Veggie Friendly Restaurants in the WEST END of LONDON
Veggie Friendly Restaurants in the WEST END of LONDON
INDIAN VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
AMAYA (Location: Halkin Arcade, 19 Motcomb Street, Knightsbridge SW1X 8JT) £££
Amaya is a great find, with really unique and tasty dishes located in Belgravia. The restaurant does not serve the usual starters and then main courses, instead the meals are like finger food which is designed to be shared. It is a great concept, with great vegetarian options - again a real change from the normal dishes on offer for a vegetarian. The desserts are bad too. But word of warning, the dishes aren't cheap and you are looking at between £35 - £50 per head.
IMLI (Location: 167 Wardour Street, London) ££
Imli offers Indian tapas dishes. The usual vegetarian dishes are on offer, but are in smaller portions. The idea is that each person orders around 3 dishes each. At £4.50 - £4.95 a dish, with rice not included, you are looking to spend around £25 per head. Imli is a great venue when you are eating with mainly meat-eaters, as you're not stuck with one dish to eat the whole night but instead a variety to keep you busy.
MASALA ZONE (Locations: ) £
Masala Zone is from the same team behind Chutney Mary's and Amaya, but unlike the other two restaurants it is reasonably priced. The concept of the is different from your average 'Indian curry house' by offering 'thalis' i.e a selection of different dishes. For £7.95 you can choose one curry (from a choice of three including a paneer in a tangy tomato dish) and either roti or rice. The thali also consists of two vegetable dishes and a lentil curry, together with half a poppadum. For £10.95, you have a choice of two curries, raita (yoghurt and cucumber), rice, roti and half a poppadum.
The vegetables change from day to day, which is a shame as the aubergine saag was by far my favourite dish. The paneer curry and lentil dhal were only average as they both lacked spice and flavouring. But there is a large selection of vegetarian starters (hot and cold), which makes up for there being only a limited selection of curries. I recommend that you try their salted chaas to drink - perfect for a hot summers day. For £7.95 you are get to experience a range of dishes, which is great value for money and the staff are friendly too.
MINT LEAF (Location: Suffolk Place, Haymarket) £££
This is between £35 - £50 per head, so on the dear side, but worth a visit all the same. The food is unique but does not compromise itself in taste. There is a lot to choose from on the menu. Unlike other restaurants where the paneer dish is always the safe option, I would recommend you try the other dishes on the menu as you can't go wrong in Mint Leaf.
TAMARIND (Location: 20 Queen Street, Mayfair) £££
I tried the lunch menu on offer at Tamarind, which offers a glass of bubbly and two or three courses for £19.95 and £22.96 respectively. There is only one choice for vegetarians, the crispy fried arborio cakes as a starter. This is a great starter, with an array of mouth watering flavours. Unfortunately the main meal does not compare in the slightest. The paneer 'kebab' option is dry and more suitable as a starter. You are provided with naan, rice, broccoli and yellow lentils as part of the deal (which you have to share with your fellow diners). As the paneer does not go with either the rice or the naan, you are left all competing with others for the yellow lentils to fill you up. All in all, the restaurant has a nice ambience and is based in a great location in Mayfair just off Curzon Street. It is expensive and therefore recommend that you do not choose from the set menu.
TRISHNA (Location: 15 - 17 Blandford Street, London, W1U 3DG) ££
Trishna is hidden away between marble arch and Baker st, in a secluded area away from the hustle and bstle of the West End. As soon as you walk through the mint green doors of Trishna, into its green and wooden surroundings, you are hit by the uniqueness of this restaurant. The restaurant is set up like a converted house, with an array of inter-connecting rooms. It certainly doesn't feel like an Indian restuarant.
We went for their lunchtime offer, which is £19.50 for a glass of Prosecco, 3 dishes and either naan or rice. Also, you are given a 'complimentary' poppadum.
Unfortunately the choices are limited for vegetarians. I ordered the bajias which were tasty especially when dipped into their mint chutney. For the main dishes, the only dish on offer is tikka paneer. The paneer was disappointing as it simply consisted of 2 small cubes of bland paneer. The rest of the vegetarian dishes are found in the the sides selctions. The chickpea dish consisited of a small amount of again bland chickpeas on top of purries. My favourite dish had to be the bindi, which if I had not have ordered I would have been entirely disappointed with my meal.
At £19.50, Trishna is good value, but would i go back? Not if i can help it...
ITALIAN VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
BIAGI'S (Location: 39 Upper Berkeley Street, London) £
Biagi's is a traditional italian restaurant near Marble Arch Station. It is quiet and serene and perfect for an escape from the usual hustle and bustle of London. Unfortunately there are only two vegetarian dishes available: a penne arribiata and ravioli with a creamy sauce. The safest option is to stick with the penne. But, it is worth going for the desserts, particularly the chocolate souffle which is by far one of the best I have ever tried.
Tel: 0207 7723 0394
FINO'S (Locations: ) £
Great family run restaurant/bar. They have a wide selection of starters, pizzas and pastas on offer. Be warned, the pizzas are massive at £9.95, so more than enough for 2 persons. I advise eating the pizzas, as the vegetarian pasta options do not compare particularly the arriabiata pasta which was huge but lacking in sauce. The complimentary peanuts and olives provide a nice touch.
JAPANESE VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
BENIHANA (Locations: ) ££
At Benihana's food is prepared directly in front of you, 'tappanyaki style'. The chefs are all entertaining, ensuring that you walk away with a big smile on your face because of their cheesy jokes and 'cocktail style' tricks. The food is yum too. There is a vegetarian option available which costs £19 which includes vegetable tempura, miso soup, a benihana salad (which I thoroughly enjoyed), rice, vegetables (including mushrooms) and grilled tofu which is great when mixed with the sauces they provide you with. If you can, ask to swap the plain rice with their speciality egg-fried rice with soya sauce and onions. All in all, a great experience.
