Top 10 Vegan Eats in London

When we were contacted about publishing this guest post the timing could not have been more perfect. We are currently planning a trip to London and after 5 years of living in Southeast Asia our London vegan knowledge is a little rusty to say the least. Thanks to Jenny for your efforts, we will certainly be checking out a few of your Top 10 Vegan Eats in London.

“Growing up in a little town by the sea in the South East of England didn’t lend itself well to sampling vast amounts of vegan food. So, when I moved to London around 6 months ago, I decided it would be a good idea to make up for lost time! My challenge was to visit one new restaurant a week in an effort to experience the best of London’s vegan eats. Fast forward to May 2019 and I’ve managed to build up a fair bit of knowledge on London’s vegan food scene. The variety here is amazing and you can count on almost everywhere having at least one vegan option on the menu. However, I do have my favourites. Places that stand out for creativity, quality and taste. So, here are my recommendations for the top 10 vegan eats in London, I hope you enjoy!”

10. Dou Dou (vegan)

At number 10 we have Dou Dou, an entirely vegan buffet restaurant in the centre of Camden Town. At £7.50 a head for all you can eat, this is my go-to for cheap Chinese food. The atmosphere is nothing to write home about but the crispy ‘duck’ pancake rolls really are! The soya replacement is stunning and I find myself craving it more than is probably normal. The black bean tofu is also delicious as is the soya ‘beef’ salad.

Dou Dou
6 Kentish Town Road
Camden Town
London
NW1 9NX

9. The Mae Deli (vegan)

A healthier option up next, the beautiful Mae Deli is smack bang in the centre of London on a quiet little road just 100 yards from Oxford Street. Their plant-based breakfast, lunch and dinner menus change daily but you can count on them always being delicious. Their ingredients are locally sourced wherever possible and the meals are very reasonably priced. If there’s a dahl or curry on, go for it!

The Mae Deli
18-20 Weighhouse Street
London
W1K 5LU

8. Purezza (vegan)

Back to Camden Town for the UK’s first plant-based pizzeria! Purezza is unmissable for vegan pizza lovers. They make their own, uniquely developed brown rice mozzarella along with raw cashew cheeses, ricotta style cheese and a coconut cheese. Their dough is made using a family recipe from Italy which swaps normal flour for hemp flour making the pizzas a far healthier alternative. I couldn’t recommend a singular pizza from the menu as they are all delicious!

Purezza
43 Parkway
Camden
London
NW1 7PN

7. Maize Blaze (vegan option)

Maize Blaze actually only has one vegan option but oh lordy, it’s a gooden! Their Lean Mean Vegan Machine (a take on modern Columbian street food) consists of sautéed potato, garlic rice, beans, avocado, plantain, red cabbage and more. It is so light and fresh tasting, I really could eat this dish every day and not get bored of it. I’m hoping they’ll come out with more vegan options in the future as I know their Bristol branch has plenty of plant-based goodness to choose from!

Maize Blaze
Camden Market
215-216 Chalk Farm Road
Camden Town
London
NW1 8AF

6. Sagar (vegetarian)

The South Indian food at Sagar is out of this world and the variety on the menu makes it even better. They have the largest vegetarian/vegan menu I have ever come across in one establishment and so far, I have not been disappointed by any of it. Their chefs are from a little town called Udupi and are renowned for their cooking of traditional South Indian food. I prefer to go to their restaurant in Covent Garden but they have three others dotted across the city.

Sagar
Covent Garden
31 Catherine Street
London
WC2B 5JS

5. Eat Chay (vegan)

As they put it, Eat Chay is ‘Vegan Asian Munch’. I first discovered their delectable steamed bao buns and banh mi at Soho Vegan Market. After some quick researched I discovered their permanent location at Box Park Shoreditch, conveniently close to where I live and the rest is history! I am a massive lover of Vietnamese food generally but Eat Chay is next level on the vegan deliciousness charts and I 100% recommend checking them out.

Eat Chay
Box Park Shoreditch
2-10 Bethnal Green Road
London
E1 6GY

4. What the Pitta (vegan)

And while you’re in Box Park you might as well visit my fourth favourite vegan establishment in London, What the Pitta. All of their food is prepared from scratch including the breads, humous, tzatziki and sauces. My favourites are the vegan donner and the couscous salad box. The spiced soya meat alternative that’s in all of the items on the menu is delicious, I can’t get enough of the stuff! The also sell vegan baklava which makes me insanely happy.

What the Pitta
Box Park Shoreditch
2-10 Bethnal Green Road
London
E1 6GY

3. Kalifornia Kitchen (vegan)

We’ve reached top three territory and third place goes to Kalifornia Kitchen! Not only is all of their food plant-based but they also completely avoid using harmful plastics. The Kalifornia guac burger is my favourite thing on the menu although the matcha cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding are both blinking brilliant too! Located in the heart of Fitzrovia makes getting there super easy and the restaurant itself is beautiful. The theme is definitely pink and extremely Instagram-able.

Kalifornia Kitchen
19 Percy St
Bloomsbury
London
W1T 1DY

2. Rudy’s Dirty Vegan Diner (vegan)

Deciding between Rudy’s and the establishment that made first place on my list was difficult because both are amazing! Rudy’s is vegan fast food at its finest and is probably my most visited fast food restaurant ever. I crave the hotdog constantly but their mac and cheese, coleslaw, burgers and chicken wings are all to die for too. Plus, you can’t beat it on a sunny day, sitting outside people watching in the centre of Camden market. Going there simply reminds me of summer! And it’s so quick, inexpensive and easy. I can’t recommend it enough. As a tourist, you will most likely visit Camden Market anyway so you have to go!

Rudy’s Dirty Vegan Diner
Unit 739
Camden Stables Market
London
NW1 8AF

1. Mildreds (vegetarian)

And finally, we reach my favourite vegan eatery in the whole of London. Colourful, healthy, international vegan and vegetarian food, Mildreds is my go to restaurant for all occasions. But really, I don’t need an excuse to go because I love everything about it. The menu is varied and interesting and each location is slightly different. It’s also updated regularly depending on what’s in season and their vegan desserts are unbeatable. Each location has a bar which you can sit at while waiting for a table. It’s usually pretty busy so be prepared for this! The décor is chilled, not as intense as Kalifornia Kitchen or as plain as Dou Dou. The perfect balance! If you only eat at one vegan restaurant while in London, it has to be Mildreds. It’s mine and everyone else’s favourite for a reason!

Mildreds
24 Lexington Street
Soho
London
WLF 9AN

Jenny Scott Russell is the author of London based travel blog Local Leo who travels the world whilst working full time in the UK fashion industry. She has a passion for vegan street food and outdoor sports and in 2015 moved to Austria on an Erasmus exchange. She has since graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and has visited over 25 different countries.