The best vegan-friendly restaurants in London

Run as a not-for-profit workers’ cooperative, this ethical vegan-only café and bookshop in Clapton is a top spot for budget plant-based food. The menu always features a beef-style seitan and soya-mince burger, a barbecue tofu sandwich, pancakes, curries and meatless lasagne, plus a host of seasonal salad plates involving kale, beetroot, quinoa, noodles and other hip favourites

Vauxhall’s green-living, eco-minded community café – a former squat – depends on a rolling roster of cooperative members/cooks from different nations, who take turns to prepare and serve globally minded vegan and vegetarian food at rock-bottom prices – check the website to see who’s at the stove. Look for lighter options on the menu if you’re on a health kick. Cash only. BYOB (no corkage but 50p donation per glass).

The vegan offshoot of nearby Comptoir Mezze, Comptoir V promises globetrotting plant-based cuisine with lots of exotic nuances and the odd jokey dish name such as It’s No Jerk (a three-bean burger with barbecue sauce). The decor references the Middle East, but the menu covers everything from jackfruit nuggets and beetroot houmous to roti-style curried chickpeas with Moroccan bread. Drinks are vegan too.

A handsome glass-and-zinc construction on a Spitalfields backstreet, this minimalist canteen-restaurant comes from the people behind the Lundenwic coffee house. Whether you’re here for brunch, lunch or dinner, there’s always a couple of vegan dishes on offer (plus some vegan-friendly veggie options) – think dal with squash, coconut yoghurt and kale or baked cauliflower with yeast and finger lime.

Vegans are in for a treat at this sleek, glossy Japanese fusion joint that has a smattering of really creative plant-based items on the menu – from grilled shiitake mushrooms to green-tea soba noodle salad with sesame vinaigrette, or soy-creamed seasonal greens with truffle and soy cheese.

A tribute to Bombay’s 1930s jazz age with colourful booths, swinging soundtrack and photos of iconic musicians on the walls, the Kensington branch of Indian mini chain Dishoom puts out a full vegan menu alongside its regular offer. Start the day with The Vegan Bombay fry-up, or arrive later for chole puri, Chowpatty Beach-style (unbuttered) corn on the cob, channa chaat salad and the bizarre kala khatta gola ice in kokum syrup.

Owned by well-connected glamour puss Camilla Al-Fayed (of Harrods 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 sugar, no additives, no meat, and lots of plant-based stuff lurking in its signature Earth Bowls. Even the most virtuous dishes taste luxurious here.

Understated, sleek and minimalist, the Marylebone branch of this plant-based pioneer still manages to feel super-comfortable and its wide-ranging menu is a good fit for the surroundings. Global themes and influences loom large, and there’s always plenty in the mix for vegans – from tofu red Thai curry or aubergine teriyaki to wild mushroom risotto cake.

Alexis Gauthier is a vegan chef who practises what he preaches. His classy Soho townhouse restaurant satisfies plant-crazy evangelists as well as fans of Gallic gourmandising. The vegan line-up might run from golden glazed swede with citrus marmalade and miso-infused dressing to tempeh and corn with kaffir lime, popcorn and bean shoot salad – all calorie-counted for nutritional impact.

Vegans can always count on one thing at this super-cute Middle Eastern café in Fitzrovia: incredible falafel. In fact, just about everything on H&Co’s mixed mezze platters is vegan-friendly and there’s always a plant-based main course – perhaps roasted mauve aubergine with a barbecue tahini crust and jewelled rice salad. The menu changes seasonally and we’re hooked on the friendly vibe too.

With its vintage-modern interior and focus on street-food dishes from vegan-friendly Sri Lanka, this offshoot of Hoppers in Soho ticks all our boxes. The eponymous hoppers (bowl-shaped savoury pancakes) are crisp and chewy in all the right places, the karis are full of flavour (try the squash and parsnip version) and the winter vegetable kothu roti is a vegan must-have. Sides and sambals also hit the spot.

