Banstead, Vegetarian Restaurant Guide

If you’re veggie, impecunious or both, this sweet, bargain-basement café of over twenty years’ standing is worth discovering, despite its trafficky location (by the gyratory where the Lillie Road and North End Road cross one another): all dishes are 100% vegan and clearly labelled for allergens too.

“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”.

“This old favourite” serving South Indian food “remains a pleasure” and remains a model of consistency under founder Claire Fisher, as it has been for more than 20 years. Top Menu Tips – “the homemade paratha is heaven on a plate and the spinach dal the stuff of dreams”.

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”.

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.

A “very impressive all-plant-based menu” explains why this fashionable veggie pair in Chelsea and Marylebone are “always a bit too crowded and noisy” for some reporters. Their signature vegan burgers and mac’n’cheese make it “easy to forget the absence of meat”.

“Wonderful fine dining but with the feel of a small local eatery” is both the blessing and the challenge for this Chiswick destination which is “trying very hard to be great, succeeding, and so much better than the location makes you think”. Chef Nathan Cornwell was recruited in 2023 to up the ante here, and his “carefully thought-out” cuisine is “just getting better and better”: it’s a serious rival to nearby Trompette in terms of its “exceptional” quality, with “a fabulous tasting menu which gets it just right and doesn’t overwhelm you”. But while its reputation is generating ever-more feedback in our poll as a “classy” and also a “romantic” destination, it is ever-so slightly constrained by its (albeit posh) “caff-like” premises on the High Street, with the least kind view that you are “crammed in, while the waiters try to deliver to you a fine-dining experience”.

2022 Review: Vegan and vegetarian neighbourhood bistro, set in a quiet street near Peckham Rye station. It was opened in autumn 2019 by ex-Vanilla Black chef Tom Heale (plus his two brothers and a business partner) and – though it’s a simple, cosy venue – it quickly attracted favourable press from The Torygraph and Marina O’Loughlin in The Sunday Times. Sharing is encouraged and drinks include biodynamic, organic and vegan, and numerous fancy teas.

2022 Review: This “good breakfast spot” in Walworth morphs into an evening hang-out with DJs, biodynamic and natural wines, cocktails and “top-class” chef residencies to keep the crowd fed and entertained.

“Wonderful views and sense of space give a sense of occasion” to a meal in the flagship restaurant at the Southbank arts centre, overlooking the Thames. Originally built at the heart of this 1950s Brutalist venue as ‘The People’s Palace’ – with massive windows to make the best of the panorama – it is nowadays run by Evolv (fka D&D London), and although it’s not been on a high in recent years its ratings turned upwards this year. It still “takes a fair amount of flack” for its “simple, basic menu” and “very ordinary cooking”, but diners with more modest expectations can be pleasantly surprised (“I was sceptical about booking, but the staff were lovely, welcoming and friendly, the location was perfect: we had a window table!”).

“A good place to come for top-notch Israeli cooking, in a stylish space under the railway arches” on the South Bank. A “lively” spot, it’s the work of Eran Tibi, who used to work for Ottolenghi: “there’s an excellent choice of vegetarian dishes” and a “fascinating Middle Eastern wine list to explore”. Ratings slipped a fraction for this year though – perhaps it’s become a tad more “pricey”?

“A special place with a special purpose” – Imad Alarnab’s “celebration of Syrian cooking”, in Soho’s Kingly Court, is a remarkable success story from a chef who lost his business in war-torn Damascus more than 10 years ago and arrived in Britain as a refugee. His achievement in rebuilding his career “deserves proper recognition” – and received it in a February 2025 visit to the restaurant from King Charles. For the rest of us, a meal here is an “amazing experience” – “vegetarian dishes never tasted better”, and meat-eaters are not disappointed. Imad’s first spinoff, a café/deli called Aram, was scheduled to open in Somerset House in summer 2025.

“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”.

“Restaurants like this are such a rarity nowadays” – and this “raffish and romantic”, “cosy, dimly-lit and lively” ancient townhouse retains its quirky “very special” and “sensual” appeal (“still love it after all these years: 35 and counting!”). “Even without the characterful Mr E [who died in 2022] the feeling of old Soho is maintained (he would be proud)” and its very tightly packed interior is a major magnet for lovers, old mates and ‘meeja’ types. The simple and “honest” “seasonal” British cooking is “always changing, interesting and doesn’t break the bank”, and – in particular – the “astonishing wine and sherry selection” is “a joy” (being particularly strong in “very fairly priced, older red vintages”). “Knowledgeable and friendly staff further add to the experience” of “a delightful place with great charm” and “real hospitality”. Top Tips – “Stay on the ground floor for the full Dickensian experience” – “the level of romance depends very much on where your candle-lit table is located in this quirky place”. And plush it ain’t (“I defy anyone to feel romantic or raffish after sitting on a pew seat through dinner…”; “we do know people who are simply too big for it to be comfortable”).

“Expect the unexpected!” at Rishim Sachdeva’s ‘mostly vegan’ (dairy making an occasional appearance) outfit in Mayfair, where “every dish is a jewel” – you’ll find “stunning food that really celebrates vegetables, not the meat substitutes which can put you off vegan restaurants”. “Lovely staff” are another tick in its favour; but the “very noisy room makes it hard to have a conversation”. Top Menu Tip – “I’m not a fan of aubergine, but their charred dish is excellent”.

“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”.

“Cheap and very, very cheerful!”, vegan Indian canteen just off Oxford Street, opened in 1979 by the Hare Krishna temple next door and serving ‘karma-free’ meals – which means no onions, garlic or mushrooms, and no alcohol. The value is pretty well unbeatable, with a 5-item plate at £7.95 or a 12-item thali extravaganza for £15.95. (“As a confirmed carnivore, I love this place as a change!!”).