The best vegan restaurants in London

What is it? Magical mock meat takes on classic Chinese fare.

Why we love it: Mention this place to in-the-know vegans and their eyes will glaze over in blissed-out memory of the gorgeous dishes this Islington restaurant serves up. Its menu is packed with classic Chinese dishes crafted from mock meat, tofu, and beancurd galore, but somehow that description doesn’t do justice to the exhilarating textures and flavours this joint serves up. Don’t miss the twice-cooked fake fish, with its crisp batter coating and meltingly soft interior. 

Time Out tip: There are also branches in Golders Green, Spitalfields, Gloucester Road, and Charlotte Street.

Address: 105 Upper Street, Islington, N1 1QN.

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 12-10.15pm, Fri-Sat 12-10.30pm, Sun 12-9.15pm.

Expect to pay: Dim sum £6-8, soup £5.20, starters £7-10, mains £10-16.

What is it? Sustainable, fire-cooked vegan dining in Notting Hill. 

Why we love it: Holy Carrot is prim as a perfume shop, fronting a menu that is plant-forward, ‘root to peel’ and sustainable. It comes from Daniel Watkins, formerly of ACME Fire Cult in Dalston, who brings his ‘fire and ferment’ ethos across the capital from one neighbourhood of cool to another. It has plenty of his signature punch and cocktails come courtesy of Hackney’s uber cool A Bar With Shapes For a Name.

Time Out tip: Ask about the ferments – Watkins’ collection of fermented stuff isn’t just tasty, it’s genuinely fascinating

Address: 156 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W11 2EB.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 12-11pm, Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-10pm.

Expect to pay: Small plates £13-15, large plates £22-26.

What is it? The UK’s first ever Michelin-star vegan restaurant.

Why we love it: Because it’s the hottest, and greenest, ticket in town. Chef Kirk Haworth (who you might recognise from BBC’s Great British Menu) runs the restaurant with sister Keeley and there’s a waiting list that’s months-long. But when you finally make it inside this cosy cottage-corn dining room, you’ll be the envy of every vegan in the land. It’s a tasting menu, so you’ll get what you're given, but keep your eyes open for the caramelised lion’s mane mushroom with cauliflower cream, smoked shio koji, rhubarb and fermented green peppercorn sauce, as well as the raw cacao gateau with sour cherry (one two puds).

Time Out tip: This spring Plates launched a chef’s table kitchen at their small Shoreditch space, as well as two bedrooms for overnight stays, so you can make a massive, plant-based night of it.

Address: 320 Old Street, Shoreditch, EC1V 9DR.

Opening hours: Wed 6-10pm, Thu-Sat 12-4pm & 6-10pm. 

Expect to pay: The tasting menu is £109.

What is it? Plant-based Caribbean classics. 

Why we love it: Siblings Jordan and Chyna opened Jam Delish off the back of stints at Kerb and a well-received six-month residency at Soho’s Sun and 13 Cantons pub. Food here is a vegan, relatively unadorned amble through West Indian classics like jerk chicken, goat curry, saltfish tostones, beef patties and so on, but made in a seriously alchemical fashion with things such as seitan, tempeh, jackfruit and soy. Try the silken oxtail stew, with a wildly flavourful liquor, studded with cassava dumplings and served with perfect rice and peas.

Time Out tip: Try the set menu for £39 a head, where everyone gets a little of everything good. 

Address: 1 Tolpuddle Street, Angel, N1 0XT.

Opening hours: Tue-Thu 5-10.30pm, Fri 5-11pm, Sat 12-11pm, Sun 12-9pm, Mon closed.

Expect to pay: Small plates £10-12, large plates around £20.

What is it? A neon-lit vegan Chinese dive-bistro. 

Why we love it: A cheery hipster hangout in Hackney that really nails it with a short menu of terrific Sichuan dishes. Current hits range from smacked cucumber with black vinegar, sesame oil and crushed garlic to dan dan noodles topped with vegan mince made to a secret recipe. Prices are pay-packet-friendly.

Time Out tip: Facing Heaven has its own neighbouring dive bar, Easy 8. Pop in after dinner for US-style serves and beers. 

Address: 1a Bayford Street, Hackney, E8 3SE.

Opening hours: Sun-Mon closed, Tue-Thu 5.30-10pm, Fri-Sat 5.30-11pm.

Expect to pay: Dishes £7-15.

What is it? Indian-inspired comfort food.

Why we love it: En Root do great and cosy Indian comfort food with a Caribbean twist, which includes the likes of sharing thalis, crunchy plantain chaat, tandoori oyster mushroom wings, jerk dosas and battered oyster mushroom burgers.

Time Out tip: The kids menu includes a tiny thali for £8. 

Address: 28 Peckham Rye, Peckham, SE15 4JR

Opening hours: Mon closed, Tue-Thu 9am-9pm, Fri-Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 9am-6pm.

Expect to pay: Small bites £5-8, big bites £11-15. 

What is it? Plant-based Caribbean take-out and Ital cafe with a serious following.

Why we love it: If it's good enough for Lil Simz and Michaela Cole, it's more than good enough for us. This cosy spot offers Ital cuisine (as organically grown vegan food is known in Rastafarian culture) in big take-out bowls, from oyster mushroom with broad bean curry, red lentil stew, pumpkin curry, to sweet and sour jackfruit. Get them all with plantain, cous cous, dumplings, or beetroot and apple slaw. 

