When you are in an unknown city and feeling a bit challenged in your quest to find a vegan meal, Loving Hut can really be a welcome sight.

The finest Loving Hut I have eaten in is definitely the restaurant located in Edgware in London, UK. Yes, it still comes with the sometimes intrusive Ching Hai information espoused in all Loving Hut locations but their menu is by far the most expansive and impressive I have seen.

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London Vegan Drinks review: October 2011

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We did it again. Wow. London Vegan Drinks took place last night in Mayfair and to say it was successful would be an understatement.

From the moment people started pouring into tibits, it was evident the night was going to be one to remember. Wine flowed, beer was consumed and a whole lot of people socialised well into the night as the basement room of the central London bar and restaurant came alive. The event was attended by more than 60 London vegans and their friends as a seemingly never ending stream of people flowed in and out of the venue.

The London Vegan Drinks event was super busy last night

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London Vegan Potluck 6 review

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We did it! We moved the London Vegan Potluck to a new Central London location and many wonderful vegans and friends came out to celebrate.

The night was a delightful fusion of food, fun and fabulous people. Located just off High Holborn, the event took place in a large room generously supplied by Syracuse University London Program. Much gratitude goes out to the program for affording us the opportunity.

Potluckers had extra reason to be excited as world-class dessert chef Fran Costigan was in attendance with copies of her book and a sampling of her delicious truffles. Much love and thanks go out to Fran for taking time out of her busy schedule to visit with us tonight.

Fran Costigan chatting at the potluck
Fran's chocolate creations

The food didn’t stop with Fran’s truffles. There was plenty on offer and everything I tried was delicious. Before we get to the photos though, I must mention one thing…

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London Vegan Drinks review: September 2011

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Last night was one for the history books as London Vegan Drinks steamrolled into the capital in a major way.

London Vegan Drinks

The evening was destined to be memorable. Regent Street was packed with bustling shoppers, workers and tourists as I made my way to Tibits. I was delighted to be out on a hot, London night anyway but the London Vegan Drinks attendees and Tibits staff quickly turned the outing into one of my favourite nights in recent memory.

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London Vegan Potluck 5 review

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If you missed out on September’s London Vegan Potluck 5, you are just going to have to take me on my FGV word… it was a fantastic event. Seriously.

There were well over 50 potluckers in attendance and many more dishes on offer. The food was never ending and you could find almost any type of cuisine. We had lasagna, fruit skewers, mini burgers, seitan, tofu, tartlets, cheese platters, raw spaghetti, mole, chicken alfredo, hand-crafted truffles, cheesecake, falafel, spaghetti bolognese, iced tea, vegan wines, fruit drinks, dips, crisps, home-baked bread and much, much more.

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Brunch with a bang

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Here is a quick post to get you over the midweek blues and get you ready for the weekend.

Regular readers will be all too familiar with my love affair with 222 Veggie Vegan, a superb vegan eatery located on North End Road in West Kensington. You will have read about my first visit here and probably also saw my detailing of a subsequent visit here. Now let us return once again to discover what my favourite London restaurant has on offer for weekend brunch.

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Cruelty-free curry

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Leeds city centre isn’t exactly drowning in vegan food choices, but there is a special eatery that has  been keeping our lot nutritiously-fed for over 20 years.

My meal at Hansa's in Leeds

Hansa’s Gujarati Vegetarian Restaurant is every bit as much an institution as it is a success story. Hansa Dabhi is an accomplished chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, travel guide and business person. She has been at the forefront of quality dining in West Yorkshire for more than two decades and her North Street location employs an all-female staff. Hansa has made many appearances in support of her first cookbook and has been rigorously promoting her second.  Charities supported by Hansa and her customers include Saraswati Vidayala, an organisation committed to constructing schools in India. As you can gather from this paragraph, Hansa is a busy human… and I haven’t even described her food yet.

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A drunk, Welsh poet walks into a bar

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If you fancy a sampling of vegan food and alcohol, with a dash of animal rights and queer history thrown in for good measure, head to the central London area known as Fitzrovia.

A map showing the approximate area of Fitzrovia

Fitzrovia is an unofficial neighbourhood situated just north of Soho in central London. By many accounts, Fitzrovia was well-known as a hot spot for bohemians, free-thinkers, artists and even the odd socialist from the late 1800s through to the ending of the Second World War. The pubs and cafes of this district provided gloomy spaces in which outsiders were able to socialise, politicise and drink. Art, alcoholism and social justice melded perfectly and remnants of this bygone era can be enjoyed in Fitzrovia today.

Last week, Jordan and I ventured into the heart of Fitzrovia and what better place to commence my retelling of our adventures than the Fitzroy Tavern.

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