This bakery is the stuff of dreams with its sensationally crispy pastry. It’s not an exaggeration to say that FREA Bakery is now our main incentive for visiting Berlin. The vegan pastry scene is now actually very good in Prague, but I believe that FREA Bakery is in a league of its own.
The star of the show is this cardamom croissant – look at that lamination! The fun shaping makes it easy to pull apart and gives it lots of fun, crispy egdes which contrast beautifully with the fluffy insides. The flavour of cardamom is quite delicate. The texture is simply sensational.
This beautiful concoction is a spandauer – essentially a pastry cup filled with sweet custard. It suffers from the classic problem with this kind of dish, that the custard is a bit too wet and makes parts of the pastry a bit soggy. I wish it was a bit more set. But still, it’s delicious!
Dr HH tried the marzipan twist which I was worried would be a bit too heavy and almondy, but was actually perfectly balanced. Again, the texture was spot on.
And here’s a throwback to our first visit in 2022, when the cardamom croissant looked a little less refined but was no less delicious. As well as the spandauer, we also got a chocolate hazelnut croissant on that visit, which was also really decadent and delightful.
Unfortunately I don’t think this spot takes reservations, so on both of our visits we’ve got there early and hoped for the best. You can get takeaway as well if you don’t want to risk it, but there is quite a bit of seating, particularly when the weather is good enough to sit outside. This place has become the first place on our Berlin itineraries now, and I’m already counting down to my next visit!
As we were leaving Italy after our trip to the Cinque Terre, we needed to grab a very quick lunch close to Milano Centrale train station. Fortunately, we found the ideal spot in Giardi, an all vegan fast food place just a few minutes’ walk away.
Dr HH tried the enticingly named oh my sandwich, which was a toasted chicken sandwich. Unfortunately the toasting was a bit too much and the bread was slightly burned. The sandwich was quite light on mushrooms, so it was lacking in that flavour, and he could barely taste the mustard either. Fortunately the chicken was good, and he enjoyed the roasted potato chunks on the side.
The same side dish was served with my uao burger, which was a homemade patty with cheese and BBQ sauce. It was hearty, but again not really packing a big flavour punch and the bread was a bit tougher than I’d like.
We were hustling to the airport, so we got our desserts to take away. Dr HH had the walnut cake, which was tasty. The sticky sauce was needed as the sponge was a little dry, but he enjoyed the flavour.
And I had the chocolate brownie, which was topped with a sticky, fruity sauce. I don’t always love that kind of sauce, but it worked well on quite a dry cake, so no complaints here.
Service was fast, which we needed, and friendly, which we always appreciate. The portions filled us up for our flight home, so job done, and the location is perfect for travellers, but this is not a meal we’d be rushing back for in other circumstances.
The weather was pretty grim on our trip to the Cinque Terre – we went in October, which is always a bit of a gamble. There were two perfect days, one total washout, and one that was a bit grim but basically the damage was already done to the trails from the previous day’s downpour. So, we decided to take a day trip on that day instead, in the hopes that we could find some sun in a different place – and some better vegan options. Generally, it was a success.
The vegan options we found weren’t spectacular, unfortunately, but they did fill us up. We had our lunch at Jaa Nu’ Rosticceria Vegana, which is a pay-by-weight vegan deli that was doing a roaring takeaway trade. There were just a few seats at a bar, but it was primarily intended that you would piece together a box of food from the options on display (a few mains, lots of vegetabley sides) to takeaway.
This was the broccoli lasagna with a couple of sides, as ordered by Dr HH. Your immediate thought is probably that it does not look like the most appetising lasagna. Unfortunately, that was the case. It was quite dry and stodgy, with a very monotonous texture. We did enjoy the sides though – we both got fennel, cauliflower, and tempeh with vegetables. It seemed like a big oversight that there were no potato-based sides, but maybe this is what happens when you’re in southern Europe!
I got the same sides, but chose the soy ragu lasagna, which was more appetising and less dry, thankfully. It wasn’t the best lasagna I’ve ever had, but it was perfectly fine and filled me up.
Dr HH couldn’t resist getting a mini calzone as well, which turned out to be the highlight of the meal. The sun dried tomatoes gave it a lot of flavour, and we both enjoyed it.
