Are London’s best vegetarian restaurants necessary? While more and more people are cutting down on meat, the number of vegetarian places in London has been dwindling, though this must be viewed in the context of a wider epidemic of restaurant closures. Ceremony, Wildflower, and Stokey Veg Vegan are among the most significant to pull down their shutters recently: exciting vegetarian venues that took good food rather than animal welfare, environment or health as a starting point: a major departure from meat-free places of yore.

For all their singularity, though, vegetarian food is now so mainstream that most London restaurants offer good vegetarian options — and even entire menus; vegetarians find it easier than ever to dine out with omnivore friends. That mainstreaming sits alongside the sharp rise of veganism, which leads to a sharp rise in vegan restaurants, which are not the same as vegetarian restaurants and often more attuned to — or entirely controlled by — current meat-free trends.

These two things actually explain why vegetarian restaurants are so important. First, mainstream restaurants may unwittingly use ingredients with hidden meat or fish in dishes, such as cheeses with animal rennet, gelatine, lard, chicken stock, fish sauce and so on. Vegetable dishes may be cooked in the same pan as meat, as any vegetarian eating chips that taste vaguely of chicken knows.

Additionally, fellow diners may unthinkingly dip their forks and chopsticks into shared dishes when eating out with vegetarians. And while omnivores are able to eat meat-free small plates from a shared menu, vegetarians cannot eat their counterparts, which can lead to awkward situations. And many vegetarians don’t want the processed nut cheeses, non-dairy milks, egg substitutes and meat substitutes of vegan restaurants.

This round-up of London’s best vegetarian restaurants is centred first and foremost on places that serve good food; even the few here that have ‘wellness’ or sustainability at their heart shine with superb cooking. Restaurants that focus on single cuisines have been deliberately left out, otherwise the list would just be dominated by Indian restaurants and falafel joints.

1. Vanilla Black

17-18 Took’s Court, Holborn
London EC4A 1LB, UK

020 7242 2622

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This elegant, minimalist restaurant near Chancery Lane is London’s smartest vegetarian. More than that, it’s one of the most unusual, interesting and exciting meat-free venues in the world. It marries molecular gastronomy techniques with classic French fine dining, a quirky English sensibility and exceptional ingredients — including some grown on-site using state-of-the-art technology. It doesn’t hide behind the comforting clichés of pastas, quiches and meat substitutes; instead taking inspiration from fresh individual vegetables, sometimes lesser-known, unloved ones. Not everyone will get dishes such as whipped creamy, unctuous Londonshire from Wildes Cheese served with cracker-like squares of dehydrated Branston pickle ‘toffee’ and celery and lovage jam – but those who do, are in for a treat.

London’s best vegetarian restaurants include Vanilla Black, in Holborn, serving some of the world’s best meat-free food

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2. The Gate St John's Wood

87 Allitsen Rd, St John's Wood
London NW8 7AS, UK

020 7833 0401

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What would London’s vegetarian dining scene be like if it had been the Indian-Iraqi Jewish brothers Adrian and Michael Daniel who had landed the Guardian vegetarian column? After all, the founders of The Gate — now a four-strong chain — had been serving zhug and tagine, and scattering pomegranate seeds and crumbled feta on their dishes for decades before Yotam Ottolenghi came along. This cavernous St John’s Wood branch opened a few months ago: a handsome-looking place with large wrap-around windows and potted plants that give it a conservatory feel. The chain is famous for fungi dishes such as wild mushroom risotto cake in creamy cep sauce, dense and earthy as the forest floor; and there are now more Asian influences on the menu. Try delicate, tempura-like courgette flower if it’s available: stuffed with own-made ricotta and perched on a hillock of beluga lentils, it is exquisite.

London’s best vegetarian restaurants include The Gate in St. John’s Wood

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3. Mildreds Dalston

Thomas Tower, 1 Dalston Square, Dalston Lane, Dalston
London E8 3GU, UK

020 8017 1815

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This newest branch of the popular vegetarian mini-chain is located in large, bright Dalston Square just behind the Dalston Junction train station. The menu travels the globe; and the cooking at this branch is particularly vibrant. Stand-out dishes include wood-roasted cauliflower with charred leeks, skordalia and turmeric almonds; and substantial, spicy-sweet jerk tofu with rum guava glaze, coconut rice and peas, mango slaw and fried plantains. Fans of the Polish beetroot and white bean burger with pickled red cabbage and gherkins – it’s back on the menu, though it’s now served in a brioche bun so tastes a bit different.

