[title]
Plant-first lovers of the arts, do we have some big news for you.
As of next month, there’s going to be a brand new dining destination at top cultural destination Somerset House – and it’s vegan. Café Petiole is the project of chef Rishim Sachdeva, who runs the posh (mostly) vegan Tendril over in Mayfair, and has cooked everywhere from Chiltern Firehouse to The Fat Duck.
The all-day space will launch in May and have 27-covers. You’ll be able to dine-in or take-out dishes such as toasted banana bread with agave, baked courgette, feta & honey swirls, blue corn tostadas with smoked artichoke & lime puree and mushroom focaccia with daikon pickle.
Like Tendril, Petiole is billed as ‘mostly’ vegan, so expect a couple of non-vegan ingredients to sneak into the menu – like in the fennel, roasted orange, goat cheese & dill salad – but these will be avidly signposted and easily avoidable for those who take their plant-based lifestyle seriously. All drinks will be vegan, and include kombucha and low-intervention European wines.
You'll be able to find Café Petiole off the Edmond J Safra Fountain Court at Somerset House, right by WatchHouse coffee and the long-standing Spring restaurant.
Speaking about the new space, Rishim Sachdeva has said: ‘We hope our Tendril regulars, and new customers alike, will enjoy our more casual menu at Café Petiole, which takes the same plant-first approach and ethos of our restaurant menu, but offers a host of new dishes and baked goods to eat in or take out, ideal for lunch on the go, or meeting up with friends over the summer in the beautiful Somerset House courtyard surrounds.’
The botanists among you will no doubt already be aware that Café Petiole is named in honour of the stalk that attaches a stem to the leaf of a plant. When it comes to design, the space is supposed to resemble an ‘artist's café’, with yellow and magnolia walls, antique tables and bentwood chairs, as well as handmade paper pendants hand-painted murals on the new counter.
Café Petiole, South Wing, Somerset House, The Strand, WC2R 1LA
Ready for some more delicious veg? Here's our list of the best vegan restaurants in London.