For my birthday this year, my parents and I took a trip to London for a day out. I was recommended to try out All Bar One for food as it would be perfect to accommodate two vegetarians and someone who eats meat. We found the New Oxford Street restaurant and therefore stopped for a couple of hours to enjoy some great quality food.
It is always great to try out somewhere new, however what intrigued me about this food spot was their pop-up Veganuary menu that is fully plant-based. I love how the chain is supporting changing food norms and satisfying a wider consumer base. We had the option of the main food menu, lunch and the vegan one which allowed us to select from so much choice.
The space was sophisticated, yet cosy and inviting. It was surprisingly quiet in the restaurant and therefore it was the perfect place to refuel, relax from the London busy streets and warm up from the January day.
I was focused on the veggie and vegan dishes that all sounded full of flavour, making it as always hard to decide what to go for – there were so many things I wanted to try. Since my Dad would not ever eat a veggie meal, All Bar One has a lot of options to suit everyone’s preference; he went for the classic fish and chips. I chose the Plant Based Burger, whereas my mum chose the Power of Five, also from the vegan menu.
When the food arrived, it was packed full of colourful, which mirrored the flavour of the dishes. My mum’s arrived looking unexpected; the rice noodle cracker made the dish look amazing, although it was hard to eat. It was a bowl full of chargrilled greens, butternut squash, aubergine, mushroom and peppers, however it was covered in sesame and miso sauces which my mum found slightly too spicy for her.
I was unsure what to expect with my burger. It was the revolutionary Beyond Meat burger, but it tasted and looked like meat. This whole concept blew my mind so I will be doing a whole other post on it. I loved how it came with vegan cheese and mayo and also lettuce and tomato, adding to the colourful nature. I asked to swap the seasonal fries for sweet potato fries and the staff had no problem with this. The fries were a perfect thin size with a crispy outer shell.
I believe that All Bar One show that a plant-based diet can be kept simple, without sacrificing tasty meals. This could inspire guests to have a meat-free Monday for example and even experiment more in their own kitchen. It is places like this that are making eating out so much easier for a veggie or vegan like myself, also showing that eating plants doesn’t have to be boring. I really hope their Veganuary menu is so popular that it is extended past the expected end of February finish date.
Rachel
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