as you probably know, i am madly in love with london and all the fabulous vegan food the city has to offer. i tried out so many restaurants when i went a few months ago, and i can safely say that mildred’s vegetarian restaurant in soho was one of the best. although the menu isn’t entirely vegan, there are more than enough vegan options to choose from, all of which are clearly marked. the popular restaurant is usually buzzing, and with small tables and dim lighting, the atmosphere is ‘fancy,’ but the prices are reasonable and the food is excellent.

chargrilled artichoke crostini with lemon aioli £5.25

when i went to mildred’s with my husband, we started off with the vegan-optional chargrilled artichoke crostini. huge thick slices of artichoke came piled on top of little crusty toasts, with a dipping sauce that was incredibly tasty. while the appetizer was simple, it was cooked and seasoned perfectly. i would definitely have this again.

mixed mushroom, porcini and ale pie served with fries and mushy peas £8.75

mildred’s menu is pretty extensive, with offerings that range from asian to mexican food. they also have a pretty big selection of vegan pub fare, which is hard to come by. my husband ordered the mushroom pie with chips and mushy peas, which i stole many bites from. growing up in england as a vegetarian, my husband used to eat mushroom pies in pubs all the time…however the buttery crust and creamy innards make them totally off limits to vegans. i am so glad mildred’s created a cruelty-free version so he could enjoy pub food just like back in the day.

even though i’ve never had a ‘real’ mushroom pie, i can vouch for this thing and say it was absolutely delicious. the flaky crust was filled up with succulent vegetable bits and covered in a savory runny gravy. damn, why can’t i get food like this in los angeles? oh, i did have one complaint about the pie though…it came with MINTY mushy peas, which are gross. normal mushy peas are awesome, i hate it when people add mint to them. wtf.

sundried tomato, tarragon and kidney bean sausages served with celeriac mash, braised red cabbage and rosemary red wine gravy £8.75

i also went with traditional pub fare for my main dish and ordered mildred’s take on bangers and mash. the sausages were amazing, like nothing i’ve ever tried before. they were thick and meaty, but also full of chunky tomatoes and large kidney beans. the mashed potatoes were wonderfully fluffy and creamy, and soaked up all the red wine gravy just perfectly. i love mildred’s take on classic food, they really made delicious and unique vegan versions of old favorites.

coconut tofu cheesecake with caramelised banana £4.75

for dessert we shared the vegan tofu cheesecake, which i was very impressed with. mildred’s only has a few vegan dessert options, and i wasn’t really in the mood for coconut, but this thing definitely won me over. it is the closest thing to a ‘real’ cheesecake that i’ve ever tasted. the coconut flavor was subtle, as to not overwhelm the amazing cheesecake taste. the carmelised bananas were a nice touch as well, good stuff all the way around.

i really don’t think i could speak highly enough of mildred’s. our food was so excellent, i can see why the place is always packed. definitely don’t miss this one when you are in london, it’s one of the best restaurants i’ve ever been to.

mildred’s
45 Lexington St
London, W1F 9AN, United Kingdom
+44 20 74941634
12 noon till 11pm Monday to Saturday

I discovered my love of vegetables as a toddler ‘helping’ my grandfather plant and dig potatoes, carrots and green beans in his small suburban garden. Although he passed away when I was only two years of age, his passion for growing things, and glee when he held vegetables he was responsible for producing was an early part of my subsequent vegetarian commitment, and reinforced my transition into the Vegan world some years later.

For me, it’s therefore very fitting that the one of the UK’s few entirely vegetarian pubs should be called The Gardener’s Arms, and my love of the great institution that is the English Pub is no secret! So, imagine how pleased I was on a recent trip home to be able to visit The Gardener’s Arms, and I enjoyed absolutely wonderful vegan pub food like never before.

the gardener's arms in oxford

Now, vegan dining in the UK is fairly ubiquitous — there are lots and lots of great vegan, or vegan-friendly restaurants to frequent (usually before or after a visit to a pub). With The Gardener’s Arms, though, you get the entire experience all rolled into one. On a basic level, The Gardener’s Arms is a traditional English Pub, complete with fireplaces, friendly bar staff, comfortable couches and even a house dog that had its very own chair to sit on!

However, the menu is entirely vegetarian and most dishes either come vegan or can be prepared vegan upon request. The menu is an interesting intersection of traditional pub fayre – burgers, sausages, chips (fries for you Americans), pies and vegetables – and exotic stuff like Thai curry, Tapas and Flatbread Calzone.

Well, after a long day of driving in the rain we were completely famished so were ready to pig out and drink up. The restaurant part of the pub is officially called “The Garden”, but it’s fully integrated into the pub so you can order everything from the bar.

In the usual style, we started off with a couple of choice ales, before ordering a combination of traditional pub food and a couple of dishes from the more eclectic side of the menu. I almost had to pinch myself when I inquired if the food contained dairy or egg – I got a kinda snooty “of course, your food is entirely vegan”, which to me is always a good sign. Indignation over an accusation of dairy/egg content is one great litmus test of how serious a place about catering for vegans.

Anyway, on to the food. We started with Garlic Flatbread and a Side Salad with Pita. Well, OMG! The Garlic Flatbread was crispy on the outside (clearly griddled with some form of vegan butter), but creamy on the inside, just like it is supposed to be. We ate it so quickly, but I can still remember the taste and texture: Perfectly garlicky, crunchy and gooey. I think it’s the best garlic bread I’ve eaten since becoming vegan.

garlic flatbread. £2.90

The Side Salad deserves little mention, because it was exactly what you’d expect: crunchy, fresh salad with olives and pita bread.

side salad (with sliced wholemeal pitta) £3.95

Moving on to the main dishes, my burger and fries were awesome. Served in a floury bap with all the trimmings, it wasn’t fancy or anything — in fact, its simplicity and “back to basics” approach (as you can see in the picture) were its defining characteristics. Yeah, it had fries too, and they were surprisingly clean tasting — clearly because they were never fried in the same oil as chicken, fish and god knows what in that contamination tank called a “deep fat fryer”.

burger: 2 vegan patties served in a flour bap with toppings and sauces of your choice on a basket of fries. £7.50

Our other main dish was the Flat Bread Vegetable Calzone. The bad news is that is looked like a repeat of the Garlic Flatbread – I mean, it was a doppelganger for our appetizer visually, but tasted quite different. It had, like, a million vegetables in it with that similar creamy sauce as the Garlic Flatbread, but the end result was a completely different type of taste. Even though it didn’t claim to have any kind of vegan cheese inside, it had a most cheesy kind of texture, something that’s rare for us vegans.

flat bread calzone. £7.95

For most visitors to the UK, The Gardener’s Arms is off the beaten track on the outskirts of Oxford, some 60 miles outside London. If you find yourself with a spare day in London, Oxford makes a nice day trip (the train journey is about an hour), and it really is a beautiful town with lots to see and do. If you’re looking for a bit of Old England, with great vegan food you might not find better than The Gardener’s Arms.

Map of the pub after the jump.

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