London’s best vegetarian restaurants include Mildreds in Dalston

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4. Oliveira Organic Vegetarian Kitchen

469 Upper Richmond Rd W, East Sheen
London SW14 7PU, UK

020 8255 2462

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The first thing to be said about this homely, two-room East Sheen venue is that, although it is vegetarian, it uses some cheeses with animal rennet, including Parmesan — chef-proprietor Emerson Amélio de Oliveira strongly believes these have a superior flavour. That said, the eco-friendly venue, with sustainability at its heart, has by far the most inventive vegetarian menu in London. Oliveira comes from a Brazilian-Italian background; and this is reflected in dishes such as hand-made pastas and risottos, alongside the use of Amazonian fruit and veg. There are plenty of dishes with breadfruit and jackfruit sourced from Tooting market; and speciality items such as dende oil, phytoplankton, and vegan faux gras. Some of the over-ambitious dishes don’t quite come off, but ‘nduja sausage’ made from jackfruit seeds and flesh, cassava, and smoked paprika impresses with its subtle spiciness; and a trio of Amazonian fruit sorbets made from açai, cupuaçu and pitaya taste like frozen nail polish — in the nicest possible way.

London’s best vegetarian restaurants include Oliveira in Richmond

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5. Miranda Café

28 Broadway Parade, Crouch End
London N8 9DB, UK

020 8342 8989

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This trendy vegetarian venue in Crouch End with bare brick walls may have healthy eating at its heart, but the food is so tasty and skilfully made the health angle is barely discernible. There are several international dishes such as expertly made, ethereal spring onion gyoza; jackfruit in beautifully spiced tomato sauce with coconut rice, black beans, guacamole and grilled plantains; and dense, mealy arepas with a soft crumb. Cakes include three-layered tiramisu sponge; plus there are Latin American breakfasts, Buddha bowls, burgers and cocktails. A real neighbourhood gem.

London’s best vegetarian restaurants include Miranda Cafe in Crouch End — Miranda Cafe

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6. Skip Garden

1 Tapper Walk, Kings Cross
London N1C 4AQ, UK

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Hidden away at the very back of Kings Cross’ Granary Square development, past the Coal Drops Yard, Skip Garden, is a beautiful community garden created entirely of fruit, veg, flowers and plants growing in skips. It’s run by Global Generation, an educational charity that helps young people in the area; and this vegetarian café, located by the entrance, is part of the project. Although there’s some indoor seating, it’s best to visit in sunshine when lunch can be eaten on one of the many wooden tables outside, surrounded by greenery. The straightforward menu encompasses a hot dish, a soup, salads and sandwiches, made using some of the ingredients grown in the garden. A quiche of ‘London blue cheese,’ labneh and kale stalks is wonderfully savoury, and salad may include a mix of British-grown spelt grains, roasted fennel, slow-roasted tomatoes, cavolo nero and pickled leeks. Freshly baked cakes and pastries are also a strong point here, especially the plump scones.

London’s best vegetarian restaurants include Skip Garden in King’s Cross — Skip Garden

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7. Kin

22 Foley St, Fitzrovia
London W1W 6DT, UK

020 7998 4720

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Secluded in one of the labyrinthine side streets behind Goodge Street tube station, this chic, cosy vegetarian café has tempting displays of colourful salads, hot dishes, cakes and pastries by the entrance; and a miniscule seating area at the back. Originally set up by a father and son duo, the venue shut down for a few months last year, and has recently reopened with a new owner. It’s notable for currently being the only vegetarian venue in London to showcase cooking with broadly Ottolenghi-esque Middle Eastern influences. Regularly changing dishes may include quinoa, pepper and tomato-stuffed courgettes, and salads such as turmeric-golden cauliflower; mixed peppers with chickpeas, spinach and coriander; wild rice with borlotti beans and pomegranate molasses, and — best of all — roasted aubergine discs topped with tahini sauce, pumpkin seeds and shallots.