Taking the long way around

Blackout vegan dining in Las Vegas

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Just when you think we’ve reached peak veganism, along comes Blackout with their unique dark dining experience in Las Vegas.

This concept is rather unusual, but also highly enjoyable.

Diners eat their 7-course vegan dinner in complete darkness. Not semi-darkness where eyes can adjust after a few minutes, but rather total darkness.

On arrival, guests read and sign a waiver before locking phones and all light emitting objects into a secure locker.

Each group of diners is assigned a server just as you would be in any regular restaurant. At Blackout however, the servers wear night vision goggles in order to navigate the room and serve food and drinks.

Gil and I were invited down by the restaurant to try the menu and our server Anthony was a true delight. He was obviously our eyes for the night but he was much more than that.

Anthony talked us through each dish, gave directions to cutlery, and kept us feeling relaxed through the hour and a half experience.

The entire experience was amazing, a little nerve-racking, and something that I will never forget.

Anthony gave us minimal details on the ingredients of each dish, allowing us the freedom to explore the flavours on our own.

Gil and I had a great time trying to work out what we were eating. You don’t realise how much your taste is influenced by sight until you find yourself trying to deconstruct the flavours in a 7-course meal!


Hearing the other diners talk, laugh, and sometimes smash a glass (!) is surreal and has you questioning so much about your senses.

When we got outside, Gil said it was like I had been inside his brain for an hour and a half. How awful for him!

You are allowed to view the menu AFTER you finish your meal but you are not permitted to read it aloud nor can you photograph it.

Blackout prides itself on offering the experience as a complete surprise for diners and they don’t want it ruined by menu leaks.

In addition, the restaurant does not advertise as vegan even though all food and drink is completely plant-based. Imagine the thousands of non-vegans having this fun experience only to discover at the end of the night that they were eating vegan food.

That is some seriously stealth vegan activism!

You MUST try Blackout Dining in the Dark when you are in Las Vegas. You will love the food AND the dark dining room.

It is an experience like no other.

Visit the Blackout website and follow the restaurant on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Mexican vegan restaurant in Las Vegas

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It’s been a few years since I last dined with Pancho’s Vegan Tacos and my visit this week reminded me instantly why this is one of the best places to eat in Las Vegas.

With a location about 4 miles off the world famous casino Strip, Pancho’s is the perfect place to load up on Mexican comfort food.

But be warned. The portions are HUGE.

Gil and I were almost outdone by the giant loaded fries… seriously, these things were almost too much.

The rest of the menu reads like one of my dreams. Quesadillas. Pozole. Tacos. Burgers. Cake. Agua frescas.

Follow Pancho’s on Instagram and watch out for extra locations (like Henderson and a mobile truck) and others coming very soon.

Vegan comfort food in Vegas

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Nothing satisfies me quite like vegan comfort food. Give me a solid burger and some crispy fries to see me at my happiest.

I’m currently in Las Vegas and found my way to The Modern Vegan, a restaurant in a strip mall located not too far from the airport that left me grinning from ear to ear.

The menu is stacked with classics you’d expect in a comfort food place including loaded fries, buffalo burgers, shakes, and waffles.

Gil and I ate as much as we could but these were BIG portions.

Check out the photos below and follow The Modern Vegan on Instagram.

Super cute vegan patisserie in Paris

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Following on from my jaunt around Europe thanks to Vegan Travel’s NYE cruise on the Rhine, I’m slowly catching up with reporting on some of the food places I visited.

After the cruise, Gil and I got a chance to spend a few days in Paris.

One of my food highlights from the city of lights was VG Pâtisserie, a super cute vegan patisserie located just a few steps away from the Voltaire Metro station in the 11th arrondissement.

The handcrafted patisserie items at VG Pâtisserie were exquisite and we had a difficult time trying to pick a selection. The cafe was absolutely bustling and seemed to be the most popular business on its block.

Check out the photos below to see what we ended up with and be sure to follow VG Pâtisserie on Instagram to stay updated with their gorgeous offerings.

Vegan burger and shake restaurant in Amsterdam

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I recently had 12 hours to hang out in Amsterdam and I made damn sure that I made time to dine with Deer Mama.

Deer Mama is a relatively new burger and shake bar located just south of the central canals of Amsterdam. It’s close enough to walk from the centre, or you can whizz down there via a tram in minutes.

