Quite close to me is a very lovely restaurant, called Messapica. I walk pass it twice a day and I always wandered what they have to offer. Then a while ago I got a take away menu of them in the door and I saw very nice potential vegan pizza’s on there. I couldn’t only walk pass it now, so I decided to go in and ask about their vegan options. About that I want to mention that I got treated super nicely and they are very helpful. We looked at the menu together and I could ask questions. I wish every restaurants or cafe would be as helpful as they are here. They had a reasonable amount of vegan options, but nothing very different form other places though.
They offer a lot of juices and smoothies, which are (apart from one with whey powder) all vegan. They are very happy to take the whey powder out, but it might be just easier to choose one of their other flavours. They have avocado on toast and they offer a few types of bread you can choose from (sourdough, white, wholemeal). It originally comes with cheese (what is not clear on the menu), so make sure you mention you want a vegan version. You can also have toast with jam (they have several flavours) or marmite. They als do porridge and they are happy to make that with a plant based milk (they have almond and soy). The porridge comes with a fruit compote, which is vegan. I chose the Breakfast smoothie and the avocado on sourdough toast. It arrived quickly and it 
looked very good. One big downside is that the smoothie comes in plastic, event hough it’t not a take away. The smoothie was nice though, a little milky, but that does make it very soft. The avocado toast came with very fresh rucola and lime juice. That was a very nice combination. The lime really gives it something extra, very fresh. I really enjoyed my breakfast and I’m very happy to recommend it. For lunch and dinner you can also go to Messapica. They do salads with dairy every day, but there are always 2-3 vegan options. After 17:00 they also do pizza’s. I’m really curious to try them and I will soon. Note that they don’t do vegan cheeses and that the gluten free pizza is not vegan, it has egg in it. Something else I really liked, but what is not very clear on the picture, is the cutlery. The forks are quite big and unusual to see, loved it!
I really really love their interior. Especially the chairs, the white painted wooden walls and the floor. The whole style is slightly industrial, so lovely. At the till you can see all the salads you can choose form and they also sell some cakes etc. but unfortunately they don’t have any vegan cakes. They do sell 3 flavours of the ichor chocolate though, what was surprising and very nice. They also sell the ‘Eat Real’ crisps (love this brand!), several drinks including ‘Mangajo’, but also olives and really cool big pasta’s. All yum! After a little chat I recommended them to offer Oatly Barista too and I was really pleased how serious they took this.
I want to thank Messapica for my lovely breakfast!
WHO? Messapica.
WHERE? 109 Chamberlayne Rd, NW10 3NS.
CUISINE? Italian.
VEGAN? No! (omni)
OVERALL? 8 (Few good and tasty vegan options, very helpful staff and a lovely interior.)
Did you already know Messapica? Or are you planning to go here now? Please tell me about your experience! You can do this by leaving a comment below, but you can also show me by tagging me on Instagram or by using #PlanetManel. Thank you! X
I went to Camden to do some hotspot hunting. I had lunch at Club Mexicana and whilst I was waiting for my order to be made and whilst I was eating my burrito, I kept seeing people passing by with delicious looking lemonade. It was super hot that day and like every Saturday in Camden, there were like a billion people! A cool lemonade was very welcome and after eating a burrito with beans and rice it would be very refreshing. So I followed the people and not far from Cub Mexicana (a few stalls to the left) I saw a big queue. All people who had the same idea as me. It was called Square Root Soda Bar and they had a few types of soda drinks. I really liked their stall, with the painted wooden signs.
You could choose between a few types of sodas, but I went for the regular lemonade. I love lemonade, but I never have it unless I make it myself. Because there is a lot of sugar or sweetener used in them. Here at the Square Root Soda Bar they use sugar from beets in their lemonade, but unfortunately I couldn’t find anywhere how refined it was. All their sodas are hand-made though, in Hackney. It was a very tasty lemonade (and yay for the paper straws) and a perfect combination with my lunch. Exactly what I needed. Their flavours change regularly, depending what is in season, something I really like. On their 
Pichi is a brand new cafe in a very new building. The building was build and finished whilst I walked past it every day and so I saw a lot of the proces. The cafe was one of the first businesses in the building. It used to be Union Canal Cafe, but recently it changed to’ Pichi Bar&Cafe’. When you come inside you actually first want to look around you. There are so many things to see. There are a lot of plants (incl. a beautiful cactus in the back) and fresh flowers everywhere. It’s really different from any other bar or cafe I know. They have an open kitchen, so you can see where the things are made. The ceilings are high and there is an easy going vibe.
