London’s Best Spots For Vegan Junk Food
Wulf & Lamb
This Chelsea restaurant offers meat-free alternatives to traditional comfort food – think mac ‘n’ cheese, pie and mash and chilli con carne. Tucked away in a mews just off Sloane Square, this is a genteel, well-designed spot to linger over lunch, or grab something to go. The tongue-in-cheek names (chilli ‘non’ carne) belie a menu crammed full of plant-based goodness – pulled jackfruit makes up the filling of the ‘Wulf Pie’; the house burger is made of seitan and topped with sauerkraut and cashew aioli; and the open burrito uses sautéed ackee and cashew sour cream to give the dish a Mexican punch.
243 Pavilion Road, Chelsea SW1X 0BP
Visit WulfAndLamb.com
Redemption Bar
Located in Notting Hill and Shoreditch with two new sites on the way, Redemption Bar is London’s only vegan, sugar-free, wheat-free and alcohol-free restaurant. The restaurant’s motto is “spoil yourself without spoiling yourself”, and its ethos is rooted firmly in caring for the planet and its animals. That’s not to say that this has to be a saintly experience – highlights on the menu include the ‘Buff Burger’ (shitake mushroom, black bean and ruby beet burger with tomato, lettuce, caramelised red onion marmalade and sweet potato fries); slow-cooked jackfruit in barbecue sauce served with sauerkraut slaw and sweet potato fries; and banoffee pie (a chewy nutty chocolate base with sticky medjool date salted caramel, bananas and coconut cream).
6 Chepstow Road, Notting Hill W2 5BH; 320 Old Street, Shoreditch EC1V 9DR
Visit RedemptionBar.co.uk
The Spread Eagle
This Homerton pub is the very first in London to be 100% vegan. Its mouth-watering menu boasts some of the best flavours in London, courtesy of street-food favourite Club Mexicana. Serving up some of the tastiest tacos in town, these Mexican morsels are bursting with flavour and zingy spice. Its showstopper is the ‘To-fish’ tacos – beer-battered tofu wrapped in seaweed and topped with fresh chillies, shredded lettuce and chimichurri sauce. Make sure you finish with deep-fried ice-cream and chilli chocolate. Animal-friendly wines and 16 craft vegan beers complete the line-up.
224 Homerton High Street, Homerton E9 6AS
Biff’s Jack Shack
This vegan eatery at The Haunt centres on one of 2018’s hottest ingredients to craft its “filthy junk food” – the jackfruit. Burgers topped with ‘bacon’ and blue ‘cheese’ hit the mark when it comes to indulgent flavours, but it’s the team’s signature dish, crispy fried jackfruit, that’s the real winner: jackfruit is braised, double dipped in a panko crumb and fried to create a meat-like texture. The ‘wings’ are even served on sugarcane bone for an authentic feel. We’re impressed.
182 Stoke Newington Road, Stoke Newington N16 7UY
Visit BiffsJackShack.com
Crosstown Doughnuts
Now for some sweet stuff. Crosstown Doughnuts might have locations scattered across the capital, but did you know that its Marylebone location is exclusively vegan? Within, the team serves its signature sourdough doughnuts, coffee (served with soy, oat, coconut, cashew and almond milk) and other vegan drinks, all in a dairy-free environment. Our favourite treats include the Cinnamon Scroll (vegan sourdough rolled with cinnamon and covered in vanilla bean glaze) and the Peanut Butter Berry (vegan sourdough with blackcurrant compote, roasted peanut butter glaze and a sprinkle of roasted peanuts). Delicious.
5-6 Picton Place, Marylebone W1U 1BL
Visit CrosstownDoughnuts.com
Temple of Seitan
Temple of Seitan is a 100% vegan fast-food joint that launched in 2015. Now with two sites in Camden and Shoreditch (as well as a popular street-food following), the kitchen focuses on ‘chicken’ and ‘hamburgers’, using its namesake as a meat alternative. We’re a big fan of its Temple Hot – a hot dipped ‘fillet’, ranch mayo, pickles and lettuce, and the BBQ Bacon burger, which is filled with a quarter-pound patty, mayo, cheese, bacon, pickles and house BBQ sauce. Top sides include mac ‘n’ cheese with ‘chorizo’, popcorn chicken and a pot of gravy.
10 Morning Lane, Hackney E9 6NA and 103a Camley Street, Camden N1C 4PF
Visit TempleOfSeitan.co.uk
The Full Nelson
This cool Deptford bar is also a well-loved veggie/vegan eatery that specialises in junk food: think ‘Seitanic Wings’ (seasoned seitan fried in a choice of buffalo, barbecue or teriyaki coating), ‘Chilli cheese fries’ (rosemary-seasoned fries, avocado cream and vegan cheese) and the ‘Nakatomi Tower’ (‘chicken’, hash browns, coleslaw, cheese, beer battered onion rings and chipotle mayo in a brioche bun). While regular cheese is served on some of the burgers and there’s an Oreo ice-cream on the menu, The Full Nelson offers vegan alternatives for everything. The site is also home to vegan coffee shop The Waiting Room, and the kitchen also caters for The Four Quarters in Peckham.
47 Deptford Broadway, Deptford SE8 4PH
What The Pitta
What The Pitta’s mission is to bring a healthier and more ethical spin to the beloved British favourite – the donor kebab. Inspired by co-owner Roj’s uncle’s vegan kebab pop-up in Germany, the team’s “meat-free more often” mantra comes to life via its vegan donor (freshly-made bread, spiced soya pieces, mixed salad, tzatziki, hummus and chilli sauce); Turkish pizza (dough topped with minced soya, minced vegetables, onions, tomatoes, parsley, and spices); and donor and chips box (chips loaded with spiced soya pieces and mixed salad). It’s a seriously impressive alternative.
89-91 Bayham Street, Camden NW1 0AG; Boxpark Croydon, Croydon CR0 1LD; Boxpark Shoreditch, Shoreditch E1 6GY
Visit WhatThePitta.com
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