Drake's, Catherine Street

visited on the 22nd February, for a very late breakfast

Drake's is a very cute little eatery, hidden away behind the high-street. I'd been aware of it's existence for years, and had it down as a hang-out for the silver market; elderly patrons sipping tea and munching on scones. On this day, it was simply a warm hideaway from the biting cold of outside.

I find the other cafes on Catherine Street quite uninspiring and clinical; referring to the more trendy bistro-style places that serve panninis and crepes. One one occasion we had been turned away from somewhere after trying to order food at the ungodly hour of 3pm. This time we decided to explore the mysterious alleyway where Drake's is hidden.

The warmth of the place was immediately noticeable, not only because it was -3 degrees outside, but because of the lovely staff who welcomed and seated us when we entered. There's not a lot of space, but they haven't overly-capitalised on what they do have, like The Plant Cafe. It is cosy and intimate, but not intrusive.

Unfortunately the menu isn't particularly vegetarian friendly, only offering an all-day veggie breakfast or vegetable lasagne amongst an array of traditional British meat and fish dishes. If you're vegan, you'll be at a bit of a loss since the sausages are from Quorn which still contains egg white. Unlike some other cafes, they will not substitute eggs for an extra scoop of beans; the menu clearly states that items can be removed but not replaced. This is a great shame, but as the sausages are non-vegan anyway, you'd only be left with hash-browns, beans, and tomatoes. These three alone do not a breakfast make!

On this occasion, I acted as a vegetarian and ordered the breakfast which was well-cooked and not too greasy. I am starting to find the smell and texture of eggs quite repulsive, and this blog has been indispensable in helping me tackle properly becoming vegan. On this occasion I failed, but we are getting closer.

For vegans, expect the fried tomatoes to be a disappointment; quite clearly from a can and very unappetizing. It was immediately clear why no extra beans could be granted- there was already a mammoth portion!

The staff were very friendly and helpful and the room was quietly buzzing with families and old ladies. The kitchen is semi-open and we could see our food being cooked from a distance, yet there was a distinct lack of greasy flesh-smell. The vegetarian sausages will be cooked on the same plate as the meat, but it was visibly cleaned in between every frying.

My co-diner sent his compliments for his well-cooked death and received a smiley wave in return. All together we parted with £15 for two breakfasts and two pots of tea; not extortionate for the meal and experience. I would probably pop back for an afternoon tea, but veggie breakfasts are definitely done better elsewhere. The quaint location, atmosphere, and attentive service make it well worth a visit, and the perfect escape from a fast-moving and chaotic high street.

Saf Restaurant and Wholefoods Market, Kensington High Street

visited on the 13th February, for a recharge

Being in London is always quite an intense experience, and fills me with excitement about all the veggie possibilities available to experience. When I found out I was going on a work trip, I frantically and excitedly started googling vegan restaurants. As with most capital cities, there are a lot of non-meat places to eat, so it was important that I made the right choice and planned my whole day around lunch. Yes, I am obsessed with food; especially things that I don't have to cook myself, or things that I can learn to cook myself,

After copious searching, I found the perfect venue. The office I was visiting had a veggie restaurant and organic supermarket within a mile of each other. After carrying out work duties, it seemed perfectly reaosnable to visit both. However, fate dealt me a bum card and my work hours extended.

I had to choose between awesome lunch and stocking up for home. The sensible option was to visit the Wholefoods Market near Kensington tube station, and stock up with portable food instead of relaxing over a gourmet. It was disappointing, but that soon wore off once we entered the Wholefoods Market.

A small haul from the WholeFoods Market

This shop is worth visiting London for alone, and with Megabus costing £10 return on Wednesdays I have been tempted to do so for my weekly shop. Imagine your wildest vegan consumer dream- food, toiletries, vitamins, takeaway, fresh vegetables and more. They do sell meat and dairy products, but there's such a wide range of veggie-friendly products that you'll hardly notice. The first time I went there, I filled my basket only with things I've never tried before- vegan pesto, fishless green curry paste, mad tofu incarnations, cardamom chocolate... on this trip there was still more to discover. Wholefoods is an American initiatve with a couple of massive London outlets.

