London’s best restaurants for vegetarian food

Holy Carrot’s first restaurant in Portobello was a vegan treat, but they’ve boldly bent the rules with their second spot - allowing a host of divine dairy dishes in to the mix. So as well as the showstopper likes of tempeh and smoked tofu schnitzel, expect burrata with red pepper and a smoked citrus dressing, and ricotta with radicchio and truffle koji honey. Try also the king oyster mushroom vol-au-vent. It isn’t just the grub that makes the second Holy Carrot superior to the first: it’s the space. With white tiles and table cloths, linoleum flooring and uncomplicated timber dining chairs, it was designed with Spitalfields’ fruit-and-veg-flogging history in mind. Earthy and simple, but charming, too.

Address: 61-63 Brushfield Street, Spitalfields, E1 6AA.

With its distinctive pink paint job and dedication to Keralan vegetarian cooking, the original Stokey branch of Rasa broke the anglicised curry-house mould in 1997 – and it’s still going strong. Get stuck into the chilli and onion rava dosa, the beetroot and spinach achadi or the wonderful moru kachiathu (a turmeric-infused, sweet-sour yoghurt-based dish involving mango and green banana). Outstanding value.

Address: 55 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0AR.

An off-shoot of Brixton's much-loved Fish, Wings & Tings, Veg & Tings loses the fish and wings, but keeps all of the charm. Caribbean cuisine from Brian Danclair sees a short but serious menu packed with the likes of Trinidadian doubles, callaloo with stew red beans and fried plantain. The outdoor seating outside Granville Arcade at Brixton Village that it shares with its meaty neighbour is one of south London's best places to spend a sunny evening, too. 

Address: 3 Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8PR

Middle Eastern food has always been good for veggies, but this spot takes it to the next level - and there are now three Bubulas across London, with the original spot in Spitalfields, the Soho branch, and a third in King's Cross. You’ll find exhilaratingly rich brown-butter topped humous, meaty mushroom kebabs, halloumi smothered in fruity jam, and deep-fried latkes that are full of heft and crunch. Not sure what to order? Go for the Bubala Knows Best sharing menu, which brings together all of the mini-chain’s greatest hits, including their iconic pickle plate, and labneh with confit garlic and za’atar.

Address: 15 Poland Street, Soho, W1F 8QE.

This colourful, crowded and charmingly bonkers café is a favoured haunt for Peckham local veggies. Meze and wraps form the bedrock, but the menu plunders Iran, the Levant and North Africa for inspiration (adding some local tweaks along the way). To finish, go for the hot paklava meltdown or the divine Turkish delight sundae with Afghan green tea on the side.   

Address: 28-30 Peckham High Street, SE15 5DT.

A Friday-Sunday spot in a working denim factory, chef and founder Chavdar Todorov started Slowburn in late 2020, delivering local meals during lockdown on his motorbike. He’s since honed his hearty home -cooking-but-better, menu. It’s not a vegetarian restaurant by any stretch of the imagination, but vegetables here are king and everything comes full of love and flavour. This isn’t tweezer-tastic fine dining, but great, semi-chaotic things on a plate, from crunchy-shell black bean tacos to purple sprouting broccoli with a creamy Thai-style red curry sauce peppered with peanuts, and a deeply indulgent Pitchfork cheddar and brown butter agnolotti scattered with parsnip crisps. 

Address: 114b Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow, E17 6AA.

Situated on the backstreets of Fitzrovia, Rovi offers a feast of fermented dishes cooked over fire with everything from Levantine-style cuisine to Japanese tempura and dashi dishes. The dessert menu has something for everyone, from black cardamom ice cream to pumpkin fritters, helping further transport you through European, Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, with a menu catering to vegetarians, vegans and even your omnivore plus ones.

Address: 59 Wells Street, Fitzrovia, W1A 3AE.