As we were staying in to eat, the server warmed up our meals for us. She was also really helpful in explaining the dishes in English. Full marks for service, but the food was not mindblowing.
There were a few dessert options in the counter, but we decided to skip them in favour of some ice cream. We had our hearts set on Box Cream, a gelateria which had clearly labelled vegan options. They were mostly the standard options you find in Italy – dark chocolate and various fruits. But they also had almond, which is a novelty for me, so I had a scoop of that with the chocolate. It was a fun combination, the flavours were generally good and strong, and the texture was perfect, really creamy. There were a few indoors tables, which we used because we were keen for a rest, but it’s a good location for taking away and eating while meandering through the streets or towards the sea.
Ultimately, we weren’t dazzled by either the sights or the vegan options in Genoa (there were more vegan eateries that only opened for dinner, but we were just visiting during the day), but we had limited planning time. We were happy to have successfully chased some blue sky and found some vegan food that was not just a plain pizza and that we didn’t have to cook ourselves. Victory!
I first visited the Cinque Terre in July 2017, and have been back twice more since the pandemic. The scenery never gets boring – beautiful villages with colourful buildings, a shimmering blue sea, and rolling hills. Alas, the vegan scene never really gets much better either. There is not a wealth of info online about vegan options in the Cinque Terre because they really are quite sparse. You’ll find people talking about overpriced pasta pomodoro and pizza marinara, so it’s possible to get by, with a bit of planning and relatively low expectations.
Crucially, we also always take our own hiking snacks from home with us, a good supply of jerky and Clif bars. Unless you know any reliable Italian snack bars and are going to a big supermarket, this plan may serve you well too.
Manarola
If you’re going for more than one night, I’d recommend finding accommodation with a kitchen, or at least taking your own breakfast provisions. We’ve stayed in a studio apartment in Manarola on our last two visits and ate our breakfasts and dinners at home, for the most part. La Spezia is your best bet for a good supermarket close to the Cinque Terre (it’s at one end of the train line through the villages, and also has quite a few vegan options at restaurants – we’re planning to explore it more thoroughly on our next trip). But in the local Coop in Manarola we managed to find vegan breakfast cereal and oat milk (behind the counter, not out on the shelves) as well as ingredients for a pasta, vegetables, and sauce dinner, so even without exiting the five villages you can scrape by. I’m not sure what the supermarket/grocery options are like in the other villages.
Manarola is a good option to stay in because it actually has a takeaway spot called Il Discovolo with some good vegan options – lasagna, meatballs, and potentially more. However, on our last visit it was closed without any notice on the building or on social media, so it’s not totally reliable. I would assume it’s consistently open during high season though. It’s not all vegan, but vegan options are clearly listed on the menu boards and the staff can comfortably explain everything in English.
With that disappointment, and feeling hungry and tired from a day of hiking, we decided to try a nearby spot in Manarola called Il Porticciolo. Their menu is one of the few we saw that lists allergens using the EU numbering system, making it easy to deduce the vegan items (marinara pizza, fries, and salad). Alas, I had to become one of those vegans who eats cheeseless pizza on holiday; I felt very sorry for myself. Actually though, it was better than I expected! There was plenty of garlic and oregano, so it did have flavour. It was a generous size as well. At €7.50, it was half the price of the other pizzas on the menu, so it felt like good value for money, for the Cinque Terre. I wouldn’t hurry back if there were other vegan options out there – but in hungry times, it served us well.
It was a very popular spot and was turning away potential customers as it was fully booked, so if you have your heart set on it, make sure to book a table or get there right at opening time.
Also in Manarola is a little crepe and gelato shop called 5 Terre which has vegan crepes! They claim to sell vegan gelato as well, but were out of stock when we visited. The crepes are vegan by default though, and there are a few different fillings available. Dr HH and I both went for the chocolate hazelnut spread as our filling, and it was tasty. However, the crepe itself felt a bit dry and cloying, and it was a bit of a chore to get through the whole thing, unfortunately. It’s a really nice option to have (and all gluten free as well, for any interested parties), but not quite as good as it sounds.