The Kensington shop is three floors of pure wonder and you'll probably want to set aside considerable time to look around. Due to a work crisis, my phone was severely suffering and my unfortunate priority became finding a plug socket. We found ourselves on the top floor food court which I hadn't known about. It was then that my friends pointed out the raw vegan counter which we hovered around with intent.

The raw vegan cafe was Saf (simple authentic food). They were very accommodating to our electricity needs and sat us on a table with a connection. With that problem solved, the menu was a pleasant surprise with it's 100% organic vegan selection and it was an exciting to read such a diverse and original menu.

Saf is a Turkish brand, promoting a healthy, plant-based diet with only the best ingredients. Continuing my trend of ordering things I've never tried before, I opted for the seaweed salad; kelp, beetroot, radish and carrot. My travel-buddies opted for a veggie wrap, marinaded tofu rolls and dolmades (stuffed vine leaves). It was all washed down with a fresh Elderflower cordial to die for.


Now, I could write for paragraphs abut how wonderful this food was but I think the pictures speak for themselves. You honestly can't go wrong here. Whilst it was perhaps a little pricey for a visitor, it was pretty reasonable in London terms. Everything is cooked and prepared fresh by a specialist cook in an open kitchen.

We finished with the extravagant pancakes which were rich and chocolatey. Our waiter answered all of our questions about the ingredients without having to check with anyone. There was a choice of (all vegan) fillings, and again they were made to order. Our waiter told us that the chocolate sauce was made from nuts which really gave it that sumptuous, creamy texture.

Saf appeared in the right place at the right time for us. The food was original and fresh, the service was outstanding, and I would definitely go again next time to try the cheese. Let's hope that places like this go on to grow and expand outside of London, challenging the perception of veganism and encouraging more places to think outside the box.

The Imperial (Wetherspoon), New North Street

visited on the 21st February, for a lazy dinner

You are probably expecting this review to be a full-on slating of Wetherspoon's dining. We are all aware of their kitchen practices and reputedly low quality food. We have all given them the benefit of the doubt on some occasions because they're cheap and cheerful.

I visited on Thursday's 'Curry and a Pint' night; originally just for drinks, but as so often can happen, food eventually became a necessity. I could have chosen a worse night as there were more options than just the standard veggie burger or three-bean chilli.

On Thursdays there are two veggie curries available; the sweet potato and spinach curry, and the roasted vegetable makhani. Sides include veggie samosas, onion bhajis, and bombay potatoes- I'm assuming all sides are vegan, but the menu is quite inconclusive and only identifies vegetarian and gluten free dishes. The only option specifically described as vegan is the sweet potato curry, if you forgo the naan bread and take extra poppadoms. Be prepared- the bar staff find this a little difficult to compute. The barman was quite happy to delete the bread, but adding poppadoms was almost a step beyond comprehension. After a little explaining and pointing at the menu by me, and experimental jabbing at the till by the him, my order was placed.

Sweet potato and spinach curry, vegan style

Whilst I spent a full 5 minutes trying to gulp down the absolutely atrocious free wine (I suggest you order shots or beer as your freebie), our food appeared before us, fresh from the microwave. Somewhat surprisingly, I have to say that it looked wonderfully appetizing. I was slightly confused by the yellow basmati rice (why not pilau, and what did they colour it with?), but the curry looked colourful and lovely. The taste matched the appearance; it was delicious. If it wasn't for the ugly mango chutney sachet, I would have believed that it was all freshly cooked that day.

Another small giveaway was the instant poppadoms. I use them myself at home; they come as flat, bendy corn discs which you microwave for 20 seconds to make them crisp and bubbly. The kitchen operator hadn't nuked them quite long enough and the edges were uncooked, but this is easy to do and is just a picky comment. Given the price of £6.75 including cough syrup wine, it would be foolish to expect restaurant quality. As a side-note, if the wine wasn't free then there's no way anyone would pay money for it.

Compared to what I was expecting, this meal far surpassed that. It was full of coconutty flavour and attractively served. It was reassuring to know that it had been identified as vegan, and was also accredited with an unnamed award.

It seems almost pointless to write a review of a particular Wetherspoon's, since its chain nature means that food quality will vary across the country, and it is after all only somewhere to eat when necessary (and not as a planned occasion). Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised and always enjoy sitting in the beautiful Orangery.

Wetherspoon's is what it is. On this occasion it was a little more than that, and it was much appreciated.

The wonderful Orangery