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Please note, The V Deli has now closed. Time Out Food editors, MARCH 2020.
There’s not much you can’t eat or drink in a London railway arch if you know where to look. And in the tucked-away Hackney arch that houses The V Deli, it’ll be purely plant-based.
There are just a few tables in the sparsely decorated space, offering burgers and wraps as well as baked goods (it’s the first bricks-and-mortar spot from V Delicious, known for its vegan bakes). Almost everything was above average, thanks to careful prep and fresh ingredients. A generous side salad was filled with colour and crunch, beefed up – as it were – by perfectly cooked, well-flavoured tofu. The Mexican chilli burger also impressed with its firm, flavoursome vegetable patty, good-quality bun and spicy tomato chutney. A jerk ‘chicken’ wrap (with tofu) was decent, but the sauce too sweet and rich.
The only downside was the lack of atmosphere: we were the only people there on a Sunday afternoon, which can perhaps be explained by the slightly erratic opening hours (it’s closed on Saturdays, for example). Check before visiting.
But there are plenty of higher-end joints that could learn a bit from them about cooking simple dishes well and using fresh vegetables properly. The V Deli: hats off to you.