restaurant review #342 – We were in London in March for the final shows of GENESIS (see some clips below and more on my YouTube). The O2 is a very large venue, with dozens of restaurants and stalls in the surrounding hallways.
restaurant review #227 – Vanilla Black is a vegetarian gastronomic restaurant in the city center of London, close to Chancery Lane. We were here before two years ago, and really enjoyed our visit (see review). We saw there was still place for lunch when we were in London last October (after VegfestUK), and we decided to make an online booking for lunch.
restaurant review #221 – The Gate is vegetarian restaurant in London. Actually there are already three The Gate restaurants in London (Islington, Marylebone, Hammersmith), and in March 2019 a fourth one will open (St. John’s Wood). We had already been to the one at Marylebone (see review here), so this time we went to the one in Islington. This was during our stay in London for VegfestUK, in the Fall of 2018 (see post here). The Gate at Islington is a spacious place, and nicely renovated. A combination of old and new. There’s a restaurant room at ground level, and a room in the back which is up a few steps. I had made a reservation online, and we were warmly welcomed and took place in the ground floor restaurant room, with a view at the bar. Everything on the menu at the Gate is vegan, except for the non-vegan options labelled as such (NV = not vegan). We had a lovely dinner. Mezze platter (£22) to share as a starter. Mushroom risotto (£16) and …
restaurant review #212 – By Chloe is an American chain of vegan fastfood restaurants. It has two locations in London. We went to the one in the Theater district (Covent Garden) during our last London trip (to visit VegfestUK). By Chloe is selfservice (order at counter, go pick your food up at counter, and clean up yourself). People at the counter were very friendly. We had the meat balls with pesto (£9,60), and toast with smashed avocado, cauliflower and radish (£8,40). That was a very awkward tasting combination. Fries on the side were airfried (£4). I was amazed by the amount of waste that was produced in the restaurant (also a lot of plastic). Not really big portions too, and all in all quite expensive. We found the seatings to be very uncomfortable, and there was loud music. Nice 70’s-80’s music though, I think we were the only ones at the restaurant who were actually around when this music was aired on the radio (lots of millenials on the tables around us) 😉. The place …
A couple of weeks ago at the end of October, we went to VegfestUK, a vegan festival which is held annually in London at the Olympia. We had already visited VegfestUK in 2016, and were really impressed by its scale and the intersectionality conference which was held then. The festival not only houses nearly 300 stalls (food, body and care products, organisations, etc) but there are also dozens of presentations, on a wide range of topics: from health to veganic gardening, from radical veganism to bodybuilding, or environmental aspects to animal rights. Really interesting! We ate a lot, we bought some products that were new for us, and we listened to a lot of inspiring talks! And meeting up with friends and getting to know new people! Here is an overview with a selection of pics from the weekend: I also gave a presentation, in the Justice room: Ableism, bodyshaming and health shaming. On intersections and inclusiveness. (Geertrui Cazaux). I Previously posted an introduction to that talk here . It took me a while to get the …
Why do we need to address ableism in the vegan and animal rights movement? This is an introduction to my talk at VegfestUK, in London, Oct 27 – 28: Ableism, bodyshaming and healthshaming, Geertrui Cazaux Transcript below. Transcript. Hello, I am Geertrui. Or, that’s Trudi in English. And I will be presenting a talk at the upcoming VegfestUK festival in London. And my talk will be about ableism in the movement. Now ableism is discrimination or prejudice against people with physical or mental disabilities. So against disabled people. Now, I can immediately hear some of you think: oh, ableism what does that have to do with veganism? Why should we be discussing this at a vegan festival? It should be about tackling speciesism. About fighting for animal rights. We shouldn’t be talking about ableism or other forms of discrimination like racism and sexism, but only focus on the animals, because it’s about the animals, right? yes, of course veganism is about tackling speciesism and about the animals, but how we deal with each other as …
restaurant review #199 – Tibits is an international vegetarian restaurant chain. There are several locations in Switzerland, and also two restaurants in London (in Soho and near Waterloo station). We went to the one on Bankside (Waterloo station) a couple of months ago, for lunch. Tibits offers a buffet, where you can choose yourself, and one pays at the counter (where you also get your drinks). Price is per weight of food on your plate. The buffet was quite varied, and the vegan options are clearly labelled (seemed that most of the buffet was vegan). Lots of choice! There’s also a buffet with several vegan desserts. We had a vegan raspberry pie and a chocolate and pear cake. Delicious! I don’t remember the exact prices, but it was somewhat on the expensive side though (it is the city centre of London afterall). There was a relaxed atmosphere, with plenty of space inside the restaurant. Not crammed together like we have encountered at many other London restaurants. There’s also a nice veranda room at the back, which is bright …
restaurant review #197 – Wulf & Lamb is a vegan restaurant in the city center of London. It is located south of Hyde park, about a 10 minute walk south from shopping gigant Harrods and west from Buckingham Palace (just mentionning these as a geographical reference, not as an endorsement of any kind 😉 ). We went here twice during our trip to London a couple of months ago (Spring 2018). There are only a handfull of places downstairs (some tables, and a bar-like area with higher chairs). There’s also an upstairs area, but that was not accessible (did not see an elevator, only stairs). The interior is bright and stylish, very modern and everything seemed new. The menu is noted on the large boards above the counter. When we arrived for lunch the first time, the breakfast menu was still up, but was soon changed into the lunch menu. One goes up to the counter to place an order, pays at the counter, and then the food is served at your table. So much …
restaurant review #185 – Black Cat is a vegan cafe in Hackney, on the East side of London. It is a workers cooperative. We visited Black Cat Cafe a couple of weeks ago (end of March 2018). We arrived at bit before lunch time, and the breakfast menu was still available. We were told we would have to wait a little bit for the lunch menu, which was no problem. About 10 minutes later, the chalk board was erased, and the lunch menu was written on it. We ordered the ‘beef style burger’ burger, with chunky chips salad (£8,50) and the lentil and sausage casserole, with mashed potatoes (£8,5). And lemonades to drink (no alcohol served). The food was good and both dishes were very large portions. We were too stuffed for desserts, although there were some nice looking cakes at the counter. Black Cat cafe seemed mostly frequented by locals (not many tourists, like us). Some working on their laptops, but there were also ‘laptop free tables’ (indicated on the tables) for those wishing to …
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 …
The Bruges Vegan 