Corniglia
Outside of Manarola, we also always like to pay a visit to Pan e Vin in Corniglia, which we first frequented back in 2017, and always pop in on our return visits. The vegan option has stayed the same, though the price has increased massively, from €4.50 to €8.50. From here on, this post is very heavy on focaccia, and this is the best of the bunch. Lovely herby bread filled with pesto and roasted vegetables – what’s not to love?
The walk from Manarola to Corniglia is quite tough, so this is always a much-needed refueling spot. There is allegedly an easy path, but it has never been open on any of our three visits, so we take the high route from Manarola up to Volastra, then along to Corniglia. It takes 2-3 hours, and starts with an absolutely brutal climb, but gets easier after that. And the views are very much worth it.
Even in October, it’s always appropriate to have gelato! There are lots of vegan gelato options in Corniglia, but somehow we always end up at Gelateria Corniglia, which has a few more exciting versions of the standard dark chocolate and fruit vegan options that you find in Italy. The top picture is chocolate and forest fruits, which pair together well. The bottom one is basil lemon and strawberry, which was zesty and refreshing.
Vernazza
Again due to path closures, on our second day we found ourselves taking the high route, this time from Vernazza to Monterosso. They are absolutely not lying when they call it a high route – again, it’s a big tough climb at the start, and our calves were killing us the next day.
We weren’t sure where to eat in Vernazza. There is one place to get a vegan sandwich, which we tried in 2017, but we thought it a bit overpriced. So this time we just popped into one of the main bakeries along the main drag for another precious hit of oil, salt, and bread. We went into La Focacceria da Paolo 1996 and tried some farinata, which I believe is inherently vegan – it’s kind of a pancake made from chickpea flour. It’s a bit dry, and I wouldn’t make a habit of eating it, but it’s fun to try when you’re in this area.
We also got some olive and rosemary focaccia, which weren’t labelled vegan but we assumed they would be from the toppings. They were both flavoursome and filling, and kept us going.
Bonassola
One day of our trip was absolutely pouring down, so we decided to venture slightly out of the five main villages for an undercover walk taking us through Bonassola, which would not otherwise have been on our radar but did have a convenient Happy Cow listing.
We eyed up a spot to grab a bit of bread at Focacceria Cinzia in Bonassola. There was nothing labelled vegan, so we went for a plain slice and it was suitably salty, oily, and tasty. There were some stools at the bar so we could also have a little sit indoors, rather than risk our precious bread getting soggy in the outdoors.
The walk goes from Levanto through Bonassola and on to Framura – and we walked the return leg as well, though you would be able to get the train back. It is largely comprised of old train tunnels that have been repurposed into bike and footpaths (with clear bike lanes, so don’t worry about getting run down). We were happy to stretch our legs despite the rain, but we’d hoped that there would be more openings in the tunnels so we could see more of the stormy sea as we went. But still, it was better than nothing, and there are some small stretches between tunnels when you can enjoy the views. I would heartily recommend this route if it’s an unsuitable day to be up on the hills.
So, my general top tips for visiting Cinque Terre are to lower your expectations in order to enjoy cheeseless pizza, and book self-catering accommodation so you can cook food you do want to eat. Usually I wouldn’t spend a few days in a place without good vegan options, but the trails and views here are so spectacular I really don’t mind the inconvenience. Just look at that sea!
The whole time I’ve lived in Prague I’ve found it to be great for all-vegan restaurants, but quite poor for vegan options at non-vegan eateries. Alas, that is still generally true, but the situation is slowly improving, and this is one of the places that is really excelling. Chi Xiao Mian is a noodle restaurant which serves meat but has well-labelled vegan options, which are very tasty to boot. I hadn’t really heard anything about it when I was first persuaded to visit, and it only had one review on Happy Cow so I wasn’t too optimistic, but I’m very glad I gave it a chance and I’ve been recommending it to everyone since then!
On our first visit we ordered some veggie pockets, which are steamed dumplings. The texture was good and they were certainly hot enough, but the filling felt a wee bit underseasoned. It wasn’t too worrying though, because the main dish was firing on all cylinders.