I had been reading about the restaurant for a few weeks before my visit, meaning my anticipation was high and my excitement levels for decadent burgers, boozy shakes, and vegan soft serve were at fever pitch.

Sometimes being THAT excited about a new vegan place can kinda set you up for disappointment, but I’m happy to say that I walked out of Deer Mama one extremely satisfied customer.

The burgers were some of the nicest I’ve tasted in recent years and the baked-on-premises cookies, cakes, and cinnamon scrolls added an extra layer of delicious temptation.

Check out my photos below and be sure to drop in next time you are in Amsterdam.

The exact location of Deer Mama can be seen thanks to Google Maps and you can follow the vegan restaurant on Instagram.

Fab vegan café in Paris

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Here is a quick and cute post to let you know about a wonderful vegan café and bakery in Paris called Cloud Cakes.

Cloud Cakes is nestled away just a few blocks to the north of the world-famous Louvre museum.

The café features a case packed full of gorgeous patisserie and fresh croissants.

I headed along for a recent Sunday brunch and was blown away by the quality of the cuisine. The scramble was perfect and I’ve never been as happy as I was when I was devouring the warm croissants with a glass of orange juice.

Check out my photos below but before you do, take a moment to follow Cloud Cakes on Instagram. See the exact location of the café thanks to Google Maps.

Vegan retreat in Thailand

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My buddy Jo has joined us with a guest review of a special vegan retreat in Thailand!

Thanks, Jo:

If the thought of staying on a ‘retreat’ conjures up images of bland food and generally going without, then AMAYEN Sanctuary certainly challenges that misconception. This fully vegan retreat in Northern Thailand is all about rest and relaxation but it is also very much about good, tasty vegan food.

Situated about 45 mins drive from Chiang Mai airport/Chiang Mai city centre, with pick-up and drop-off provided, AMAYEN Sanctuary is nestled between lush green paddy fields in the countryside.

A major plus for me was the idyllic setting: a river bounding the retreat on one side, providing a calming soundtrack to my stay, and the backdrop of mountains and paddy fields on the other side. It’s a great place for watching wildlife, from birds and dragon flies fluttering past to the tiny squirrels jumping from tree to tree within the retreat.  The accommodation feels luxurious and great care is taken to ensure that guests enjoy their time there.

The activities included in the retreat packages are yoga sessions, mindful breathing, mediation and massages (traditional Thai or aromatherapy), all optional of course. There’s a salt water swimming pool and push bikes for those feeling more energetic and a fully stocked library for those wanting to take things more slowly. There are daily excursions to waterfalls and coffee houses. The local coffee is so good, I bought some at a local roastery to take home.

My favourite activity though was the visit to the organic garden, across a small bridge, to gather herbs and vegetables for a Thai cookery lesson given by co-owner and chef, Lin. We made three dishes: fresh spring rolls, green Thai curry (with three different types of aubergine) and bananas in coconut.

All of the meals at AMAYEN Sanctuary were outstanding and left me with a contented full belly thanks to the generous portions. Each meal had a little surprise element, whether that be in the beautiful presentation or the flavours. Most of the meals served were traditional Thai or Chinese but there was also scrambled tofu on toast, enchiladas, and even bread pudding (with a Thai twist). Apparently some people lose weight when they stay. I have no idea how!

Visit the AMAYEN Sanctuary website here to see all the details.

For anyone wanting to extend their stay, Chiang Mai has a number of vegan eateries including Good Souls Kitchen, various branches of Vegan Heaven, and Reform Kafé.

Legendary Mexican eatery opens in USA

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Fantastic vegan news out of Miami, Florida.

Already a success in Tulum, Mexico where Chef Charly first opened his food truck in the jungle on New Year’s Eve 2016, Charly’s Vegan Tacos has now arrived in Miami to revolutionise the vegan food scene.

“The first year we opened in Tulum, we lost a lot of money. We were about to close when high season arrived and people finally started to turn up from what must have been word of mouth. And now we are opening in Miami! It is a great feeling to to be taking what we call our ‘Hip Dining’ concept to Florida”, says restaurant founder Charly.

Charly applies his past experience as Executive Chef at some of the best steak houses in Mexico City to make vegetables taste and feel like authentic Mexican cuisine with very similar textures and flavours to that of meat.

