The Best Vegan Restaurants in London
London is rich with vegan cuisine, with restaurants all over the city specialising in vegan food from around the world. But which are the best vegan restaurants London has to offer? We give you plenty of options, whether you are making a trip to London, or you are a resident!
London is brimming with vegan restaurants – there are so many options that we have narrowed down the best places. The majority of non-vegan restaurants in London carry plant-based options anyway. However, we bring to you the best dedicated vegan restaurants you can find in London. Many vegan restaurants have offers on in January for Veganuary – so check these out before you plan your trip too! Bon appétit!
PUREZZA CAMDEN
Purezza is a plant-based pizza place founded in 2015 by Tim Barclay, Stefania Evangelisti, and Filippo Rosato. It has several locations in the UK, but the London branch is located at 45-47 Parkway, Camden Town, London, NW1 7PN.
Not only is the menu vegan, but 95% of their options are gluten-free too! The Brighton branch was the first vegan pizzeria in the UK. Their delicious pizza is mostly made from organic and locally sourced ingredients. Their site also states that the ‘restaurant fit outs are made with recycled and refurbished materials’. Make a visit to Camden to Purezza for some delicious vegan pizza!
MALI VEGAN THAI
Mali is a small, family run, vegan Thai restaurant. It is located at 5a Hogarth Road, London SW5 0QT England. They say that it was their dream to bring vegan Thai food to London, as ‘Vegan has a long tradition in Thai Culture when it was brought with a group of Chinese Opera to Phuket Island over 200 years ago’. They aim to make vegan Thai food just as popular in London!
The food includes recreations of childhood favourites. Their menus carry delicious stir fry, rice, noodle and curry dishes. We recommend you check out their website to scroll through their full menus (with pictures included!).
UNITY DINER
Unity Diner was founded by some close friends (including vegan activist Ed Winters, a.k.a Earthling Ed) in September 2018. It is a non-profit vegan restaurant. It is also London’s biggest 100% vegan diner and cocktail bar. Unity Diner is located at 60 Wentworth St, Spitalfields, London, E1 7AL.
Unity Diner serves burgers, hot dogs, loaded fries, salads, cocktails, and more. Check out their website for a full menu. Not only that, but their ‘Tofish and Chips’ are award-winning! Give them a try on your next day out in London.
VANTRA VEGAN
Since 1999, Vantra has been serving healthy whole foods on their menus. They offer gluten-free, refined sugar-free, free-from options. Their main focus is showing how delicious healthy food can be. They can be located at 5 Wardour St, London, W1D 6PB.
Vantra state that they use three main techniques to prepare the whole foods they serve. These, they say, ‘ensure the highest amount of nutrients are retained in our food’. Through using raw, fermented, and steamed food, they bring their diners delicious and unique dishes.
RUDY’S DIRTY VEGAN DINER
Rudy’s Vegan Diner, the world’s first all vegan diner and butcher, has several restaurant and butcher locations in London. The diners are located in Camden at 729-731, Camden Stables Market, Chalk Farm, London NW1 8AH, and Islington at 206 Upper St, London N1 1RQ.
Traditional diner food such as burgers, wings, nachos, and mac ‘n’ cheese can be found at Rudy’s Diner. If you are looking for a delicious, and entirely plant-based, diner experience; we recommend you go to Rudy’s!
MILDRED’S
Mildred’s is a popular vegan destination. In 1988 Diane Thomas and Jane Muir opened their doors on Greek Street. They currently have five, soon to be six, branches of their restaurant in London. The Camden branch is at 9 Jamestown Rd, London, NW1 7BW, and the Soho branch is at 45 Lexington St, London, W1F 9AN.
Kebabs, burgers, hot dogs; Mildred’s has all the vegan food you could dream of. They are 100% plant-based all year, but they do have some specials for Veganuary, if you are visiting this month. Check out their website to see which of their locations is the closest to you.
PLANT HUB
Plant Hub was the first gluten-free pizzeria in London. The restaurant is located in Hackney at 217 Mare St, London, E8 3QE. Not only are they both plant-based and gluten-free, they also source ingredients locally and seasonally, and are mindful of waste.
Their menu is full of italian options – the Margherita, Fiorentina, and a Calzone are just a few examples. They also advertise delicious desserts like Banoffee, and Cheesecake. All vegan and gluten-free, of course.
STEM AND GLORY
Launching their first location through crowd funding in 2016. They have a couple of locations in London, one in Barts Square at 60 Bartholomew Close, EC1A 7BF. The other is in Broadgate Circle, opening April 2022, at 100 Liverpool St, EC2M 2AU.
Not only do Stem and Glory offset the carbon of your meal, but they also donate a meal to someone in need every time you eat a meal with them. The food ranges from gnocchi, to ravioli, to burgers. Check out their website for full menu details.
PASTAN
The fresh pasta at Pastan is 100% plant-based and delicious! After having several pop-up locations in London, Pastan eventually set up a permanent location at The Barbican. It is at 12-14 St John’s St, EC1M 4AY.
With velvety pasta from carbonara to pumpkin and sage tortellini, Pastan has some amazing flavours. Their mains are only £7.25 on their lunch menu, and lunch is served between 11.30am and 5pm! This family business is well worth a visit next time you are out in London.
FLIPSIDE
Flipside Food recently opened their doors on 5th January 2022. They have an extensive menu of vegan food you can order in or to go. They are located at 88 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6BP.
Flipside sell a huge variety of foods (check out their full menus on their site), including fries, shakes, and salads. They write that they carry ‘a big range, from super healthy wholefoods to proper meaty, delicious proteins with bite. [They] bring decent indulgences too, along with some high protein, reduced sugar and lower carb products.’
VEGAN PIZZA EXPRESS
Pizza Express opened their first all vegan restaurant at 147 Strand, London, WC2R 1JA. Vegan versions of their classics, along with new vegan options, this restaurant is full of choices. This would be the perfect place to visit for lovers of Italian cuisine.
Shadi Halliwell, chief customer officer at Pizza Express, said “Our new vegan menu is so wide ranging and delicious that it deserves a pizzeria of its own – so that’s exactly what we did. “Vegan PizzaExpress” is our first restaurant that will serve our vegan menu exclusively and is a true showcase of these authentic flavours that we’ve been perfecting since 1965’.
BANG KITCHEN
Bang Kitchen serves entirely plant-based and gluten-free food. Opened by Jo, Lee, and Dave, Bang Kitchen is located at 77 Pitfield Street, London, N1 6BT. Not only do they serve delicious food, but they are also conscious of their waste. They find ways to use the parts of food that would have otherwise been thrown away.
Serving tacos, buns, loaded fries, and more, their food is hearty and healthy. They also use lots of fermentation, aware of its benefits for gut health. Bang Kitchen advertise their menu as this; ‘Naughty but Nice – Healthy but with a few guilty pleasures thrown in!’ – check out their restaurant next time you are in East London.
We recommend using apps like Trip Advisor and Happy Cow if you are looking for good vegan restaurants near you! Additionally, if you are just embarking on a vegan diet, read some tips on the transition here.
+ Words:
Emma Dahl
Luxiders Magazine
