London vegan news, reviews & events
If you have visited these pages recently, you wil be well aware of my current trip around the USA in search of vegan food.
These travels landed me in New York City, where Josh and I have been hitting up food trucks, cafes, grocery stores and restaurants all in our quest for tasty treats. Josh has decided to take the controls for this post and tell you all about our experiences with a vegetarian Thai food outlet in the East Village.
Take it away, Josh.
Time for another guest post from Josh. He’s been savouring the delights from the new(ish) location of London vegetarian Italian restaurant Amico Bio.
Take it away Josh…
Amico Bio had been on my list of restaurants to try for ages but the original location near the Barbican wasn’t very convenient for me so I never made it there. Imagine my delight when I glanced out of the bus on my way to work and spotted a new location just a five minute walk from my office! It didn’t take me long to find an excuse to go to the new Amico Bio in Holborn. And not just once – I went twice in the space of a week it was that good. It’s a vegetarian restaurant but they have a very impressive range of vegan dishes and the staff are happy to talk to you about the items on the menu. They are one of the few London restaurants to use seitan and they are also using one of my favourite vegan cheeses – MozzaRisella.
Anyway, on to the important bit… the food…
I adore potato. It is my favourite food. I love it so deeply, I even have a blog category dedicated to this precious gift from the Earth.
Knowing this about me, you can imagine the utter joy I felt upon discovering a vegetarian baked potato cafe during my recent trip to Edinburgh. This wonderland of carbs is filled with vegetarian and vegan options to pile on top of piping hot potato.
Even though I was only in the Scottish city for one night, I managed to visit The Baked Potato Shop twice and it was just about all the food I could manage during my visit. The servings were mammoth!
There are some restaurants I feel you should do anything to get to, some I think you should avoid completely and others that are to be recommended only if you are passing.
The latter is how I feel about Riverside Vegetaria in Kingston.
Walking into this restaurant is like stepping back into the 1980s. The decor recalls an episode of The Golden Girls which saw the group dining out at a local trendy restaurant. Think lots of exposed brick and yellow-tinged lighting.
The step back in time doesn’t end with the decor. The menu is straight up old school vegetarian. Not to say that it isn’t tasty and filling, but there are certainly no fashion forward moments to be had. Food items in Riverside Vegetaria often border on camp, such as the lemon sorbet served in a hollowed out lemon.
Josh has once again stepped in with a guest post, although I have a suspicion the only reason he volunteered to write for me was to make me jealous… he knows I ADORE potato!
Take it away, Josh.
For those of you with desk jobs, you probably know that feeling… it’s getting close to lunch time, it’s chilly and raining outside and the thought of a trek to the supermarket to battle it out with the lunchtime crowd just doesn’t appeal. I wanted something quick, cheap, tasty and filling. Sure, I am surrounded by great vegan options all just a short walk from where I work: Hummus Bros, The Vegetarian’s Paradise, Amico Bio etc. but none of them as convenient as the vegetarian cafe in The Mary Ward Centre on Queen Square, WC1.
This place is about a 50 second walk from my building so last week I grabbed my umbrella to shield me from the rain and grey skies and took the short walk up the street to this hidden gem.
The place is simple and inviting. You order and pay at the counter and there are about 20 small tables to sit around and take respite from the central London hustle and bustle. That day though, I just wanted to get back to the comfort of my desk so I got my lunch to takeaway.
We can never have too many vegan food suppliers in the world, right? Well, we certainly can never have too many vegan food suppliers working towards building social capital in their neighbourhood, right? I knew you’d agree with me.
Moose’s Kitchen is a cafe set to open over the coming months and will focus on sustainable, organic, local and vegan food. The idea behind the eatery is to supply ethical and organic food to the community while working to educate people on healthy eating, collective organising and vegan cooking.
This initiative is set to transform the way people in Hastings and the South East approach food. The founder of Moose’s Kitchen sat down with me to explain the concept of the cafe and why she is asking you (yes, YOU!) to make a donation in order to make the idea a reality.
Read the interview below and make a donation to Moose’s Kitchen here.
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.
My love of Moo Free Dairy Free Chocolates is well documented and I jump at any opportunity to sing their praises. The confectionery company are unparalleled when it comes to making a vegan product that tastes like milk chocolate.
I have often proclaimed it the best vegan chocolate in the world, so obviously every new product must be chronicled. It is my FGV duty.
Wanna know what they have up their crafty sleeves for Easter this year? It is an organic Bunny Bar and it is delicious.
The Bunny Bar by Moo Free is perfect. It is just the right size for a snack, it is the same fabulous Moo Free taste we adore and it retails for a lot less the a pound. The recommended shop price is only 69p.
How terrific is that?! Get to a store or order online. Then I suggest starting with the ears…
Follow Moo Free on Twitter
Visit Moo Free online
It is would be so ridiculously easy for a chubby, queer plant eater like me to make a million jokes about sugar and overeating when writing about an online vegetarian confectionery store. The hilarity almost writes itself.
I am going to stick to the facts and throw open the joke writing challenge to you… the witty reader. Get your thinking caps on and hit me with your best funny lines about FGV and sweet eating. Post your comedy gold in the comments below.
Meanwhile, I’ll fill you in with all the details you need to know about this fabulous new online sweet shop in the UK.
Loving Hut in Camden is a good place to go for cheap, tasty food. Like all of the Loving Hut locations worldwide, the food is plant-based and the menu never breaks the bank. I have written about it previously here and here.
So, how could this vegan eatery with cheap prices and tummy-filling vegan food get any better? Read on and then start planning your next trip…