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 udon 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). Laid-back staff go with the flow, while zealous foodie workshops make Itadaki even more lovable.

A friendly pit stop rather than a destination, this Malaysian joint just off Oxford Street is crazy about laksa but offers much more besides. An entire section of the menu is devoted to vegan mains, from hot-and-sour ramen with mock shark’s fin to melaka curry laksa and deep-fried tofu with spicy mango kerabu sauce. There are rich pickings among the vegetables too.

A vampire-themed pizza restaurant that takes almost all its cues from the eponymous bloodsucking ’80s classic and serves up its pizzas on black charcoal-infused bases, Lost Boys is also a nourishing shout for vegans. Try Kale All Vampires or The Coffin Dodger for size (the latter comes topped with broccoli, artichokes, mushrooms and super-trendy nutritional yeast). Bonus points for the spicy green pineapple relish too.

The London outpost of a small chain that focuses on vegan dishes inspired by pan-Asian cuisine, Loving Hut in Archway professes to use organic vegetables and non-GMO products, with ingredients sourced locally where possible. You'll probably recognise much of the menu – including barbecue vegetable ribs and crispy aromatic ‘duck’, as well as a vegan cheesecake.

One for the (vegan) ladies who lunch on Parson’s Green in Fulham, Megan’s is famed for its open, deconstructed kebabs, but you don’t have to go down the doner or chicken route – there’s a plant-based riff involving charred cauliflower and peanut dukkah, as well as one with vegan chorizo and pine nuts. There are plenty of vegan possibilities when it comes to flatbreads and pizzas too. Very cute, very cosy.

There are many Buddhists in Vietnam, so it’s no surprise that this café-restaurant in Hoxton is big on vegan dishes. In fact, the extensive menu has around a dozen regular options, from Vietnamese tofu curry served in a clay pot to stir-fried mock beef tofu with black bean sauce. Just be sure to check that your chosen dishes are 100 percent free of animal-based ingredients such as fish sauce.

Forget leaden brown food and stone-age bread, Mildreds is all about creative meat-free cookery – an idea it’s been peddling in Soho for nigh on 30 years. Get the vegan juices flowing by ordering some celeriac skordalia with roast leeks, pumpkin and tomatoes or a teriyaki chick’n burger with kale – plus some salads from the bar. No bookings, but you won’t mind queueing. Branches in Camden, King’s Cross and Dalston.

A Shoreditch offshoot of the Marylebone original, Pachamama infuses classic Peruvian cuisine with exciting ingredients from across the globe – so expect creative small plates piled up with a rainbow of flavours, colours and textures. Vegans can pick ’n’ mix from the ‘soil’ section of the carte or plump for the plant-based tasting menus – how about sweet potato ceviche or spinach with fried leeks, wasabi and citrus dressing?

Dreamed up by Stevie Parle (of Craft London fame), this cheap and cheerful pitstop bashes out small plates of fresh pasta with gutsy sauces. Everything is handcrafted (of course) and all its extruded pasta is produced without eggs, so vegans have nothing to worry about on that front. You can also find Pastaio at Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush.

The name means ‘purity’ and that’s what you get at this London outpost of the UK’s first vegan pizzeria. The setting is buzzy, modern and relaxed, while the terrific plant-based toppings involve everything from wood-smoked tofu and shaved seitan to rice-based mozzarella and beetroot carpaccio. You can also indulge in some good old-fashioned gluttony by ordering a wicked Oreo pizza for pud.

A vegan-friendly restaurant called Rabbit? Really? Yes, this fashionable Chelsea sibling of Notting Hill’s Shed is happy to roll out the green carpet by offering a plant-based menu alongside its regular fleshy items. Mouthfuls of breakfast radish with pickle gel might give way to the likes of courgette tartare with chimichurri or seaweed-salted heritage tomatoes with lovage pesto and candied chilli. Not your usual bunny food!

