A veggie food connoisseur in London

As a vegetarian in Paris i have to say you did pre...

2012-05-06T16:55:45.041+01:00

As a vegetarian in Paris i have to say you did pretty well with the bill! Almost all vegetarian/ vegan restaurants are "bio" (organic) and it's used as an excuse to double prices. It wouldn't be so terrible if the food was good but compared to london the dishes are often uninspiring and i find myself going to standard restaurants and convincing chefs to whip something up (always a success although it means spending ten minutes explaining the problems with some cheeses, chicken stock, fish sauce etc.) That being said i've recently found the ONLY vegetarian place that even my meat loving friends adore Chez Charbel in the 16th, it's tiny and always full but well worth booking in advance.
I miss eating out in England!! I even miss Quorn!

Hi There, I just wanted you to know that I just st...

2012-02-03T17:31:28.433Z

Hi There, I just wanted you to know that I just started an Indian social club called 'Real Indian Connections in India' on meetup.com and your reviews and blog will be very useful for picking food places for the group! thank you!

Love your blog! Please write more reviews on resta...

2011-10-03T19:26:26.303+01:00

Love your blog! Please write more reviews on restaurants in France and India.

Your ardent fan,
Kriti :)

I have eaten at Shayona Restaurant about 4 times i...

2011-07-11T13:29:43.934+01:00

I have eaten at Shayona Restaurant about 4 times in total now and only have good words to say for it!

Food: There is a broad range of items from all over India so it is best to go in a group and share a couple of different dishes. For starters I especially enjoy 'Crispy Kumbh' - a paneer-stuffed, deep-fried mushroom dish. Some of the mains I have enjoyed include Paneer Butter Masala, Veg Jalfrezi and Navratna Korma. It's worth trying the desserts if you're able to spend a tad more.

Service: The service has consistently improved. The restaurant has a good number of staff so that you do not have to wait long to order or ask for something. The food was served impressively quick.

Ambience: The interior design of the restaurant is beautiful. The seats and tables are comfortable. There are some comfy sofas towards the back of the restaurant too!

Price: I do not eat out often so the price is high for me (nevertheless, it is definitely worth it once in a while). But compared to other restaurants of a similar standard, I believe Shayona is cheap. You can easily be filled up for £10 per person.

I wondered if you'd ever visited the Freightli...

2011-05-06T11:25:01.866+01:00

I wondered if you'd ever visited the Freightliners City Farm, which is just off Liverpool Road in Islington. Up the Holloway end though. They have a lovely little vegetarian cafe that is a superb spot for lunch, and other than the odd mum and child, it's pretty quiet.

It was the first spot that I'd ever had a Camargue rice salad. Huge portions too.

Interesting blog. It would be great if you can pro...

2011-03-14T09:33:24.400Z

Interesting blog. It would be great if you can provide more details about it. Thanks you.

Hot Food Bars

I agree with above posts, please go back & try...

2011-01-16T13:42:38.900Z

I agree with above posts, please go back & try the eve menu, their special fried rice is my my favourite meal in London, my favourite place, & even tho i'm in the sw I still make the effort to visit as its so good xx

most kitchens will "cascade" their oil m...

2010-11-05T08:37:35.481Z

most kitchens will "cascade" their oil meaning they have one fryer that is for chips/potato and vegetables, this oil is usually at a higher temperature 180-190 degrees c. once this oil starts to colour (after a day or two in a busy place) the oil is transfered to the other fryer.. which is set at a lower temperature (170ish) and is used for cooking meats and fish, it gives a better colour for the food and makes the oil last longer as it is at a lower heat.

thsi is the simple way of ensuring no cross contamination.

i know this reply is to something over a year old, but i found this page, so others will too..

None other can beat, simple, well priced, well pre...

2010-10-17T15:07:00.296+01:00

None other can beat, simple, well priced, well presented, well served. Tasted great. Fantastic place to hide away from the credit crunch. Chilli Mogo was exceptional. And on top of everything is that even though they dont use garlic or onion ( sutiable for Jains and Swaminarayan Sampraday followers) still the food tastes tasty and awesome.

I have visted here on so many occassions and have ...

2010-10-13T19:52:48.105+01:00

I have visted here on so many occassions and have always found the food to be excellent and flavoursome. We bring our two children and feel completely looked after by the staff. On the rare occasions that my husband and I have visited without the children, the staff always ask where they are and if they are ok. The staff are always friendly and courteous.

The food: where do I start? We actually travel up here from South Oxfordshire- just for the food. It's great to have free run on a menu without having to scan it's suitability. The Shayona mince curry (all veggie) is totally fab, it's my 8 year old's favourite. It has just the right amount of spice.

Don't take my word for it- try it, friends of ours did and now they say they can't eat Indian anywhere else!

Appalling customer service, awful waiting staff, m...

2010-09-28T00:42:03.287+01:00

Appalling customer service, awful waiting staff, manager with an attitude, and a demand to pay a 12.5% service charge!! I will never go again!

IS VERY GOOD..............................

I am so glad I'm not alon in thinking this is ...