FENG SUSHI (Locations: ) ££
As far as sushi restaurants go, Feng Sushi has a lot to offer vegetarians. There are various side dishes available including spring rolls and soups, as well as various options of sushi. A personal favourite is their tofu roll with hoi sin sauce (similar to the duck wraps available in chinese restaurants) and their vegetable tempura. It works out at just under £25 per head as you end up ordering 3-4 dishes each. A great place to visit on your first foray into eating vegetarian sushi.
MURA (Location: 10 Seymour Place, Marble Arch) ££
As a vegetarian, I always found it difficult to eat at a Japanese restaurant. However, Mura is an exception. Mura is tucked away on Seymour Place, only 5 minutes walk from March Arch Station. Their vegetarian food is tasty AND reasonably priced. A personal favourite is the vegetable gyoza and tempura.
MEDITERRANEAN VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
GRAND BAZAAR (Location: 42 James Street, London W1U 1EX) ££
MEXICAN VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
TAQUERIA (Location: 139-143 Westbourne Grove) ££
Taqueria is one of the best mexican restaurants I have found in London. They serve tasty (and spicy) authentic mexican food and even have a tortilla making machine. There are a lot of vegetarian options to choose from and the staff are more than happy to advise. The idea is to order around 2-3 small dishes each so that way you get to enjoy a full range of dishes at around £5 -£7 a dish. The place is always busy, so make sure you go early. Also try the mexican cocktails on offer.
WAHACA (Location: 66 Chandos Place, Covent Garden, London) ££
Wahaca is another really great Mexican restaurant in London that is a departure from the usual Tex-Mex menu that seems to plague the our usual Mexican offerings here. They dub the Wahaca experience as 'Mexican market eating' in their own words and the canteen style table seating, potted chilli plants (you can grab a handful of these seed packets to take home and start your own which is quite cool) and wooden crate all add to this canteen feel. As for the food itself, the q
SPANISH VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
LA TASCA (Location: various) £
I have never been a fan of Spanish tapas as I generally found the selection of offer limited and unfilling. However, I pleasantly surprised by La Tasca. The idea is to order around 3 - 4 small tapas dishes per person. I ordered the garlic mushrooms (not very impressed) and potatas bravas (you can't go wrong). Finally my last dish was aubergine, baked in tomato, garlic and wine sauce - which was just splendid. Even if you are not a fan of aubergine, I recommend that you try this dish. There is also vegetarian paella and a range of salads available. The total cost of the meal, plus a drink comes to around £10 - £15. The meal is light, so I would recommend visting La Tasca for lunch but not for dinner.
I contacted the La Tasca team to find out why as the aubegine dish was not highlighted on the menu as a vegetarian dish. The La Tasca team made the following comment:
'As we do not operate a dedicated vegetarian kitchen and although some dishes do not contain meat or seafood, due to the cooking process we are unable to confirm that these dishes are suitable for vegetarians. In the case where products such as the bread, which is not produced at the restaurant, unless our suppliers can confirm that they are fully vegetarian we are unable to specify that they are on the menu.'
THAI VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
BUSABA ETAI (Locations: ) ££
This is always a popular choice (particularly on a Friday night), which is mainly due to its funky decor, quick service and reasonable prices. Busaba Etai does offer vegetarian options but to be honest there is not much to choose from. There is a noodle dish containing cashew nuts (Pad Thai), as well as a fried tofu and spinach option, depending on what you prefer. The menu does offer a selection of vegetarian side dishes, which includes veggie spring rolls. If you are looking to eat Thai food, there are more veg friendly restaurants to choose from. Although the dishes on offer are tasty, it can get boring eating the same dishes each time.
Tel. 0207 518 8080 (Bird Street Branch)
PATARA (Locations: ) ££
As far as Thai restaurants go, it doesn't get much better than your own veggie menu! There is loads to choose from and at reasonable prices too. The decor and service are second to none, this coupled with reasonable prices, makes Patara a perfect all round choice. The restaurant has its own bar and is beautifully decorated. It has a great atmosphere, which makes it a great choice for a night out, without making a dent in your purse.
SARAN ROM (Location: Waterside Tower, Fulham) £££
From the moment a tuk tuk arrives and takes you to the restaurant, you know that you are in for a treat, albeit expensive treat. The restaurant is by far a great choice for a romantic night out, with magnificent views of the Thames and ornate decorations. The ambiance is faultless and you are looking to spend approximately £45 per head. The only thing lacking is the vegetarian food. There are options on offer with around 5 dishes for each of the starters and mains. I recommend that you stick with the green curry as opposed to trying the aubergine dish or the fried tofu, as both are disappointing to say the least. One last tip, before you leave make sure that you try their Irish coffee, as it is one of their specialties which is made at your table.
MANGO TREE (Location: 46 Grosvenor Place, London) £££
Mango Tree is situated in Belgravia, within walking distance of Victoria Station. It is simplistically designed, with rows of tables for the diners. Whilst the decor maybe simple, the food is anything but. The website states that it 'serves the best traditional Thai food.' It certainly isn't wrong. There is a separate vegetarian menu at that back offering a wide variety of starters including soups, curries and noodles. Their 'famous' vegetarian hot and sour soup is not only unique in flavour, it is very tasty (although be warned, it is not for the faint hearted as it is spicy!) The green curry and vegetables taste just like dishes you would find in Thailand - if only the prices were the same too! Look out for special events Mango Tree holds i.e. curry month where they have more options on the menu. The only down-side is the cost, which works out at around £50 per head with a glass of wine, but regardless it is well worth a visit.