Time Out tip: Check out the booze-free drinks options, from seamoss with coconut and plantain, to sorrel wine and soursop punch.

Address: 41 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 8DR.

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 12-9pm, Fri-Sat 12-10pm, Sun closed.

Expect to pay: Sides around £5, mains £10.

What is it? Big bowls of globally-inspired fast food. 

Why we love it: Grime music’s favourite vegan chef King Senathit has been bouncing around east London for a few years now – since 2015 – serving up steaming bowls of curries and noodles; all dripping with crunchy fresh veg. His latest outlet is in Boxhall City by Liverpool Street. Drop by for a massive bowl of high grade; a sweet and sour BBQ dish with hemp seeds and oil that comes with vegan chicken or tofu. Fast food with soul. 

Time Out tip: Yoga Fire curry feels healthy and naughty at the same time. Get it with tofu puffs to soak up the juices.

Address: Boxhall, 1-27, The Arcade, Liverpool Street, EC2M 7PN.

Opening hours: Mon-Tue 8am-9pm, Wed-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 8am-8pm.

Expect to pay: Bowls £13-15.

What is it? A vegan bistro with a set menu in Peckham.

Why we love it: Part of the green wave of vegan restaurants that's currently breaking in Peckham, Naïfs is a family-run small plates spot tucked away on a quiet residential street. Chef Tom Heale used to be a sous chef at much-missed, much-garlanded veggie restaurant Vanilla Black. Now, he runs Naïfs with his brother Finn alongside him in the kitchen, serving up Middle Eastern-inspired small plates in a low-key but romantic setting. 

Time Out tip: Naifs is only open Friday and Saturday evenings, so look elsewhere for mid-week plant-first feasting. 

Address: 56 Goldsmith Road, Peckham, SE15 5TF.

Opening hours: Fri-Sat 6-11pm.

Expect to pay: Set menu is £38 a head, with an extra £10 for dessert. 

What is it? Hip vegan sandwiches. They used to be based over in Walthamstow, but have just moved to Brixton. 

Why we love it: This culty vegan deli, pickle house and bar is lots of fun. Every sarnie is perfectly plant-based, and you’ll even get the likes of a cold cuts sandwich on hot rye, as well as their version of a reuben, and a super-stacked club sandwich. Pure wichcraft.

Time Out tip: Do not skip the sides; roast potato salad, kimchi bowls, pickles and a root beer float to wash it all down with. 

Address: 14D Market Row, Brixton Village, Coldharbour Lane SW9 8PS.

Opening hours: Sun-Tue closed, Wed-Fri 12-5pm, Sat 11am-5pm.

Expect to pay: Sandwiches £6-11.

What is it? The first vegan sushi bar in Europe. 

Why we love it: 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.

Time Out tip: Finsh your meal with a sweet dose of mochi ice cream.

Address: 139 King’s Cross Road, King’s Cross, WC1X 9BJ.

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 12-2pm & 6-10pm, Sun-Mon 6-10pm. 

Expect to pay: Dishes £6-15.

What is it? Pizza, but vegan.

Why we love it: 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 faux pepperoni and hot agave to grilled artichokes, olives, wild mushrooms and smoked beetroot.

Time Out tip: You can also indulge in some good old-fashioned gluttony by ordering a wicked tiramisu for pud.

Address: 45-47 Parkway, Camden, NW1 7PN.

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 12-10pm, Fri-Sat 12-10.30pm, Sun 12-9pm.

Expect to pay: Pizzas £10-18.

What is it? Chef Rishim Sachdeva’s brilliant (mostly) vegan small-plates restaurant Tendril. 

Why we love it: Sesame-speckled purple sweet potatoes, mouth-puckering ferments and lip-smacking tiramisu are all on the menu here. This dimly-lit, gently romantic spot makes meat-free dining both relaxing and unquestionably delicious: you won't believe you’re just minutes away from the madness of Oxford Circus. 

Time Out tip: Rishim Sachdeva is also behihnd Cafe Petiole in Somerset House, a plant-first day-dining spot for sweet treats, sandwiches and hearty salads. 

Address: 5 Princes Street, Mayfair, W1B 2LF.

Opening hours: Mon 5-10pm, Tue closed, Wed-Fri 12-3.30pm & 5-10.30pm, Sat 12-10.30pm, Sun 12-4pm. 

Expect to pay: Smaller dishes £5-12, larger dishes around £18.

What is it? A vegetarian - now vegan - London classic. 

Why we love it: London institution Mildred’s dates back to 1988, an era when vegetarians were shunned, reviled and closeted, which is perhaps why it wears the 100% plant-based nature of its offering so lightly: it’s just a classy, casual-ish restaurant with a diverse, international menu that happens to include no meat. You can expect the likes of Sri Lankan sweet potato curry, tempeh mushroom yaki udon, grilled artichoke caesar and a menu staple; sausage and mash. Their pan-global menu is always fun.

Time Out tip: Branches also in Camden, Soho, King’s Cross,  Victoria, Canary Wharf.

Address: 79 St Martin’s Lane, Covent Garden, WC2N 4AA.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 9am-10pm.

Expect to pay: Dishes £8-22.