Myself (omnivore) and my wife and daughter (both vegetarian) were visiting London for a weekend and after a long day enjoying all that London has to offer we were tired and in need of sustenance. We were delighted to stumble on Vanilla Black online, confirmed they had a table for us over the phone, and a short tube ride later we were at the restaurant. Outstanding food and service followed and we were particularly impressed by the artichoke starter and the baked high cross (cheese) and barley mains. We were tired and didn't stay for dessert but the G&T and glass of white were both easily equal to the food. The acoustics in the restaurant are not good (there are actually accoustic baffles on the walls which are built into the structure) so, as with some other reviewers, we found it hard to hear how some of the staff were describing the food as it arrived. The food is so good that it's a shame the description of the dishes can't be heard with perfect clarity. Also, they serve their bottled water at room temperature. I'm sure that would suit some people but we had to ask for ice. Not a great hardship. read more

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Very good vegetatian/vegan restaurant in central London. As a meat lover, I have to admit although I went for the 3 courses set lunch I was still a but peckish afterwards but all the dishes were very good especially the jerusalem artichoke dish . Defo a good place if you want veggie with attitude! read more

How much?: £30 for three courses or £24 for two courses Hidden away on a tiny cobbled street behind Holborn's bustle, Vanilla Black is a cultish vegetarian oasis more in the mould of laid back Michelin starred food emporia Arbutus than the often holier than thou High Veg of somewhere like Saf. There are no opinions shoved at you, and no ethos that you have to subscribe to, they just want to serve you good ingredients, cooked well, in a calm friendly atmosphere. That those ingredients happen to all be vegetables, seems a coincidence. This approach is unlike San Francisco's Ubuntu or New York's Dirt Candy, two other great, high end, vegetarian experiences this committed carnivore places in his top dining experiences of recent years. Both of them celebrate individual, specific veg in their dishes, with Ubuntu (where all of the food is grown within 20k of the kitchen) offering Cauliflower cooked four ways and a wonderful Carrot Gnocci and Dirt Candy (an all together grittier, East Village experience) presenting Corn, Mushroom and Pumpkin as the stars of their own dishes. I digress. One chatty server took pity on me while waiting for the Vole (once again...) The friendly staff are a contrast to their severe black uniforms but fit nicely in with the clean grey-green and white walls. When she finally arrived, we settled down in the quieter front section of the restaurant - the fact that someone called Dharma was enjoying their birthday revels in the rear section was the only hint of hippie that we saw all night - the rest of the clientele were smart, though not overly dressy and given it's location, there were more than a few suits floating through the celebratory groups. An amuse of 'fresh tomato with celery salt' was as nice a shot of Virgin Mary as I've had and a good palate cleanser. If I admit to not being overly impressed with a starter of Sweet & Sour Glazed Beetroot with Wasabi Cream it was only due to a severe food envy. This was suffered from my (single, solitary!) taste of The Vole's Puy Lentil Dhal braised in red wine and served with a potato puree, curry oil and a crunchy moorish spice mix - one of the best variants on a, quite frankly often plain, dish I've tasted. A perfectly subtle and lovely Ozzie gewurztraminer (from a little boutique producer in Clare Valley called Skillogalee if you're interested...) perfectly chimed with our mains. It was now The Vole's turn to suffer food envy. Her Asparagus and Chervil Pesto Crumpet with a leek tagliatelle was perfectly executed but my Ribblesdale cheese pudding was one of the tastiest dishes I've eaten this year. It arrived with a side of tart pineapple puree that seemed initially incongruous, but set off the creamy soft set cheese pudding perfectly. A dish of two halves, it came paired with a poached ducks egg sitting resplendent on a stout and expertly prepared smoked potato cake. The two worked together well. Too well for me to let the Vole have more than a morsel. If the deconstructed carrot cake I had to finish had a flaw, it was only in it's size. The elements all came together as expected, though the carrot 'halwa' was more of a puree. We were pretty much the last to leave at 10 and while the restaurant had been full during it's 8pm sitting, I definitely thought they could, and should, have been busier. Every now and then remember that it's not all about the steak or the burger and give Vanilla Black a go. You won't miss the meat (for a night anyway). read more

