Oxshott, Vegetarian - Restaurant Guide

For many local curryphiles, this inconspicuous and anodyne-looking Hammersmith Keralan is “still a favourite Indian”, with plenty of “very tasty” fish and vegetarian dishes on its “excellent value” menu. The masala dosa is highly recommended.

If you’re looking for a “good pitstop in the West End”, this trio (also with an offshoot in Hammersmith) offers “tasty vegan and veggie Indian food” at “very reasonable prices” – nothing fancy, but “good basic cooking” of “South Indian staples”. Pickier diners can feel that some sauces are “rather watery”, or that the filling food can come “with no stand-out flavours”. Practically all agree, however, that “a great Masala Dosa and beer makes a very affordable meal in Central London”. Top Tip – “good choice to take a crowd: they’re not fazed by large tables”.

“A real treat for vegetarians”, this Hammersmith institution was “opened by Michael and Adrian Daniel in 1989 and has been at the top of its game for years” – “many’s the friend brought along here who hasn’t noticed there’s no meat on the menu, and that’s because the food is good, well cooked, and interesting”. (An intriguing space in the eves of a church – “the dining room is housed in what was the studio of artist Frank Brangwyn, and the name comes from the wrought-iron gate he made for the entrance”). Top Menu Tip – “lean into the mushroom dishes in autumn”… “leek and trompette tart with shortcrust pastry is simply delicious”.

“Bijou bistro tucked away in Westbourne Park” serving a “sophisticated and unusual” menu of “classic French small plates” accompanied by “good wine”. It’s a “cosy” place, with “exposed brickwork and wood panelling”.

“Top-quality dosas” – from a choice of 50+ varieties – are among the highlights at the five London branches of this Chennai-based chain, billed as the ‘World’s No. 1 Indian Vegetarian Restaurant’, with almost 100 branches in 28 countries and 33 in India. No dish on the packed two-page menu costs as much as £10 – but beer and wine are both available. Its founder, the ‘Dosa King’ P Rajagopal, was convicted of arranging the murder of an employee whose wife he wanted to marry and died of a heart attack soon after he was sentenced six years ago.

All-you-can-eat vegetarian Indian buffet with a “good selection of dishes at reasonable prices”. Based in Wembley, where it started out 40-odd years ago as a family-owned market stall, it now has spinoffs in Harrow, Kingsbury and Hatch End (the latter à la carte only). Signature dishes include bhel puri, crispy bhajia and chilli paneer, washed down by a selection of soft drinks.

“Authentic dosas”, idlis, vadas and uttapams are on the menu at this “welcoming” three-year-old South Indian vegetarian restaurant with a “lovely local feel and super food”. A spin-off branch opened in Milton Keynes branch in late 2025.

“As falafel goes, this is probably the best I’ve ever tasted!” – This Palestinian-run café “at the edge of Shepherd’s Bush Market doesn’t look special, but the falafel and all the trimmings is a very tasty snack” and you can order it in the style of any Arab World country. “The flow of customers shows that I’m not alone in relishing a hearty lunch at a very reasonable price!”

“So delicious, meat is not missed” – this ‘vegetable forward’ yearling on Notting Hill’s Portobello Road inspires nothing but praise for ‘unfailingly good food that’s so healthy’. Indeed, owners Irina Linovich and ACME Fire Cult’s Daniel Watkins have already lined up site No. 2 with a late 2025 opening in Old Spitalfields Market. In both spots seasonal produce is cooked over fire with fermentation to boost flavour and ‘celebrate vegetables in unique and innovative ways’.

“Very clever cooking – far more satisfying than a carnivore might expect” – is the reason for the ongoing success of this vegetarian group, founded in Soho almost 40 years ago and expanded into a modern chain over the last ten years. “Is it vegan? Yes”, fully plant-based since 2001. “Do you have to be vegan to enjoy it? No” – “the quality and intensity of the flavours” wins over many omnivores, while “the extremely friendly service and full-to-the-gills interior creates an ambience that is conducive to enjoyment”.

“Flavoursome and well-executed vegetarian Sri Lankan cuisine” is the draw to this East Dulwich two-year-old: a sweet, simple neighbourhood café, where “thali-style eating allows you to taste a good variety of the food – including different curries or sambals – washed down with innovative cocktails and pleasing desserts”.