Vegan East London

East London is the beating heart of the city’s vegan scene — raw, creative, and utterly uncompromising. From the world’s first Michelin-starred vegan restaurant to cult fried “chicken” shops, community cafés, and Brazilian street snacks, this corner of the capital has quietly become one of the most exciting plant-based destinations on the planet. Whether you’re making a weekend of it or squeezing in a vegan crawl through Shoreditch, Hackney, and Hackney Wick, here’s your guide to the best vegan spots in East London — tried, tested, and highly recommended.

Spanning neighbourhoods from Shoreditch to Hackney Wick, East London’s vegan scene is beautifully diverse — you’ll find Michelin-starred tasting menus sitting alongside Ethiopian injera, homemade pub food, and Brazilian street snacks, all within a few miles of each other. Let’s dig in.

Best Vegan Restaurants in East London

1. Plates — The UK’s First Michelin-Starred Vegan Restaurant

Plates is one of the most remarkable restaurants in the UK — full stop. Located in Shoreditch, it holds the distinction of being the first exclusively vegan restaurant in the United Kingdom to receive a Michelin star, a genuinely historic achievement that put plant-based fine dining firmly on the global culinary map. The tasting menu here is a work of art: seasonal, inventive, and executed with the kind of precision and care you’d expect from the very best kitchens in the world. Tables book out months in advance, so planning ahead is essential — but the experience is absolutely worth it. If you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion or simply want to experience what plant-based cuisine can become at its highest level, Plates is unmissable.

💡 Tip: Book as far in advance as possible — Plates fills up months ahead, especially at weekends. Check their website for reservation releases and sign up to their newsletter to be first in the queue.

📍 320 Old Street, London EC1V 9DR | 📞 020 8050 6682 | 🌐 plates-london.com | 📷 @plates_london

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2. Unity Diner — Legendary Not-for-Profit Plant-Based Comfort Food

Unity Diner is not your average restaurant — it’s a not-for-profit diner with a mission, and the food is every bit as bold as its ethos. Serving up epic plant-based comfort food, from towering burgers to loaded fries and rich, satisfying mains, Unity delivers the kind of crowd-pleasing, hearty cooking that makes vegan food genuinely accessible and exciting for everyone. All profits go directly to animal rights causes, which means every meal you eat here supports something bigger. It has a loyal, passionate following in London’s vegan community, and rightly so. This is the kind of place that makes you feel good in every sense of the word.

💡 Tip: Don’t miss the vegan fish and chips — one of the best versions in London. They also do a brilliant cocktail menu, and the Piers Morgan’s Tears is a crowd favourite worth ordering for the name alone.

📍 60 Wentworth St, Spitalfields, London E1 7AL | 📞 020 7426 0224 | 🌐 unitydiner.co.uk | 📷 @unitydiner

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3. Temple of Seitan — The Cult Vegan Fried “Chicken” That Started It All

If you’ve eaten vegan fried “chicken” anywhere in London, there’s a good chance Temple of Seitan inspired it. This cult spot on Morning Lane in Hackney is credited with pioneering the genre in the UK, serving crispy, flavour-packed seitan with all the satisfying crunch and comfort of the real thing — without any of the animal products. The menu is tight, the portions are generous, and the queues are a reliable indicator of just how good it is. Whether you go for the classic burger, the strips, or the loaded wraps, you’re in for something genuinely special. A landmark of East London’s vegan scene.

💡 Tip: Go for the classic fried “chicken” burger — it’s the one that made them famous, and for good reason. They’re open 7 days a week until 10pm, making it a great shout for a late-night dinner.

📍 10 Morning Lane, London E9 6NA | 🌐 templeofseitan.co.uk | 📷 @templeofseitan

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4. The Spread Eagle — London’s First 100% Vegan Pub

The Spread Eagle holds a very special place in London’s vegan history as the city’s first entirely vegan pub. And it’s not just a novelty — it’s a genuinely brilliant pub with great vibes, a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and homemade food that goes well beyond what you’d expect from a traditional boozer. The kitchen turns out satisfying plant-based pub classics alongside more creative specials, all washed down with an excellent selection of drinks. Whether you pop in for a pint and a plate or settle in for the evening, The Spread Eagle delivers the full British pub experience without a single animal product in sight. A proper institution.

💡 Tip: Come on a Sunday for the Beet Wellington roast — it’s become something of a legend. The beer garden is a real treat in warmer months, and weekend evenings tend to get lively, so arrive early if you want a table.

📍 224 Homerton High Street, London E9 6AS | 📞 020 8985 0400 | 🌐 thespreadeaglelondon.co.uk | 📷 @thespreadeaglelondon

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5. Wave — Dreamy All-Day Brunch on a Sunny Hackney Terrace

Wave is the kind of all-day café that makes you want to linger for hours. With a sunny terrace perfectly suited to slow weekend mornings, fresh pastries, and a brunch menu that makes the most of seasonal ingredients, this Hackney favourite has built a devoted following among locals and visitors alike. The food is entirely plant-based, beautifully presented, and full of the kind of care and creativity that elevates brunch from a meal into an experience. Come for the pastries, stay for the ambience, and plan to return regularly — Wave has that quality that makes it feel instantly like a second home.

💡 Tip: Arrive early on weekends — the terrace fills up fast and the fresh pastries sell out quickly. The kitchen closes at 2pm on weekdays and 3:30pm on weekends, so don’t leave it too late for a full brunch order.