Vanilla Black - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

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This place is amazing. Although I'm not vegan/vegetarian, I can enjoy it when it's done well. This is an elegant, intimate, restaurant. I read through the menu, not understanding at all the fancy descriptions, and just picked something that had a food in it that I knew. Really, I had no idea what I ate, but boy, the food piqued my tastebuds. It was amazing. An amuse bouche came out (to our surprise) and that was great. No idea what it was. My appetizer had nuts in it. I didn't know any of the other ingredients in it. My entree had something spongy in it. I didn't know if it was a vegetable, or if it came from the sea, or if it was the chef's creation, but I liked it. And my dessert, was whipped donuts with raspberry...???...whatever that was, it was incredible though. And each dish was a piece of art. This was the most clueless meal I ever had but it was one of the most creative and extraordinary dinners. read more

Vanilla Black - Whipped doughnut, raspberry sorbet with crispy custard. - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

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Come at lunch to take advantage of their very well priced prix fixe menu. We had two courses plus a bottle of wine and it all came to £80. Great value! The highlight of the meal was the main which was a plate of well seasoned seared shiitake and king brown mushrooms on a bed of Israeli couscous, topped with battered enoki mushrooms. This was delicious! Definitely worth visiting if you want a veggie treat! read more

A vegetarian restaurant? Really? The last time I was forced into such a place was in New York where I ended up eating "nut cheese", which is actually even slightly less delicious than it sounds. None of that nonsense here - I was blown away by the food. I had what was basically mashed potato to start with, but it had cheese, caramelized onions and garlic micro leaves in it and was bowl lickingly lovely. My friends had the carrot cake with yoghurt and ginger, which was probably the most interesting starter I have had in a long time! We also tried the Brie ice cream, that just didn't do it for me - too sharp for its texture. We all had the soufflé for the main course, which was actually loads of different things on a plate - including a poached egg. It was delicious and I didn't miss the meat at all. Would I go back? Hmmm, it was great to try, but it is expensive and quite frankly, I fancy a big juicy steak.... read more

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I've been to Vanilla Black a few years back with a friend and nothing much has changed. The food is great and the service is first class. We went for the two course option, which costs £28 and a glass of wine each as we like different grapes. I can remember my friends dishes better than mine ... I think it's a form of food envy. I really need to work on that. She had puréed jacked potatoes and I had gears cheese. Both dishes were delicious and rather heavy for a starter. We also got a little extra and fresh bread before that, so we already stuffed our faces at that point! The main for me had cauliflower and more cheese, which was rather fine as well. I know ... Most people will now think: "Cauliflower. Really?", but they made it work. read more

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This is an outstanding vegetarian restaurant, proof that vegetarian food can be very creative, tasty and upscale. The location of the restaurant is odd and it took a little bit of effort to find it. The restaurant itself is quite understated and I wish there were just a little bit more character. However, what the restaurant lacks in charm, it more than makes up with delicious food. For starter, I had the Brie Ice Cream and Poached Blackberries. It was simply amazing! Needless to say the ice cream form brie brought a cool surprise and a different type of creamy texture than what you are used to when eating brie. I could eat this starter everyday! For main, I had the Roast Salsify, Jerusalem Artichokes and Iced Verbena. It was not only delicious, but satisfying. And for dessert, it was Milk Chocolate and Walnut Oil Pate with Avocado Ice Cream for me. I liked it overall, but I thought I'd love the avocado ice cream, but it didn't have as strong of a flavor as I had hoped for. The plating of each dish was beautiful and I really appreciate the effort. For such a wonderful 3-course meal, it was only 39.5 pounds, which was a bargain. They also have vegan options. Even if you are not a vegetarian, this restaurant is worthy of a visit, because the food is simply good. read more

