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The first thing that hits you about WAVE –aside from its ridiculous name – isn’t the small but all-vegan menu, it’s the tropical-meets-Scandi interior. Both chic and cosy, it invites long, lingering lunches of veg-heavy bowls, simple snacks and mighty-looking freakshakes.
A Golden Roasted Salad arrived crying out to be photographed (as does most of the food) and tasted every bit as good as it looked. A dish of roast cauliflower was equally lovely, balancing the creaminess of a coronation-ish sauce with the sharpness of pomegranate and orange. And the Brekky Bowl (essentially a posh vegan fry-up) was also decent, the juicy mushrooms and sautéed kale boosted by nutritional yeast and pesto.
Desserts, though, were mixed. A cinnamon bun was nicely fluffy, but a stack of pancakes, despite rich toppings, was far too dry. And the ‘enhanced Wave coffees’ were equally disappointing. The java itself was good, but additions (peanut butter and, separately, turmeric and cacao) were bland, and one came without the advertised cinnamon.
It might not be the ‘everything’ you’d hoped for, but stick to savouries and this is still a strong shout for a stylish vegan lunch.