INDIAN VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS WORTH THE FOOD COMA

Realising things! We all do it. Especially when a pandemic punctures normality in its entirety and leaves us with a surplus of solitude. As of late, one such realisation of ours has been this: you do not need meat to have a good time. Nowhere is this more evident than at an Indian vegetarian restaurant.

Indian food is comforting in general, but Indian vegetarian food is both comforting and suitable for vegetarians (which they would contest also makes it healthier). So, while lockdown was defined by food delivery, we think it’s about time that you left the house to try the best Indian vegetarian restaurants in London.

1. RASA

@rasarestaurants

At some point, you have to stop taking photos of Rasa’s mesmerising pink facade and actually eat the food. Based in Stoke Newington, this Indian vegetarian restaurant is described – by the establishment itself but believably nonetheless – as ‘the most loved in north London’. The food here is always delicious, but securing a weekend booking means weekend specials and those tend to be our favourites – especially when the potato curry with tamarind rice is involved.

ADDRESS: 55 STOKE NEWINGTON CHURCH STREET, N16 OAR

2. INDIAN VEG

@indianveg

Well, there will be no surprises here: Indian Veg serves just that in the heart of Angel. But Indian Veg isn’t a normal Indian vegetarian restaurant as such, it’s a buffet. A buffet where you can eat as much as you like from a selection of about thirty dishes for the grand total of £7.95! Understandably, gluttony is a benevolent dictator here.

ADDRESS: 92-93 CHAPEL MARKET, N1 9EX

3. GOVINDA’S

@govindaslondon

While you probably associate Hare Krishna with singing and dancing in Central London, the movement is also known for its vegetarian food – Govinda’s in Soho wouldn’t exist without it. Founded in 1979, Govinda’s full name is in fact Govinda’s Pure Vegetarian Restaurant. Perhaps due to its ripe age, the food here is as excellent as it is affordable. We tend to choose a thali.

ADDRESS: 9 SOHO STREET, W1D 3DL

4. RANI

@raniveguk

Established in 1984, Finchley’s Rani is the oldest Gujarati (Gujarat being a state on the western coast of India) restaurant in London. To do things traditionally here, the owners recommend being served every dish – from appetisers to starters to mains to sides to desserts – simultaneously. If that sounds a bit overwhelming, there’s also a buffet where you can eat at your own pace.

ADDRESS: 7 LONG LANE, N3 2PR

5. SAGAR

sagar restaurant

If you have a particular penchant for South Indian vegetarian food and live in London, you’re in a very fortunate position: Sagar has four branches in the capital. We adore their fried lentil donuts. And everything else on the menu, for that matter.

ADDRESSes: 

157 KING STREET, W6 9JT

31 CATHERINE STREET, WC2B 5JS

57 STATION ROAD, HA2 7SR

17A PERCY STREET, W1T 1DU