Beloved American chef, traveler and documentarian Anthony Bourdain once said, “Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.”
This seems difficult to achieve when one is vegan, unable to partake in the culturally rich foods of foreign places. However, as plant-based diets grow more popular and humans adjust their diets to appease the impending climate change doom, restaurants across the world are opening their kitchens, and hearts, to the vegan community. This article is a guide to finding plant-based and vegan-friendly restaurants while abroad.
London
London, famous for pot pies and fish ’n chips, is no haven for the vegan. But if one knows where to look, one might stumble upon Megan’s, found on High Street Kensington and other locations—an adorable Greek vegan-friendly restaurant. Megan’s has chic island decor with a blue, white and pink color palette. This vegan Old School Catalyst writer ordered the oyster mushroom skewers served with a coconut garlic “yoghurt.” There are classic Greek items on the menu such as braised lamb and chicken kabobs for carnivore dining partners.
Mildred’s, est. 1988, is a three-story, all-vegan restaurant in Soho. Leave the carnivores at home. The decor is as funky as the neighborhood, and on a Saturday night during London Pride in Soho, Mildred’s was hopping. The menu features eclectic and creative discoveries like lime leaf corn ribs and a Caesar “chick+n” salad. The kimchi gyoza and the kiri hodi Sri Lankan coconut curry were particularly delicious.
Mildred’s was named London’s best vegan restaurant in 2023.
“Most importantly of all, we’re no longer simply vegetarian,” their website states. “Having gone completely plant-based in 2021, with our series of best-selling cookbooks and plans to grow even more, we want to ensure that no matter where you are, there is always incredible vegan food near you.”
Two blocks down from the Earl’s Court tube station is the Lebanese restaurant Orjowan. Founded by Fatime and her late husband Walid, Orjowan is a family-style restaurant that serves various small dishes paired with “khubz,” a Lebanese pita bread, to dip into each new morsel.
“Everyone who walks through the doors of Orjowan, is family!” Orjowan’s website states. “We understand the importance of bringing people together through good food and creating unforgettable memories.”
Orjowan offers a plethora of vegan and vegetarian options, including their warm and delicious “moujaddhara,” a dish made with green lentils and rice with crispy onions on top, the ultimate comfort food for veggie lovers. Their “mousaka,” a sautéed eggplant with onions and peppers paired with the stuffed grape leaves, tasted nostalgic, like a warm bowl of soup as a child.
Paris
Just a two-hour train ride, a hop, one croissant and a skip over from London lies Land and Monkeys in the heart of the Marais near Rue de Republic, an adorable 100% plant-based bakery and boulangerie. Sprouted from the creative mind of French pastry chef and entrepreneur Rodolphe Landemaine, the bakery “addresses a growing demand for gourmet, responsible, nomadic and accessible food all at once.”
“Baguette, croissant, cookie and sandwich, all the essentials of bakery-pastry are offered in a 100% plant-based version, in practical formats to take away or eat on the go and at more affordable prices than in restaurants,” their website reads.
This vegan traveler particularly enjoyed the Land and Monkeys’ apricot tart and their delicious vegetable-filled quiches. Their chocolate babka is also delicious, though not as good as Bubbie’s of course.
Café Jade is a typical French restaurant offering duck and beef tartare, but with a few vegan options on the menu. If traveling with a group not so excited about eating plant-based cuisine, Cafe Jade is a great middle ground.
Their veggie bowl filled with lentils, quinoa and vegetables is herbaceous and fresh. Their vegetable steak is served with french fries and grilled vegetables. Their poke bowl with mango, rice, avocado, radish and crispy onions can be ordered without the fish and extra vegetables.
“In the heart of the very lively and historic Latin quarter of Saint Germain des Près, Café Jade welcomes you in a cozy atmosphere that is half-retro, half-contemporary,” states their website.
The Latin quarter is a very fun and hip part of Paris, with dozens of cafes and cute restaurants lining the streets. While having a meal at Café Jade, you might spot street performers completing triple flips and stacked on top of one another on the street.
Wild and Moon is a coffee shop and bakery lined with mouth-watering vegan pastries. One of the founders, Emma Sawko, was born in New York City, grew up in the Swiss Alps and lived in Dubai for a time, where she created the Middle East’s first concept store and healthy food destination: Comptoir 102.
Wild and Moon’s Greek tomato muffin, filled with vegan feta, was delicious. Their savory power bowl filled with vegan meat in a satay sauce and Chinese cabbage was this vegan eater’s favorite. Their matcha pop square and the pistachio cake were perfect for a plant-based midday sweet treat.
Maintaining a plant-based diet while abroad is challenging but not impossible. Old School Catalyst encourages those traveling to explore some of these cultural food hubs that are kind to animals and the planet. Vegan dining does not have to be boring or feel like a chore. Food, even plant-based, is the best part of travel. Bon appéite!
