Vegan and Vegetarian

Posts in category 5. Restaurant Reviews

Govindas Swansea

May14
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian Restaurant Swansea

I visited Swansea last week, and I called in the only veggie place in town for a snack.  Govindas is an OK veggie place.   It is run by Krishna’s.   The food is simple and most of it is curry type food with daily specials, salads and they do veggie burgers and chips.  I like the range of vegan cakes,  there is usually 3 or 4 offerings of cakes and desserts which are vegan friendly.  You can also have fresh juices and hot drinks.  Most of the food appeared to be vegan.

I had a slice of cake which was quite pleasant and Paul had the apple pakora which were more like apple fritters.

Govindas is very good value,   they even do meal deals for £5 for all you can eat.  The restaurant is clean and fresh.

They changed the restaurant a few years ago,  now it is like a canteen where you go up to the counter and choose your food.  I did prefer the old way which was waitress service when they had a bigger better menu.

But I guess they have simplified it to keep the costs down.  Although it did not seem as busy as it used to be before they changed it.

www.govindasswansea.co.uk

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Saf Shoreditch Closed

May09
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Restaurant Closed

I have had devastating news that SAF in Shoreditch London, a vegan raw restaurant has closed.  This was my favourite veggie restaurant and I am so sad to see it close.  They state on their website that they are going on to better things, but I am guessing that they were not making enough money at this location.  They are keeping their Kensington location open in the Wholefoods market but although I like it, the Kensington branch is more of a lunch spot rather than a fancy evening meal.

I have seen a few veggie places close recently including Eat and 2 Veg in Marylebone, Otarian in Soho, Zilli Green in Soho, Mrs Marengos in Soho and now Saf in Shoreditch.  If we do not support these veggie food places then we will lose them.

Vegetarian and vegan restaurants need support.  It is expensive to run a veggie place and the customers have high levels of expectations for the food, so it is not easy to keep going.

Non veggie restaurants that offer so called veggie food options cannot guarantee that there is no cross contamination of meat and dairy, as staff do make mistakes and not everyone understands veggie food, especially when it is not their main business.

Maybe I am an unusual vegan as I will only eat out in Veggie places.  I have worked in a commercial kitchen and I have seen first hand how hard it can be.

Please support the veggie restaurants and cafes or we will have so little choice.

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Sagar Vegetarian Restaurant Covent Garden

Mar27
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

South Indian Vegan Restaurant

On my last trip to London a few weeks ago I visited Sagar in Covent Garden.  They have a few outlets throughout London,  I have tried the one on Percy Street before.

This restaurant in Covent Garden is really good value and the food is excellent.   Everything is vegetarian and they have a vegan only menu.  Also they can cater for gluten free and other food intolerances.  Sadly I did not take any pictures but the restaurant is definitely worth a try.

We started with a plate full of pappadams with their home made chutneys.  They tasted fantastic and you could tell that they had only just been made for us.  For main course we tried a Coconut Uthappam which is a pancake made with rice, with a coconut curry.  We also tried the Dal Soup.    We tried the Channa Masala a chickpea and tomato curry.  We also had the Chapatti and Poori.    We just shared everything which worked out really well, we really enjoyed the food and felt incredibly full after.

For dessert we had some mango sorbet.  They offer a range of vegan drinks also.

Next time I go I will definitely try the Thali as you get a mix of different dishes on a big platter,  that looked fabulous on the next table.

The staff could not do enough for you.  They offer a take out service and special theatre menus which are incredible value for money.

www.sagarveg.co.uk

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Good Life Vegetarian Cafe Shrewsbury

Mar09
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Veggie Cafe Shrewsbury

Recently I visited the Good Life Veggie cafe in Shrewsbury for lunch.  I have been a few times before,  whenever I am in Shrewsbury which is usually once a year or so.  It has not changed at all since I first found the place many years ago.  They have won awards for their food in the past, but sadly the only award I would give them is “Best Veggie Cafe in Shrewsbury”  because they are the only one.  If there was any other veggie food outlet with a desire to do well in Shrewsbury,  I am fairly sure that the Good Life would not last long,  which is a shame.

