Vegan Pancakes: The London Review
With Pancake Day just around the corner, I wanted to share some of London’s offerings for vegan pancakes. In recent years, vegan pancakes have started to become more readily available across the capital. I visited six eateries across London to find the best stack!
My Old Dutch
A firm favourite among non-vegan Londoners, My Old Dutch offers both savoury and sweet (and gluten-free) vegan pancakes. The savoury Vegan Volcano is their special this year, with a soy base, vegan cheese, vegan chorizo, sweetcorn, mushroom and spinach.
For me though, Pancake Day has always been about sweet pancakes, so I went for a sweet crêpe with banana baked in, plus chopped nuts, maple syrup and chocolate coconut vegan ice cream (I asked for the vanilla vegan flavour, but was given this). Peppe tried the coconut shavings with the same ice cream. These are a great option if you’re heading out with non-vegan friends and want to show them how similar vegan pancakes can taste!
These came to £24 for two - they’re a more expensive option, but we’d go back as an annual thing.
http://www.myolddutch.com/
Holborn, Chelsea, Kensington
Eggbreak
Located a stone’s throw away from Notting Hill Gate underground station, Eggbreak has managed to put together one of my favourite pancakes on this list. The rest of their menu is sparse for vegan options, so I was really surprised to hear from them when they invited me down to try their new vegan pancake for Pancake Day 2019! Their vegan banana and chocolate chip pancake is topped with vanilla coconut cream, raspberries and toasted coconut flakes. The limited release pancakes are only available for the week following Pancake Day, and absolutely shouldn’t be missed. They’re one of the most impressive vegan options I’ve tried from a non-vegan café.
http://www.eggbreak.com/
Notting Hill
OSU Coconuts
OSU Coconuts have been making my favourite vegan pancakes in London (and the world!) for years - you'll find them at markets across London, currently at Westfield Stratford (by Waitrose), and you'll also spot them in the Vegan London book.
These pancakes are fluffy, moist, fresh, completely plant-based, full of natural ingredients, and topped with all the homemade sauce, fruit and nuts you can dream of. They're the pancakes I look forward to eating most regularly because I feel great after eating them, and happy in knowing I’m supporting an ethical business that’s pushing for positive social change.
This is the banana chocolate combo, topped with small seeded bananas (that's what I mean by natural ingredients!).
https://www.instagram.com/osucoconuts
Stratford, Broadway Market (Saturday)
Crêpeaffaire
Crêpeaffaire have gone for an inclusive vegan & gluten-free option all wrapped into one, with buckwheat galettes instead of wheat-based crêpes. The buckwheat makes for a slightly crispier, more savoury flavoured base.
I've tried both the savoury and the sweet fillings previously, but went for the chocolate & strawberry this time around. The flavour is great - the sweet, melty chocolate chips and sauce are balanced by the unsweetened base.
Their vegan options are generally between £5-7 depending on fillings. They’re a slightly lighter option, which was welcome after trying so many pancakes!
https://www.crepeaffaire.com
Stratford, Spitalfields, Chiswick, Islington, Wimbledon & many more
The Breakfast Club London
The Breakfast Club have their regular-menu, American-style pancake up for grabs this Pancake Day. The Beauregarde Pancake is served with a gluten-free base with blueberry sauce and lemon compote alongside Oatly cream and maple syrup. While it’s not my favourite on this list (the pancakes were a bit dry, although I think they forgot the maple syrup, so that would probably have helped the dryness), it’s good to know there’s a vegan option when your friends decide on going to one of The Breakfast Club’s locations. The lemon compote is a nice touch and goes well with the blueberry sauce on top.
https://thebreakfastclubcafes.com/
Angel, Battersea, Canary Wharf, Hackney Wick, Soho and many more
Kalifornia Kitchen
When Kalifornia Kitchen invited me to try some of their food a couple of weeks ago, I snuck in some pancakes because it's that time of year…
Considering it's not advertised as the star of their menu, these were delicious! These are buckwheat & banana American-style pancakes with coconut yoghurt, caramelised bananas, and almond brittle The almond brittle was a really nice touch, and not something I've tried with pancakes before.
Also, they get 10/10 for service - if anyone else has been served by James at Kalifornia Kitchen, you'll agree he's the most delightful waiter ever.
I’ve heard great things about KK’s breakfast burrito, so have my eyes on that next time I visit.
https://www.kaliforniakitchen.co.uk/
Tottenham Court Rd
