Vegan Meals Out – Page 3

No 1. Harbourside, Bristol

June 1, 2015 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

I was steadily losing hope. The Harbourside area of Bristol has plenty of places to eat, but it seems that most of them are of no use to you unless you like pork and you like it pulled. (As an aside, there is a vegan pulled pork alternative made from Jackfruit. Doesn’t sound promising I know, but it tastes like the real thing, honest.)

So, stomach rumbling, I was passing the chain pubs and restaurants where the best I could hope for was a disappointing salad, when I happened across No 1 Harbourside, which not only had vegan options as part of its main menu, but vegan beer too! I’d hit the jackpot.

The picnic-style benches outside had all different decorations, one with chess boards and snakes and ladders, another with some kind of emperor in glorious robes. The huge indoor space was welcoming, despite its size and had plenty of interesting decor to gaze at while waiting on your food to arrive. A sizeable collection of books was in one corner, striped pillars and fun blackboards elsewhere.

One of the blackboards outlined the restaurant’s commitment to sourcing produce locally and even had a map drawn out. The bar area itself seemed packed with liquid options and inviting bar stools were there for anyone just popping in for a quick drink.

Particularly luxurious for me were the beers and ales on tap that specified quite clearly that they were vegan, and they were all from different breweries too. No more guesswork as you hesitate to give a local brewery beer a try. The ‘Spun Gold’ and ‘Funky Monkey’ caught my eye, but I could not go past trying the ‘Why Kick a Moo Cow’ pale ale, as I have family connections to New Zealand. It was a cloudy, pleasant ale that I happily sat on for an hour or so.

Why Kick a Moo Cow. Why indeed... — Why Kick a Moo Cow. Why indeed…

In each category of food there seemed to be at least one gluten free choice as well, so I was impressed that they seemed to be catering to a wide range of culinary requirements. Vegan options when I was there included: Lentil and quinoa BB ‘meatballs’ on toasted ciabatta, sweet miso slaw, Severn project salad; Farinata, carrots with cashew dip, pickled vegetables, hummus and fava tagine; Spiced potato fruit and nut brik pastry, dukkah salad, rhubarb and beetroot chutney and (what I ordered) Orzo pasta salad, summer radish, red onion and chilli, pesto and nut crumble.

I also ordered a side of Jersey royal potatoes which, although they came with butter on the menu, were very easily veganised, with no fuss.

I absolutely adored the food. Every mouthful was bursting with flavour. With vegans having to compromise so much when eating out sometimes, this was a blissful experience. I devoured the lot, which is not to say I didn’t savour it. With no room left for a dessert, I didn’t enquire after one, so can’t tell you if there were vegan options there too.

The staff were very friendly but left me alone to read and eat and just generally take the place in.

They have lots more information on their website and up to date menus can be found on their facebook page.
Follow No 1 Harbourside on twitter here.

The Brigstow, Bristol

May 30, 2015 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

I stumbled across The Brigstow on Clare Street in central Bristol while I was out looking for a vegan feed the day before VegFest. I’d arrived from London at 2pm and was in the mood for a late lunch. It looks like an ordinary pub from the outside, but once you cross the threshold it is an altogether more bohemian and therefore interesting establishment.

A glance around the place with its table numbers felt-tipped onto wooden spoons and it’s spray painted, artistically pleasing walls (perhaps inspired by, but certainly more colourful than, one of Bristol’s favourite sons, Banksy) made me feel far more at home than I would be in any gaping, soulless gastro pub. And let me tell you, Bristol has its fair share of those…

I was greeted by an incredibly chipper bloke behind the bar who was very helpful. Despite its mostly meaty menu of burgers and sliders (am I the only one who finds the word ‘slider’ less than appetising? Just me then…) there were a couple of vegan options. Once I’d placed my order and was cosy at my rickety table, the staff were attentive but not overly so. The chef even poked his head out of the kitchen and asked if I’d prefer hummus to their normal mayonnaise, to which I enthusiastically nodded my ascent.

