Eating vegan abroad isn’t as hard as a lot of people make it out to be. I kept watching videos on YouTube of how some people find it hard to find plant-based restaurants abroad. So of course I was a little bit apprehensive about my trip to Europe. In this post I will be going over my top tips for eating vegan abroad as well as places to eat vegan food in London.
The very first tip I have for you to eating vegan in London is to research restaurants before your trip. It’s super easy to save them to your google maps app under your saved list. If you know what museums, shops or parks you will be visiting then make sure you research restaurants within walking distance from those places. I’m telling you this is a life saver especially when you have been walking for hours sightseeing and your feet feel like they’re going to fall off.
I had about 30 vegan friendly restaurants saved for each country and city that I visited. I had some within walking distance and some that I had to take the tube or bus to go to. It honestly just depends on how comfortable you are with taking public transportation in another country. I found the tube in London and the metro in Paris to be easy to navigate.
The next tip that I have for you while eating out in London is to make reservations at restaurants ahead of time. Usually the first thing they will ask is if you have a reservation. Some places will let you in if they have extra tables available but don’t count on this especially on the weekends. I also found that some restaurants were more willing to give us a table without a reservation if it was 4 people or less.
The last tip that I have for you is to make sure you are aware of their hours. A lot of places don’t open all day.
Now that you know how to find some vegan friendly restaurants here are some of the ones I visited on my trip to London.
Places To Eat Vegan Food In London
Petit Cafe London
If you are looking for a cafe with healthy food options and excellent customer service then the Petit Cafe in London is the perfect spot. The Petite Cafe is a Lebanese cafe and hookah bar. The reason this cafe really stands out to me is because of the customer service. I was concerned with one of the wraps potentially not being vegan since it was labeled (V) and not (VE) which I quickly learned the latter was the vegan version. One of the cooks came out and asked about my order and dietary needs and made sure to make it 100% vegan for me. I ordered the Mixed Fried Vegetables Wrap which came with a lovely salad and for a drink I ordered an almond milk latte.
Overall my lunch tasted fresh and flavorsome. It was the perfect first meal to have in London. The Petit Cafe is is located right off the Jubilee line in Canning Town.
Nicholson’s Ale and Gin Pub
Nicholson’s Pub atmosphere is not only cozy but also feels like you are stepping into a different era. The menu offers options from vegan to vegetarian and dishes with meat. I had the Lentil Cottage Pie which had a lot of delicious veggies and for a drink I had a beer.
Nicholson’s Pub has a few locations in London. The one I visited was The Wellington in Strand London and it was absolutely magical.
Wagamamas
Wagamamas was one of those restaurants that I’ve always heard British YouTubers talk about and I knew I definitely wanted to try it out. They offer two different menus. One has meat dishes and the other is a vegan and vegetarian menu. I ordered the Spicy Vegan Short Rib Ramen and OMG is was tasty! My only regret is that I didn’t have time to go back and try other items from their menu.
You can find Wagamamas all over London. The location I went to was near Borough Market.
Borough Market
If you go to the Wagamamas near Borough Market then you can go to the market afterwards for even more vegan friendly goods. Borough Market is a great place to go and try out different kinds of food. There are so many different food stands offering a variety of different food and deserts. It is also a great place to go with people who are not necessarily plant-based so that they can find something they like to eat as well.
Borough Market is located in Southwark, London.
Pepenero
Looking for good Italian food? Then make sure you check out Pepereno in Canning Town near the Jubilee line. The menu was extensive and impressive. There are so many options for everyone. Gluten Free? They have options for you too. I had the Penne Arrabbiata. This pasta was not labeled vegan but all of the ingredients were and I asked to make sure that it was all vegan. Overall the pasta was the perfect amount of spicy and probably the best pasta dish I’ve had. No, I am not exaggerating – it was that good.
Camden Market
If you are looking to do some shopping but also want a place to grab a quick bite then Camden Market is for you. The market is filled with little shops and a lot of jewelry stands where you can buy a lot of unique pieces. The food options are also great with a lot of different options. When I went they had everything ranging from falafel, pizza, to vegan burgers. One place that definitely stood out to me was V Burger; the food was absolutely mouthwatering. They had samples which was great and the worker there was very knowledgeable on all of the food which was even better. I ended up ordering the Up-Beet burger a side of Seitan Chic, and lemonade.
Another plus was that the customer service was outstanding and they made me feel welcome.
Camden Market is located in Camden Town.
Pret A Manger
Pret A Manger is a great vegan friendly place to go eat. From Pret A Manger I have ordered the Matcha Latte, Very Berry Croissant, and the Humous & Chipotle Wrap. All in all the food was good, nothing mind-blowing but still good. The matcha latte was really nice; definitely a great warm drink to have on a chilly morning.
Pret is definitely one of those places you can count on if you just want something quick. You can find Pret all over London. If you are taking a train at Kings Cross Station then you can also find a Pet A Manger there as well.
Cote Brasserie
Cote Brasserie is a French inspired restaurant. They have many vegan and vegetarian options which was great since the group of girls I was eating with that night all had different dietary needs and preferences (myself included). They have vegan starters, mains and deserts. I ordered the Chickpea Taboule which was a nice light fresh dinner with good veggies. For a drink I got the La Mortuacienne Lemonade which was refreshing.
I never want to recommend a restaurant and not be fully transparent with you. Unfortunately, the service was not great. I personally felt that the waitress we had that night was rude and because of that it is not a place I would personally go out of my way to go eat again. Cote Brasserie does have a few other locations in London, but there are so many vegan and vegan friendly restaurants that I would rather just go somewhere else the next time I’m in London.
The pros: the menu options were decent and the one in St. Christopher’s Place is located in a super cute and cozy location.
Mercato Metropolitano
Another great place to go with friends with a variety of food preferences is Mercato Metropolitano. They have so many different food stalls to order food from ranging from pizza, ramen to dumplings. If you just want to grab a drink with friends then Mercato has that for you too. They also have plenty of tables to sit and enjoy your meal however, they do get extremely busy especially on weekends.
Mercato Metropolitano has a few locations in London. The one I visited is Mercato Mayfair. It was spectacular. I can’t wait to go back and visit one day.
I have a whole list of vegan restaurants in London that I didn’t have a chance to visit. If this is something you would be interested in, then definitely let me know and I could do a part 2 to this post.
Thanks so much for reading!
