Moving to London: 5 Vegan Recommendations/Observations

I’m pretty sure at some point or another everyone has that “I wonder what London life would be like?” feeling, or at least I did.

I’m usually the person who says that they’re going to do something over and over again, yet never actually goes through with it. This time I did. I moved from Little Old York to The Big Smoke, London.

London is well known for it’s diverse mix of both food and culture; a dreamland for any foodie, and sure enough its a vegan paradise (or just about). So here’s a quick list of vegan recommendations/observations:

1. Firstly, LEON is everywhere. You’ll constantly find it popping up on the “nearby vegan” options. It’s a solid bet and the food ain’t bad at all. When you do inevitably come across one, I would strongly recommend trying the Billionaire Shortbread because it’s like bite size happiness. I’m currently addicted to them and they’re about £1.60 to takeaway. Yes.  
2. This is more an observation. Use the “V ” word. I usually feel a bit awkward saying I’m vegan to people, that’s purely because of the general associations and the fact that surprisingly a lot of people don’t seem to know exactly what it entails. You needn’t worry down south, scream and shout it – veganism is becoming more understood, especially in London. The dietary guides will be out in a flash. Thankfully this is actually becoming a norm throughout the UK.

3. Vegan pizza at Sud Italia. I know that places like Zizzi and Ask are now doing vegan pizza, but if you’re in East London you simply must head to Old Spitalfields Market and try the vegan pizza they do. The base is to die for, so much so that it doesn’t even need cheese. And who wouldn’t be happy with spending just £4 on a whole pizza… in London?! Cheap and more than cheerful. Look at that dough. 

4. If you’re craving something sweet, I can’t recommend Cookies & Scream enough. I don’t even enjoy ice cream that much (weird, I know) but I ventured across South to North London in the pouring rain to find this gem after many recommendations and I was not disappointed. I ordered some kind of cookie  and ice cream sandwich – 10/10. It was fab. 

5. Lastly, this is London, of course you want to try new places. Chain stores can be brill, but it’s always nice to find somewhere new. Since being in London I’ve been using an app called Vanilla Bean which basically tells you where your nearest vegan options are in relation to your location. It’s got tons of places and it also lists how pricey they are. Deffo worth a look!