I chose the falafel burger and fries, which, in a manner I fear would disgust the plate society, or whatever they call themselves, was served on a plank of wood. The chips were in a poke, as Scots of the past would say, and the whole thing was totally yummy. Instead of coleslaw they’d made up some onion salsa kind of stuff (I’m afraid I’ve forgotten exactly what it was called) but it was a triumph.

All in all a very pleasant experience and a positive note on which to start my culinary experience of Bristol.

Bread Street Brasserie, Edinburgh

May 2, 2015 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

I’d dined at the Bread Street Brasserie before on a weeknight, as they always have vegan options on their regular menu, but tonight was busier as it was their monthly vegan evening. The high ceilings and beautiful light fittings made for a lovely ambiance.

The restaurant is attached to the Hilton hotel and very centrally located. We met friends there who are new to Edinburgh and, although not vegan themselves, were keen to try out the special menu. Between us we sampled almost everything on offer.

The waitress kindly pointed out the vegan wines available, all from Fair Horizon vineyard in the Western Cape. Although there was a Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Rose and a Cab- Petit Verdot to choose from, I went with a soft drink as I was driving and the blokes sampled a very pleasant bottle of vegan lager called Edinburgh Gold. (It’s worth noting that all their bottled products are vegan friendly, but their cask ones are not, using as they do the dreaded isinglass.)

We were served bread with vegan butter and as soon as one of our friends asserted that she was gluten free, some gf bread was produced with a flourish. The entire menu on this particular evening was gluten free, so there was a brilliant range of options not only for vegans and the lactose intolerant, but for celiacs too.

Lightly charred asparagus spears with maple tahini dressing

To start I had the lightly charred asparagus spears and, although somewhat minimalist, it was a tasty appetiser with a lovely sesame dressing. My fellow diners were equally impressed with both the nettle and spinach soup (which we nicknamed ‘spiky soup’) and the watercress, orange and avocado salad.

The soup was a brave choice for one who had only been stung by nettles while out running and never eaten the things. It was a pleasant surprise to find out they were not just for assaulting one’s knees when out wearing shorts, but could be harvested to be made into something pretty yummy.

Our friends both opted for the red lentil and spring vegetable-stuffed roast peppers for their main, while my other half chose the leek and chestnut mushroom pie. I picked the steamed cauliflower with cashew ‘cheese’ sauce as, not only do I think the cauliflower is a much maligned vegetable and demand needs to be encouraged, but I’m a sucker for cheese fakery. I wasn’t disappointed.

Cries of ‘yum’ emanated from our table, not least from me. The portions were delicate, but the taste was fantastic. Each plate of food was beautifully presented and at £17.50 for three courses, I’d say it was a bargain.

The dreadful news came as we were about to order our desserts. They had run out of chocolate nut lava cake. What to do? It had been so popular that we were just too late to sample any. Still, with two other options, all seemed well. My hubby went for the tangy rhubarb sorbet.

I don’t know about you, but when I imagine sorbet, I think of a somewhat icy, bitter experience unless you’re somewhere that specialises in desserts, and even then it often has to be loaded with fruit to save it from being really boring. Well, the Bread Street Brasserie just tore up the rule book. It was the creamy, sweet, flavourful dessert that vegans so often have to miss out on, and the portion was generous.

Myself and the others decided to be even more adventurous and try the quinoa and banana pudding. I’ll be honest, I’d never have though to put quinoa in a pudding and I was somewhat apprehensive. But do you know what? It worked. It really worked and all three of us tucked in with gusto. In the end we were all almost glad the chocolate cake was missing, as it would have stopped our voyage of very pleasant discovery.

If you’d like to attend the Bread Street Brasserie’s next vegan evening, check them out on social media, or visit their website.

Toby Carvery, Edinburgh (UK chain)

December 11, 2014 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

I have vegan acquaintances, but no vegan friends (get the violins out…) which means that if I want to go out with mates for dinner, which I often do, chances are, the odd veggie and pescetarian aside, they’ll be meat eaters. A while ago, if you’d asked me what was likely to be the least vegan-friendly type of eating establishment, a carvery would have made the top three, just behind steakhouses and Texas diners. It turns out though, that although I’ve been to upmarket restaurants with expensive menus who squint at you strangely if you ask for their vegan option, the very affordable Toby Carvery trumps them good, to coin a phrase.