Coming inside you have a big bard of food in front of you. Sandwiches, snacks, cakes.. and there is a sign above the bar with further things you can order. They have quite a lot of vegan options. There is a vegan sandwich, with avocado, humous, tomato and rucola, wat looked very fresh and yummy. You can also get toast with jam, peanut butter or marmite (or make a combination). You can go for porridge, like I did. You can choose out of 4 (!) different types of milk: oat, almond, soy and coconut. I went for the soy and I got asked if I like some maple syrup 
on there too. Yes please! It came in a perfect portion, with blueberries and goji berries. It was delicious and pretty perfect. If you want to just go for a latte and a snack, they have lots of things for that too. You can choose between a matcha latte (what I ordered and it was very yummy! Could have been a little hotter maybe, but the taste was delicious), a turmeric latte and a beetroot latte. Again you can choose with what type of milk you want it. As a snack you can go for the energy balls or you can get something pre-packed. They cell the crispy veg and fruit from Emily or the coconut curls from Ape.
The cafe is located in a what unusual place, as it’s not near a shopping street or any shops at all. There is the Sainsbury’s XL across the road and a Anytime gym, but that’s it. It’s right next to the busstop. Bus 23, 52, 228 and 452 will stop there. It has the name in big colourful and playful letters on the front windows (seriously, you’re not be able to miss it!). It’s a very big cafe with a very obvious model bohemian style. I like it a lot. There are several big long wooden tables, a bench with tables, a sofa with chairs and some lose tables and chairs. You can basically sit from whatever you prefer. Because it’s so light and big it’s a perfect working spot. It’s not very far from me, so I’m sure I’ll make use of it. You can also sit outside, what is perfect when it’s a lovely sunny day.
The crepes at Crepeaffaire always look so yummy, but they’re not vegan, so not that yummy after all. Until a while ago, when I was in White City Westfield, I saw a sign with buckwheat crêpes and in little letters (I would really make them a bit bigger) that they’re also vegan. Yay! They’re also gluten-free btw, what is just great. That time I just had lunch, but the next time I visited Westfield, I was sure to try them. So they have a menu where you can choose from. Sweet and savoury. They only thing is that basically everything has something non vegan (cream, butter, chocolate..). If they offer vegan crepes, they should offer a few options of vegan fillings. It’s not that hard and it’ll be so much more attractive for people on a plant-based diet.
They are happy for you to customise your own filling, though it wasn’t going all smoothly. I ordered one with banana, strawberries and cinnamon. You get a buzzer with you, so you can find a place to sit. When it’s ready, the buzzer will go and then you can collect your crepe. It isn’t very busy and so it was ready quite quickly. They asked if I wanted some icing sugar on top and showed me where you can get cutlery. It looked tasty and it smelled really nice. So I was excited for my first bite. It was delicious. Not mind blowing, but it was very tasty. I really like the combination with fresh fruit and the hint of cinnamon. It wasn’t very filling though, so it’s more like a big (naughty) snack. What is very nice, is that so many places, even Crepeaffaire offers something plant-based! There are quite a few Crepeaffaires around London, but I went to the one in Westfield (White City). Go find your nearest one!
For Vegan food, you go to Camden! There are a lot of vegan places to get yummy food. I heard about ‘Club Mexicana’ a while ago and so I went to visit them last weekend. I didn’t know exactly where it was, but weird enough (because it’s not that easy to find) I just walked there like I knew. I must work like a magnet to vegan food. So for directions, I would say ‘follow your instincts’, haha! If you’re not very good at this, then let me explain. If you’re coming from the ug station, you turn right. You cross the bridge and then right after the bridge you turn left. Walk straight (don’t go up) and you’ll see a big tree next to a little walking bridge. It’s right around the corner from there, next to the water. I hope this will help you.
They have 3 things at Club Mexicana. This is actually quite nice, because it’s easier to choose this way. Although.. how do you choose between burritos, tacos and nachos? I guess it depends a little bit on your appetite. I went there for lunch, so I chose the burrito. It’s made with bbq pulled jackfruit, black beans, guacamole, salsa, pickled chillies and sour cream. All 100% vegan of course and they make everything from scratch. Because everything they have is vegan, there is no need to worry about substitutions or traces. I love it! The tacos are made with beer battered to-fish, chimichurri and also pickled chillies and sour cream. So are the nachos, but they also have some black beans, guacamole and cheese sauce. They are great for sharing. What would you pick?
