Meat-Free In Soho? Here's How Tendril Is Keeping London's Vegan Restaurants On Their Toes

Being a vegetarian for the best part of 18 years, I’ve always toyed with the idea of going totally vegan. And with the demand for vegan recipes going through the roof in recent years and an explosion of plant-based parlours popping up around town, maybe now is the right time? I went to Tendril at The Sun And 13 Cantons in swinging Soho to find out more.

From the outside, the pub seems like a typical London boozer, but as my date and I were welcomed to our booth-style table in the dining area within, we noticed some cool finishing touches. Photos of rock ‘n’ roll royalty, including Debbie Harry, Sex Pistols and Mick Jagger, adorned the walls (a clever nod to Soho’s riotous past) and we loved The Ministry Of Magic-esque green-tiled surrounds. Every table was full with Saturday lunchtime munchers, and it was a joy seeing Central London so buzzy again.

Viva La Veganuary in Soho.

Tendril is the brainchild of Rishim Sachdeva, a technical and innovative head chef with senior positions at The Fat Duck and Chiltern Firehouse under his belt. We had the pleasure of meeting him during our final course, and his passion for all things plant-based stems from a deeply personal journey after trying out Veganuary himself. The waiting staff were amazing too; carefully explaining each dish on offer, and kindly left the menu behind so we can follow the courses.

Great for our bodies and for the planet, the discovery menu should be on your agenda (even after Veganuary has ended).

We opted for the hugely popular Vegan Discovery Menu (£39 per person). The Jerusalem artichoke and smoked aubergine arrived first, two colourful, Instagrammable plates destined to take pride of place on your feed. The dishes were so fresh, so delicate and wholesome without being boring. The silky-smooth aubergine, not too dissimilar to baba ghanoush, was smothered on top of the fluffy pastry and flecked with sesame seed to give the dish texture and depth.

Next on the cuisine-hopping tasting menu came the Mexican-inspired tostada and the interestingly sounding muhammara, which I later found out was the vivid-orange, almost hummousy-style sauce originating from Syria. It was paired with the beautifully herby winter squash and garnished with a fiery chilli.  

You NEED to try the crispy purple potatoes.

Then came the main dishes, and my date and I shared the roasted cauliflower and Chinatown-inspired potatoes as we couldn’t decide between the two. The creamy but crunchy cauli dish packed a real flavour punch when combined with pickled lime and black rice, and I reluctantly gave up my half. But the standout dish of the night, and ‘star plate’ according to the waiter, were the purple potatoes; a dish sticky with soy and subtly sweet, nestled on a moreish cracker.

Think you know ratatouille? Think again. This warming, comforting dish arrived next and the basil purée was sheer perfection. By this point, we were very full but made sure we made room for the beautifully charred heritage carrots, peppered with cloves of garlic, and a generous portion of quinoa.

As for pudding? I’ll be honest, I’m normally quite sceptical of vegan desserts, with the absence of all the dairy delights, but this fully plant-based chocolate cake was something else. It was moist, rich and not bitter in the slightest. The coconut and soya-based ‘cream’ was a triumph and a decadent end to our tasting session. 

The DesignMyNight Digest

Chef Rishim and Tendril are renowned for championing seasonal, locally sourced produce and taking them to the next level. That was exactly what we experienced at our visit. What was great is that none of the dishes tried to be ‘meaty’ or featured try-hard substitutions, he lets the ingredients speak for themselves, allowing the flavours to truly sing.

Hungry for more? Check out London’s best vegan restaurants here.