OmNom is a new vegan café and yoga space located in Islington, London.
The café founders have this to say:
Everything we do is focused on journeying together to an enlightened lifestyle through serving your Body, Mind and Soul. OmNom brings you delicious, fresh vegetarian/vegan food that acts like yoga for your belly. As well as this we offer yoga, mindfulness and meditation sessions so you can connect with the real you. As you may have guessed by now, we’re all about giving, and as a Conscious Charity every meal you have at OmNom will feed a meal to a child less fortunate across the globe.
I like the sound of a meal going to a hungry human in exchange for every meal purchased in the café.
Sandi from OmNom clarified further:
Our mechanism is pretty straight forward. With every meal/yoga class that we sell, we will pay for one child to be fed. We work with a number of charities, including Annamrita who serve 1.2 million meals to children across seven Indian states every day.
If you want to see the sort of food being served at OmNom and check out some of their classes, get over to their website now. They have some great opening specials and discounts featured online.
You can see the exact location of OmNom in the flyer above or online thanks to Google Maps.
Hey, London. Where do you go for vegan brunch each weekend?
If you answered anywhere other than Arancini Brothers in Kentish Town, I’ve got news for you that might shake things up.
Arancini Brothers is the superstar fast food chain focussed on risotto balls, with locations in Old Street, Maltby Street, Dalston, Ely’s Yard, and Kentish Town.
In exciting news, the Kentish Town location is trying something new by opening only for brunch on the weekends.
And what a brunch it is!
Check out the photos below:
First of all, that fry up tray looks sensational. Furthermore, I say a big YES PLEASE to peanut butter jam toasties.
The rest of the brunch-only menu is stuffed with filled fococcia, salads, croissants, and sausage rolls.
Get along to Arancini Brothers Ketish Town every Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 4pm.
The restaurant is located at 115A Kentish Town Road. You can see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.
It has been quite a while since I visited Mog’s in Leeds, so I thought it would be the right time to remind everyone about this 100% vegan junk food joint.
Mog’s started life as a vegetarian and vegan eatery a few years back. In 2018 it became a fully vegan restaurant and then got itself some new management in 2019.
What can you expect to eat at Mog’s in 2020?
The menu is packed solid with comfort food such as burgers, chickn dinners, coleslaw, gravy, wraps, and fries.
How often do you get along to the gorgeous vegan spot in Brixton called Café Van Gogh?
This not-for-profit social enterprise enjoys a legendary reputation with locals, while a lot of people further afield often make the trip south of the river to enjoy the delicious cuisine.
I’ve popped on here today to let you know about the brand new monthly menu released by Café Van Gogh for February.
Check it out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8EtNN-JTqO/
The above menu is the evening menu, so grab a few food friends and make it a night out.
Café Van Gogh is open Tuesday to Friday midday until 4:30pm and then 5:00pm until 9:00pm, Saturday 10:am until 9:00pm, and Sunday between midday and 4:00pm.
The café is dog friendly and you can get in touch with them for bookings via 07593 010 566.
Multi-award winning vegan pizzeria Purezza extends its Camden venue using recycled and eco-friendly materials.
Purezza, the UK’s first vegan pizzeria, is extending its Camden branch. The new branch will be one of the biggest vegan restaurants in the UK, and is the first part of the restaurant’s expansion plans for 2020.
Purezza’s Camden branch first opened in March 2018. The company, which also has a branch in Brighton & Hove, went on to win National Pizza of the Year following its London opening.
The new restaurant is three times bigger than its previous Camden branch. It boasts a new sheltered garden area with live plants adorning the walls, making it perfect for alfresco-style dining no matter the weather. It also has a large extended bar, where diners can enjoy a range of drinks and cocktails along with light nibbles such as Purezza’s famed vegan Cheese Dough Balls.
Purezza’s focus on sustainability in its food has extended to the build and interior of the new restaurant. Furniture is from both Purezza’s previous restaurant, and discarded items from other restaurants. The plaster on the walls is made using sustainable hemp. Upholstered furniture uses vegan leathers and inner foams made with recycled plastic bottles. Mirrors and lighting were made with recycled and reclaimed materials using sustainable methods of production. Purezza even used the flooring from their previous Camden restaurant for seating booths, and doors were sourced from an old chapel.
The restaurant has seen steadily growing demand, which it credits to the combination of growing interest in plant-based food and innovation, and its unwavering commitment to quality.
Tim Barclay, co-founder and co-owner of Purezza said “our flagship London restaurant has been struggling to keep up with demand throughout 2019. The single biggest complaint we receive is that it’s almost impossible to get a table most nights. It’s a good problem to have, but providing exceptional customer experiences is one of our core tenets at Purezza, and by tripling the size of our Camden restaurant we’ll be able to meet the demand.”
The new Purezza opens on 3rd February in Camden at 45-47 Parkway, NW1 7PN. Click here to see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.
With all the intense and feverish attention given to mainstream non-vegan restaurant chains serving vegan options, I wanted to take a step back and give some space to the true legends of the vegan food scene.