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Gasp!! Gourmet Vegetarian food that even carnivores are satisfied by? Tasty veggie delights that your tongue will treasure for weeks to come? Vanilla Black is out-of-the-way in Chancery Lane, but only 3 mins walk from the tube - a blessing if you're bored with fighting through Soho and fancy a change. This destinational eaterie is a heavenly escape from the usual bland veggie options that I've become resigned to. What an incredibly decadent way to spend a gastronomic evening. At £24 for 2 courses, and £30 for 3 (lunch costs less), we felt ultra-satisfied and full to bursting after eating as much from the menu as possible (in the spirit of reviewing, of course). This is what we chose: after an amuse bouche, we started with the deconstructed puy lentil dahl with potato puree and curry oil, and the Black Olive and Saffron Potato with Almond Muesli and tomato paste. Mains were Hickory-Smoked Duck Egg and Caerphilly Pudding, and Parsley and Mushroom Duxelle Mille Feuille - as for dessert, Carrot Cake with Orange Sorbet and sugared coriander and the Chocolate Parfait with passion fruit sorbet and crystallised pineapple was an incredible ending. Trust me, you won't notice the lack of flesh on the plate. Oh yes, these people definitely know what they're doing - Vanilla Black used to be based in York until very recently; I ate there a year ago and fantastised about Donna and Andy bringing their place to London since that meal who knew my dream would come true? This place has only been open for 3 weeks or so (time of writing May 2008) - I'd get in quick before people start plastering Michelin stars all over it. read more

Vanilla Black - Gourmet Vegetarian Heaven... through that door - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

We ate here because two of our friends are vegetarian. We all like vegetarian, and enjoy restaurants like this. We all ordered the tasting menu with wine pairing. It was expensive, but I knew that from the reviews. Some of the plates were great and others had too little or too much going on. I think I would give it s 4, but we had two issues. It was very noisy, so the atmosphere wasn't the best. Second, I wanted more details about each plate. Half the time we had no idea what we were eating. For example, this black stuff come out under the butter with the bread. It tasted good, but no idea what it was. I saw they had an herb garden, but no idea if it was used in our food. read more

The food was all very tasty, but the plates were VERY small. Really, it was all lentils and chickpeas, and about 5 grains per plate. And everything was VERY expensive. If you want value for money, don't go there. 90 pounds for 2 people, sharing 1 dessert and we didn't order wine. So, you get the picture. The dessert was delicious, I think that saved the night. But in all, I would not come back. The service was good, and the ambience is very nice and intimate. read more

Tried three course lunch menu and love the coconut desert most. Will definitely come again. read more

Vanilla Black - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

My favorite vegan restaurant in London. The staff is very friendly. The food was the best out of the top 5 vegan restaurants we visited we went back twice the first time we did the 5 course testing menu and one better than the other! read more

This is $$$ food. Rich and expensive. And obviously they paid someone a lot of money to sit and think hard about how to make dishes pop, visually both on the menu and on the plate, as well as in your mouth. It was hard to find the place, as it is tucked away on one of those London streets that even black cabs may find hard to reach. Once we were there though, we were given quite the warm welcome. Literally. Our server offered to turn the airconditioner off because she noticed I was cold. We decided to go with the 3 course menu. The watermelon strawberry shot with the black pepper studded turkish delight as the amuse bouche was quite nice, but I would have liked more heat or acidity in it. It's fine - can't complain about free food :) For the appetizer, I chose the cold poached duck egg simply because I have never eaten it before. It was well, a funny dish. Hard to say that I liked it, but it was surely the most unique egg preparation I have eaten. Served chilled, the yolk was the consistency of lemon curd and the white was a translucent jelly. I did like the touch of mustard oil in the dish. Let me take a moment here to talk about my husband's appetizer. The brie ice cream with some hazelnut crumble and some plum chutney. That ice cream, so creamy. That sauce, so tangy, that crumble, so crumbly. Just fabulous. This is the dish I dreamed about creating but never did. As usual, my husband had better luck with me in the main course, as he greedily lapped up his fried mushroom mousse. Now that's what you call umami - that mousse was simply perfect in texture and taste. The tarragon waffles, however, I could have done without. My dish was the warm celery panna cotta with the blue cheese profiteroles. Well conceived, but at that point I was just so full from eating all these rich dishes. That wasn't going to stop me from ordering dessert though. We shared the caramelised custard (a-okay) with this beautiful, beautiful, creamy bramble ice cream. I'm not the biggest fan of ice cream in fall but this was dreamy. And creamy. If I find myself back in London - I think I will surely go back to Vanilla Black for dinner - but I'll skip lunch and wear my stretchy pants, if they will let me. read more

