Capital cities are often an expensive destination for all – regardless if they’re a family on vacation or a travelling backpacker with a sense of adventure. London is no exception to that rule. Thankfully there are plenty of budget friendly options for everything a tourist in London might need – from cheaper transport options with group tickets or the Oyster Card, to affordable rooms at MEININGER Hotels London Hyde Park.
One aspect of London which you can also budget well for as a vegan traveler is the great selection of vegan-friendly restaurants both in the centre of Greater London and the surrounding boroughs.
In this small glimpse into London’s veggie community you’ll see vegetarian cafes with vegan options, raw vegan restaurants, tiny market stalls with vegan burgers, plus some Asian restaurants that will add a little extra spice to your meal.
Bonnington Cafe
This vegan and vegetarian restaurant is often regarded as everybody’s ‘little secret’ due to its small size and comfy setting, but throughout London and the veggie community it has long been one of the best places to eat.
What is most notable about the Bonnington Cafe is not that there is a different chef on hand almost every note, but rather the community spirit that fills the air. This spirit is related to the cafe’s former history and origin as a squat – though you would never think it had been given the comfortable and bohemian decor.
Don’t miss: Anything! The menu is never the same.
Mains: From £8
11 Vauxhall Grove, London SW8 1TD
NAMA
NAMA Foods speciality is raw vegan. Raw is a food preparation method that doesn’t take the food above the set maximum of 42 degrees which (on most occasions) will leave the food ‘raw’ yet full of all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that tend to be lost once cooked with traditional methods.
Raw food is a really interesting premise that must be tried at least once, and with raw food pizzas available at NAMA it’d be foolish not to order one.
The price is higher than most other vegan restaurants, but you’ll be getting food unlike any other type of vegan or vegetarian eateries. What’s more, raw desserts are almost always outstanding.
Must try: The Lasagna Verdure
Mains: From £11 to £13.50
110 Talbot Road, W11 1JR
inSpiral
This sparse yet artistic open space vegan restaurant is right down by the waterway in London and has one of the best views to enjoy while eating every bite of your vegan breakfast.
Lunches at inSpiral are incredibly popular with the buffet offering always remaining exciting and variable dishes from day to day.
One of the biggest draws for regular visitors to inSpiral is not the great location near to Camden Market, but the combination and focus on bio, gluten-free, GMO-free, and 100% natural foods.
Must try: Raw Vegan Tiramisu
Mains: From £9.70 to £12.90
250 Camden High St, NW1 8QS
Food For Thought
Though for the most part Food For Thought is a vegetarian restaurant and take away service, much of the menu is vegan as standard plus incredibly cheap. Making a trip to this hidden gem should be top of your vegan food eating agenda in London.
Must try: Toscano Bake
Mains: From £5 to £8.70
31 Neal Street, WC2H 9PR
Mildreds Vegetarian Restaurant
Mildreds is possibly London’s favourite vegetarian restaurant; vegans can rest easy here as much of their menu is vegan-friendly too.
Using influences from the Middle East to the Mediterranean, Mildreds offers fantastic food made by some of the best veggie chefs in the city. However, due to the great food at Mildreds it can get quite busy. The restaurant operates on a first come first served basis for tables so be sure to arrive early.
Don’t miss: The Sweet Potato Fries
Mains: Between £8.20 to £10.75
45 Lexington Street, W1F 9AN
Bluebrick Café
This vegetarian cafe on the corner of Fellbrigg Road is beautiful and symbolises the classic London café that many people picture and may see in films.
Opened in 2010 as a vegetarian cafe, the menu is small just enough to cover all of the bases from salads, to mains and desserts.
Don’t Miss: The Banoffee Pie
Mains: From £7.50
14 Fellbrigg Road, SE22 9HH
The Veggie Table
Located at the ever popular tourist attraction Borough Market, this singular stall sells The Veggie Table vegetarian and vegan-friendly salads and an interesting array of burgers, some with quinoa as their base.
In a market filled with foods that are more suited to a carnivorous diet, this little corner of veggie heaven is a blessing.
Must try: The Superveg Burger
Mains: From £4.50
8 Southwark Street, SE1 1TL
Beatroot Cafe
Pop into this small veggie cafe and select a salad box from one of three sizes. Once selected the friendly staff at Beatroot Cafe will fill up your box with some of the many delicious combinations of vegetables or grain-based salads. The smoothies at Beatroot Cafe are some of the best available in the area too, so be sure to get one to take away to sip whilst you walk around the market.
Must try: Eating in – they tend to stuff more into your salad box!
Mains: From £4.70 to £7.20
Berwick Street Market, 92 Berwick Street, W1F 0QD
tibits
Many people who talk about tibits, will mention the interesting method in which you pay for your food at this buffet restaurant: You fill up your plate and they weigh it to determine the price. But what really makes this branch of the Swiss chain a great place to eat, is the incredible array of food on offer.
Mixing recipes and food combinations from its main restaurant in Zurich together with vegan and vegetarian versions of British classics, tibits offers a variety of exciting flavours that you’ll be hard pressed to find outside of their Piccadilly-based location.
The head chef is always looking to use the incredible fresh and locally source of ingredients to invent new meals; and with their selection changing with the seasons too, it might be smart to load up your plate with as much as you can before it’s gone for another year.
Must eat: Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding
Meals: Dependent on plate size (roughly from £10)
12-14 Heddon St, W1B 4DA
Sagar
This Indian restaurant in Covent Garden isn’t vegan, but they are incredibly vegetarian and vegan-friendly with a vegan-only food menu to choose from to make ordering easier.
Combining traditional dishes from both the North and South of India, Sagar puts together a fantastic array of food using authentic recipes, fresh ingredients, and mouth-tingling spices.
Must try: A ‘lentil’ pizza
Meals: From £5.95
31 Catherine St, Covent Garden, WC2B 5JS
Loving Hut
Often referred to as the worlds ‘only vegan restaurant chain’, the Loving Hut in the Archway district of London is a piece of vegan and vegetarian heaven for travellers to the city.
The menu at Loving Hut is predominantly Asian influenced. Fans of mock meats and vegetable-based dishes from Taiwan, China, and South East Asia are going to be very happy indeed.
Also, there are a couple of other Loving Hut restaurants in London, so you may never be far from one.
Must try: Vegan Fish & Chips
Meals: From £5.60 to £6.90
669 Holloway Road, N19 5SE
Veganism in London is growing by the day and by the time you’ve planned out your route to London and booked your room at MEININGER Hotel London Hyde Park there’ll be even more options to choose from.
