While on holiday it is tempting to gorge yourself on sweets and treats (theres a tour for that)! While a little indulgence never hurt anyone, below is the London Top Sights guide to eating clean in the English capital.
Ahi Poke
Poké – the Hawaiian health bowl involving sashimi fish, veg and grains – goes some way to explaining how the bare-all hula skirt ever became part of the island’s national dress. After a stint enjoying this breezy Fitzrovia café’s rice, quinoa and kale bases topped with sustainably sourced raw seafood, vibrant vegetables, nuts and seeds, we imagine you’ll feel similarly body-confident. Veggies can bypass fish (and chicken) for tofu and fungi.
West London – The Mae Deli
Ok, so a burger isn’t necessarily GOOD for you, however if you are going to treat yourself, you’d probably want to know that what you’re eating is made from really great produce. With a simple menu, Honest Burgers places a huge focus on quality, maintaining their original approach from when they opened in 2011 – ‘to do one thing, and do it well’. Free range chicken, dry aged beef and market vegetables are the choices for your burger, with sides including apple, beetroot and red cabbage coleslaw, and house dressed green salad. Gluten free buns are available on request also. Honest Burgers has grown in popularity so much, they now have fifteen locations across London.
Mildreds, Soho, Camden & Kings Cross
All the rave at the moment is Mildreds vegetarian and vegan restaurant. Where fresh and colourful food full of flavour is cooked daily, Mildreds is the current place to be! Located at three sites in London, each with their own style and personality, offer informal and friendly service in a lively atmosphere. Often having a surprising and seducing effect on hardened carnivores, with many of their dishes begin vegan-friendly and gluten free, Mildreds can offer a warm welcome to all. Recognised for it’s excellent service and cozy atmosphere, it’s no surprise that there are often queues to taste the delicious dishes.
Cub
More of an ethical ethos than a healthy one, but Cub’s inventive menu champions zero-waste, with many of the dishes on the menu being vegan-friendly and recycled from ingredients that would otherwise have been thrown away. Dishes are presented as works of art and come drenched in a wondrous myriad of flavours. Dishes to watch out for include tomato brined in sea water, with seaweed and sea herbs; smoked rye amazake with belvedere vodka and rhubarb; compost smoked carrot, buffalo curds and whey; and sea buckthorn, Douglas fir and brown butter.
Island Poké
This restaurant located in the heart of Soho brings the traditional Hawaiian appetiser, poké, to the streets of London. Choose one of their ‘house bowls’ or make your own with options on the base (sushi rice, raw slaw), the top (tuna, salmon, beetroot) and then finish it with your topping of choice (pineapple, chilli, edamame). Be sure to their ‘crodoughs’ – a croissant-doughnut hybrid. Best for lunch.
Wright Bros
Seafood is always a good bet when you’re watching your diet as it’s generally very low in fat. We love that Wright Bros. do an oyster happy hour which is, in fact, three hours long (3pm – 6pm on weekdays) when all oysters are £1 a pop and virtually calorie free. Prawns, crab and grilled fish are all good bets – just make sure to watch out for the mayonnaise, bread and butter sauces. There are a few branches to choose from.
The Nobu Shordich
The Nobu in Shoreditch is the brand’s newest outpost and the only branch to offer a breakfast menu. Choose from an entire section dedicated to healthy and fruity options, with lots of original choices to add some excitement to your daily routine. Healthy highlights include the tapioca breakfast and the egg white omelette with spinach, tofu feta, and extra virgin olive oil. In terms of drinks, they have a fresh pressed juice menu, with a delicious charcoal lemonade.
Squirrel
Situated an ‘acorn’s throw’ from South Kensington tube station you will find a clean-eating, healthy restaurant with a twist. With its decor resembling the natural surroundings of a forest, Squirrel takes healthy food to new heights. Only working with suppliers that share the same ethics, the restaurant focuses on seasonal ingredients from the best producers and uses in-house nutritionist Zoe Stirling to select produce based on the health benefits they provide. With all food made freshly in front of customers, it’s easy to customise your dishes according to your taste and dietary requirements, allowing you to create the perfect portion size for your children.
Rawligion
Billed as a “health haven”, Rawligion provides full ingredient lists for all dishes – most of which are, you guessed it, raw (as well as vegan). As well as guilt-free breakfast, lunch and dessert, it offers juices and botanical “elixirs”.
The Detox Kitchen – Promising ‘fresh, bold and delicious dishes that are free from wheat, dairy and refined sugar’, The Detox Kitchen now runs popular delis in Soho and Fitzrovia. It’s great for grab-and-go juices and salads, but if you have more time you can linger of a nutritious breakfast or lunch. There’s also a fitness studio beneath their Fitzrovia deli offering a range of yoga, barre and pilates classes.
The Grain Store
Bonningtn Cafe
Based in the Wellbeing Centre in South West London, the Bhuti café allows visitors to indulge in hearty, nutritious food without the fear of ruining their diet. Providing a vegan, gluten and refined sugar free menu, Bhuti combines relaxation therapies and tasty food to create the ultimate meditation retreat in the city. The centre in Richmond also offers a yoga class for children twice a week, meaning you can get your little ones learning techniques that will help them relax for years to come.