The veggie mian is absolutely sublime. The broth is really flavoursome and hearty – it’s not very spicy, but there’s some chilli oil on top which gives it a kind of growing heat. The broth is absolutely packed with noodles. It’s a really generous portion and filling dish, so for me the dumplings are not a necessary side or starter. The best thing about this dish is that there are lots of good toppings and not a lot of those that I consider to be filler (sweetcorn, bean sprouts). There’s plenty of tofu puffs, which are a spongy delight, and a good supply of mushrooms, with just a smattering of beansprouts and a bit of chopped bak choy. It’s hearty, well-seasoned, and just really delicious.
Dr HH has also ordered from the specials menu once, trying this aubergine mian. It seemed like the same broth but with the most tender aubergine imaginable instead of the tofu puffs. He was dazzled by the aubergine, except that it was tepid, in contrast with the rest of the dish, which was a shame.
If you want to visit this place, make sure you book a table! It has been packed every time I’ve visited. The tables are a bit close together as well, so there’s not always a lot of privacy from other diners. The menu is in Czech and English, and the staff speak both languages as well, so you shouldn’t struggle to navigate it.
Chi Xiao Mian has quickly become one of my favourite spots in Prague, so definitely give it a try if you’re in the city and a fan of noodle soups!
Whenever I go back to the UK for a visit, I have two food priorities: at least one sausage roll from Greggs, and an afternoon tea. Last summer we tried the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed afternoon tea at One Aldwych in London. They have a separate vegan menu online, which is important because I like to make sure it’s not just going to be hummus sandwiches and a fruit plate. This one looked like it should deliver.
The savoury plate was not super exciting, which probably isn’t surprising given that the theme is a chocolate factory. We received five savouries each (and were offered refills, but let’s not be silly here), and I’ll go through them from left to right. The bright pink macaron was beetroot flavoured. I loved the texture, but not the taste – it was too sweet for me for a savoury plate. Dr HH and Mother HH both loved it though. Next was a mushroom toastie, which was meaty and melty, but unfortunately a bit cold. This was most likely our fault for not eating it right away, though.
The middle sandwich on brown bread was coronation cauliflower, which left us all bit underwhelmed. The seasoning was a bit too mild, I’d have liked it to pack more of a punch. The spinach and hummus roll was really elevated by the chutney on top – we’d been expecting this to be a bit of a boring, lazy option, but it was one of the favourites in the end. And the final one was the standard cucumber and cream cheese, which is never going to set the world on fire but you can understand why they’d want to include it for the purists.
Even with the expected focus on the sweet rounds, it would have been nice to see a bit more creativity here. Give us some pastry!
There was a bit more of a twist when we were served the scones. The scones themselves were pretty standard, one plain and one raisin each. They were quite small, which was perfect for a big meal, and nicely baked. We got a pot of chocolate ganache, which was too decadent for my companions, but I enjoyed it in moderation – you definitely didn’t need to ladle it on. Then there was a pineapple cream, which looked a bit split and unappetising in the pot but was actually really good. It was quite mildly flavoured and went nicely with the “snozberry” jam. While this sounded exciting, it was just strawberry. Still, there was a bit of a twist on the classic scone course, so we were on board.
Then came the desserts, the real showcase of the meal! I’ll go through them from left to right again. It seemed like the bubblegum candy floss was popular with the younger diners in the room, but quite unnecessary for us – we just tried a bit and moved on to the good stuff. There was a little chocolate milkshake, which had the texture of chocolate milk rather than a shake. That wasn’t really a problem considering the size of the meal, but still, it’s nice to get accurate terminology. And then there was another macaron, this time strawberry flavoured with a chocolate disc on top. This was my favourite of the sweets, though Mother HH and Dr HH preferred the savoury macaron. The chocolate on top was really fun though, it elevated the texture.
The shot glass contained a panna cotta, some passionfruit, and chocolate ganache. All the elements were nice, but we weren’t convinced that it was a cohesive dish – the ganache didn’t really go with the other two layers for me. The little lemon cake had a fantastic light sponge and was lovely and refreshing, though there was a bit too much cream. I skipped the final dessert, which entailed three beans: tonka, coffee, and jelly bean (I hate coffee, which was the dominant flavour). According to my family, it was flavoursome and quite different from anything they’d had before, which is nice.
