World Food Cafe, near London's Covent Garden
I've complained in the past about the scarcity of vegan food in Britain, but maybe things are looking up. Literally.
World Food Cafe is located near Covent Garden in Neal's Yard, on the second floor of a building bearing a blue plaque proclaiming it the home of Monty Python—or at least where several of the shows were recorded. The short climb up a flight of stairs is worth it. World Food Cafe, the same cafe featured in two books of the same name, is a funky, friendly little place, with several vegan items on its chalkboard menu, including a couple of daily specials and at least one vegan dessert.
We ordered the West African and the Maldivian specials, then took our seats at one end of a large table overlooking Neal's Yard. It was a warm, sunny day, so the window was open. The food arrived quickly, so we turned our attention away from the activity outside and dug in.
Digging is appropriate, for both plates were piled high. My West African dish was topped with leaves and slivers of carrot and beetroot. It also had three decorative strips of banana, which only added to the exotic meld of flavors. The stew was served over brown rice, which was dry and bland. Perhaps millet, a grain grown in Africa for thousands of years, would have been a more authentic choice. Or couscous, which would have soaked up the stew much better than the dry grains of rice.
But that's a minor quibble. My daughter's Maldivian dish was Indian in
its origins, with coconut milk-based curry, sweet potatoes, potatoes, chickpeas
and the ubiquitous rice. She also ordered a fresh lime soda, which was
sparkly and tangy.
Neither of us wanted dessert, though we were assured the carrot cake was vegan. I avoid cakes in Britain unless I have a completely empty intestinal tract—nothing like a sweetened brick on a full stomach for making you wish you'd Just Said No. We could also have had one of the date balls in a jar near the till, but those didn't sound too exciting either.
Prices were reasonable, especially for London: £5.95 and £6.95 for our meals. With drinks, we got out of there for less than a twenty pound note. Not bad for good food.
World Food Cafe doesn't seem to have a website, but they do have two vegetarian cookbooks, which are available for flipping through at the restaurant. The photos were gorgeous, and really get you in the mood for enjoying a global meal.
To find World Food Cafe from the Covent Garden tube stop, walk two blocks down Neal Street and follow the signs to Neal's Yard and look up.