Very few restaurants can stand in a category of their own and Vanilla Black is certainly one of them – meet the poshest vegetarian restaurant in a meat-centric city. There never really was a lot of buzz about it despite being Michelin-recommended and its location tucked away in London’s law heavy neighborhood near Chancery Lane prevents any fortuitous encounter. For years the elegant townhouse restaurant has been catering to a niche clientele mixing bored vegetarian looking for fancier options and adventurous eaters of all kinds intrigued by the experience.

The formal quiet room and attentive service are miles away from your usual hippie veggie place though it’s the food that really sets it apart. Forget about the brown mush and instead get ready to be wowed by artistic and colorful presentations worthy of a Michelin star. What comes out of the kitchen here is bold, exciting, gourmet, and for the most part incredibly delicious. You’ll never be disappointed by the look of the plate, a work of art each time, though choosing the right dish can definitely change your experience.

Whoever was afraid of feeling hungry after a vegetarian meal need not to worry as portions are generous and ingredients quite filling. The twists on comfort food somewhat tasted better so I would recommend picking dishes that way, or going with a group to try them all! Appetizer of whipped jacket potato was a winner, and although my carrot cake was interesting on its own, the accompanying green crushed ice was a surprising and slightly bizarre addition.

Whipped Jacket Potato and Crispy Shallots, Tomato Syrup and Wensleydale Cheese

Grilled Carrot Cake with Sheeps Yoghurt, Ginger Carrots and Orange Oil

Same thing with the mains where my fried mushroom mousse was incredible and worthy of praise, a bit less so the roast salsify and Jerusalem artichokes.

Seared Seaweed and Cabbage with Pickled Potatoes, Soda Bread Sauce, Pickled Mustard Seeds and Foraged Seaside Vegetables

Roast Salsify, Jerusalem Artichokes and Iced Verbena, Lemon Dumplings and Crispy Buckwheat Crumbs

Fried Mushroom Mousse and Rosemary Sauce, Mushy Peas and Horseradish, Fennel and Whipped Lemon

Desserts are more conventional if you still have space for them and as beautiful as the rest.

Roasted Apple Sorbet with Somerset Brandy Cream, Cinnamon Hundreds ‘n’ Thousands, Toasted Oat Custard and Crumbs

All in all if you order well this is a fantastic restaurant for a special occasion or that special non-meat eater in your life. It’s definitely a great vegetarian alternative to the multitude of south Indian restaurants or other fine dining establishments offering the same mushroom risotto as their sole veggie option.

Vanilla Black
17-18 Tooks Court
London, EC4A 1LB
T: 020 7242 2622
Map

The latest of Jason Atherton’s ‘Social’ empire (whose other restaurants include Pollen Street Social and Little Social), Social Eating House is the more casual sibling, and yet it still managed to be awarded a Michelin Star recently, a little less than a year after it opened. The restaurant takes after its Soho location and greets you with a dimly lit and chic vintage look of mirrored ceiling, distressed leather banquettes, brick walls and a few whimsical touches such as bright pink neon quoting famous poets – a bit like a fancy speakeasy.

The food is British and don’t let that deter you (!) as the contemporary cuisine served here is worthy of its Michelin star and the international touches are bright additions to the bistro fare. The à la carte menu holds on one page which I love and starts with these adorable “jars” meant to be shared as starters.

Jar of Salt cod brandade & potato chips

Following are six starters and seven mains almost evenly split between fish and red meat. We went all in for the meat, a smart choice in this dreary winter, and didn’t regret it as both our choices were succulent. The lamb neck fillet is a specialty of the house and so perfectly cooked and seasoned it didn’t even need the side of creamy risotto, satisfying as it was on its own.

Confit Romney Marsh lamb neck fillet, onion soubise, Vialone Nano, wild trevise, hazelnut

Venison was another winner, covered in a sweet balsamic sauce.

Roast Scottish venison saddle, smoked ricotta, sprout flowers, pear, 12 yr balsamic, Brazil nuts

It’s smart to save room for dessert as their sweet menu is as extensive as the main one and brings up the creativity level considerably. Expect fancy and playful reconstructions of old classics with plenty of layers to keep your taste buds entertained.

“Wagon Wheel” toasted meringue, salted caramel, raspberry

Gin & Tonic sundae

Definitely a fun place to spend the night and I give it extra points for the extra level of comfort i.e. there’s elbow room between the tables and not enough noise to drown your conversation. A very pleasant meal which managed to feel refined yet totally unstuffy and may be one of the most casual places I’ve been to that holds a Michelin star…good on your stomach AND your wallet!

Social Eating House
58 Poland Street
London W1F 7NR
T: 020 7993 3251
Map