By far, the worst service I have experienced in London. We all wanted to have the vegetarian tasting menu, apart from our gluten intolerant friend as the veggie menu contained gluten. We were told by the manager the only way this could be accommodated was if our friend left our table and ate separately as everyone on the table had to have the vegetarian tasting menu. read more

Vanilla Black - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

Yes Yes Yes. Michelin star AND vegetarian??!! I only found out about this place thanks to fabulous friends who treated me to a fantastic birthday dinner here. Right, let's go: Ambiance: Hotxon Hotel meets Pennsylvania Shaker. Food: You could say it's a bit poncey but I like that. Very creatively designed dishes. All were served in good sized portions. I had a starter of grapefruit gel with some sort of lovely foam -- it was a perfect, exotic tasting palate cleanser. Next up, Butternut squash soup which was utterly sublime. A friend had the beetroot with soya curd and pineapple -- great textures and tastes. Seaweed and samphire potatoes : delicious, deep flavours. The beetroot and artichoke main simply swam head and shoulders about so many other similar main dishes I've had. Service: Very good. I was treated to a lovely sweet and fruity happy birthday dessert dish, and was sung to by the staff. So many times vegetarian places get short shrift. I beg you, all vegans (particularly) and vegetarians....swim on by and dip yourself into the delicious lake of unique and meat free food on offer here. read more

This place really is a little gem. For haute cuisine, one can't go wrong in checking this place out. Yes, it's vegetarian but that's not what it's all about. The clientele all seemed well-heeled, intelligent people, and I have to say my date and I fit right in ;) The flavours were incredible and I really appreciated that the portions were delicately sized, so I could try everything. I particularly enjoyed the foraged samphire and pickled potatoes - but the Ribblesdale pudding was the stand out. Apart from being just fun to say (Ribblesdale!) it was an unusual yet delicate take on a cheese souffle, served with the yummiest relish. I was chuffed anyway that my date picked a veggie restaurant, and then for it to be this impressive, was just the cherry on the cake :D read more

We got confused and actually missed a play at the National and went to Vanilla Black instead. I don't regret it whatsoever. I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years. Not vegan, admittedly, but I don't eat fish or chicken as well as the other usual suspects. So... I cried when I sat down and opened the menu. I honestly cried. I don't think I've ever opened a menu that was as creative, as promising, as filled with variety and imagination. Everything about this experience exceeded all expectations. It was fun to find... a little difficult. Thank you GPS. The service was impeccable. The food was extraordinary. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. read more

So this place was a hit and miss. Their appetisers were great. Their main course was nothing to come back for. Their desert - the Mushroom was one magnificent. I would only come back for the desert and our server ... can't recollect her name .... was fabulous. She had short hair and had started recently. Had expected much better but was a tad bit disappointed. Everything was fried in some form or another. read more

This isn't a great *vegetarian* restaurant. It's one of the best restaurants I've eaten at... Ever... (And I'm not a vegetarian). We're talking flavour combinations that shouldn't be possible - but taste delicious. Textures, temperatures, colours that are perfectly combined to have you perplexing over ever mouthful trying to work out what is going on on your tongue. One desert we shared paired espresso, sweet potato and blue cheese - separately these elements belong more on a savoury plate than a pudding but combined together... they rewrite the rule book for what does and doesn't make a desert. I've eaten here twice and it one of my favourite places in London for a more special dinner. Go for three courses, they're all pretty light and both starters and deserts are equally incredible. read more

