Our Go-to London Restaurants For Guaranteed Plant Power
What does the phrase ‘plant-based’ meat free mean to you? For some people, it means abstaining from meat for a meal. For others, it’s an entire lifestyle choice. In recent years, vegan and vegetarian options have multiplied, and many award-winning plant-based restaurants focus exclusively on ‘plant power’. This has created a lot of happy customers who used to be limited to only one veggie option on the menu.
Vegetable-forward menus are on the rise.
Take a walk down any main road in London and you’ll see a myriad of chickpea-based, tofu-packed delights tempting you away from your traditional meat-centred lunch. Meals that used to be prepared with chicken or pork are made instead of tofu and jackfruit, and vegetables such as aubergine and mushroom are seasoned and cooked in the same way we traditionally cook beef or duck. Given that less than 4% of the world’s population is vegan or vegetarian, it’s impossible to sustain restaurants solely on their custom. Fortunately, many omnivores are also interested in plant-based dining, and eating at a vegetable-forward restaurant is now increasingly common.
What is the attraction to plant-based dining? For many people, it’s about not inflicting animal cruelty. However, that’s not the only reason people opt for vegetable-forward menus. Movements such as meat free Monday and Veganuary have inspired the general population to change their life in small steps, by focusing on vegetables for just one day a week, or one month a year. Choosing to ditch meat in favour of vegetables is definitely beneficial to your health, and going meatless just once a week can reduce your risk of preventable diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
The impact on the planet is also a factor for going meatless.
Eating meat is the second biggest environmental hazard to affect the planet (behind fossil-fuel vehicles). With so many people becoming aware of the damaging impact humans are having on Earth, we are slowly realising that cutting down on meat can make a positive change – even if it is just one day a week.
Vegetable-forward restaurants are about more than moral decisions, however. The combination of different flavours formed by these vegetables makes for a delicious meal – so much so that you won’t even notice it is meat free. People often claim that they love meat for the taste, but what they forget is that meat is usually marinated with herbs and spices, which are plant-based and vegan. Vegetables are often cooked in a similar style to meat, including frying, searing and roasting, and cut to replicate the shape of your favourite meat treats.
It’s a common misconception that vegan and vegetarian food should try to replicate the taste of meat. While some restaurants achieve this goal – think hoisin tofu wraps, jackfruit tacos, ‘bleeding’ vegan burgers – others focus on the flavours and textures already provided for us by vegetables. Pumpkins are roasted until crispy, cauliflower is seared, and aubergines are placed onto skewers and barbequed – and when combined, make a perfect meal.
“What about my protein?” many people cry out, and for good reason. Protein is essential for growth and maintaining health, and we need it to survive. However, protein doesn’t have to come from meat. Nuts, beans, pulses, lentils, soy, dairy and certain vegetables provide a high level of protein, and if eaten in the right quantity, are sufficient for humans to thrive.
Have we whetted your appetite for some delicious vegetable-forward delights? If so we’ve selected some of our favourites for you. Terre-a-Terre in Brighton (terreaterre.co.uk) is an award-winning restaurant cooking up some amazing dishes – their motto is “where vegetarianism is more about indulgence than abstinence”.
Also on top of our list is Brighton’s Food for Friends, offering a gorgeous menu where they place a twist on traditional classics. Based in London? Don’t miss out on Ethos, a self-service meat free veggie buffet famous for its vegetarian Scotch eggs or my personal favourite, The Clove Club, Shoreditch, which offers an incredible vegan set or tasting menu. Other London favourites include Itadaki Zen (Japanese, vegan AND organic – itadakizen-uk.com), Mannav (which has been around for over 50 years), and Palm Vaults (which has a gorgeous interior that’s covered in… you guessed it, plants).
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Photo: terre a terre
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