Be sure to include Essential Vegan in your London itinerary, a delicious restaurant that serves Brazilian delicacies in a vegan version! The food is delicious and the atmosphere is super cool!
THE ESSENTIAL VEGAN CAFE
After we became vegan we are always looking for restaurants that serve tasty food. And when the place still serves better Brazilian food, right? We learned about Essential Vegan through Helô Righetto, Traveler's Apprentice Blog. We ended up moving to California from London shortly after it opened and hadn't been able to get to the venue to check it out. We returned to work in London for two weeks and I took the opportunity to visit the restaurant. Essential Vegan is located in the Shoreditch neighbourhood, a hyper-cool place famous for housing a lot of graffiti and street art in London. We talk about it in the post"London: Street Art and more in the cool Shoreditch area".
Street art is dotted around the Shoreditch neighbourhood, an area known for its vibrant atmosphere and cultural diversity. These creative expressions not only enliven the streets but also reflect the dynamic culinary scene of the area. When you explore this neighbourhood, you will find a myriad of dining options, including the gem that is Essential Vegan.
Essential Vegan is a café that inspired its menu in Brazilian cuisine and serves delicious delicacies such as coxinha, cheese bread, fried polenta, risoles, quiche, salads, hamburgers, and daily specials. All completely vegan and locally produced. After indulging in the flavors of Brazil, visitors and locals alike can find a comfortable place to stay within a short distance of Shoreditch's exciting attractions. With its deep commitment to sustainability and community support, Essential Vegan aligns with the values of many hotels-of-london.com properties, where guests can extend their experience of conscious living while visiting London.
ESSENTIAL VEGAN CAFE EXPERIENCE
Arriving at Essential Vegan I found Vanessa, the owner and chef of the restaurant, who has lived in London since 2007. Vanessa is very friendly and I asked her some questions about the dishes. Everything is made there by her, the chestnut-based cheeses, jackfruit meat from coxinha, etc. The Café has the face of London, very charming! When I saw the menu, I wanted to eat a little bit of everything! But since I was alone, I couldn't ask for several different things to share.
There are also daily specials on the blackboard.
So I ordered a starter of a mix of coxinha and risoles to start. I fell in love with the jackfruit coxinha, folks! Delicious! Dry pasta and delicious seasoned filling! The risoles was stuffed with vegan chestnut cheese and green corn!
How delicious this stuffing of seasoned jackfruit meat!
I confess that my eye was bigger than my stomach and I didn't even need to order a dish after that starter. But I also had a delicious vegan cheese quiche with green salad which was delicious!
Vegan Cheese Quiche with Salad and Fried Potatoes
Vanessa commented to me that on weekends and in the evenings, she usually makes special dishes like feijoada, vegan moqueca, etc. It is worth keeping an eye on social media to find out what delights are planned for the next few days.
THE ESSENTIAL VEGAN COOKBOOK
Vanessa also wrote a cookbook of some of the foods served at the restaurant. The goal was to gather the tips for vegan dishes, educating and inspiring others in the kitchen. Nothing better than cooking delicious recipes with healthy ingredients, right? Purchasing is very easy! You can buy the e-book version and immediately receive an email with information on how to download the book or the printed version. I already bought mine and I'm already making some of Vanessa's amazing recipes! See more information on how to buy yours in this link. A portion of the profits is donated to the NGO Animal Equality.
HOW TO GET TO THE ESSENTIAL VEGAN CAFE
As we mentioned earlier, Essential Vegan is located in the funky Shoreditch region and is worth including when you're taking a tour there. The neighbourhood is served by numerous bus lines. Other options are:
Subway: nearest tube station is Old Street, served by Northern Line - black line (it is a 10-minute walk away)
Overground: nearest station is Shoreditch High Street (5 minutes walk)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Essential Vegan Cafe
Address: 6 Calvert Ave, London E2 7JP, England
Schedules: Tuesday to Friday 12pm to 9pm / Saturday 11am to 9pm / Sunday 11am to 7pm / closed on Mondays
Important:
the venue does not serve alcoholic drinks but allows you to bring your own drink
the restaurant is dog friendly
Read more about food in London:
The Gate Restaurants: Delicious Vegan Food in London
London: Balthazar Restaurant in Covent Garden
Jamie's Italian: Jamie Oliver's Italian Restaurant in London