More spacious than Islington’s Ottolenghi, warmer and buzzier than Soho’s Nopi, this smart-casual outlet from Yotam Ottolenghi sizzles with bright ideas on small plates. A big chunk of the menu is veg-based, so vegans can dive in and lap up the eclectic global flavours – from baked beetroot with green tomato and jalapeño salsa to tempura stems and herbs dressed with mandarin and lime leaf vinegar.

Born in Malaysia, raised in Sydney and formerly Yotam Ottolenghi’s head chef, Ramael Scully has eclectic blood in his veins and a penchant for global flavours. More than half his seasonal menu is veggie or vegan, so pick from the likes of spiced cauliflower with smoked almonds, celeriac and tahini or yellow date salad with smoked pears, maple shiitake, hazelnuts and bitter greens.

‘Plant-based food that’s delicious enough to turn anyone vegan’ is the bold clarion call at this London outpost of a Cambridge-born restaurant. If you don’t believe it, try a small plate of kimchi pancakes, banana blossom mock duck or Sichuan sea-spiced tofu with agave dressing. Main-course bowls, bao and katsu curry are equally compelling, as are the weekend specials and bottomless Sunday brunch.

It’s not quite as high in the sky as its big brother in the City, but this Covent Garden offshoot of Sushisamba still mixes great rooftop views with a Brazilian-Japanese fusion menu that’s kind to vegans. There are clever plant-based versions of nigiri sushi and maki rolls, plus small plates including a white corn ceviche, and even some robata-grilled specialities such as heritage carrots with quinoa and tofu emulsion.

Sutton & Sons are London fishmongers of repute, so freshness is guaranteed at this high-end chippy across the road from its Stokey shop. Regulars still come here for the usual battered fish suspects, but local vegans are rewarded with a full menu of plant-based imitations involving everything from banana blossom to Japanese potato starch. Sure, it doesn’t taste like the real thing, but it’s a tasty alternative.

London’s first vegan chicken shop (yes, you heard right) was born out of Hackney’s Temple of Seitan street stall. It’s all about ‘meaty’ wheat gluten (aka seitan) here, whether you order peppery popcorn-style nuggets, battered strips or a burger. Add-ons such as zingy red slaw or vegan mac ’n’ cheese with smoky facon cubes are bang-on too. If you want indoor seating and a tad more comfort, try Temple’s sibling in Camden.

Although it’s rooted in the traditions of Puglia’s cucina povera, this family-run Islington Italian is also in tune with London’s trends when it comes to plant-based dishes. Check out the velvety broad bean purée with wild chicory and toasted bread or the dark, nutty grano arso pasta (made from burnt grains and served with yellow tomatoes, black olives and broccoli purée). It also does a vegan pizza.

‘The future is vegan’, says a neon sign on the wall of Unity Diner – a hugely popular Hoxton eaterie that donates all its profits to an animal rights charity. Fake burgers, dogs and wings make inventive use of seitan, and the menu also touts poké bowls and creative salads involving in-vogue ingredients such as tempeh. Lovely staff add to the feelgood vibe.

A sheeny all-day eatery from the guys behind the now-glorious Sebright Arms in Bethnal Green, The Vincent in Hackney serves up everything from late breakfasts to dinners with lots of inventive veggie and vegan trickery – don’t miss the vegan buns (chickpea patty, tomato, smashed avocado, red onion) or mushroom balls with brown rice (a regular brunch winner). Just add a vegan-friendly house salad dressed with agave vinaigrette.

Head down to the Camden branch of this mini-chain, where cooks marinade soya chunks in secret spices to create the restaurant’s signature kebab ‘meat’. You’ll find them in the headline act: a vegan doner where the ‘meat’ comes packed in flatbread, with salad, soya yoghurt, tzatziki and houmous. Portions are huge, but you can take any leftovers home. Check out the syrupy and sweet baklava, too.