Plant-based eating has moved well beyond novelty in Hampstead — several of the neighbourhood's best restaurants now happen to do excellent vegetarian cooking, and there are two dedicated vegan options worth knowing about.
Chutneys — Drummond Street
The best vegetarian restaurant within walking distance of Hampstead is technically in Euston — but Chutneys is worth the short journey. An entirely vegetarian South Indian restaurant that has been serving its extraordinary thalis and masala dosas for over 40 years. The buffet lunch is exceptional value. No meat has ever passed through the kitchen. One of the most quietly brilliant restaurants in North London.
Woodlands — Marylebone (for the journey)
Another South Indian vegetarian option — slightly further afield but worth knowing about. The idli sambar and the Mysore masala dosa are both exceptional.
In Hampstead Itself
Benito's Hat on Hampstead High Street does an entirely vegetarian burrito that holds its own against the meat versions. The Wells on Well Walk always has two or three serious vegetarian dishes on the menu — the kitchen takes them as seriously as the meat courses. Artigiano in Belsize Park has an excellent cacio e pepe and several seasonal vegetable starters that are among the best dishes in the area, full stop.
For Groceries
The Hampstead Butcher & Providore, despite the name, stocks an excellent range of plant-based products alongside its meat counter. The Saturday farmers' market usually has one or two stalls dedicated to vegetable produce. The Whole Foods on Barnet High Street is the nearest large dedicated health food supermarket.
Coffee Shops
Virtually all of Hampstead's coffee shops now offer oat milk as a default option, and most have plant-based food options. Ginger & White has always been strong on this; Brew on South End Road has a deliberately accommodating menu.
## The all-vegetarian kitchens La Cage Imaginaire on Flask Walk has quietly run a substantial vegetarian menu for over thirty years. The cauliflower steak (around £19), the wild mushroom risotto (£17), and the winter root vegetable tarte tatin are all proper main courses, not side dishes masquerading. The dining room seats maybe forty, with the kitchen visible through a small hatch. Book for Friday and Saturday; walk in for weekday lunches. Gail's Bakery on the High Street is not exclusively vegetarian but runs the best vegan bakery in the area — sourdough, focaccia, and a rotating plant-based pastry selection. The vegan pain au chocolat is surprisingly good. ## Fully plant-based Palm Vaults opened a Hampstead branch in 2022 and does the Instagrammable end of vegan cafe food — matcha lattes, bright pink smoothie bowls, jackfruit bao. Breakfast and brunch until 3pm. Prices around £12 to £16 for a main. Better for weekend brunch than for a proper meal. The Beyond Cafe on Heath Street (small, two-year-old independent) has a short, focused vegan menu — a mushroom-and-truffle pizza, a substantial buddha bowl, a proper vegan cheeseburger. Five tables, always crowded at lunch. Takeaway through their app. ## Restaurants with strong vegetarian menus The Wells on Well Walk runs at least two vegetarian mains and usually one vegan option, and treats both as proper dishes rather than afterthoughts. The pumpkin and sage ravioli (autumn) and the beetroot Wellington (Sunday lunches) are exceptional. Mains £18 to £28. La Gaffe — a Hampstead institution at the north end of Heath Street — has an unexpectedly strong vegetarian section on its menu. The aubergine parmigiana is one of the best in London. Fixed-price lunch around £24; a la carte dinner £35 to £50. The Holly Bush pub runs a vegetarian Sunday roast with a proper nut roast and all the trimmings, £22. Book by Thursday. ## Takeaways and supermarkets Pomaio on Flask Walk does wood-fired vegetarian pizzas and closes at 10pm on weekends. Their Bianca pizza is excellent. The Nicely Lebanese Grocer (Flask Walk) stocks frozen vegetarian kibbeh and falafel — bring them home, warm through, add salad. Around £8 for a family portion. Melrose and Morgan (South End Road) runs three or four vegetarian mains in its takeaway fridge daily, rotating with the season. The mushroom and tarragon pie is the one to try. The Hampstead Farmers' Market (Saturdays, 10am to 2pm) has one or two dedicated vegetarian stalls and excellent plant-based produce from small farms. Heritage tomatoes in August, wet garlic in May, proper summer squash in July. ## Where not to bother Most of the traditional Hampstead pubs have one or two vegetarian dishes on their menus, and most of them are uninspired. The Flask, the Garden Gate, and the Spaniards all have menus weighted heavily toward the meat side; vegetarians can eat there but won't enjoy the experience as much. If you are cooking for a mixed group, the Wells and La Gaffe are the two places where both vegetarians and meat-eaters will be happy.