I really hope you guys don’t get tired of seeing all my photos from London! This particular excursion was to Neal’s Yard, a bright & colorful courtyard that you can find tucked away in Covent Garden. It was such an airy, nice little courtyard with its own micro-culture in the middle of the city. I was most excited to go here to try Wild Food Cafe, a popular vegan wholefood lunch spot with raw options, and the new 26 Grains, a pop-up turned bring & mortar shop famous for their porridge.
Our first stop was Wild Food Cafe for a yummy plant-based lunch.
To get there, we had to walk up this narrow staircase which brings you to an open restaurant with wooden shutters & community style tables looking out onto the courtyard. The whole atmosphere was really bustling and full of energy which made it fun. I wanted one of everything on the menu, but settled on the raw vegan pizza and sweet potato fries with creamy cashew aioli.
The pizza came on a dehydrated almond and butternut squash base, topped with basil pesto, tomato sauce, olives, radish, micro greens, and a nut cheese sprinkle. But I have to say the sweet potato fries won me over, especially with the cashew-based aioli dipping sauce.
We sat at the high-top bar instead of the communal tables, which I preferred because that means we got to chat with the waiters as they walked by. I basically was just gawking at the food the whole time while my boyfriend made conversation.
Of course, after seeing the countless vegan, gluten-free & refined sugar-free desserts, I had to take some to-go. I was too stuffed from my meal to have them right then and there, but I knew I’d want them later. So, I grabbed a slice of their banana bread with dates & pecans and called it a day.
They had a super selection of raw vegan cashew-based cheesecakes as well.
I was drooling over this citrus cheesecake with lime, orange & lemon and wild berry mousse cake. I was still peaking my head around the corner as we left looking at all the beautiful dishes go by. Food is art and Wild Food Cafe really nailed it. After an awesome lunch, we walked around and did a little bit of shopping. We’d already gone to all the touristy sights we wanted to see in the morning, so at this point we were just on cruise control.
We were strolling down the main street when we made it to our next stop: Lab Organic.
It’s an organic cold-pressed juice bar that I had heard good things about. I ran inside right away to see for myself!
The giant fridge stocked to the brim with rainbow colored juices & raw vegan grab-and-go food grabbed my attention right away. Sure we had just eaten, but my sweet tooth was just starting to kick in. The peanut butter cup parfait had been begging me to try it. After the staff told me how it was a store favorite, I knew I had to.
This parfait had a crunchy, chocolatey cacao base layered with creamy & smooth peanut butter and cacao nibs on top. I took one bite into it and seriously was so obsessed that Julian insisted I get another one. So of course, I did.
I’d finally hit my food quota. So we enjoyed a really long walk exploring the rest of Neal’s Yard area of London. That’s one thing I really like about London. It’s fun to just walk around because the city is so beautiful & rich in history so there’s plenty to see.
The day before we left London, I insisted we go back to Neal’s Yard so we could try 26 Grains.
As a big overnight oats & porridge person myself, I couldn’t wait to try it. They specialize in breakfast, my favorite meal of the day. Plus, I figured I had to get myself some real authentic British porridge before leaving London.
After staring at their menu for a solid 10 minutes, I finally asked what vegan & gluten-free options they recommended. They said either the vanilla bircher muesli or the banana cacao porridge, which both sounded great to me.
I decided on the banana porridge. It’s cooked in almond milk with coconut yogurt, extra shredded coconut, cacao nibs, and maple syrup on top. I felt right at home cozying up with this big bowl of delicious porridge.
If you have time to stop by this amazing dream-come-true porridge restaurant, you really should!
Trust me, not only do they have amazing food but their story is just so inspiring. I love their dedication to bringing wholesome dishes with fresh, local and seasonal produce to everyone. With wooden tables, stools, and plants decorating the open-air spot, you really feel welcomed here. And I couldn’t be more excited to have had the opportunity to go.
To anyone who lives in London, you’re so lucky to have such abundant healthy options available to you in places like Neal’s Yard. And if you’re visiting, be sure to check out my vegan food guide to London, my top 5 favorite vegan restaurants in London, and definitely stop by Camden Market.
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