Add a drop of Vanilla to a pinch of Black and, together with an adventurous head chef and his barrow-load of vegetables, you have yourself one of the most innovative vegetarian restaurants in London. Hidden away in a Chancery Lane corner, Vanilla Black is a haven for bored vegetarian diners who crave something more than humdrum mushroom risottos. This is exciting, playful vegetarian cuisine and I can guarantee that even the savviest of herbivores won't be able to predict the menu. Our family of five (including two vegetarian parents and two very carnivorous siblings) opted for the Vanilla Black lunch menu, most of us kicking off the feast with a wonderfully colourful potato and watercress soup decorated with tangy goats cheese croutons. The star of the starters, however, was the sweetcorn crème brulée: this little pot of creamy heaven served with fiery paprika biscuits and a homemade salsa tingled the taste buds and put me in the mood for experimental food. Next came the main course menu and it read as if it was written in another language. The adventurous foodie within me couldn't wait to give the poached duck egg dish served with ribblesdale pudding, hickory smoke potato croquette and pineapple pickle a whirl. The most explosive taste on that plate happened to be the smallest - the pineapple pickle was jam-packed with exotic flavours and to my surprise it went wonderfully with smoked potato. That's the thing about Vanilla Black: it shocks its diners with strange flavour combinations, then sits back and watches you enjoy them. It wasn't just us diners who were enthusiastic about the food. Our bubbly (vegetarian) waitress was eager to recommend her favourite dishes and she even offered us some Vanilla Black culinary secrets (top tip: baby chives really compliment spicy foods), making us feel like honorary members of the restaurant's exclusive foodie fraternity. Being a sweet-toothed kind of gal, I depend upon a good pud to polish off a meal and Vanilla Black didn't fail to deliver. Sticking to an adventurous tone, head chef Andrew Dargue has created an array of quirky desserts and, intrigued by the punctuation, I eventually settled on the lemon meringue 'pie' with a coriander purée. Sandwiched between layers of wafer-thin shortbread, the swirls of homemade lemon curd and delicately placed mini meringues were so shockingly delicious that we re-named it the laugh-out-loud lemon meringue pie. A taste of my sister's devilish sticky toffee pudding convinced me that Vanilla Black is, in fact, master of two trades: vegetables and puddings. Vanilla Black takes the burden of cooking without meat or fish and turns it into a challenge - a passion which keeps their imaginative minds ticking and helps produce fresh, funky and fashionable food. read more

When you think of vegetarian restaurants, you usually think of crunchy granola like places and at least for me first heard of a fine dining vegetarian place. I was really impressed when I first walked it as it has a nice, serene feel. I had the whipped jacket potatoes which was delicious. Whipped to perfection and the accompanying tomato syrup complimented it perfectly. For my main, I had the goats cheese and cauliflower mille feuille. It was nice but a bit on the heavy side for me. The cauliflower does help balance out the strong flavor from the goats cheese. We had the smoked paprika fudge and I didn't enjoy it very much but it was interesting mix of flavors. When I have a veggie meal, it's usually quite bland - steamed veggies, lightly seasoned tofu which I really enjoy. Your expectations of vegetarian food will completely change after trying this place. read more

I went here for a work lunch the other day and was really looking forward to it, but I don't think I'll return any time soon. The service was attentive and friendly, and the atmosphere was nice - though a bit on the cold side. The food was very well presented, but I can't say I was overwhelmed by either flavour or creativity. Ok, but nothing to rave about. Also, after two courses I definitely still felt slightly hungry. Overall, I was slightly disappointed. I should also add that they have a separate vegan menu, which has a lot fewer options than the vegetarian one. They also clearly label themselves as a vegetarian restaurant, and you should let them know in advance if you're vegan - and I must say I find it slightly bizarre in itself that they make such a fuss about veganism when in this day and age it really shouldn't be a big deal to cook delicious, creative vegan food (especially not for a vegetarian restaurant). Why they don't have vegan options available as part of the standard menu is beyond me, frankly. read more

