FOOD & DRINK
Five plant-based London restaurants for five different plans
From a destination tasting menu to a flexible Soho meal: compare format, location, journey and how carefully you need to verify dietary details.
- Shortlist
- Five different use cases
- Score
- Planning fit—not a review
- Route
- Tube + bus fallback
- Checked
- 12 September 2026
How to use this top five
This is a planning shortlist across different formats. Plant-based, vegetarian and vegan are not interchangeable for allergies or personal requirements, so the restaurant remains the final authority. LONNOW’s score measures decision usefulness: proposition, official information, location, transport, booking friction, price-to-occasion fit and how easily the stop works inside a London day. It is not an anonymous meal review or a substitute for the named official distinction.
1. Plates London: the decision
Plant-based tasting experience. LONNOW planning score 9.2/10. Best for a destination plant-based dinner. What to consider ordering: Book the current tasting experience and declare allergies or access needs before paying. Get there: Tube/rail: Old Street. Bus: 21, 43, 55, 76, 141, 205, 214 or 271. The strongest occasion-led choice; build the evening around the reservation rather than adding it to a crowded route. Open the linked official page before travelling because menus, prices, hours, access and booking terms can change.
2. Gauthier Soho: the decision
Vegan fine dining in Soho. LONNOW planning score 9.0/10. Best for plant-based dining before or after theatre. What to consider ordering: Check the current tasting format, service length and theatre timing directly. Get there: Tube: Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus. Bus: 14, 19, 38 or 176. The best geographic fit for a formal vegan West End evening. Open the linked official page before travelling because menus, prices, hours, access and booking terms can change.
3. Mallow Borough Market: the decision
Plant-based all-day restaurant. LONNOW planning score 8.9/10. Best for a colourful lunch near the thames. What to consider ordering: Use the current seasonal menu and check whether weekend brunch or the all-day menu fits your visit. Get there: Tube/rail: London Bridge. Bus: 17, 21, 35, 40, 43, 47, 141 or 149. A practical anchor for Borough and South Bank, with broader day-plan flexibility than a tasting menu. Open the linked official page before travelling because menus, prices, hours, access and booking terms can change.
4. Bubala: the decision
Vegetarian Middle Eastern sharing. LONNOW planning score 8.8/10. Best for groups and lively central meals. What to consider ordering: Confirm the exact branch and current menu; tell the team if every dish must be vegan rather than vegetarian. Get there: Spitalfields: Liverpool Street/Aldgate East. Soho: Tottenham Court Road/Leicester Square. Check the branch before routing. Included for plant-forward usefulness, but branch and vegan suitability must be confirmed rather than assumed. Open the linked official page before travelling because menus, prices, hours, access and booking terms can change.
5. Mildreds Soho: the decision
Long-running plant-based London restaurant. LONNOW planning score 8.6/10. Best for a flexible central vegan meal. What to consider ordering: Check the current all-day menu and booking/queue position for the Soho branch. Get there: Tube: Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus or Tottenham Court Road. Bus: 12, 14, 19, 38 or 98 nearby. The easiest everyday option in the set and useful when the wider day is centred on Soho. Open the linked official page before travelling because menus, prices, hours, access and booking terms can change.
Price the whole plan
A menu headline is not the final bill. Check supplements, drinks, service charge, deposits, cancellation terms and travel. For markets, set a per-person tasting budget before arrival; for afternoon tea and tasting menus, compare the total experience rather than individual dish prices.
Dietary needs and accessibility
Contact the venue before booking about allergies, cross-contamination, halal preparation, vegan suitability and step-free access. Never rely on a cuisine label, an old user review or a social-media caption for a safety-critical decision. Check TfL status on the day and keep a nearby alternative.
