Always a city to keep up with the times, London has come a long way since its first vegetarian restaurant opened in 1967, and now boasts plenty of purely vegan restaurants on its busy streets, which reflect the same range of diverse tastes as standard eateries.
If you are planning on visiting London and you’re a vegan, or like to dabble in veganism, make sure you check out these vegan restaurants while you’re there. You can also view our full London Restaurant guide here that includes the best fine dining, cheap eats and family friendly restaurants to visit.
Famous for its lunchtime buffet, 222 Veggie Vegan boasts renowned plant-based chef Ben Asamani as its leading man. Asamani showcases his talents of being able to put together the highest-quality, healthy vegan meals and sees scores and scores of hungry customers coming through his doors each day.
222 Veggie Vegan claims to have the best lunch deal in town for anyone who wants to push their health in the right direction and is also open in the evenings, serving a variety of vegan dishes from seitan stroganoff to pumpkin and pine nut risotto.
Address: 222 North End Road, West Kensington, London W14 9NU
Nearest station: West Brompton (overground)
Hackney-based Temple of Seitan gives vegans the best of both worlds: quick and tasty food without using any animal products. The base of each main is seitan, a wheat protein which, when cooked, has a similar texture to meat.
Although seitan is not appropriate for people with Coeliac disease or those who avoid eating gluten, the Temple of Seitan also provides gluten-free options which are made from soya protein.
In comparison to most London takeaways, this restaurant is a little bit pricey, with the mains starting at £5 and a side of coleslaw costing £3, but you can rest assured that no animals have been harmed for your meal.
Address: 10 Morning Lane, London, E9 6NA
Nearest station: Hackney Central (overground)
Opening in the summer of 2017, Essence Cuisine is one of the youngest restaurants on our list. The success of this restaurant was lead by renowned raw food chef Matthew Kenney, who insists that food can be both beautiful and delicious whilst still being healthy.
Regardless of whether you want to stop for a while or just pass through, Essence Cuisine gives you lots of options as you can order a takeaway, book a table, and even privately hire the venue for an event.
Making your plant-based dreams come true, at this restaurant you can expect to find expertly cooked (and often raw) breakfast and brunch options, lunch and dinner menus, and an entirely raw dessert menu.
Address: 94 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4RH
Nearest station: Old Street
The ethical implications of veganism are at the forefront of this restaurant's ethos, focusing on the benefits for an individual’s health, the welfare of animals and that of the environment.
Award-winning Loving Hut provides a cozy environment for its guests whilst they chow down on vegan treats such as cheesecake and fish and chips.
Here, the portion sizes leave nothing to be desired and you can leave safe in the knowledge that you’ve filled yourself up with a hefty load of the good stuff!
Address: 669 Holloway Road, Archway, London, N19 5SE
Nearest station: Archway
Eating raw food (anything cooked at 48°C or below) as a part of a whole food, vegan diet is one of the most beneficial dietary moves you can make for your overall health, as the food will retain the nutrients from its enzymes, vitamins, and minerals.
This is something that Nama Foods has taken into consideration and all of their meals are raw and completely meat, dairy, gluten, and wheat free. However, that doesn’t mean that comfort food is out… at Nama Foods you can even get your hands on a full English breakfast!
With fantastic prices and a homely atmosphere, visiting Nama Foods should be an absolute must for any London tourist.
Address: 110 Talbot Road, London, W11 1JR
Nearest station: Westbourne Park
This restaurant believes that it’s time for a food revolution, where people are more conscious of their health and the environment when they’re choosing what they eat. An aspect of healthy eating which is often overlooked is the cleanliness of our water and Fed By Water has this down to a tee.
Fed By Water uses purified water as its base ingredient for all of its food and drink, which makes their products that little bit tastier! Focusing on Italian cuisine, Fed By Water offers you innovative dishes and prices which certainly won’t break the bank.
Address: Dalston Cross Shopping Centre, 64 Kingsland High St, London, E8 2LX
Nearest station: Dalston Kingsland (overground)
If you’re looking for something a little bit different, head to Club Mexicana in Camden who, in their own words, make ‘totally banging’ Mexican street food, all of which is completely vegan.
Whoever said vegan food was bland would be eating their words - and a pulled jackfruit burrito - at Club Mexicana so, if you’re visiting this restaurant, you can expect a mouthful of flavour and some really healthy grub.
Address: Unit 215 - 216, Camden Lock Market, Chalk Farm Rd, London, NW1 8AF
Nearest station: Camden Town
Itadaki Zen’s claim to fame is that it’s Europe’s first organic, vegan Japanese restaurant and it will satiate anyone’s need for some Asian cuisine. This restaurant believes that what we eat is closely related to our overall consciousness and strives to help people to choose good, healthy food as a way of supporting their minds and bodies.
Itadaki Zen is the first to admit that some of its food may take a while to prepare, but this is because it’s all handmade to order, ensuring you get the freshest meal possible. If you’re looking for immaculate presentation, this is the restaurant to visit.
Address: 139 King's Cross Road, London, WC1X 9BJ
Nearest station: King’s Cross St. Pancras
Not only was Manna London’s first exclusively vegetarian gourmet restaurant, it was also one of the first to appear in Europe! However, despite Manna celebrating its 50th birthday last year, it most definitely is not stuck in its ways, becoming 100% vegan over a decade ago.
Manna is also now home to the Manna bakery which sells an assortment of organic vegan cakes, muffins, cheesecakes, flapjacks and brownies and, although Manna’s treats may fall at the higher end of the price range, you can enjoy them all guilt-free.
Address: 4 Erskine Road, Primrose Hill, London, NW3 3AJ
Nearest station: Chalk Farm
The Full Nelson prides itself on serving up perhaps the best vegan junk food in London. Whilst a lot of the food on the menu is vegetarian, every single item has the option of being vegan if requested.
Here, you can find boozy shakes, cocktails, and quick and simple food - perfect for a cruelty-free night out - and, as you can get a burger, fries, and a beer for just £10, we’d say that this vegan restaurant is far from bank-breaking.
For some drool-worthy pictures which would leave any foodie craving a trip to The Full Nelson, check out their Instagram account here.
Address: 47 Deptford Broadway, London SE8 4PH
Nearest station: Deptford Bridge (overground)
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