📍 11 Dispensary Lane, Hackney, London E8 1FT | 🌐 weareveganeverything.com | 📷 @wearewaveldn

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6. Black Cat Café — A Beloved Community Café Where Vegan Lands on Its Feet

Just off Clarence Road in Hackney, Black Cat Café is a much-loved neighbourhood gem that perfectly captures what community-driven vegan hospitality can look like. Relaxed, welcoming, and completely unpretentious, it’s the kind of café where you can drop in solo with a book, meet friends for a long lunch, or simply enjoy a great coffee and a slice of something homemade. The food is hearty, honest, and entirely plant-based, with a menu that changes regularly to reflect what’s seasonal and good. Black Cat has the warmth and soul of a neighbourhood institution — the sort of place that makes a community feel like a community.

💡 Tip: Black Cat is open Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am–4pm — note it’s closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Worth checking their Instagram before visiting as they occasionally close for short breaks.

📍 76A Clarence Road, London E5 8HB | 📞 020 8985 7091 | 🌐 blackcathackney.com | 📷 @blackcathackney

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7. Andu Café — The UK’s First Ethiopian Vegan Café

Andu Café holds a genuinely pioneering place in the UK’s vegan food scene as the country’s first Ethiopian vegan café. Located on Kingsland Road in Dalston, it serves entirely plant-based versions of traditional Ethiopian dishes — think fresh, spongy injera topped with richly spiced stews, lentils, and vegetables, eaten communally and with great joy. Ethiopian cuisine is a natural fit for plant-based eating, and Andu showcases this beautifully with dishes that are deeply flavourful, nourishing, and utterly unlike anything else you’ll find in East London. If you’ve never experienced Ethiopian food before, this is the perfect place to start — and if you have, Andu will quickly become a regular haunt.

💡 Tip: Andu is BYOB and cash only, so come prepared. Go for the sharing platter to get a full spread of their stews and sides on one giant injera — it’s the best way to experience the whole menu and perfect for two.

📍 528 Kingsland Road, London E8 4AH | 📞 020 7254 1780 | 🌐 anduvegancafe.com | 📷 @andu_vegancafe

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8. Cook Daily — Iconic Plant-Based Bowls, Born in Shoreditch

Cook Daily has become one of East London’s most beloved plant-based brands, and for very good reason. Founded by chef King at Boxpark Shoreditch in 2015, this spot serves up iconic bowls bursting with bold flavours, vibrant colours, and seriously satisfying combinations of grains, vegetables, proteins, and sauces — rooted in Thai and Lao street food tradition. The food is the kind that makes you feel good from the inside out — energising, nourishing, and genuinely delicious in a way that has nothing to do with compromise. Cook Daily has since moved to Boxhall City near Liverpool Street, but the spirit and the flavour remain completely intact. A true East London original.

💡 Tip: Order the Yoga Fire or the High Grade — both are fan favourites that showcase exactly what King does best. Be aware they sometimes sell out and close early, so lunchtime is your safest bet for getting a bowl.

📍 Boxhall City, 120 Middlesex Street, London E1 7HY | 🌐 cookdaily.co.uk | 📷 @cookdailylondon

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9. Essential Vegan — Vibrant Brazilian Plant-Based Café in Hackney Wick

Tucked inside the vibrant, multifunctional venue All My Friends in Hackney Wick, Essential Vegan is a residency café bringing the flavours of Brazil to East London in a way that’s completely unique to the city’s plant-based scene. Expect colour, energy, and bold flavours in every bite — Brazilian-inspired dishes including the legendary Feijoada, homemade sweets, and fresh sandwiches with a Brazilian twist, served with warmth and genuine hospitality. Hackney Wick itself is well worth exploring for its street art and independent spirit, and Essential Vegan is the perfect fuel stop as you wander. Joyful, flavour-forward, and impossible not to love.

💡 Tip: Try the Salpicão sandwich — it’s a customer favourite and a brilliant introduction to what they do. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am–4pm, so plan your Hackney Wick visit around those hours.

📍 Unit 1, 96 White Post Lane, Hackney Wick, London E9 5EN | 🌐 essentialvegancafe.com | 📷 @essentialvegan

Tips for Vegan Travellers in East London

East London’s vegan scene is spread across several brilliant neighbourhoods — Shoreditch, Hackney, and Hackney Wick are the main hubs, and each has its own distinct character. For fine dining, Plates in Shoreditch requires booking well in advance — plan months ahead if you can. Most of the other spots on this list are more relaxed, but it’s always worth checking opening hours before you go, as many operate on reduced days or seasonal schedules.

If you’re planning a vegan day out, a great route would take you from brunch at Wave, a mid-morning stop at Black Cat Café, lunch at Cook Daily or Temple of Seitan, an afternoon wander through Hackney Wick with something from Essential Vegan, and an evening pint and plate at The Spread Eagle. Add a booking at Unity Diner and you’ve got one of the best vegan days possible in any city in the world.

For Ethiopian food at Andu Café and pioneering cuisine at Plates, East London truly punches above its weight. This part of the city has shaped the UK’s entire plant-based food culture — and it shows in every neighbourhood, every menu, and every passionate person behind the counter.

Have you explored East London’s vegan scene? I’d love to hear your favourite spots — drop them in the comments below!

Frequently Asked Questions