I’ve compiled a list of my top ten favourite vegan restaurants and eateries on the planet as a way to celebrate the people who put animals first.
This list is current as of February 2020 and is as accurate as I can recall. Some places would have made this list had they not sadly closed. I also am aware that I am missing a whole bunch of amazing vegan spots that I haven’t had a chance to visit, so please feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.
Are you ready for FGV’s Ten Favourite Vegan Restaurants On The Planet?
Por Siempre Vegana Taqueria (Mexico City, Mexico)
Tacos are more than just food in Mexico. They are an inextricable part of the culture. Late night and early morning taco stands are on every corner, making this cuisine the most popular and most eaten in the city.
Por Siempre launched a vegan version of a traditional taco stand six years ago and it quickly became one of the absolute must visit locations for vegans. The business has recently expanded and now boasts a second spot featuring chairs and tables.
Temple of Seitan is more than just a place to get irresistible comfort food. It is a food company that has become world-famous and unquestionably legendary.
The first location of this fried vegan chicken powerhouse turned the world of plant-based eating upside down when it opened in Hackney, East London. With a second spot in Camden and more expansions soon to follow, Temple is set for world domination.
If you haven’t dined with Vedge, I promise you haven’t dined with the best vegan restaurant on the planet.
Until Kate Jacoby and Rich Landau launched their super swanky (yet still incredibly welcoming) Vedge restaurant, I wasn’t certain that I had ever truly eaten exceptional vegan cuisine. My multiple trips to the Philadelphia-based restaurant have forced me to reconsider everything I know about good food.
This restaurant located at Mermaid Beach on Australia’s Gold Coast means more to me than I can effectively express. Living in nearby Brisbane wasn’t always amazing for vegans (it has changed BIG time) so Tian Ran was my sanctuary.
Their menu is overflowing with some of my favourite dishes on the planet including olive fried rice, crispy bean curd, noodles, and drumsticks. I adore Tian Ran and I miss them deeply.
Veggie Grill (multiple locations, United States of America)
The first time I actually adored a salad instead of eating it out of duty was probably at a Veggie Grill location.
This chain of casual quick service restaurants is consistently high quality. They serve the perfect mix of comfort dishes (wings, burgers) with decadent salads packed with kale.
Veggie Grill is expanding rapidly around the USA. Eat with them when you can for pure happiness and satisfaction. Extra note: make drinking their strawberry lemonade a priority.
Plant Power Fast Food (multiple locations, United States of America)
Vegan junk food (junk is not a bad word!) is a reality thanks to Plant Power Fast Food. With seven locations and a food truck spread out across Southern California, the chain is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the fast food industry.
Plant Power recreate all your favourite foods of pre-vegan times without hurting any animals, including breakfast muffins, shakes, fries, and stacked burgers.
Not only are Carla and Marco dear friends of mine, they are also bloody talented food creators. Their pie and mash outlet in Camden, London is unquestionably one of the best places to eat on this planet.
Crispy pie shells, hot savoury fillings, creamy mash, and decadent gravy will be your reward if you make the effort to visit the shop. I would eat there every day if I could.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6fcYzjHbZi/
Napfényes Étterem (Budapest, Hungary)
During my first visit to this Hungarian restaurant and gourmet bakery, I almost started crying from the pure joy. Seriously. It was an intensely emotional experience for me.
Traditional Hungarian cuisine turned vegan by their impossibly talented chef makes this the finest vegan restaurant in Europe. The glass cases near the restaurant’s entrance are piled high with pastry items that cannot be bettered in my opinion.
Imagine traditional Italian food bursting with flavour. Imagine gnocchi. Imagine creamy tiramisu. Fried pasta. Ravioli. Now imagine this all done vegan.
So What? is the restaurant of your dreams if you adore Italian food. I was so shocked at how utterly delicious everything was during my visit, I kept pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo0_FhaiNme/
Doomie’s Home Cookin’ (Hollywood, United States of America)
Imagine being the happiest you can be. Imagine your happiest of happy places. Where do you see yourself?
When I close my eyes and think happy thoughts, I picture myself sitting at a table in Doomie’s with a vegan chicken basket in front of me and a jumbo soda off to the side.
Comfort food rarely comes more delicious than at Doomie’s.
Do you ever ponder where the heck Chanel of legendary London vegan bakery Vegan Delice ended up?
Well, you can stop stressing over these unknown facts.
Chanel is serving full time inside Westfield Stratford, East London under her new business name, Cake Cult London.
Chanel was the superstar of Hackney Downs Vegan Market every week until it ended, so it is great news that her many fans can find her in a regular spot.
Cake Cult London is located on the lower ground floor of Westfield Stratford, right near the Great Eastern Market.
Be sure to visit early in the day if you can, because Chanel’s stuff is so fabulous it always depletes quickly. The Bakewell slices are heavenly and worth a trip to the bakery in their own right.
This post was originally published as my column in Vegan Life Magazine a few years ago.