 

 

 

 

 

Its not that the food is bad,  it is just so boring, lacking any imagination or consideration.  Nothing is marked vegan,  you have to ask.  The Dishes are mostly soup, salads, baked potatoes and simple casserole type dishes.  The coleslaw is made with egg mayonnaise, which is a basic in most veggie places to make it vegan,  they mostly cater for vegetarians, with vegans being less considered.  I don’t get it, it is so easy to make most things vegan friendly, which all veggies can enjoy.

I am glad there is a veggie place in Shrewsbury as I only eat out in dedicated veggie places.  We enjoyed what we had which was a carrot and sweet potato soup with bread, Paul had a casserole with butternut squash and lentils.  We shared a treacle pecan tart.  The food is very reasonably priced.

 

 

 

They could do so much better if they had the desire, but I guess because they have been there for so many years they have just got complacent.

They are located down a little alley way on the right hand side of the road as you go down the bank.

The Good Life, 73c Wyle Cop,  Shrewsbury SY1 1UX

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Maoz Vegetarian Cafe

Feb27
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Veggie Cafe London

I mentioned recently that I visited London and had a lovely meal in Vanilla Black,  however the portions were very small indeed.  Shortly after we decided to go to Maoz Vegetarian Falafel Cafe for a top up of hearty food.

I had a falafel filled pitta bread with humous and salad with a lovely home made lemonade for under a fiver.  It tasted really good and did the job of filling me up.   We also had some of their chips which were the frozen type but tasted fine.

Maoz can get really busy and the seating is limited,  mostly shared tables with stools.  But I can honestly say that for value for money,  they cannot be beaten in central London. They are located in Soho on Old Compton Street, and they have also opened a small concession in Leicester Square ( Cranbourn Street),  next to the Cinema and Casino,  this one only does take out.

All the food is suitable for vegetarians and most of it is actually vegan.  A great little place.

www.maozusa.com

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Vanilla Black Vegetarian Restaurant London

Feb24
2012 1 Comment Written by maggie

Veggie London Restaurant

I recently spent a few days in London and decided to visit Vanilla Black for lunch,  I have known about this vegetarian restaurant for ages but I was reluctant to go because of some of the reviews I have read about them.

Vanilla Black is tucked away in a back street near to Covent Garden in London.  They target the higher end market.  The decor is very simple and elegant, however I thought it felt a little bit cold and lacked a friendly energy.  The staff were pleasant but professional, which I imagine their main customers like as it is a lunch spot for the lawyers and white collar workers.

You need to tell them in advance that you are vegan and if you have any food allergies,  this actually worked out quite well as one of our party could not eat tomatoes,  and without needing to tell them again we were only given vegan menus and the dishes did not have tomato.  There was a set menu for either two or three courses and we had a choice of 2 vegan options for each course.  We decided to try everything.  Per person the set menu for 3 courses was £22.50 plus drinks.

The food is elegant and full of flavour,  however the portions are tiny.  They do offer you some bread before your meal,  I recommend having as much as you can.

For starters we tried a Beetroot Porridge which tasted very nice,  it was made up of a couple of cubes of beetroot, some orange slices and some granola type oats with a couple of drops of sauce.  We also tried the Yukon Gold Potato Cakes with Vinegar Dust,  this had a very good flavour.

For the mains we had the Truffled Mushroom and Fennel which was delicious the mushrooms had an excellent flavour and were cooked perfectly.  We also had the Golden raisin and Cashew Nut Potato with cauliflower puree with cumin crisps and Tamarind Paste,  this had some lovely flavours I was not so keen on the Tamarind paste.  Although there was a great deal going on with flavour, the portions were very small indeed.

For dessert both options were with ice cream,  the first one was a blood orange granitta and bitter chocolate sorbet,  this was OK but I found it a bit sickly.  The second was fresh and cooked pineapple with a coconut sorbet, this tasted really good and fresh.  Sadly they did not have any vegan cake or pastries,  I like vegan ice creams and sorbets, but i do feel that they are a bit of a cop out for a vegan dessert.

