It has become apparent in recent years that veganism is, in fact, not just a passing trend. The growth of vegan restaurants and vegan culture has been extortionate, shifting from an unusual concept to a common norm for many people.
At Wellness Factory, we are thrilled to see this change! Veganism is great for the environment - an issue that we simply can’t ignore any longer – and can also be very good for our health.
The city of London has a huge selection of restaurants – being the capital city, this is unsurprising! Nevertheless, in recent years, the selection of vegan restaurants has grown rapidly, too. When roaming the streets or browsing online for vegan restaurants in London, we are spoilt for choice!
In this article, we will be narrowing down this vast selection of vegan restaurants to just a few of our top favourites.
MOTHER Works – Hackney Wick
MOTHER Works’ slogan is “A Cafe With a Conscience”. Not only is the entire menu plant-based and organic, but they also put a huge emphasis on being eco-conscious.
It seems that this is where they got their name “MOTHER” from – their determination to help reverse the damage being done to our Mother Earth.
The MOTHER Cafe is aiming towards a zero-waste future and already has a zero-waste store set up. They have designed their menu to align with this goal, they offer recyclable environmentally-friendly takeaway packaging, and they even give you a discount if you bring back one of their glass juice bottles.
Now, let’s talk about food!
The menu consists of many meals you’d expect to see at a healthy, vegan cafe – acai bowls, granola bowls, salads, and even a vegan sausage roll.
But one of the wonderful things about MOTHER is their variety. They haven’t stuck to one avenue when it comes to food choice.
The menu contains toasties, burgers, nachos, and a delicious variety of tacos. They even have ‘seafood’ – including a ‘salmon’ sandwich using their famous smoked carrot salmon, marinated with nori for authentic flavour. Yes, ‘salmon’ made from carrot sounds a little weird, but don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it… it tastes incredible!
Of course, the entire menu is vegan, and they also offer plenty of gluten-free options.
Another thing that makes MOTHER stand out from the crowd is their exceptional drinks menu. The selection of drinks is almost bigger than the selection of food…
They have a weekend bar offering the usual beers, lagers, soft drinks (including very yummy kombucha), and a couple of cocktails.
And for the rest of the week, you can juice from a huge variety of smoothies and pressed juices. From their Galactic Detox smoothie - containing activated charcoal to clean your kidneys and leave your skin fresh - to their Peanut Butter Booster, to The MOTHER Green boost juice, there’s plenty of fun and healthy drinks to choose from.
Lastly, they have the usual hot drinks you’d expect to see in a cafe. However, unlike other cafes, they have a great selection of ‘speciality lattes’, including a turmeric latte and a beetroot latte.
In summary, MOTHER Works is an excellent choice if you want to support our planet, try something a bit different, or have something super healthy and delicious!
Love Shack – Hackney
The Love Shack mission is to become a “global space for positive disruption, social action and universal love.” They do this by practising sustainability, offering a relaxed and loving atmosphere in their restaurant, and supporting unconventional and inspiring art, community, and culture.
Love Shack is committed to being 100% plastic-free and vegan-friendly. As well as their vegan restaurant, they also have a cocktail bar, juice and smoothie bar, cafe, and events space.
Oh… and they’re dog friendly. Big win!
Whilst enjoying your delicious food and drinks with your puppy by your side, you can choose from a hammock or bean bag (or just a regular chair, if that’s what you’re into), to relax and have fun.
The positive atmosphere of Love Shack is enhanced even more by the super friendly staff and their excellent music choices!
On the menu, there’s a variety of choices for the usual starter, main, and dessert. Alternatively, you can grab a breakfast dish or a variety of smoothies and juices, as well as other interesting drinks, such as the Lion’s Mane & Cacao or the Chaga Turmeric Latte.
There’s a fairly extensive list of starters, with some of the most appealing dishes including Teriyaki Tofu Bites and No-Sin Duck Pancakes.
For a main course, you can choose from a burger, some ‘fish’ and chips, a curry, or a couple of salads. And of course, they are all vegan! Their ‘fish’ and chips dish is called Blossom Poisson as it’s made using a battered banana blossom fillet. Honestly, it’s scarily similar to real battered cod!
The desserts include sticky toffee pudding and lemon cheesecake… two of everybody’s favorites.
Breakfasts include pancakes, granola bowls, ‘sausage’ sandwiches, and a delicious eggs benedict. Again, all vegan!
In summary, there is a wonderful atmosphere at Love Shack and plenty of food to choose from. They offer great-tasting, classic dishes that you’d expect to find in your favourite restaurants, but with all the best vegan substitutions. We can’t get enough of it!
Vegan Yes – Shoreditch
Vegan Yes is a super interesting and innovative restaurant, offering an Italian-Korean food fusion. Wow!
Vegan Yes is run by Chef Mauro and his wife Dr Min. Chef Mauro has a strong passion for delicious new inventions, whilst Dr Min has studied traditional medicine – hence, they love using “healthy ingredients that benefit mind, body and soul” to create tasty, innovative recipes.
One thing that stands out about Vegan Yes is their true commitment to being as healthy as possible, whilst maintaining incredible flavour. They use no refined sugars, no heated oils, and no preservatives. They offer probiotics and raw food options, and - of course - everything is plant-based.
The menu consists of an entire section dedicated to Kimchi – a fermented Korean cabbage known for its gut-health-promoting probiotics.
In addition, there is an extensive list of sides and mains without Kimchi. These include salads, sushi-style dishes, Korean rice dishes, potato dishes, and mushroom dishes.
They also have a selection of three delicious chocolatey desserts, all beautifully rich and creamy.
And lastly, you’ll find the drinks. Here, you can choose from all the usual beers, wines, coffees, and soft drinks, as well as the delicious probiotic drink Kombucha.
In summary, Vegan Yes is an excellent choice if you want to try something a bit different and boost your health! With dishes that boost gut health and avoid all nasties, but still maintain exceptional flavours, Vegan Yes is truly a golden find.