Almost every day. That is how often I get emails or tweets asking for my London vegan dining recommendations.
Of course I don’t mind giving my opinion. The belief that my view matters is the self-centred reason I write a blog. However, I was getting a bit tired of saying that I thought London wasn’t a patch on other international cities when it came to vegan cuisine. Sure, we have some OK places to eat plant-based food but I was never overly impressed the way I have been by Gentle Gourmet in Paris or Vedge in Philadelphia.
Well, finally we have something in the UK capital that I am more than happy to recommend. Vegans and vegan-curious, say hello to the re-imagined Saf Restaurant & Bar menu.
When I announced plans for a vegan Christmas dinner in conjunction with The Gallery Cafe, I kinda knew it would be popular. What I didn’t know is that all 50 tickets would sell out more than a month in advance of the event!
Push harder, Superman!
With every ticket long gone and people emailing me daily about joining a waiting list, I have decided to add another night for this festive dinner.
The Gallery Cafe will be closed exclusively for this special event on Thursday December 12th, 2013 from 7pm where diners will enjoy homestyle food created by the cafe staff just for us.
Go here now to check out the menu and buy tickets.
Pogo Cafe is gone but in a city the size of London, vacant cafes don’t sit empty for long.
It is with great excitement that I welcome Black Cat Vegan Café to the capital food scene. This workers’ co-op has taken over the old Pogo site and looks set to keep the spirit of vegan eating alive and well in Hackney.
I am yet to make it over to the new cafe but that hasn’t stopped me from sharing with you what I know. Here are some bits of information sent through by Carolyn, the chef at Black Cat Vegan Café.
I would love to hear what you all think of the food on offer.
I love discovering something unexpected in London and it doesn’t come more left of centre than a vegan pie in a jellied eel shop in the heart of London’s East End.
Lesley Brown recently wrote to me to say she enjoys my blog (aww!) and wanted to know if I had heard of a vegan pie available in the most unlikely of locations. Here is her email reproduced in part. I am sure you will find it as eye-opening and wobbly tummy-inducing as I did.
You gotta give props to The Gallery Cafein Bethnal Green. They don’t rest on their east London laurels and are constantly looking for inventive and tasty ways to make hungry vegans like me visit them more often.
Josh has kindly stopped by to tell you about a little vegan surprise he found in central London, just a short stroll from Holborn Underground station.
Talk on it, Josh.
A couple of weeks ago my dad told me of a small independent bakery near my work which proudly displayed a sign out the front asking, “Have you tried our vegan options?”. The establishment in question is the Fleet River Bakery on the northwest corner of Lincoln’s Inn Fields just behind Holborn station. Many colleagues had spoken very highly of this bakery/cafe and I was excited to hear of their vegan-friendly bragging.
Maybe I am not the all-knowing vegan guru of London, after all. I seem to be stumbling upon formerly unknown (to me) vegan and vegan friendly locations almost weekly.
“Here we go again. FGV is complaining about a vegetarian restaurant. Why can’t vegans just take what they get?”
Indian Melodywas the scene of one of the most disappointing dining experiences I have ever had in the UK. I thought I was onto a sure thing when I discovered an almost entirely-vegan Indian restaurant in the city of Southampton, but I was rudely awakened to a different reality.
Welcome to the first ever Fat Gay Vegan monthly news round up!
These posts are designed to give you that little extra dose of vegan gossip from in and around London (and occasionally further abroad). I welcome any tips or leads. The news round up won’t contain reviews as such, instead acting as an information portal.
Of course I would love for you to add your own experiences and views relating to the topics I touch on.
Here’s the news!
Tiramisu in a jar
inSpiral have relaunched their vegan and raw cakes in jars! I spotted the tiramisu in Whole Foods Market Kensington but I’m sure it won’t be long until you find them dotted all over the UK.
Only sausages
I got quite a shock during a recent stroll down Old Compton Street in Soho. Gone is the all-you-can-eat vegan buffet, now replaced with a German sausage restaurant. The server told me he has to keep turning people way who ask “is everything vegan?”.
Ms. Cupcake on the shelves
I was shopping in the Camden Urban Outfitters a few weeks back and was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon the Ms. Cupcake book. I caught up with Mellissa Morgan this week and she told me you can actually buy the book in all Urban Outfitters across Europe. Good stuff!
Two for one is better than one for one
I know Saf is a bit on the pricey for some of you, but there is one deal they offer that has me going back for more. Every Thursday is 2-for-1 on the entire Saf cocktail menu. The photo above shows my recent mango/jalapeño margaritas. This deal is especially good news when you consider London Vegan Drinks takes place in the same building and on the same floor every third Thursday of the month!
Dough!
The final news item for August is probably my favourite. Cookies & Scream situated in Camden Lock Market are not resting on their delicious laurels. These purveyors of tasty treats have upped the game with this incredible cookie dough shake. Not pictured is the equally impressive salted caramel shake. They aren’t messing about!
My partner Josh loves to jump onboard now and then to let you know about the food making him smile.
Please give him a warm welcome as he returns to let you know about an amazing vegan breakfast he consumed in Bristol. Could this be the best vegan fry up in the UK? Answers in the comment section, please!
Take it away, Josh.
FGV’s recent post about the vegan brunch at Down To Earth in London reminded me of a trip earlier this year to Cafe Kino in Bristol. This was my third trip to Bristol yet for some reason I had never made it to the cafe before. Passing through on the way from Cardiff to Bath with my sister-in-law and nephew from Australia, we stopped off at Cafe Kino one morning to fill our bellies before a long day of driving.
For those that don’t know about Cafe Kino, it’s a co-operatively run vegan cafe (except for cow milk in the drinks) situated in a picturesque area of Bristol. They’re open every day of the week, selling mostly home-made vegan food.
On the morning of my visit, I of course gravitated towards the vegan fry-up. It arrived quickly at my table with sausages, baked beans, hash browns, fried mushrooms, fried bread, bacon rashers and grilled tomatoes. It. Was. Perfect.
Amazing vegan fry up in Bristol
I can’t remember how much I paid but I remember thinking it was very reasonable for the amount of food I received. I wish there was something like this in London!
