Keeping pace with Mildred is The Gate, whose flagship Hammersmith restaurant has fed hearty plant-based fare to this suburb’s foodies since 1989. Beloved of the vegocracy (Madonna, Gwyneth, and Paul McCartney have all been spotted here), The Gate’s beautifully presented plates taste as good as they look and, unlike a fair few of the nu-vegan offerings, are actually good for you. The teriyaki aubergine, layered with roasted red peppers, shiitake mushroom duxcelles, and horseradish puree steals the show, while the apple crumble pudding hits all the right spots, especially on a drizzly London evening.
The Canonbury Tavern
Best for: vegetarian roasts in London
The Canonbury Tavern is home to one of the most inclusive Sunday roast menus in the capital. Forget rustic chalked-out menus stating the obvious (“it’s just chicken or beef today”)—the tastiest day of the week is a decadent a la carte affair here. Start with a rich caramelized onion soup with mushrooms, truffle oil, and a hunk of sourdough, or crunch through roasted fig and beetroot salad doused in whipped feta cheese and candied walnuts. The signature plant burger is a feature on the Sunday menu, but the creative plant-based alternatives get our vote. Wild mushroom, feta, and onion pithivier? Yes, please!
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Rovi
Best for: vegetarian small plates
Derided as a fad when it first started but now accepted as the modern way to eat out, sharing small plates can sometimes be a bit of a trial for vegetarians who often find themselves slowly eating a single courgette flower while the rest of the table feasts on ham croquettes and ox cheeks. Thankfully, the second generation of small-plate specialists has righted this imbalance, creating perfectly formed plates of vegetables that are often the most exciting things on the menu. At Yotam Ottolenghi’s Rovi, five of the small plates are vegetarian, from the classic plump burrata to the smoky celeriac shawarma, meaning no plant-based warrior needs to feel left out from the table spread.