Like i said the food was of a high standard but frankly there was not enough of it,  the portions were so tiny that after half an hour of leaving the restaurant we were hungry,  so we decided to go to Maoz Falafel a veggie falafel restaurant in Soho.  We had a really satisfying meal for under a fiver.  Vanilla Black is worth trying at least once as the flavour combinations are really pleasant and I can highly recommend that part,  but do not go if you are wanting a filling meal.

7- 18 Tooks Court, London, EC4A 1LB
t: 020 7242 2622
www.vanillablack.co.uk

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Mulberry Bush Veggie Cafe Lampeter

Nov12
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Veggie Cafe Mid Wales

I have visited this vegetarian cafe a few times,  it is quite good they have daily specials and one is always suitable for vegans,  they also have lots of salads, soups, fresh juices and they are licensed to serve alcohol.

We popped in for lunch,  Paul had the Vegan Lasagne which had a vegan cheese topping,  the flavour was very rich, the vegetables were infused in the rich tomato sauce and the white sauce topped with a little vegan cheese worked incredibly well. Served with some potato wedges and a bean salad.

I went for some potato wedges, humous and salad.  This tasted quite nice,  the wedges are a standard thing they have on all the time,  the salad was fresh and very tasty.

The Mulberry Bush is on the main street in Lampeter, just down from Barclays Bank.  The cafe is located above the fantastic health food shop which is full of great vegan food.

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SAF Vegan Restaurant Kensignton

Nov07
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Lunch at SAF Kensington High Street

Saf vegan restaurants in London are my favourite restaurants.  They have one in Shoreditch and one in South Kensington.  We popped in for a quick lunch a couple of weeks ago.

All the wine is vegan and they do some nice vegan  Whisky too.

For my main course I tried the Veggie Burger which I must say was really tasty,  I am not sure what the burger was made of, some kind of textured vegetable protein I think,  I really enjoyed it.  The bun was really firm and crispy and the salad was so fresh and crisp, a perfect companion.

Paul had the Farinata, which is a chickpea pancake with a mediterranean topping,  mushrooms and peppers a creamy sauce and crispy salad.  I have had this before and it tastes so good,  but it is super filling so I would not have a starter if I were you.

SAF really is the pinnacle of vegan food in the UK in my opinion,  everything on the menu is totally vegan and made with a great deal of care.  I cannot recommend this restaurant enough.

Located in the Wholefoods Market First Floor,  on Kensington High Street, South Kensington, London.

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The Gate Vegetarian Restaurant London

Oct28
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Veggie Restaurant in Hammersmith London

We went for a meal at The Gate Vegetarian Restaurant on a Friday Night.  The atmosphere is very pleasant although it is quite busy.  Candle lit with low lighting throughout the restaurant.

For starter Paul tried the carciofini  baby artichokes stuffed with dolcelatte & wild mushroom duxelles, fried in a crispy beer batter, served with a puy lentil salsa & lemon & garlic aioli Carciofini.  This was the best part of the meal.  The flavour was smokey and crispy served on a lentil salad with some dressing.  It tasted really good.

The main course Paul went for the Thali a lentil & vegetable bhaji, and aubergine & cauliflower pakora, served with cucumber & onion salad, rice, roti, and a pear & coriander chutney. The flavours were good but a little too dry,  the curry needed to be wetter – with no liquid  the rice had no real place on the plate.  The Indian bread was nice.

For my main course I went for the wild mushroom risotto cake sautéed girolles, pied de mouton, oyster & chestnut mushrooms, served on a truffle risotto cake, finished with a creamy cep sauce.  The rice cake was a little bit hard and the rest tasted OK,  but not something I would bother with again.

For Dessert we shared a  raw vanilla & coconut cheesecake served with raspberry couli.  This tasted quite pleasant,  Paul did enjoy it more than I.

The gate is a lovely vegetarian restaurant,  however as a vegan I find the place very frustrating.  The meals are designed for vegetarians and then substitutes are put in for vegan options.  So the vegan dishes do feel like they lack something,  the dish is incomplete in some way.   Whereas in somewhere like SAF the meals feel special as they are designed for vegans and you can really taste the difference.  The annoying thing is that they have the skills, they just need to stop being lazy with vegan dishes and create them for vegans rather than adjusting a vegetarian dish.