I like their look. The bright pink really stands out in between all the other stalls. It looks summery and fresh. I love that they have a massive sign with 100% vegan! Could it be more clear? Actually the lady in front of me asked if there was any meat inside.. hehe.. oops! Because it’s a market stall, there are no places to sit per se. There are some (standing) tables across from them, but they are also used by people who’re getting things from other stalls and on a sunny weekend, it’s busy! I found a nice spot on a little wall, next to the water and enjoyed my burrito there. It was very yummy and super fresh and filling. Definitely a very good lunch, though I found the bbq pulled jackfruit a little sour. Some might like this, but it’s not my personal favourite. Next time I might try the nachos, they looked delicious too.
When I was in the Netherlands, visiting Groningen, I went to the newly opened supermarket there and it’s 100% vegan! So amazing.. to know you can have everything what they sell. You don’t need to read labels and worry that there are any animals products. I said to the man at the till that I wish they had this in London too. And he answered: there is! How did I not know about this? A vegan supermarket in London and I didn’t even hear anything about it? So a while ago I went there and it was lovely. Not sure if you can actually call it a supermarket though, because it’s very small. The one in the Netherlands is also not very big, but bigger than Green Bay. Still, it was very nice!
Green Bay is located on a corner, in a lovely looking building. I like the colours outside their logo and the window stickers. Neutral, simple and attractive. Even though it’s fairly small, they did their best to fit in as many products as possible. Though it’s not comparable with VeganZ in Berlin for example. They have granola’s and cereals, cheeses, seitan, tofu, soups, kombucha, snacks, beauty products and lots more. It would be nice if they would also do veggies and more every day products etc. So it would actually be possible to get all your groceries from there. I think at this stage, that is maybe not possible yet. I’m sure that in the future, if more people turn vegan, Green Bay can expand.
I do think, we as vegans, have to support stores like this. It’s a shame it’s a little far from me, though the bus in front of my flat does go here. I went twice now, but I feel like I should go more often. By supporting this, we vote for vegan supermarkets. It would be a dream come true if there would be supermarkets like VeganZ here in the UK and all over the world. This is the way supermarkets of the future will look like. So, even though you live far, try to go as often as possible. You can just buy things you need anyway. Like nutritional yeast, tofu, granola, snacks etc. It’s not that hard and not that more expensive to get it from here. Show your support by consuming from the right companies!
I actually never go into bakeries and cake shops, because they never really have vegan options. And that’s apart from that I’m not a huge fan of cake that is not home-made. Though, the last time when I was in Westfield and I was on my way out, walked past Lola’s Cupcakes and it made me curious. They were already tidying up, but I quickly introduced myself and asked if they had vegan options. I was very surprised that she said yes! ..and she didn’t only say yes because they had 1 vegan cupcake, they actually had lots of flavours: Coconut and passion fruit, lemon and raspberry, chocolate.. oh yes! There was only one vegan cupcake left (lucky me!) and that was the ‘pistachio and cherry’. She gave it to me and I promised to write about it. So here we go..
Like I said before, I’m not a big fan of cake that is not home-made. I was a little sceptical about this one too. I was sitting in the bus on my way home and I was looking at the box and asking the cupcake: will I like you?! When I got home I was quite excited to try it though. So I opened the little box. They give you super cute boxes btw.. I thought: even if the taste will not be that good, I’d get one just to have a beautiful looking cupcake in a cute box. Haha! First impression: I had to admit that it looked very tasty. With the green pieces of pistachios and the chocolate.. + it came in a shiny golden case. Taking my first bite I was pleasantly surprised! The cream on top was very fluffy and had a lovely structure. Also the cake itself was very good. The cream is very very sweet though, but the cake is a lot less sweet, so together they’re perfect. It would have been too much if they were both that sweet. I ate it all and I actually really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn’t like that much, was the cherry in the middle, but that is more personal taste I think. I started to read about Lola’s Cupcakes and it turns out they also do big vegan cakes. So if you do not like baking, but you still want a nice vegan cake, I think this is just perfect. Also because you can 
Today I will give you 8 hotspots in 1 article! And they’re all in the same place.. how is that?! On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and on bank holiday Mondays there is a food market with lots of nice street food, behind the Southbank Centre. I’ve known it was there since very long, but I never really took the time to take a look. I was most of the time on my way to something else. From or to Waterloo station. This time I also didn’t plan to take a look, but I happened to walk passed it when I was looking for the Benugo cafe. I couldn’t help myself this time and went for a quick look. That quick look became a very long look though. As there were so many vegan options! At least 10 stalls have vegan food. I picked 8 stalls to tell you about. I just had my lunch, so unfortunately I couldn’t eat anything, but I did have a drink! Here we go..