“What’s amazing for us in Tulum is that about 80% of our customers are regular meat eaters. We are not here to judge as I used to love meat. When I started eating vegan what I missed the most was the feeling of eating animal protein. Now I’ve eaten vegan so long I don’t miss it, but these recipes helped me stay on track in the beginning. Charly’s Vegan Tacos is my best effort to bring this marriage of food types to everyone so we can all eat less meat without missing the textures and flavours we have grown to love so much”, Charly told me.

The Wynwood, Miami location evolved from the Tulum concept by creating a full service dining experience, with Starters (labelled as Antojitos on the menu), Tacos, Mains and Desserts. See the full Miami menu online here. It is amazing!

Charly’s Vegan Tacos is located on 172 NW 24th St, Wynwood, Miami. See the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

You can follow Charly’s Vegan Tacos on Instagram and Facebook. The Miami location is currently open Tuesday to Sunday from 5:30pm until late.

Vegan meals with British Airways

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The quality of vegan meals served on airplanes varies wildly depending on the carrier and the city from which you are flying.

This week saw me traveling from London to Mexico City with British Airways and I was happy with the food service. Not amazed, but satisfied.

Check out the meals below.

The first meal was a green coconut curry featuring tofu. The flavours were really quite pleasing and I would happily eat that meal again either on or off a plane. There was also the usual too hard to eat fruit, some tomatoes in their own plastic pot, a packet of cashes, and a bean/chickpea salad. The bread roll was accompanied by a vegan spread.

Next up was a chestnut ragout served with mixed rice. This dish was tasty but not as impressive as the green curry. The pleasant surprise on this tray was the Pecan Pie Nakd bar. It is the inclusion of something like this that makes me believe the catering firm are paying attention to veganism.

Overall, it was a satisfactory in-flight eating experience and it is reassuring to see airline catering getting more vegan friendly.

Now all we need is for the vegan meal to be the default choice for everyone!

NYE cruise on the Rhine with FGV

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Here we go again!

I am beyond thrilled to announce my participation with the New Year’s Eve luxury river cruise on the Rhine with Vegan Travel.

Join me and book your cabin for a fun-filled and completely vegan week on one of the most stunning and legendary waterways of Europe.

If you have been reading my online musings for a while, you might know that this will be my fourth NYE cruise with Vegan Travel meaning it has become an annual tradition for me.

But you don’t want to read about my good times of years gone past. You want the facts on the cruise this NYE, right?

NEW YEAR’S CRUISE ON THE RHINE DECEMBER 27, 2018 – JANUARY 2, 2019

If you’re looking to celebrate the holidays and welcome the New Year in incredible style, this all-inclusive cruise is for you. You’ll sail through Switzerland, France, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium along the legendary Rhine river and pass incredible sights on this unique itinerary. Explore charming old-world villages and Gothic cathedrals as you relax onboard your floating vegan boutique hotel.

So what is included when you join the cruise?

  • 6 nights aboard in your choice of stateroom or suite, all with private bathrooms and fine organic vegan toiletries
  • Ship exclusive to Vegan Travel – the entire ship is vegan for the entire week!
  • Vegan fine dining (full board)
  • All alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
  • Welcome & Farewell cocktail
  • All taxes, port charges and fees

Every ship I’ve journeyed on with Vegan Travel has been stunning and this year’s vessel looks to be no exception.

The ship has beautiful dining rooms, WiFi, bicycles available for shore use, a fitness centre, and even a 24-hour jacuzzi on the deck!

The itinerary for the cruise is the stuff of dreams. Check out this schedule:

  • DAY 1 – Basel
  • DAY 2 – Strasbourg
  • DAY 3 – Cologne
  • DAY 4 – Amsterdam
  • DAY 5 – Rotterdam
  • DAY 5 – Antwerpen
  • DAY 6 – Antwerpen
  • DAY 6 – Brussels
  • DAY 7 – Brussels

I don’t know what else to tell you. All your meals, all your booze and non-booze drinks, cruising along one of the world’s most fabulous and famous rivers, stunning scenery, a gorgeous cabin, and stops in some of the most historic locations in Europe.

Oh, I almost forgot to add. You also get to hang out with me in the bar!

This NYE cruise is fully booked every year and this year is already about 50% gone. Make your enquiries now and join me for a fabulous cruise!

Click here for all the details and booking.

You can follow Vegan Travel on Instagram and Facebook.