There is nothing inherently wrong with Vanilla Black, but in a city that also plays host to The Gate, I don't know why a vegetarian would ever veer from The Gate. I found the dishes at Vanilla Black to be less inventive and less flavourful than the dishes at The Gate. I also thought that menu at Vanilla Black was leaning towards fussy. The ambiance definitely left something to be desired as well, and the layout of the place is sort of bizarre. My husband described the restaurant as feeling somewhat like a dentist's waiting room, and it definitely feels sterile and lacks a certain warmth. I realize this review is something of a comparison rather than a strict review of Vanilla Black, but it is inevitable that one would compare Vanilla Black to The Gate. In my opinion, Vanilla Black just didn't stack up. read more

An elegant restaurant that should wow anyone whether they are vegetarian or not. The service was great and each course came out at the perfect time. Some of the combinations of flavors were very surprising to me and I appreciated the creativity of the dishes. Dinner here was definitely one of the top culinary highlights of my recent trip to London (and to the greater UK for that matter). I plan on recommending it to others when they visit. read more

Very experimental menu in a modestly experimentally decorated venue. Four of us went and had the set menu (which seems to be the only option at dinner), and played pass-the-plate to try All Of The Things. The service was excellent, the food extraordinary (brie ice cream, as mentioned by another reviewer, was quite divisive in my group - I loved it though), and the ambiance pleasant. Ask what you're getting yourself in for with each dish, as it's unlikely you'll have heard of everything being served. Make no mistake, this definitely isn't a problem! Pros: good quality, interesting (no pasta or rice-based dishes!), filling. Cons: very LLP prices. Definitely one to experience and go back to in a different season, but not a weekly habit (unless you have a deep expenses account). read more

A real treat for vegetarian foodies, this place is tucked away in dead-at-the-weekend Chancery Lane, which makes it feel pleasantly secluded. Service is excellent without being at all stuffy or over-formal, and the food is superb; I loved the savoury Wensleydale cheesecake starter and can't wait to come back and try more. A perfect choice for special occasions, and yes, do take your meat-eating friends along to change their minds on vegetarianism EDIT to say that after another superb visit, I have to also compliment the Vanilla Black team on their choice of music. Where else, besides your own home, could you enjoy delicious food and wine whilst listening to Pulp, The Pixies and the Smiths!? read more

Here's the thing: I tend to get anxious if there's a meal without meat in it. Meat is BRILLIANT. Just not, it turns out, as brilliant as a meal at Vanilla Black. Ghastly earth motherish decor aside (taupe? Beige? AND grey?) it's startlingly special. Terrific staff, a knowledgeable sommelier and tip-top food. We had delicious amuse bouches (always a nice surprise) and then the most deliciously layered textures and tastes I've had in ages. We were so stuffed after starters and mains that we skipped pudding. That just doesn't happen normally. I've been trying to manhandle all my carnivorous chums along to try it out and while my suggestion has been greeted by a perfect display of synchronised outrage, I know that once I get them there, they'll see what all the fuss is about. Delicious. (And I am deducting a point for decor, it's a bit too earnest for such hummana hummana food action) read more

A very pleasant lunch, nice decor & helpful staff. Inventive cooking, nearly all of which was just right, with only a couple of 'not for me but great just the same' combos. Visually stunning food. Will have to try it a couple more times.. Reasonable wine list and we drank well. read more

Very impressive vegetarian restaurant down a bizarre little back alley in the heart of London (think Diagon Alley in Harry Potter). The service and ambience is very pleasant. Definitely 5 star. The food is very good, and, well, special to the point of being contrived. Not just posh, but poncey. So, I had roasted salsify, jerusalem artichokes and iced verbena. No real problem except that the salsify was liquidised to a green sauce, which didn't taste much of salsify to be honest. The iced verbena was frankly unnecessary. Don't get me wrong. This was impressive and very pleasant, but it felt a bit like it was trying too hard. Maybe it's because I'm a Northerner, and not a native Londoner. The other thing is that it's £30 for two courses, which feels a bit steep. So 4 stars for me. See what you think. read more

