Burger with a view
I’m about to break the vegan Internet.
London. Rejoice.
You can buy one of the nicest vegan burgers in the UK and consume it in one of the most glorious settings in London. This is happening right now in the capital and it is fabulous.
What the heck am I babbling on about? Check out this vegan burger.
Yep. That is a handmade burger patty in bread with cashew cheese and beetroot slices, served next to a bundle of crunchy fries. I can’t even.
This burger was one of the best meals I’ve enjoyed in London. I bet you wanna know where I got it, right?
The Old Ship W6 is a historic pub on the Thames (since 1722), just a short walk from Hammersmith bridge on the Chiswick side. It has some of the best river views in the city and makes the most of them with fabulous outdoor dining decks and patios.
Check out the glorious location. It’s all about ducks and sailboats.
Not too shabby on a sunny day.
I adore the views, but The Old Ship W6 comes into its own when we start to discuss the vegan items nestled within its menu.
You’ve already seen my glorious burger, but the pub regularly serves several vegan dishes including:
- Pearl barley risotto with asparagus, chestnut mushrooms and tomato
- Beetroot hummus with grilled sourdough and organic sprouting salad
- Warm roasted roots salad with quinoa, organic sprouts and chickpeas
- Kale slaw
- Chunky chips
I spoke with pub general manager Imogen and she was happy to inform me all of their food is prepared with much consideration. A separate fryer is utilised for non-animal based ingredients, while the kitchen staff use separate tongs and cooking utensils when making vegan food.
She added that the chef is working to expand the vegan offerings and the evolving menu has recently featured a vegan brownie with almond custard as well as a meat-free cottage pie. Imogen also had a lot to say about their selection of vegan beers, including some on draught and a wide range of bottles.
This is what we need, London. Gorgeous pub food. Glorious river views. Vegan beer. Outdoor dining. Vegan-friendly chefs.
Get ready for summer.
Follow The Old Ship W6 on Twitter.
That is AMAZING! Let’s go there when I get back! 🙂
Ooh, looks delicious. And if you sign up to their mailing list on their website it seems you get a voucher for a free drink – what’s not to like?
Somewhat disappointing trip there with my family today, as the menu has gone downhill since this review & is much truncated.from those options & what’s on their website 🙁
I’d even rung a week beforehand to book the table – was told they were so busy they couldn’t fit us in any earlier than 2.30pm on a Sat lunchtime (though when we arrived at 2pm the place was curiously empty) – & said at least three of us would be having veg options after reading about the great choices on this blog. But was told there is only ever one vegan main now or a couple of side dishes that can be chosen when then runs out. I didn’t expect that to mean just the a single choice for veggies OR vegans.
The only veg*n item left on the mains is the vegan burger – average, severed with skinny frozen chips (not the nice chunky ones the non veg*ns received) & way over-priced at £12 for standard pub grub [compare that with a freshly-cooked, all organic, delicious vegan three-course meal we enjoyed in Vauxhall on Thurs eve for £14 a head!]
The other five mains all contained dead animals.
There was a veg*n starter of bread/olives/bit of salad & kale slaw, chips & salad as sides – so back to the early ’90s if you are unlucky enough to go there & they’ve run out of the burgers. No daily specials. And no desserts.
Such a pity. Pleasant staff, pretty view. You’d expect it to be very busy too in such a primer riverside location.
I’ll write a polite email & explain the situation, that we wouldn’t bother returning unless there was some choice. And hopefully if anyone else is considering going there they can ask about the vegan options in advance – then decide whether to sound disappointed & decline or try to persuade the pub to add some options back on – rather than risk turning up & going hungry.
Had a charming phone call with General Manager, Imogen, earlier. They’ve had email problems & changes to personnel, so she’d not seen my email about our recent visit at end of June until I resent it yesterday.
She’d been away for a few weeks & now realises the food wasn’t dealt with as she’d hoped in her absence. There should have been a seasonal specials menu & other choices for veggies & vegans, not just the limited options were were shown.
As a recent vegan herself, Imogen said she’s committed to ensuring a decent menu choice is always on offer, even when she’s not on duty, so says they will be taking steps to ensure the menu labelling is improved to show what anyone with specific dietary needs can eat & also provide starters, mains, sides & desserts that are vegan.
So definitely worth getting in touch in advance to see what’s on offer before making your trip. Hopefully these initial problems will be ironed out & the interesting choices they have planned will be available!
Nice! Great find!!!
I went here for Sunday lunch with friends after seeing your recommendation and I’m afraid to say, it was a bit of a disaster. I am wondering whether on a Sunday lunchtime, standards slip? The burger I received didn’t look very homemade, the cashew cheese was virtually non-existent (not like in your photo!), and the rocket had been replaced with a couple of slightly browning gem lettuce leaves. The chips weren’t skinny fries and were nothing to write home about and the waitress didn’t seem very clued up on what vegan, as opposed to vegetarian, was.
None of the group I was with were vegetarian and they were not very impressed with their food either which is a real shame if you’re looking for somewhere to eat with non-vegetarian friends.
I’ll agree that the location is lovely, but one of the nicest burgers in London? Not by a long shot….
Was disappointed to find the vegan burger had run out by 7pm on a Monday (presume they didn’t actually have it in that day). Didn’t fancy a chilli so we left hungry.