London’s best restaurants for vegetarian food

Middle Eastern food has always been good for veggies, but this spot takes it to the next level. You'll find exhilaratingly rich brown-butter topped humous, meaty mushroom kebabs, and deep-fried latkes that are full of heft and crunch. Go with friends and work your way through as much of the all-winner menu as you can.

With its distinctive pink paint job and dedication to Keralan vegetarian cooking, the original Stokey branch of Rasa broke the anglicised curry-house mould in 1997 – and it’s still going strong. Get stuck into the chilli and onion rava dosa, the beetroot and spinach achadi or the wonderful moru kachiathu (a turmeric-infused, sweet-sour yoghurt-based dish involving mango and green banana). Outstanding value.

An off-shoot of Brixton's much-loved Fish, Wings & Tings, Veg & Tings loses the fish and wings, but keeps all of the charm. Caribbean cuisine from Brian Danclair sees a short but serious menu packed with the likes of Trinidadian doubles, callaloo with stew red beans and fried plantain. The outdoor seating outside Granville Arcade at Brixton Village that it shares with its meaty neighbour is one of south London's best places to spend a sunny evening, too. 

Located opposite Sadler’s Wells, this branch of veggie innovator The Gate puts on a breezy modern face with pendant lights, bare black tables and bare wooden floors. Share a meze platter (salty feta fritters, mushroom ceviche, featherlight artichoke tempura) or plunder the global carte for aubergine schnitzel, raw pad Thai or wild mushroom risotto cake. The original branch is in Hammersmith, and has been there since 1989.

With heritage grain bases as well as ethical providers and growers, Flat Earth's veggie pizza is as wholesome as they come. Toppings include kimchi fiorentina with house-made kimchi, Somerset mozzarella and cheddar, Cacklebean eggs and beetroot crumb as well as the 'Hackney hot', with sweet pickled beetroot, cheese, chilli and hot salsa. There are vegan options too. We love the cauliflower, butter bean & tahini option, as well as their sloppy joe with tempeh bolognese and paprika onions.

A sweet little spot on Broadway Market in Hackney, Aya & Suki is a female, queer-owned Eastern Med vegetarian kitchen where the chefs replicate dishes passed down to them by their mothers and grandmothers. Try honey baked crumpets and labneh for brunch, or swing by for a small plates supper of spiced lentil and blood orange salad, aubergine and polenta chips and batata harra fried potatoes with za’atar, coconut garlic yogurt, rose harissa and rocket.

With its adult-only policy (sorry kids) and seasonal black truffle menu, this place is peak sophistication. Combining its owners Brazilian and Italian heritage, the menu is diverse and inventive, with the likes of mangara (banana tree flower) in whiskey barrel-smoked sea salt, and 'forest floor calamari' made of wild kaong seed in tempura, showcasing how much vegetables have to offer in the hands of these masterful cooks.

Situated on the backstreets of Fitzrovia, Rovi offers a feast of fermented dishes cooked over fire with everything from Levantine-style cuisine to Japanese tempura and dashi dishes. The dessert menu has something for everyone, from black cardamom ice cream to pumpkin fritters, helping further transport you through European, Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, with a menu catering to vegetarians, vegans and even your omnivore plus ones.

A live-fire restaurant from chefs Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins which is all about being simple, sustainable and collaborative. They use beer by-products like yeast and grain from the brewery next door in ferments and hot sauces, and even though it's a BBQ joint, vegetables are the stars of the show (though there is some meat on the menu, which is worth keeping in mind if you're a die-hard vegetarian). Leeks are charred until the layers softly fall apart and are then covered with a vibrant green pistachio romesco sauce, while grilled cauliflower comes with plenty of pickled red onion, chopped mint leaves and jalapeños.

With its offer of pleasantly retro veggie and vegan cooking served in quiet, soothing surrounds on Foley Street, Kin certainly has plenty to recommend it. Come here for pick-me-up breakfasts, coffee and cake in the afternoon or working lunches on the go – think salads, sandwiches, stews, quiches. 

A Scandi-chic veggie café serving a creative global menu and Climpson’s coffee in serene surroundings, Bühler + Co is primarily a brunch spot, serving apple crumble French toast, bulgur cakes and meatless fry-ups. A slice of the good life in Walthamstow.

An Ealing Road landmark, this huge canteen-style outfit is a real hit with local Asian vegetarians – and other streetwise punters. Gujarati and South Indian dishes abound, but top choices include vegan pani puris, masala dosas, punchy chilli paneer, Indo-Chinese hakka noodles and zesty sambar. There are loads of chutneys and salads too, while desserts such as creamy shrikhand finish things off nicely.

This colourful, crowded and charmingly bonkers café is a favoured haunt for Peckham local veggies. Meze and wraps form the bedrock, but the menu plunders Iran, the Levant and North Africa for inspiration (adding some local tweaks along the way). To finish, go for the hot paklava meltdown or the divine Turkish delight sundae with Afghan green tea on the side.   

Popular with students and aficionados of South Indian vegetarian cuisine, Sagar has gained renown for its keenly priced, homely cooking, with five outlets now running across the capital. The King Street original is an attractive, smart-looking venue serving a please-all regional menu spanning everything from steamed idli dumplings and bhel puris to dosas galore, uthappams (lentil pizzas) and assorted veggie curries.