Here is more information on The Gate.

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Manna Vegan Restaurant London

Oct13
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian Restaurant Primrose Hill London

Recently when I was London we visited Manna for Sunday Lunch.  I love this restaurant even more since they changed their entire menu to be completely vegan.  It can get very busy so I recommend that you book a table. The atmosphere is really pleasant and the staff are very good.

For starters I went for a green salad which tasted really fresh and yummy,  Paul went for the crisped wild mushroom ravioli with a fennel cream sauce with sundried tomato pesto and balsamic reduction.  This tasted really good and Paul enjoyed them.

For main course I went for the organic bangers and mash.  I thought this was good with a few issues.  The spinach had not been drained properly which made it waterlogged and slimy,  I could not eat that.  The sausage and mash tasted good as did the gravy. The onion rings were also really nice.  One other tiny point is that they have a heavy hand with paprika,  it was in everything I tasted and they even decorated the plate with a sprinkle,  I would prefer less paprika.

Paul had the Enchilada Casserole which was cashew cheese, black beans and sauce layered between tortillas with green rice, carrot salsa and guacamole.  He really enjoyed this and said he would have it again.   The flavours worked very well together.

For dessert Paul had the Banoffee trifle,  this consisted of mostly soya cream, pieces of banana, cake pieces and sauce,  I would not say it was a trifle but it tasted OK,  it needed more toffee flavour and some biscuit crunch in our opinion.

I did not have a dessert but I did opt for an infusion of maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves and citrus fruits with hot water.  It tasted really good.

Here is a link to more information on Manna.

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SAF Vegan Restaurant London

Oct11
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

SAF Shoreditch London

On my recent trip to London, I visited my favourite restaurant SAF in Shoreditch, London which is totally vegan.  I can order anything I like off the menu, the quality of the food is stunning and the atmosphere is really warm and friendly.  Many of the dishes are vegan RAW which is fabulous.

For Starters I went for the Wan Ton Soup and Paul went for the Cashew Cheese Trio.  The soup was beautiful, so fresh and vibrant and the wan tons were really good.  The cashew cheese is really good,  I have never tasted a nicer vegan cheese than this.  The flavours worked really well and the crackers and tomato jam were just lovely.

For main course I went for the Spring Risotto which was made with Pearl barley in a cashew cream with fresh peas and salad.  I loved this dish it was sooo good.  It was warming, fresh and quite filling.

Paul went for the Samphire Tortelloni parcels served with saffron cream and wild leaf salad,  this tasted very good,  Pauls only complaint was that there was too much sauce,  but he soon got over that as it tasted great.

For Dessert we were so full so we shared a cherry trifle dish which was really sweet and tart at the same time.

Paul had a glass of a fancy whisky they recommended as he loves good Whisky.  Sadly we did not have a cocktail this time,  but I highly recommend them.

All in all a wonderful night out with friendly knowledgeable staff and great food.

Here is a link to more information about SAF Shoreditch.

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Mildreds Vegetarian Restaurant London

Oct07
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan at Mildreds London

On my recent visit to London,  I had a lunch and a few days later we went for an evening meal at Mildreds in Soho.  Mildreds is a very friendly place,  the atmosphere is pleasant the staff are great fun and the food is pretty good.  The vegan choice is really good.

Be warned this place is usually packed out and you sometimes have to wait for a table, also set your own pace otherwise you might feel like you are on a conveyor belt. The price is fairy reasonable, mains are around £8-£10, starters are around £6. They do wines and soft drinks,  all fairly reasonable.

For the lunchtime we went for a starter of bread and olive oil,  this time we got a white focaccia bread and a date and walnut bread,  this tasted delicious.

For the Lunch time main course,  I went for the burger of the day, which to be honest was not that good,  but the fat chips and vegan mayonaise made up for that.  Paul had a the Sri Lanken Sweet potato and cashew curry,  this tasted pretty good and went down well. 

We did not manage dessert as we were both really full,  really good meal very satisfying,  we sat near the door which was good as it was a hot day.