Our general feeling was that the whole affair was a bit style over substance, which is the risk you take with a themed aftenroon tea, I suppose. Nothing was so amazing that we’ll reminisce about it for years to come, but everything was tasty and it was well balanced. The theme wasn’t as coherent and impressive as it was for me when we went for a science afternoon tea in London a few years ago, but there were some nice touches in the décor and it was very family friendly.
One of my top targets on our summer 2023 trip to London was Jam Delish, which is an all vegan Caribbean restaurant. I’m a big fan of the British MasterChef series, and it’s extremely common to see contestants preparing the Caribbean dishes of their family heritage, and I’m always jealous that I don’t have anywhere to try veganised versions of what they’re cooking (you may not be surprised to learn that there is no vegan Caribbean scene in Prague). The judges’ key criticism of the Caribbean dishes they’re served is that they’re lacking refinement (yawn!), and this year they finally had a contestant who plated up his Jamaican dishes like fancy modern French cuisine, and the judges’ minds were blown (at least temporarily – they quickly reverted to type). Jam Delish has similar fine dining presentation, so this was a welcome opportunity to try fancy Caribbean food.
The menu was extremely tempting and I agonised for weeks over what to order. I was saving myself for dessert and Mother HH wasn’t too hungry, so only Dr HH got a starter. The menu was so tempting that it was a shame to deny myself…but considering the dessert I got later, I can safely say I made the right choice. Dr HH ordered the saltfish tostones, and thought they were a great start to the meal. The fish had a really great texture which seemed similar to tofu but was actually fibrous and fishy. There was a nice warmth from the spicy mayo. The fish was served on a double fried plantain cracker, which also had a good texture. It was a promising start!
Mother HH ordered the curry prawns, as she’s had some good experiences with vegan prawns. She was a fan! There was a lot of warmth in the curry, but it was not too fiery and there was a bit of sweetness from coconut. She was impressed with the texture of the prawns as well, though the flavour was not really there, perhaps overpowered by the curry. She also loved the cooking of the rice and peas, and enjoyed the plantain (which she’d never had before) and tender stem broccoli, which kept a bit of bite. She declared it a flavoursome and enjoyable dish!
Dr HH went for the curry goat, as it’s something we see quite a lot of on MasterChef and never on menus in Prague. It was served with well seasoned rice and peas, and some slices of fried plantain which he thought added a fun flavour and texture. In the bowlful of curry, he was a little underwhelmed by the goat, which had a pleasant, fake meat texture but was not really different from any other fake meats we’ve had. Still, it was nice, and the curry flavours were good and spicy, with welcome chunks of potato.
And I ordered the callallo and codfish. I really loved the fish (on the right of the picture). Much like the starter, it had a good fishy taste and texture, and was a real standout, especially after a disappointing fish and chips earlier in our holiday. The rice was nicely seasoned. The peppers were in a really flavoursome sauce, which seemed notably different from the Indian, Thai, or Japanese curries I eat quite regularly (closest to Japanese). The cassava herb dumplings (which are the bigger greyish chunks you see above) were a fun addition for texture. They were quite chewy and rubbery, a bit like a kidney or chestnut. This dish was different from anything else I’ve had before, and I really enjoyed it. That fish lives on in my memory!
And finally, Dr HH and I both ordered the spicy ginger cake. It was everything I’d hoped for: sticky, sweet, spicy, and sharp. It was really well balanced. The ginger sponge itself seemed really decadent, but it felt really light at the same time. It was served with raspberries for sharpness and pistachios for a welcome crunch. The custard was really fun, it had a nice plantain flavour. The scoop of ice cream was unexpected, as it was not listed on the menu, and the dessert probably didn’t need ice cream as well as custard, but why not, eh? All in all, it was a really fun dessert.
This was a really fun meal, and everything was beautifully seasoned and well cooked. Service was great too, and I definitely hope to return one day!
Indian restaurants serving breakfast seems like something that should be happening more, but I don’t know a lot of places that are doing it – though Dishoom is definitely one of them. I went a few years ago to the branch in Manchester, and last summer visited one of the several London branches. Both branches I’ve dined at have been in properly spectacular buildings, which adds a layer of specialness to a visit.
