The best vegan takeaways in London
Spanning home-grown goodness, comfort-food classics and tantalising flavours from the Far East, we round up the restaurants helping you go vegan this January
The Brook, online only
The Brook started off as a pop-up in Hackney, serving up vegan takes on comfort food favourites including quesadillas, skewers and deep-fried bites. Then in late 2019, it relaunched as a food-box service – as if foreseeing the year ahead – delivering frozen, restaurant-quality, plant-based meals to homes across the UK.
Bubala, Spitalfields
Brilliant Middle Eastern restaurant Bubala barely had time to win over the city’s foodie crowd before it was forced to adapt to comply with lockdown restrictions. But rest assured, the all-veggie wares of founder Marc Summers and chef Helen Graham are just as impressive when enjoyed as part of a nearly vegan* delivery meal box. Look forward to the likes of mushroom skewers, pumpkin amba beurre blanc and some of the best latkes London has to offer.
*We won’t tell if you tuck into the halloumi with black seed honey.
Gauthier, Soho
Soho hotspot Gauthier became the first Michelin-starred restaurant in Britain to offer a vegan tasting menu in 2015, so the chance to tuck into the award-winning dishes of chef Alexis Gauthier at home is an exciting prospect. At £75, the vegan box is more expensive than your average takeaway, but not when you take into account that it serves four and features numerous dishes fit to impress your taste buds. The menu changes weekly, but in winter, look forward to a selection of intricate smaller dishes (such as smoked kohlrabi carpaccio), hearty stews and vegan puds (we’re looking at you, orange and chestnut pannacotta).
Mildred’s, various locations
While not strictly vegan, Mildred’s is a vegetarian restaurant with a simple, healthy and wide-ranging menu, with lots of choice for vegans. Taking inspiration from around the globe – dishes from Sri Lanka, Thailand, China and Mexico all feature, along with some modern British favourites – Mildred’s was ahead of the vegetarian game when it opened in 1988. Just as popular 30 years on, the restaurant mini-chain is keeping its fan base fed through lockdown, offering takeaways from each of its four outlets.
Mao Chow, Hackney
Mao Chow made waves when it opened in 2019, showing us that superlative Sichuan food could be a) vegan and b) inexpensive. The only problem was the size of the tiny Hackney joint and the fact that you couldn’t book ahead. Both problems have been answered now that Mao Chow is offering takeaways (and deliveries to those living in close proximity to the restaurant). Lockdown is a less dreary prospect with a plate of dumplings drizzled in chilli oil, smacked cucumber and spicy, mushroom-riddled noodle dishes in front of you.
Farmacy, Notting Hill
Farmacy in Westbourne Grove has proved to be a bit like Marmite since it opened: some love it, others deem it overpriced and pretentious. The ethos here is that the food we eat has the power to be transformational and, because of this, we should make a concerted effort to eat consciously. Helping us do so while stuck at home is a takeaway menu of Farmacy's most popular dishes: laksa curry, ‘no beef’ burger and kale caesar salad among them.
ByChloe., Clapham Delivery Kitchen
Everything about By Chloe. screams NYC cool, from the full stop in its name to the fact that it was a pioneer of calling food ‘plant-based’ rather than simply ‘vegan’. While its central London restaurants are closed, ByChloe.’s Clapham Delivery Kitchen is up and running, dishing up its guac burger and quinoa taco to lucky punters in Wandsworth, Islington and Crouch End.
Mooshies, Shoreditch
Mooshies is a must for burger aficionados weaning themselves off a carnivorous diet. The Fillet-Om-Phish (see what they did there?), Magic Mushroom and Pulled Mooshie (with jackfruit replacing soft gratings of pork) are just some of the popular menu mains, while sides of loaded nachos and sweet potato fries, and desserts of cheesecakes and milkshakes, (no) beef up your order.
Young Vegans, Camden
Going vegan doesn’t mean giving up your favourite comfort foods, as the team behind innovative Camden hub Young Vegans well know. Specialising in pizzas and pies, the brand is ensuring that those committing to a plant-based diet can still enjoy two of the nation’s favourite types of fast food. Try the odd-sounding but delicious-looking ‘cheezeburger pie’, and bulk it out with a hearty side of mac ’n’ cheese or cheesy fries (still vegan!). And desserts are every bit as devilish as the mains: a chocolate chip cookie and apple pie are two highlights.
Crosstown Doughnuts, various locations
Whether filled or holed, and as a gift to perk up a pal or as a treat to see you through the month, doughnuts offer a special source of comfort, don't they?. But they don’t have to be especially unhealthy. Gourmet brand Crosstown is known for its sourdough doughnuts and offers a decent selection of vegan fillings: dark chocolate truffle; peanut butter and blackcurrant compote; and chai custard among them.