For the evening meal Paul had the dumplings for a starter,  these tasted great with the sweet sauce.  For the main course we both decided to have the mushroom, porcini ale pie served with minted mushy peas and chips.  The mushroom pie was really nice,  however there were just too many mushrooms for us,  the puff pastry was really nice and the chips and peas were really tasty, perfect with the ketchup.

For dessert we shared a chocolate torte which tasted divine,  sorry I do not have a picture because after a few drinks we tucked in before we remembered to take a picture.

All in all both meals were pretty good,  the waiting staff were great and added to the night out even though the place was jammed packed, we felt like they really cared about our experience.

Mildreds Vegetarian Restaurant 45 Lexington Street, London , W1F 9AN Tel 020 7494 1634

www.mildreds.co.uk

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Tibits Vegetarian Restaurant London

Oct06
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Food at Tibits

On my recent trip to London, a few times I visited Tibits Vegetarian Restaurant.  This place is really good.  Recently I have been here for breakfast,  for a lunch and an evening meal.

The main food is buffet style,  there is a large choice of hot and cold food with everything labelled.  Most of it is vegan.  There are a couple of desserts on there too.

The great thing about this style of restaurant is that you can have as much or a little as you fancy,  you pay by the weight of the food.  You just help yourself and then take it to the counter for the weigh in,  this is where you pay and order drinks.

There are also sandwiches, soups, pastries and ice cream which you can order at the counter. The food is very fresh and is constantly being refreshed and replaced by new dishes.  They offer lots of different wines, beers, hot and cold drink plus some really lovely cocktails with or without alcohol.

The atmosphere is really relaxed with plenty of seating inside and outside.  I highly recommend this place.

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Hotel Chocolat South Kensington

Oct05
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Chocolate Boutique and Coffee Shop

On my recent trip to London whilst in South Kensington after I had lunch in SAF,  I was wandering down the high street checking out some of the lovely shops I stumbled onto The Chocolate Boutique and Coffee shop of Hotel Chocolat.

By now you may have realised that I love good quality chocolate and Hotel Chocolat is one of my favourite brands for vegan chocolate, so I had to go in and scope it out.  The shop is a bit posh,  but everything is very clearly laid out and all the products are marked if they are suitable for vegans.  The staff are really knowledgeable so I found some treats to take away with me very quickly.

I could not resist trying out their coffee and it was very pleasant,  the atmosphere is very nice and comfortable,  the staff cannot do enough for you,  they also like to make sure you have a chocolate sample with your coffee,  I got a couple of dark chocolate buttons which are vegan.

I found quite a few vegan chocolates that they do not list on their website so if you are near one of their shops it is worth checking out.

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SAF Vegan Restaurant London

Oct04
2011 1 Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Raw Restaurant London

On my recent trip to London we had lunch at SAF, a vegan restaurant based in the Wholefoods Market in South Kensington, London.

I really like this place,  the food is the best possible vegan food I have ever had,  the atmosphere is quite nice,  and the service is 10 out of 10.   It is a little bit pricey however I do think that it is worth every penny.

For starter I tried the detox salad which is basically a green salad with avocado, sprouts and seeds.  This tasted very fresh and was surprisingly filling.  Paul had the Pesto au Poivre which is basically a vegan cashew cheese with a sage pesto filling served with flaxseed crackers and salad leaves with a pesto dressing.  This tasted absolutely lovely,  the cheese is very tasty and the pesto really compliments the food,  the crackers are really light and crunchy.

For main course we both went for a Farinata Rustica, slow roasted vegetables and mushrooms served with a chickpea pancake topped with a tarragon white sauce.  My goodness was this good.  Wow,  the crepe (pancake) tasted divine and the filling with the tarragon sauce just worked so well together.  This was served with some pesto crunchy lettuce leaves which were also extremely good.  This whole dish was very filling.

The desserts looked so wonderful, but we were both absolutely stuffed,  I cannot wait to go here again.

Starters around £7 and main courses around £12,  all food is vegan and much of it is vegan raw.

Here is a link to more information about this restaurant.

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