Please note, Unity Diner has now moved site to 60 Wentworth St, Spitalfields. Time Out Food editors, OCTOBER 2019.
A neon sign on the wall of this Hoxton diner declares ‘the future is vegan’. But there’s more to Unity than the fast food faves it dishes up all being plant-based. It also has lovely staff and donates all the profits to charity.
Mains are its strong suit: the beef-style burger was full-flavoured and juicy, and it came piled high with a neat stack of fresh salad and plenty of oozing vegan cheese. The hot dog – which had been wrapped in streaky ‘bakon’ before being tucked into a crusty sesame bun, along with leaves and tomatoes – was equally great. Meat-eaters could be fooled: the ‘dog’ had the perfect frankfurter-style taste, look and feel, while even the ‘bakon’ was streaky, pink and chewy.
Starters, like a ‘prawn’ tempura, were more shaky. Ours came with a good basil mayo dip, but the texture of the batter didn’t quite deliver. At the end of the meal, desserts told a similar tale: the chocolate-and-coconut tart was delicious, but the vegan cheesecake sadly unconvincing. Still, portions at Unity are generous and it’s already hugely popular with a young, friendly, and trendy crowd. On our Friday night visit, hopeful walk-ins were being turned away.
There may be no hugging of trees, but there’s a genuinely feelgood vibe to this place.