2010-08-04T18:18:54.655+01:00

I am so glad I'm not alon in thinking this is the type of vegetarian restaurant that gives vegetariamism a bad name. I completely agree with the review above as i had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago (25 Sept 2010). The food was tasteless, visually off-putting and reminded me of gruel in its colour (brown or grey) and consistency (sludge). I had a plate of tofu and vegetables on the same plate as a salad swimming in a watery brown tasteless 'gravy'. I was not offered bread and I was not impressed by the arrogance of the staff. I cannot believe that this restaurant has managed to last since 1978 but, having said that, it is certainly a throw back to the gloop we used to get served up as veggie in those days. I can't believe the lack of colour and taste and sheer lack of imagination in these dishes. It was gruesome.
Wendy Jackson

I live near liverpool and there is nothing like th...

2010-06-07T20:15:34.232+01:00

I live near liverpool and there is nothing like this restaurant anywhere in the north west. the food is fabulous. Described as low fat and healthy; i don't know if i could agree with this as a lot of it is deep fried. It is however the BEST vegan chinese food I've had in europe. there are a lot of these temple food style restaurants in Asutralia and SE Asia. This is the only one i know of in the UK. i just wish they could deliver to liverpool!! Try the crispy 'duck' pancakes - my meat eating hubbie can't tell the difference between this and the meat version!

I really liked the decor inside actually, especial...

2010-04-29T13:01:18.177+01:00

I really liked the decor inside actually, especially the lamps and the minimalism although I thought they put the tables a little too close together. We had two pastas when we were there and I think the pasta is probably the best showcase of his work. I got the tagliatelle vegan style and I asked the waiter two times to make sure it was vegan because it was so incredibly rich. The best vegan cream sauce I've ever had. We also had the cheesecake for dessert which was way better than Saf's or the often raved about Green Note's. I also heard the tiramisu there was to die for.

This is my favourite restaurant-you should try the...

2010-03-12T01:36:35.587Z

This is my favourite restaurant-you should try the evening menu. The buffet does not even compare to the a la carte stuff! Portion sizes are more than enough so it's great value for money!

blimey! isnt it easier just to eat meat?

2010-01-04T14:51:57.975Z

blimey! isnt it easier just to eat meat?

Hi, I dont know if you have been there recently. ...

2009-12-12T22:52:39.941Z

Hi,

I dont know if you have been there recently. We found the service was appauling. The staff was rude. We have a one year toddler and moment my wife took some lunch out for her at the resturant one of the service staff pounced on us yelling no, no outside food even without asking us first who is it for.

I had to explain him twice that it is salt and sugar free home made baby food before he backed off.

Food is ok but I honestly wish they get some decent service staff.

I had a really bad experience there a few years ag...

2009-12-07T17:24:22.836Z

I had a really bad experience there a few years ago as well! And more recently, at their sister resto on Ile St Louis.... both gaive vegetarian restaurants a really bad name!

I think manna is fantastic. Really upbeat staff, i...

2009-12-06T19:05:26.037Z

I think manna is fantastic. Really upbeat staff, imaginative menu(which is now mostly vegan, yeah!) to die for deserts..interesting flavours/textures, all tasting really fresh and leaving me feeling full but perky. One of my favourite veggie restaurants.

really good value food, all freshly made. spring r...

2009-12-06T18:59:46.816Z

really good value food, all freshly made. spring rolls, dumplings, tofu dishes, fragant aubergine all delicious, i have to disagree with the above comment as i really love the vegetabble curry. I am a vegan, and havent tried the mock meat dishes. i regularly order takeaways from them, as its fun and filling, healthy food, made by lovely people.

This is a great blog and very helpful to me as a r...

2009-11-15T09:47:23.763Z

This is a great blog and very helpful to me as a restaurant owner who wants to provide the best with the best intentions. We don't always get it right and we want feedback! We also want to talk to you and meet you so don't be shy. You can contact us directly through our site or on facebook or twitter, but I prefer blogs and are starting our own, on our site. I hope it can be as good as this one. Thank you 'fussy veggie'. Roger owner/partner manna restaurant, primrose hill, London

Thanks for your very fair and delightful review. ...

2009-11-11T13:18:45.779Z

Thanks for your very fair and delightful review. We should have done better, but I am glad you like us. Let me know (email the restaurant) next time you're coming in, I'll buy you a drink... if that's not a bribe (not intended). Some exciting seasonal menus coming up. Thanks again, Roger (owner)

As a vegetarian who works in Brighton, I have had ...

2009-10-20T19:08:02.994+01:00

As a vegetarian who works in Brighton, I have had this venue recommended to me by a colleague but still not visited. I'm afraid that having read this review I am not at all eager to go there. If I don't know what the dishes include and I have to ask the staff, then they are not seeling it to me. Sounds like the chef is on a bit of an ego trip.

Thanks for the reviews, it's good to get a mor...

2009-10-19T15:52:28.370+01:00

Thanks for the reviews, it's good to get a more in-depth look at options than the average length of those on Happy Cow (useful though that is!). When I'm next in London I will try somewhere new based on one of your recommendations!

If you ever venture up Leicester way I can particularly recommend Shivalli on Welford Road for South Indian food, the lunchtime buffet is particularly good value, with fresh, well cooked ingredients, but it's a nice place to go in the evenings as well.