The best healthy restaurants in London

More spacious than Islington’s Ottolenghi, buzzier than Soho’s Nopi, this smart-casual outlet from Yotam Ottolenghi sizzles with bright, healthy ideas on small plates. A big chunk of the menu is veg-based and focussed on fermentation, so dive in and lap up the eclectic global flavours, from coffee baked beetroot with buckwheat praline to vegan butternut crunch pie with crispy sage. Meat and fish are also given the healthy treatment.

Japanese, vegan and organic? What’s not to love – and, rest assured, we do love this cool little miracle near King’s Cross station. Only the slurping of noodles disturbs the zen-like tranquillity, as punters dip into a virtuously healthy menu that makes the most of a few key ingredients (expects lots of tofu and seaweed). Laidback staff go with the flow, while zealous foodie workshops, art exhibitions and live music make Itadaki even more lovable.

Chef Rishim Sachdeva’s brilliant (mostly) vegan small-plates restaurant Tendril makes meat-free dining both easy and unquestionably delicious. Sachdeva is an alumnus of restaurants including The Fat Duck and Chiltern Firehouse, and that shines through in his imaginative technique-driven approach. His  lovingly created small plates draw inspiration from the Middle East, China and beyond.

This white-walled homage to flavour is inherently healthy, firstly because founder Yotam Ottolenghi is obsessed with vegetables and grains, and secondly because the sharing plates are so small you’ll struggle to overeat. However, every mouthful of Middle Eastern/Asian fusion food is worth it. Try branches of Yotam’s Ottolenghi café chain for slightly cheaper lunch deals.

Owned by well-connected Camilla Fayed (of Harrods family fame), Farmacy sells ‘clean indulgence’ to an eager audience of moneyed Notting Hillbillies and aspirational hedge-fund wives. It’s a happy, joyful, ‘free-from’ kind of place – no dairy, no sugars, no additives, no meat – with lots of plant-based goodies ranging from ‘clean curries’ to macro ‘earth bowls’.  Even the most virtuous dishes taste luxurious, especially when eaten in such chic surroundings.

Originally set up by Martin Morales (of Ceviche fame), Andina scores big in the healthy-eating stakes, with more than its fair share of Peruvian superfoods plus plenty of gluten-free and vegan options. Fill up on savoury corn cakes, zingy ceviches and out-there salads including a beetroot tartare with avocado cream. 

Mallow, from the folk behind Mildreds, is a new all-day, 100 percent plant-based eatery just off Borough Market serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Expect vegetables with a side of vegetables – but fancy vegetables in peng portion sizes and dishes in all the colours of the rainbow. 

Those outdoorsy Aussies have taught us a thing or two about healthy living over the years, and the bright and breezy Beany Green café sells Londoners the whole package in a colourful modern setting compete with a hip-hop soundtrack and a funky heated balcony. Expect to find vegetables loaded into almost everything, from daisy-fresh salads, yoghurt flatbreads and high-protein chargrills to quinoa and millet porridge. Also try Beany Green in Little Venice and Regent’s Place.

Raw fish is manna to healthy eaters and this calming Mayfair Japanese spot shows the way with a fine selection of sushi and sashimi. The chefs at the counter take their art seriously – witness platters of cut rolls tightly wrapped with nori or glistening slices of fish, beautifully presented with slivers of vegetables and dots of wasabi. There’s plenty of other healthy stuff on the menu, especially if you’re into izakaya-style sharing in the harmoniously neutral dining room.

Cojean is to Paris what Pret is to London: a ubiquitous lunchtime proposition accompanied by a Gallic shrug. Like Pret, it’s also very good at what it does: health-conscious fast food including wholegrain salads, wholesome soups and curries, delicious sandwiches and lots of veggie and gluten-free options. Hardly revolutionary, but a solid lunchtime go-to for anyone on a health regime. You can also find Cojeans in Mayfair, Chancery Lane, London Wall and Canary Wharf. 

A slender sunshine strip of a restaurant promoting ‘clean eating’ within the swanky surrounds of The Ned hotel/club complex, Malibu Kitchen feels like a slice of California in the City. The menu favours veggie and vegan over meat and fish – although there’s something for everyone, including fans of raw food. Vegetable and mango rolls with spicy nuts, poké bowls and zesty salads all fit the bill. For a full-on LA trip, wash it down with some lip-smacking green juice.

A longboard outside the door points up the breezy surfing vibe at this addition to the surging poké roadshow – an airy spot with a clean Asiatic look and a menu of Hawaiian-style raw fish salad bowls. Choose one of the ready-mades or build your own combo from the colourful pick ’n’ mix assembly line. Seating is limited, but Honi is just fine for a grab-and-go lunch or an early-evening refresher. Try the branches in Westfield Stratford and Islington, too. 

Although more grown up than Pachamama, this seafood and veg-centred sibling still magics up a happening vibe. Modish Peruvian small plates play to Chelsea’s healthy crew, including specialities along the lines of sea-bass ceviche, grilled cabbage with aubergine purée or trout cooked in banana leaf with red quinoa and mango sauce.

An elegant rebrand of Chelsea’s famous old Cheyne Walk Brasserie, No. Fifty is a timeless, plush and inviting setting for healthy modern cooking with a touch of class. Creative salad-based dishes and meat or fish from the grill are always worth a punt, but also look for ace veggie and vegan offerings as well. 

A Nando’s for clean-living Londoners, Cocotte serves healthy French-reared rotisserie chicken on wooden boards alongside a choice of homemade sauces, pretty superfood-packed salads and other accompaniments. Brunch offers up acai bowls with oat milk, almond butter, banana and granola. There’s are spin-offs in Shoreditch, South Ken and Parson's Green, too.

Japanese chefs often go where others fear to tread, and nose-to-tail gastronomy is part of their DNA – just look at this offshoot of Yashin Sushi, which serves all manner of esoteric piscine delicacies with a typically healthy spin. The menu is littered with appealing possibilities, from clean-flavoured carpaccios and sashimi (without soy) to hot tapas plates and protein-packed specials from the robata grill. Don’t miss the miso cappuccino topped with tofu espuma.

Bill Granger has the otherworldly serenity of a cult leader – a great advert for his chain of sunny-side-up all-day Aussie restaurants. The goodness-packed line-up at this branch has a whole section devoted to bowls and grains, plus some really inventive salads and barbecue – there’s even a dedicated ‘allergy menu’ flagging up everything from gluten to sulphur. Granger is also known for giving good brunch – healthy, of course. Branches in Chelsea, Marylebone, Clerkenwell and Notting Hill.

South-west London is well-served by Megan’s, and the Balham branch has all the necessary neighbourhood credentials. During the day, its twee interiors, flower wall and roofed garden are manna for local yummy mummies wanting brunch, coffee and cake, or simply a zesty salad and some invigorating juice. In the evening, thoughts turn to posh deconstructed kebabs, sharing boards and naughty cocktails – although just about everything is given some sort of healthy spin.

Everything is certified gluten-free at this Peruvian-Japanese bar and dining room – a clubby venue where standards are Machu Picchu high and much of the food has a healthy slant. Lean contenders from the regular menu include chirashi sushi power bowls, the house ceviche and sizzling offerings from the grill. Brunch also offers some healthy pickings, although the bottomless booze may knock you off track at the weekends.