If you would like to read my monthly column, you can subscribe to Vegan Life Magazine online now.
So, you’re a vegan. Congratulations. Now what?
If you currently find yourself newly vegan, you are not alone.
Over the past few years, January has become a favourite time of year for people to explore what it means to live vegan. Dietary habits of old are replaced with plant-based groceries as thousands of consumers begin expanding their ideas surrounding compassion to include the welfare of non-human animals.
If you are one of those who decided the festive season or January was a good time to try veganism on for size, you are probably a few weeks into your plant-based adventure as you read this column.
The hard job of trying to convince you that veganism is worthwhile is obviously out of the way, so I won’t waste precious energy listing the reasons why animals are important. I’ve got a lot of leftover chocolates to eat, so let’s just do what we have to. OK?
I’m more interested in chatting with you about STAYING vegan for the long term.
You and veganism got together a short while ago, but let’s be honest with ourselves. The honeymoon period is coming to a close. Being vegan so far has been effortless because you were happy to have found something you could see would make a big, fat positive contribution to the planet.
This initial excitement of committing to veganism was enough to spur you on through what otherwise might have been tough time.
The bacon jokes and baffled looks didn’t touch you these past few weeks because you were ecstatic to finally be living vegan after all these years. Doing the right thing felt so darn good and you have been riding that wave of positivity since you made the switch. Right?
But what amount the months ahead? Being a happy and committed vegan might just take a little bit of planning and self-care, so I’m dishing up tips for staying vegan after the initial excitement has worn off.
Tip number one is to find like-minded people. Get along to social groups, shop at your local vegan street food market, and fill your calendar with vegan food festivals. I’m not saying you will make lifelong friends, but at the very least you will feel less isolated in your choices.
Try not to put yourself in situations where it is going to be tougher on you socially. A meal out with non-vegan friends isn’t the obstacle course it once was thanks to all the vegan menus being offered up by mainstream restaurant chains. Always make your voice heard when a restaurant is being picked for a night out with friends and you’ll eat well every time.
Know your facts and practise talking about your veganism. I often say that a well-informed, unapologetic and friendly vegan is the best advertisement for the cause. Stand firm behind your reasoning and chat happily with anyone who is curious. You might just be opening their eyes to veganism and of course you will be reaffirming your own commitment.
Inspiration is everywhere. Follow vegan recipe blogs on social media for new ideas that will keep your love affair with vegan eating in fine form. Be adventurous in the kitchen and stay updated with the latest vegan food trends.
Once you have got the plant-based food part of being a vegan in place, start looking at other areas of your life that can be veganised. Need new shoes? Try non-leather. Get familiar with household cleaning products that are not tested on animals and if you wear make up, start buying animal-friendly brands.
Most importantly, work hard to keep your vegan community an inclusive, strong and welcoming place. You are going to love being vegan even more than you already do if you are surrounded by other people who love being vegan. Look for ways to weave your veganism into other aspects of compassionate living. Volunteer with a local garden that supports at-risk members of your community.
Shop with (or join) a local grocery cooperative in order to create better opportunities for workers. Keep your savings in a bank that limits investments into unethical projects. If you can afford to do so, shop with local independent vegan businesses in order to keep money in your community. When you are helping to organise vegan events, ensure the space is accessible for everyone.
For anyone with a vegan journey that is just commencing, I say congratulations. Enjoy your choice to help animals and keep them positioned as the reason you went vegan.
Once you have that deep understanding of why you are vegan in your heart and your mind, it is close to impossible to go back. As your vegan journey continues, be confident that your choices are improving outcomes for non-human animals more and more each day.
Superstar vegan eatery Make No Bones of Sheffield has been collaborating with local bakery Fletchers to design the perfect vegan brioche.
And guess what? They have done it!
Don’t they look sensational?!
I asked Lauren from Make No Bones to give me a brief comment on the brioche launch and she said:
From our point of view, we are dead excited that there is a demand for vegan brioche and how far the accessibility of vegan food has come!
The Make No Bones vegan brioche buns launched in 400 Tesco stores today (January 27, 2020). I haven’t seen a store list yet but I have heard that they are mostly in Tesco Extra locations.
Do you all remember when I wrote about a new vegan döner and cocktail place in York?
If you don’t recall, you can read about it online here.
Döner Summer is getting rave reviews and now it is London’s turn to find out what all the hype is about as the northern comfort food specialists serve their cuisine during a two week pop up residency in Shoreditch.
The menu at the Shoreditch pop up in Dinerama is certainly enticing.
Döner Summer is serving up their signature vegan döner and shawarma alongside the London exclusive of Korean BBQ Kebab featuring Korean BBQ sauce, five spice chick’n, daikon, kimchi mayo, pickled cabbage, and onion mix.
I’m drooling.
Döner Summer is at Dinerama Shoreditch until February 1, 2020 and serves Wednesday through Saturday between 5pm and 11pm.
Londoners, get along quickly if you want to see what the north of England has been raving about.