Like a doting grandma or benevolent old friend, Jikoni is a restaurant that wants to feed you. Stepping inside the place – the brainchild of food writer Ravinder Bhogal – is like being wrapped in a big blanket. Except that blanket is made of gooey, warm potatoes. Plant-based food is far from an afterthought here. Yes, there is meat on the menu, but it is overshadowed by cauliflower popcorn with a zingy Chinese black-vinegar dipping sauce, crunchy-yet-melty cheddar croquetas, and glorious aloo avocado chaat.

Address: 19-21 Blandford Street, Marylebone, W1U 3DH.

A live-fire restaurant from chef Andrew Clarke, which is all about being simple, sustainable and collaborative. They use beer by-products like yeast and grain from the brewery next door in ferments and hot sauces, and even though it's a BBQ joint, vegetables are the stars of the show (though there is some meat on the menu, which is worth keeping in mind if you're a die-hard vegetarian). Leeks are charred until the layers softly fall apart and are then covered with a vibrant green pistachio romesco sauce, while grilled cauliflower comes with plenty of pickled red onion, chopped mint leaves and jalapeños.

Address: Abbot Street, Dalston, E8 3DP.

Open since 1989, this vegetarian institution is a beauty; housed in a converted artist’s studio, the pale-hued room is airy with large windows overlooking a pretty courtyard. Colourful, nourishing, eclectic dishes are beautifully presented and generously portioned. 

Address: 51 Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QL.

A sweet little spot on Broadway Market in Hackney, Aya & Suki is a female, queer-owned Eastern Med vegetarian kitchen where the chefs replicate dishes passed down to them by their mothers and grandmothers. Try honey baked crumpets and labneh for brunch, or swing by for a small plates supper of spiced lentil and blood orange salad, aubergine and polenta chips and batata harra fried potatoes with za’atar, coconut garlic yogurt, rose harissa and rocket.

Found within the Radha-Krishna Temple on Soho Street, Govinda’s serves vegetarian and vegan dishes with an Indian lean, but you'll also find veggie burgers, egg-free quiche and a range of sweets. Plus there are at least ten salads on the menu each day – think mango, celery and walnut or fried, marinated courgette and aubergine. It’s all offered to Lord Krishna before it hits the plate, too, so you're getting a free slice of Krishna’s mercy for good measure. Sounds like a good deal to us.

Address: 10 Soho Street, W1D 3DL.

With its offer of pleasantly retro veggie and vegan cooking served in quiet, soothing surrounds on Foley Street, Kin certainly has plenty to recommend it. Come here for pick-me-up breakfasts, coffee and cake in the afternoon or working lunches on the go – think salads, sandwiches, stews, quiches. Next door is Kin Restaurant, a swankier sit-down spot for dinner. 

Address: 22 Foley Street, Fitzrovia, W1W 6DT.

An Ealing Road landmark, this huge canteen-style outfit is a real hit with local Asian vegetarians – and other streetwise punters. Gujarati and South Indian dishes abound, but top choices include vegan pani puris, masala dosas, punchy chilli paneer, Indo-Chinese hakka noodles and zesty sambar. There are loads of chutneys and salads too, while desserts such as creamy shrikhand finish things off nicely.

Address: 127-129 Ealing Road, HA0 4BP.

A Scandi-chic veggie café serving a creative global menu and Climpson’s coffee in serene surroundings, Bühler + Co is primarily a brunch spot, serving apple crumble French toast, bulgur cakes and meatless fry-ups. A slice of the good life in Walthamstow.

Address: 8 Chingford Rd, Walthamstow, E17 4PJ.

Popular with students and aficionados of South Indian vegetarian cuisine, Sagar has gained renown for its keenly priced, homely cooking, with five outlets now running across the capital. The King Street original in Hammersmith is an attractive, smart-looking venue serving a please-all regional menu spanning everything from steamed idli dumplings and bhel puris to dosas galore, uthappams (lentil pizzas) and assorted veggie curries.

Address: 157 King Street, Hammersmith, W6 9JT.