#veganlondon: Tibits Restaurant Review

I considered cramming everything into one obscenely long post but that would not only be potentially tedious to write (and read), it wouldn’t be doing some of the incredible places I visited justice.

Exhibit A: Tibits .

Despite having heard spectacular things about this vegetarian restaurant (which is also the location du jour for the London Vegan Drinks meet-up) tucked away just off Regent’s street – I had never had the chance to check it out before. So when I found myself and three hungry diners a short cab ride away, I sneakily dragged them there under the vague promise of “I know a good place nearby.”

I’m happy to report that I was able to stay true to my word although “good” may have been a huge understatement.

Tibits runs a food boat style buffet where you can grab food to go or eat-in. Everything’s done by weight, which I loved because automatically there’s no overwhelming need to stuff yourself in order to “get your money’s worth” nor do you have to feel silly for not eating enough at a buffet.

Despite being a self-proclaimed veggie restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised when I realied that the overwhelming majority of dishes were actually vegan with only a handful of cheese-y dishes strewn about (and clearly labeled, of course).

My heart also skipped a beat when I spotted fresh orange, apple, carrot and ginger juice on the drinks menu.

The juice was fantastic – freshly pressed with just the right amount of ginger to give a zingy kick. The perfect aperitif for what was truly one of the best vegan meals I’d had in ages.

(Clockwise) Grilled red peppers, puy lentil salad, a sizeable dollop of hummus (it’s hidden, trust me), curried chickpeas, black quinoa salad on rocket leaves, Thai melon and tofu salad, steamed broccoli, peas and mangetout in a garlic dressing, and dried green bean salad with walnut dressing and cherry tomatoes.

Holy, vegan deliciousness. Everything was fantastic, but the puy lentils and dried green bean salad were top contenders for sure.Of course I couldn’t leave without getting dessert. I have a policy of always eating dessert where vegan options are available, to make up for the fact that I usually have to pass when someone orders a cheesecake for the table.

Unfortunately the dessert left something to be desired. The sticky toffee pudding (with dates) was alright, but nothing spectacular. The berry crumble and mango “cream” weren’t exactly showstoppers either, so I munched on the fresh mango and grapes I’d added at the last minute instead.

Despite the slightly lacklustre dessert – everything else about Tibits was top notch. The service, the armosphere and the stunning, fresh and seasonal food were enough to make me (and my fellow non-vegan/veg diners) come back the following day. And this time, I did dessert right.

How I spent 4 years in the UK before trying some of this stuff is beyond me. By far the richest, chocolatiest, most incredible vegan ice cream I have ever had (have I mentioned it’s agave sweetened and made from only 4 ingredients?)

All in all Tibits gets a 4.5/5 chickpeas from me, and will be a must-visit on future trips to London for sure.