Whether it’s the planet, the cows or our cholesterol levels that we’re most concerned about, more and more of us are trying to shirk off the meat and cheese – but where, we ask, does that leave the cheeseburger?
Life without a succulent patty topped with a melting slice doesn’t bear thinking about, and London restaurants will be damned if they’re going to let good vegan citizens suffer such an injustice.
They’re also not going to let them get bored. When it comes to patty production, the possibilities are almost endless. In the capital, you can pick up vegan burgers made from seitan, jackfruit, oyster mushrooms, aubergines, fermented vegetables, tempeh, quinoa, beetroot and many more ingredients besides.
From fried chicken that’s not quite what it seems to the best Big Mac you’ve ever had, these are the restaurants peddling the top plant-based burgers in London.
Biff’s Jack Shack
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The food at Biff’s Jack Shack isn’t just vegan – it’s “vegan AF”. As the undisputed king of London’s deep-fried jackfruit habit, this street food stall-turned-serial residency has been sizzling the savoury fruit – with a texture akin to pulled pork – since 2016. It now serves its “wingz” and jackfruit patty burgers at its spot in BrewDog’s Dalston pub. Varieties include the spicy Samuel Hell Jackson packed with maple chipotle hot sauce, jalapenos and American “cheeze”, as well as the double-pattied Jack Bauer Tower of Power, which comes laden with a fried cheeze slice, seitan “bacun”, a hash brown and much more.
BrewDog, 33-35 Stoke Newington Road, N16 8BJ, biffsjackshack.com
Mooshies
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Whether you’re lovin’ a Big Mac or not, there is a far superior – and more environmentally friendly – alternative to be found at this Brick Lane burger bar. The What’s Your Beef? at Mooshies tops a black bean and organic quinoa patty (better than it sounds) with vegan cheese, gherkins, shredded lettuce, and the welcome addition of caramelised onions. Mooshies also cooks up a range of innovative patties for its other burgers, including spicy fried oyster mushrooms, and a panko breadcrumbed aubergine slice for its Fillet-Om-Phish.
104 Brick Lane, E1 6RL, veganburger.org
The Vurger Co.
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As one of London’s first dedicated vegan burger bars, The Vurger Co. is a veritable plant-based pioneer. Its two signature serves are full on with the veggies: the Classic constructs its patty from black beans, chargrilled red pepper, chickpeas and corn, while the Auburger (see what they did there) packs in aubergine, chickpeas, red onion and chipotle seasoning. For those looking for a little hint of meatiness, opt for the latest addition to the menu – a buffalo “chicken” burger made using spiced-up soy.
9 Avant Garde, 6 Richmix Square, Cygnet Street, E1 6LD, thevurgerco.com
Simplicity Burger
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Most of us know Temper restaurateur Neil Rankin as a man who knows his meat, but it turns out he’s pretty handy with the vegetables too. In a considerable shake-up to his oeuvre of barbecue restaurants, Rankin opened 100 per cent vegan burger bar Simplicity Burger in 2019. Its satisfyingly meaty patties are made by fermenting vegetables for eight days, before being topped with vegan cheese (made using fermented tomatoes), house sauce, pickles, or a mix of gochujang mayo and five-chilli sambal for heat seekers. If you really like your spice, the vegan Thai laab salad (with seaweed masquerading as fish sauce) is an essential side order.
202 Brick Lane, E1 6SA, simplicityburger.london
Patty & Bun
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It goes to show how far London’s vegan burger scene has come that Patty & Bun is the first restaurant on our list to actually sell meat too. The fast food favourite has long offered not one, but two stellar vegan options – the tempeh and mushroom-charged Whoopi Goldburger and the plant-based Pamela – but recently they’ve upped their game. In 2020 they introduced totally vegan versions of their three most popular burgers – the Ari Gold cheeseburger, the Hot Chic chicken burger and the Smokey Robinson – fulfilling the dreams of recent veganism converts across the capital.
Various locations, pattyandbun.co.uk
Temple of Seitan
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You’ll be pleased to know that we’re not actually directing you towards a satanic cult, rather a plant-based “chicken” shop with a devilishly clever pun over the door. Temple of Seitan makes its wings, popcorn bites and burgers using deep-fried cuts of wheat-based meat substitute seitan, and has become a cult favourite for vegan Hackney-dwellers and Camdenites. Try a classic Temple burger with ranch mayo and fake bacon, or heat things up with a spice-encrusted Nashville Hot. They’ve also recently embraced the beef side of things, serving plant-based quarter pounder patties.
N1, E9, templeofseitan.co.uk
Club Mexicana at the Spread Eagle
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What’s better than a vegan burger? An entirely vegan pub to enjoy it in, that’s what. The Spread Eagle in Homerton relaunched in 2018 as London’s first 100 per cent vegan pub, including a kitchen manned by Meriel Armitage of Club Mexicana. The plant-based Mexican concept serves the likes of jackfruit carnitas tacos, “chorizo”-loaded nachos and two drool-inducing burgers – our pick is the “Mexican-Fried Chick’n”, which tops annatto-glazed fried seitan with mustard mayo, pickled cabbage and jalapenos.
224 Homerton High Street, E9 6AS, thespreadeaglelondon.co.uk
The Full Nelson
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If you’ve gone all the way to Deptford, you might as well go big. The veggie and vegan burgers at SE8 bar and kitchen The Full Nelson are as well-stacked as the name would suggest. Its beef-style patties are made using seitan – as are the deep-fried fillets that fill up its “chicken” burgers – and come fully loaded with the likes of jalapenos, smokey cheese and “Deptford Death Sauce”. All the burgers are vegetarian, but just ask if you want yours vegan instead and they’ll swap out the dairy.
47 Deptford Broadway, SE8 4PH, thefullnelsondeptford.co.uk
Honest
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Honest does wonderful things with British beef and has long slayed the veggie burger game with its crispy courgette Fritter creation, but its recently got down with the vegans too. The Plant burger is made using a Beyond Meat patty – the impressive beef burger substitute which has gradually made it onto the menu of multiple restaurants across the capital – which is topped with vegan smoked Gouda and a chipotle-spiced “mayo”, along with sprinklings of pickles, red onion and lettuce.
Various locations, honestburgers.co.uk
Mildreds
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A bonafide legend of meat-free dining, Mildreds has been serving vegetarian fare to Londoners since 1988. More than three decades later, it has four locations in the capital and is now largely vegan in its output, including a strong line up of burgers. Skip the halloumi burger and the rest are plant-based – a candidate for the best is the Polish burger, made with a white bean and beetroot patty, pickled red cabbage, gherkins and a vegan aioli.
W1, N1, NW1, E8, mildreds.co.uk