Five of us went to a west Edinburgh branch the other night, and I knew what I’d be having. That is to say, there’s one vegan option on the menu, which, let’s face it, is a lot better than most pub style family restaurants. It is a good one however, so while my friends queued up at the buffet of death, I ordered the Nut Roast Wellington. I was also able to order a separate plate of vegetables as the ones in the carvery are cooked in butter – all except the roasties, (roast potatoes) of which I helped myself to three. My plate arrived stacked with carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts (well, it is almost Christmas), and cauliflower. Veggie gravy is available too if you fancy it. I yummed it all up and was actually quite glad none of their desserts were suitable, as I may have exploded otherwise.

The tables were all looking very festive and we got service with a smile from a very accommodating waiter wearing antlers. As pubs go it makes a nice change to sit down to a hearty meal just like everyone else, with no hassle, no fuss and no awkward silences after you’ve explained to the waiting staff what a vegan is. Being a chain, the menu is likely to be much the same up and down the country, so vegans rejoice, you can have your vegan pub meal and eat it too.

Ushas, Glasgow

December 2, 2014 by Tofu Temptress 3 Comments

We were ushered into Ushas (sorry…), the only all vegetarian Indian restaurant in Glasgow, early on a Saturday evening. We’d booked a table for four (One vegetarian, one vegan (me) and two non-veggies.) Shown to a cute little booth in the window, we settled in, but soon found that it was a bit too little to accommodate our ample frames, so we were shown to a more suitable table in the middle of the restaurant. From here we could appreciate the decor more fully and stretch our legs.

There’s been amazing attention to detail, from the silent Bollywood movie playing on a loop, to the Hindi writing on the wall to greenery and lights to delight all around. This cosy yet stylish place has only been open for five months at the time of writing (Nov 2014) but is already making its mark.

Of the many items on the menu, only a handful were not suitable for vegans, and of those which weren’t, some had a vegan option available. Luxury! I didn’t realise I was so indecisive until I’d been faced with such choice. I had to have a bottle of Cobra while I thought about things…(They also do a very palatable non-alcoholic version for the designated driver.) Incidentally, if you have any celiac friends (as I do) they will be overjoyed with the options too – there’s loads for the wheat intolerant, which is brilliant. As well as a fully comprehensive menu, you can also choose a spice level, which is great for groups. We just went for medium with everything, which gave a nice kick to the meal but didn’t have you reaching for the iced water.

I started with the Aloo Tikki which are little spicy potato patties, but the battered potato and aubergine fritters

went down very well indeed. We chose to share most of our dishes around, but as is the case in Indian restaurants generally, we over-ordered big time. Still, at least we got a taste of almost everything! Dhosas are a favourite of mine, delicate rice crepes with assorted fillings, but a new discovery was Uttapam, a lentil pancake. I had mine with roast Indian vegetables and all of us loved it. It’s served with a wide array of chutneys and there were actual exclamations of ‘ooh, yum!’ so I think the Uttapam goes down as the favourite of the evening.

We had a selection of curries to follow with garlic mushroom pilau rice and Zanzibar pilau (coconut and raisin) with Aloo paratha which is a speciality Indian bread.

It makes a nice alternative to Naan, although the plain naan on the menu is vegan, which makes a refreshing change as in most Indian restaurants, I often ask and they say the naan is made with milk.

To be honest, after all that, we were absolutely stuffed, and so when the waitress came with the dessert menu we just laughed.

None of the desserts are marked as vegan on the menu, but I’m sure they’d come up with something if you asked. They suggested we take a doggie bag with the leftovers and we gratefully accepted. They were packaged up promptly and expertly. The staff here are friendly and attentive and we never felt rushed, even though it was a Saturday night. All in all it was a very enjoyable dining experience. And as a bonus, we had the surplus for tea the next night. Nice. Really good value for a fun night out.

Ushas is at 2 Byres Road, Glasgow – a city which has been voted the most vegan-friendly in the UK!

Feel free to add your own review for Ushas Glasgow on the restaurants page: Ushas Glasgow Reviews.

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