The breakfast/lunch cafe you see a lot around London is EAT. I have to admit that I don’t go here very often. This is because a few years ago I checked them out and they only had 1 vegan option. But as times are changing and more and more cafes and restaurants are offering vegan option, I’d thought to give them another try. I went to the one in Southbank.This is quite a big EAT. I know the one in Westfield and that one is smaller. I think this EAT might be a good option if you’re with a bigger group (sightseeing) or with kids.
They are doing a lot better with the vegan option I must say. There were houmous-harissa sandwiches, a quinoa salad with veggies and seeds and even a warm dish with sweet potato and spinach. They also sell fruit, but nothing else to snack on. They do sell lots of non-vegan cakes and bars, so it would be nice to add 1-2 vegan options to that. I already had my lunch at Strada, next door, so I wasn’t in for a meal. Would have been so nice if they had a nice nut bar or chocolate brownie or something?! I ordered a green tea with soy milk and the girl who helped me was really friendly and nice. I really appreciated that!
EAT is not a cafe you go to for the lovely atmosphere and cosy corners. It’s perfect for a nice quick lunch though and have a little break from whatever you’re doing. I brought my laptop and wanted to do some writing. They have alright seats, but because it was very busy when I was there (I went on a Saturday, so duhh!) I didn’t have the best spot to work. But that’s ok, I wasn’t planning to stay more than an hour anyway. Though when I checked the wifi, there wasn’t any available. This was very disappointing. So I took my tea outside and started to walk to my next location. But now I know they have more vegan option, I will try one of their meals soon. They do look nice, so let’ see if they’re tasty!
Minkies Deli is basically across the road from me. It looks very nice, with the cart with oranges in front of it, but I never went here. Being so close to my flat just makes me eat and drink in my own house and I won’t go out as fast, unless I’m far away. Though I was very curious about this place. My boyfriend went to get coffee here one morning and brought some nice breads for me (yes, he’s so thoughtful). The breads were very tasty and the cups look very nice. I really like their logo, a straw in the shape of an -M. I went on a beautiful sunny day to have brunch (I had a green smoothie in the morning and it wasn’t lunchtime quite yet..).
For breakfast there are 2 options: a bagel with jam or sourdough bread with smashed avocado and grilled pepper as an option. I went for the last one. For lunch there is a houmous sandwich with aubergine or you could choose a salad, in case you’re looking for something more filling. I was surprised to see that they had 2 vegan cupcakes. A chocolate/almond one and an orange/almond one. They looked very nice, so I ordered a chocolate one. But the best thing I found out is.. they have Oatly foamable! They’re the first cafe/deli I went to, who serve this. They also have soy and almond milk btw. Their chai latte is made with a chai powder (a bit of a bummer), what contained cow’s milk (as always). I ordered a green tea and I was happy to find out they serve Tea Pigs. Good tea brand! I wasn’t expecting too much from the avocado sandwich, but I was pleasantly surprised when they put this amazing looking plate in front of me. It looked really good! The best thing?! So much creamy avocado!! The bread was super tasty (and still warm) and all together, with the touch of rocket on top, made it all very delicious. I really enjoyed it! The cupcake was very nice too. It was actually more like a brownie and it was very filling. So all together, this could have been a proper lunch!
Minkies Deli is almost completely made with glass walls. So it’s very light and open. I love that! I like the colours too, grey with bright pink. Very appealing. There are quite a lot of seats (also outside) and they have quite a few sockets as well, to charge your laptop/phone. Lovely spot to do some work! The staff was very helpful, friendly and open-minded. For example, they have milkshake they make with ice cream. So not vegan, but they were thinking out loud to make it vegan. I really liked that! It would have been nice if they had a few more vegan options though. They could offer a plant-based yogurt or porridge. Easy things to create more vegan options.
Planet Manel 