Pretentious, rude, and not tasty whatsoever. We eventually had to go searching for our bill. The chef must have a thing for lemon because it seems to be in almost every dish. read more

I had the lunch 3 dish tasting menu. I was stunned. Excellent meal. The dessert in particular stood out

I've been a 'regular' at Vanilla Black since it moved to London and it never fails to impress - whether going for a romantic dinner with a loved one, or taking a client for a relaxed lunch. The wine list is very good and matched superbly to the food on offer. The food itself is divine...in particular the deconstructed puy lentil dahl starter and the Hickory-Smoked Duck Egg and Caerphilly Pudding main. If there's one slightly duff note it's that the VB menu has hardly changed since it opened so a bit more variety wouldn't go amiss to make me keep coming back time and again. Overall perhaps the biggest compliment that can be paid to VB is that every single meat eater that has gone there with me has ended up going back! read more

Well, lawks-a-mercy, I've finally found a good restaurant in the Farringdon/Clerkenwell area! And (oh the irony) it's veggie, unlike me. After several miserable experiences (unforgivably miserable in the case of Modern Pantry) I was on the verge of giving up. I'd never heard of Vanilla Black until the arrival of a veggie mate set me searching. Boy, am I glad I found it. I completely agree with every word of the other reviews. This place does proper posh nosh. My veggie mate was in heaven and this little piggy (eater) wasn't far off. Staff were lovely, too. Criticisms? Enough with the Farrow and Ball grey already. It's dated, ubiquitous and downright depressing. However, I'm not about to deduct a star on account of the paintwork. read more

Outstanding! What a treat for vegetarians - all the dishes are inventive, beautiful and full of flavour. I especially liked the started of Grilled Carrot Cake with Sheeps Yoghurt, Ginger Carrots and Orange Oil and the main of seared Seaweed and Cabbage with Pickled Potatoes, Soda Bread Sauce, Pickled Mustard Seeds and Foraged Seaside Vegetables The desert was divine too - milk chocolate mouse with lime mirangue and bees pollen. YUM is all I can say read more

I came back to Vanilla Black three years later to try their vegan dinner menu. Last time I was here I tried their vegetarian lunch. I should say that I really enjoyed their vegan options, particularly the mushroom dish and rhubarb dessert. The wine (which is clearly labeled as vegan and non-vegan wine) was very good. Customer service was excellent and very professional. read more

I was lucky enough to be a regular at Vanilla Black at it's original restaurant in York - York's loss is now London's gain. The restaurant has lost some of it's ramshackle charm (everything matches now), and the decor is a restrained and sombre affair. However this is more than made up for by the wonderful staff and excellent food. Vanilla Black serve an adventurous and well presented vegetarian menu. Highlights include the 'Broad Bean Custard and Cheese & Onion Vinaigrette Lemon Thyme Shortbread and Leaves' and the 'Poached Duck Egg and Ribblesdale Pudding'. Both meals were packed full of absolutely wonderful flavours and textures - and the portion sizes were perfect too. I do miss the amazingly comforting 'cabbage and cheese pudding' they used to serve with a red wine sauce - perhaps that dish is not sophisticated enough for VB's new London location? Excellent value for money, great wine list, and very helpful staff. VB have got very little to improve on, and are demonstrating just how exciting vegetarian cuisine can be. read more

Wow. This was an amazing vegetarian dining experience. Well worth the expense. It was very hard to find. Our Uber driver wasn't able to take us to the door due to construction. Luckily, we were able to find it ourselves. The tasting menu was varied and unique. I would certainly go back and eat here again. read more

