All posts tagged: Hyde Park

#179 Nice dinner at vegetarian restaurant Farmacy, London

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restaurant review #179 – Farmacy is a vegetarian restaurant on the north side of Hyde Park. We had already passed by Farmacy during our Summer visit to London in 2017, but then we had already eaten at nearby restaurant Redemption. Farmacy has a no reservations policy, which I find very unfortunate. I often avoid going to restaurants with a no-reservation policy, as I have mobility issues (sometimes use a wheelchair). When dining out, I will always try to make a reservation, as I want to be sure I will have a spot. It is not so easy to navigate in a fully packed restaurant. And if one is met with a long queue and not sure how long it will last, it is for me also not always possible to decide last minute to go somewhere else (especially if vegan options in that region are not so abundant). We took our chances and went for an early dinner, and luckily, were one of the firsts in the restaurant. Farmacy is a nice place. It has a …

Bombed, shot, shell shocked and killed. Animals in War Memorial, London

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On our last city trip to London last Summer, we visited the Animals in War Memorial. It is located on the upper East side of Hyde Park at the Brook Gate.  On our previous visit to London (for the Intersectionality conference at VegfestUK, Nov 2016) we barely got a glimpse of the monument as we passed by with a cab on busy Park Lane, but a large truck in the lane next to us was unfortunately blocking our view on the Memorial. The memorial was designed by English sculptor David Backhouse to commemorate “all the animals that served, suffered and died alongside the British, Commonwealth and Allied forces in the wars and conflicts of the 20th century” (quote from Animals in War Memorial). It was unveiled in November 2004*. I have very mixed feelings about memorials and monuments dedicated to animals who have ‘served’ for law enforcement, as soldiers, as bomb sniffers or protection guards. One the one hand, it is heartwarming to see so many people care about the animal victims of war, and commemorate them …

Take a look inside vegan shop Greenbay, London

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shop review #41 – Greenbay is a vegan shop in London. It is located on the west side of town (West Kensington, West Brompton). Quite a bit away from the ‘centre’ of London. We visited the shop when we were in London for a couple of days this Summer. Practically next door is vegan restaurant 222 VeggieVegan, which we visited for lunch (review will follow). We also stopped at nearby Brompton cemetary, which was quite impressive – see pic. It is not really a ‘supermarket’ (as it says on their website), but a rather small store, with two aisles. Packed with vegan goodies though! From cosmetcis and body and care products, to vegan wines, vegan cheezes, candy, ice cream,  and other food items. We always find it so relaxing and reassuring to look around in a vegan shop. No sudden confrontation with freezers full of dead animal parts. And not having to check labels and just being able to choose whatever you want is so comforting. Although we saw a lot of products that we were …

#136 Gastronomic dining at The Gate, London

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restaurant review #136 – The Gate is vegetarian restaurant in London. It has three locations: one in Islington, one in Hammersmith, and one in Marylebone, which is the one we went to. View this post on Instagram Very nice dinner at The Gate! #london Vegetarian restaurant with vegan options. Review will follow on 🌿🌿 brugesvegan.com 🌿🌿 #veganlondon #london #gastronomic #vegansofig #vegansofbelgium #gastronomical #culinairy #seymourplace #restaurant #vegan #vegetarianrestaurant #thegatelondon @gaterestaurant A post shared by trudi_brugesvegan (@trudi_brugesvegan) on Aug 13, 2017 at 2:01am PDT The Gate in Marylebone is located in a calm street, quite a contrast with the hustle and bustle of nearby Oxford Street. It has a large terrace in front, and two restaurants rooms (one on ground floor, and one in basement). It is a more fancy, ‘restaurant like’ place, with gastronomic creations. Vegan options are clearly indicated on the menu. The winelist also mentions which drinks are vegan. This is what we had for dinner: Artichoke terrine, £8, truffle & hazelnut infused artichoke, homemade sundried tomato & basil salsa, crispy bread  Tofu Tikka, …

Take a look around! Adding travel snapshots to reviews

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A couple of weeks ago, I decided to add snapshots of the surroundings to blogposts. So whenever I publish a post with a review of a shop or restaurant, there are now not only photos of the restaurant, but also one or two photos, or even a short video, of the area. A city view, a particular monument, or a spectacular landscape. It gives you an idea of the surroundings (albeit just a glimp), and some of the things we have spotted during our visit to that city or area. And for me it’s also a way of documenting some memories from that particular city trip or visit! Here are some of the pics that were included in recent reviews. Some link to Instagram. View this post on Instagram Biking around Louvain #tandem #castle 🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴 #biking #cycling #louvain #leuven #vegancyclist #whatvegansdo #whatspooniesdo #kasteel #castle #kasteelvanarenberg #multicycle #multicycletandem #tandembike #fietsen #duobike A post shared by trudi_brugesvegan (@trudi_brugesvegan) on Sep 5, 2017 at 11:15am PDT View this post on Instagram Biking in Paris 🗼 #paris #tandem #tandembike …

Lovely vegan Icecream and waffles at Yorica! London

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shop review#38 – Yorica is a vegan icecream shop in London. There are two locations, one in Notting Hill, and one in Soho. Upon our arrival in London this Summer for a short city trip, the one in Soho was our first stop, as it was just around the corner from where we stayed! All the products sold at Yorica are not only vegan, but also free from nuts and gluten. You can buy icecream, waffles and pancakes to take away, or to eat at Yorica’s itself, although there is not that much space inside (some bar stools inside and a bench in front of the shop). One orders at the counter and the order is immediately delivered. After the order is handed to you, you can add some sprinkles on top if you wish. We were a bit overwhelmed by all the possibilities on the menu (not being used to having that many options 😉 : several flavours of icecream, frozen ‘yoghurt’, waffles, and pancakes. There was some queuing up to the counter, but …