Veganuary 2022: 10 of the Best Vegan Menus in LondonBy Alicia Grimshaw
From vegan dumplings to burgers, tacos to three-course feasts, here’s ten unmissable plant-based menus to enjoy throughout Veganuary and beyond:
1. For 100% Vegan-Mex Menu: Club Mexicana
The Lowdown: Club Mexicana needs little introduction. Inspired by the rowdy street side taquerias of Los Angeles and Mexico City, this 100% vegan joint knock out the best plant-based tacos in town.
Eat and Drink: Founder Meriel Armitage and her team have created a menu that is full to the brim with Club Mexicana classics alongside top-notch desserts. Cult favourites include Tofish Tacos with breaded tofish, slaw, pico de gallo, chipotle mayo and avocado, alongside the BBQ Short ‘Rib’ Taco comprising jackfruit ‘ribs’, hickory-smoked BBQ sauce, pickled cucumber, slaw and garlic mayo.
Where: Kingly Court, London, W1B 5PW
2. For a Veganuary Collaboration: Le Bab x ManiLife
The Lowdown: Le Bab and award-winning peanut butter brand ManiLife have joined forces for Veganuary to create a showstopping three-course vegan menu. Both brands are bound by a passion for re-imagining the traditional and a renewed focus of excellence in craft, produce, flavour and ethics.
Eat and Drink: There’s a starter of roasted tenderstem broccoli florets, dressed with chilli and ManiLife Original peanut butter tahini; for the main course, an umami-laden ManiLife Deep Roast peanut butter satay aubergine pitta, rounding things off with a Chocolate brownie dipped in ManiLife Original peanut butter and coconut cream for dessert.
Where: Le Bab, Top Floor, Kingly Court, Carnaby St, Carnaby, London W1B 5PW nanMaison Bab, 4 Mercer Walk, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9FA
3. For a Latin American Menu: Gaucho
The Lowdown: Gaucho is best known for knocking out Argentinean steak. However, the restaurant group understands and celebrates the increasing demand for vegan menu options, and has launched a brand-new plant-based menu available throughout January.
Eat and Drink: Whilst staying true to Gaucho’s signature dishes including cev
Where: Locations here
4. For a Vegan Set Menu: Norma
The Lowdown: Norma in Fitzrovia is offering a Sicilian-inspired vegan set menu, available exclusively throughout January.
Eat and Drink: Starters include the likes of: chickpea panelle with salsa verde, violet artichokes, pine nut purée, and salsa cruda, and winter caponata, while mains come in the form of roasted whole broccolo romanesco, chickpeas, cavolo nero, sun-dried tomato pesto or stuffed red pepper with toasted freekeh, napoletana pumpkin, coriander, almonds, dill oil. Poached quince, marsala, cinnamon, vegan mascarpone and seasonal granita rounds off the menu.
Where: 8 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 2LS
5. For a Mexican Menu: Wahaca
The Lowdown: As the UK’s most sustainable dining destination, Mexican restaurant group Wahaca has launched a dedicated vegan set menu alongside a whole host of fresh, plant-powered dishes, available in restaurants and via Deliveroo.
Eat and Drink: Wahaca’s new vegan set menu serves up a fresh, delicious feast of plant-powered street food dishes. Joining the marvellously moreish Ancho mushroom tacos and Plantain tacos are Black bean and vegan cheese quesadillas, Organic squash tostadas and Zesty bean tostadas, complemented by sides of Sweet potato and Chargrilled tenderstem broccoli.
Where: Locations here
6. For an A La Carte Menu: No. Fifty Cheyne
The Lowdown: No. Fifty Cheyne is celebrating the return of Veganuary with the introduction of an A La Carte Vegan menu.
Eat and Drink: Curated by executive chef Iain Smith to highlight fresh, seasonal produce, the brand-new vegan menu comprises three completely vegan dishes, available as an alternative to their traditional a-la-carte. The trio of vegan dishes begins with a starter of Braised Celtuce served with Jerusalem artichoke puree, caramelised onion and truf le sauce with walnut crumble. A rich and flavourful main course of Black Caviar Lentil Bolognese with strozzapreti pasta follows, with a Dark Chocolate Mousse accompanied by crystallised pecans, maple syrup and mandarin sorbet to finish.
Where: 50 Cheyne Walk, London SW3 5LR
7. For Vegan Burgers: V Honest
The Lowdown: For all your vegan burger needs, head on down to Honest Burgers’ new, entirely plant-based burger brand, V Honest.
Eat and Drink: V Honest offers Honest’s most extensive vegan selection to date, with an innovative, completely new menu of plant-based burgers, sauces and sides set to satisfy vegans, carnivores – and everything in between. There’s the BUFFALO (fried chick’n, buffalo sauce, Applewood Vegan cheese, ranch mayo, lettuce and pickles); TERIYAKI (Plant burger, Applewood Vegan cheese, pulled shiitake mushrooms, teriyaki sauce, grilled peppers, spring onions, umami mayo and lettuce); and PESTO (Fried chick’n, basil pesto, mustard mayo, tomato and rocket).
Where: 17 Garrick St, London WC2E 9BL
8. For Plant-Based Mezze: The Real Greek
The Lowdown: The Real Greek is banging out a special three-course Veganuary menu, featuring a range of Aegean plant-based meze dishes and meat-free spins on classic Greek dishes.
Eat and Drink: To start, enjoy a choice of Crudités or Greek Flatbread, followed by a cold plate, featuring beetroot and lentil salad, Santorini fava, houmous or Melitzanosalata. For main, a hot meze plate with options ranging from grilled aubergine to Gigandes with spinach and chickpea filo triangles and jackfruit stifado. Sides include: No Feta Greek salad, chips, Aegean slaw, and new potatoes
Where: Locations here
9. For a New Opening: Mao Chow Express
The Lowdown: With their original restaurant in Hackney, the duo behind Mao Chow, Julian Denis and Harry Fox, have opened a second location at Boxpark in Shoreditch. Expect a fully plant-powered menu inspired by nostalgic, 90’s Chinese takeaway classics.
Eat and Drink: Highlights on the menu include sweet and fluffy Char Siu Bao with OmniPork, Kung Pao “Chicken” made with cauliflower and Chinese soya chicken, and “Prawn” Toast featuring Omnipork, vegan shrimp and vegan mayonnaise.
Where: 2-10 Bethnal Green Road, Unit 56 Boxpark, London E1 6GY
10. For Indo-Chinese Specialties: Fatt Pundit
The Lowdown: Fatt Pundit brings the unique taste of Tangra, Kolkata to London. Most of Fatt Pundit’s menu can be adapted to be vegan, so they’ve created a dedicated plant-based menu.
Eat and Drink: Highlights include – Vegetable momos (spinach, mushroom, courgette and tofu); Popcorn cauliflower (purple and white, smoked, soya garlic dip); Crispy okra salt ‘n’ pepper (pink salt, chillies, burnt garlic); Sticky sesame vegetables (crispy veg fritters, sticky ginger glaze); and Bombay chilli mock chicken with celery, Szechuan chilli, mixed peppers and Veg Manchurian – Mixed veg croquette w/ shallots, coriander and soy sauce. For dessert, you can even get a vegan version of their signature Sizzling Brownie, served table-side
Where: 77 Berwick St, London W1F 8TH
Photo credit: Joe Howard