We both eyed the Fried Onion Broth. I love a good French Onion Soup and it's so hard to find one that isn't or doesn't taste beefy. But here we were, two vegetarians at an all-veg restaurant with numerous options, and we were both getting the same dish? I also had my doubts about how it'd go with my main, and my waitress concurred the ensemble might be too salty. That gave me the out I needed; I got the Whipped Jacket Potato instead. The Broth was nothing quite like I'd expected -- much thicker than a soup. It was good, but my little taste of it seemed very salty. The Potato was sublime. My partner's comment was, "I didn't know a potato could do that". For the main, she got the Goats Cheese and Toasted Cauliflower Mille Feuille. She said it was good overall, and the cauliflower sublime. I got the Salted and Ash Baked Celeriac and Foraged Garlic Leaf. My whole plate was brilliant. The ash did something amazing to the celeriac, and the remaining members of the ensemble held up their end of the bargain. After this we had to get dessert. She got the Peanut Butter Cheesecake and Cracked Cocoa Beans. The "cheesecake" wasn't anything like we expected in form factor -- they were little sticks. They unfurled in three distinct flavors: first a setup, the second a solid peanut butter, but the third a cleanser that left no PB taste in the mouth. Brilliant engineering, but a bit odd. The toffee sauce and banana bread were very good. I had the Iced Malt and Burnt Orange Marshmallow: a soft but spottily crunchy marshmallow with an orange infusion. My meringues were too hard: you want them to crunch a bit and then yield, but they persisted a little longer than one anticipates (though they tasted fine). The puree tasted a bit like Horlicks or Ovaltine (I can never remember which one's which), a bit on the malty side, and a lovely complement to the crunchy sugar marshmallow. A superb ensemble. Overall, my partner chose conservatively and got solid dishes; I picked the riskier options and in each case it paid off splendidly. There was potential for much greater variance in my dishes, but these folks seem to know what they're doing. I'd gladly eat the same set again, and I wouldn't trade any of my three dishes for my partner's. Despite being small servings, the food is dense and hence very filling. You won't be stopping for a Pret sandwich for the dinner after the dinner. We expected snooty service, given the price and location and concept and that we weren't dressed up, but it was very much the opposite: the staff were friendly, helpful, and seemed to know precisely when and how to glide in and out. 95 GBP for two people to have three courses and a glass of wine each + service. Totally worth it. read more

I ate at Vanilla Black with a couple of friends. The standard menu was £24 for two courses and £30 for 3. Two of us opted for 3 course and one for 2 courses and we had a bottle of wine, a couple of beers and coffee to finish and the bill came out at £126 including the 12.5% tip that apparently goes straight to the staff. I didn't check the tipping situation with the staff so I don't know if the tips go directly to the staff or it is used to help make their wages but as the law changes on this in a couple of months time in favour of the staff I'll let it go this time. Food was excellent and delicious - nice to eat interesting dishes without a meat or fish base. I had a starter of Candied Chilli Stuffed Black Olives and Lemon and Avocado Cream which was light and had some pazzaz followed by truffled potato that was okay and finished with a Lemon Meringe 'Pie' and Whipped Cream with Coriander Purée that was somewhat deconstructed - their term that meant it wasn't like ordinary Lemon Meringe 'Pie' hence the quotation marks. I'll have to work out how to do the Coriander Purée for my own deserts - a wonderful idea. The wine was a Temparinollo for £15.50 that was good and very reasonable and the coffee at the end that I don't think that they charged for. As an introduction and 'to clear our pallets' we were given a tomato juice with celery and an assortment of flavours that was very nice but I felt that the meal lacked these pallet cleansers as that was the only one that we were given - a couple more through the meal would of not gone amiss and raised the stakes on this restaurant no end. Staff were v good, none of the fussing and continual pouring of wine that is often so irritating so top marks on waiting staff. A funny little witticism to finish this review in line with most other Yelp reviews is being prepared as you read this and will be edited in later once it has been honed to perfection. PS this restaurant is just off of Chancery Lane and everybody else except my table were in suits - I was under-dressed - thank god I was not in shorts and sandals nor my motor bike gear - dress well if you decide to eat here read more