Dr HH ordered the vegan Bombay, which is a fusion big breakfast plate. He got not one but two sausages (always a treat), which were pleasant in texture and taste, very savoury and meaty. The black pudding was unfortunately a bit mild in flavour and needed a bit more frying to achieve crispy perfection. The tofu scramble was a winner. It didn’t have an eggy flavour but it was nicely seasoned had a good texture, after the sloppy variety we’d recently had elsewhere in London. The beans were pretty standard but not as sweet as the tinned supermarket variety, and there was a welcome addition of coriander. While the white buns were toasted and fluffy, he couldn’t help but lament not having a naan. As always, there was a fairly dull grilled tomato. And alarmingly, he only got three slices of mushroom, which he enjoyed for the quality if not quantity. We had a few different cooked breakfasts on our trip back to the UK, and this was the winner for Dr HH, finally delivering the full cooked breakfast he’d craved.
I also got the breakfast I’d craved: this vegan sausage naan roll. I tried it once before at the Dishoom in Manchester and have yearned for it ever since. The bread was lovely and thin, but not crispy (it can be a fine line sometimes). The sausages were really nicely seasoned, and there was a good relish for a bit of sweetness and spiciness. It was a well balanced breakfast sandwich!
Another thing I love about Dishoom is that they do free refills on the chai – both the house variety and the chocolate (and you can have both with oat milk). Finding the perfect chai is quite the challenge: in Prague they tend to be quite mild and in the UK I find them unbearably sweet, but this one was pleasantly spiced so I could feel it in my throat. Perfection!
Dr HH and I had sensational big cooked breakfasts at The Breakfast Club once before, but I can’t find any photographic evidence of it. But I remember it being bigger and better than the one we received this summer. The whole place felt just slightly off since our previous visit. There are multiple branches of The Breakfast Club around the city and the one we were at on Berwick Street certainly put the “club” into the name. Even at 8:30am, the lights were so dim we had to use the torches on our phones to read the menu and the music was extremely loud. When I compared the terrible lighting evidenced in my photographs to other reviewers’ images on Happy Cow, it seems like I was in the minority with club lighting, so maybe it was just a fluke.
Anyway, the food was pretty good – I had the set veggie #2, which is basically the full English (pictured above). It only had one hash brown, which felt a bit stingy, especially when there were so many cherry tomatoes, which were wholly unremarkable for me. The mushrooms were well seasoned and it was a decent portion of those, which is always good news. The tofu scramble was very wet and bland, and a bit unpleasant, unfortunately. However, the spicy, homemade beans were good, the bacon was crispy and savoury, and the sausages were very meaty and delicious, the real highlight. No toast with this dish seems like an oversight, but it was still a decent breakfast.
And this is a blurry picture of the All American breakfast, which Dr HH tried. It shared some of the same elements as the English version (bacon, sausage, scramble – though his scramble was cold), along with some potato chunks and pancakes. The pancakes were good, and the potatoes were the highlight, very crispy and nicely seasoned. This dish combines sweet and savoury, so it’s not for everyone (and certainly not for me), but Dr HH was pretty pleased with it.
It was not quite the glorious return to The Breakfast Club that we were hoping for – the good parts were very good, but there were a couple of disappointments, the club-like atmosphere included!
Continuing with a trip to London in summer 2023 – when I spotted a fish and chip shop with vegan options close to our hotel, I was delighted. We were staying close to Hyde Park, an area I’d not stayed in before, and there weren’t loads of all vegan eateries nearby. The reviews for this place were a bit mixed (mostly issues with how oily the vegan fish is, which was not enough to put me off), but I was determined to give it a try anyway. Over the last year I discovered a sensational fish and chip place in Manchester, which has filled me with optimism for other chippies across the country. Alas, it was not to be.
The chips were perfectly good – fried in vegetable oil and served unseasoned, so you can control the salt and vinegar for yourself at the table. No complaints about these.
The fish, however, was very disappointing. The fishy contents were wrapped in seaweed before being battered, but there was no salty sea taste. That was probably because banana blossom was not the main ingredient of the fish – the blossom was quite scanty and was supplemented with a bit of either leek or artichoke and a lot of yellow pepper.
I picked out the yellow pepper from the final third of my fish (seen above), and it was plentiful. There was hardly anything else left inside the batter, just a small amount of banana blossom. For me, yellow pepper has nothing in common with fish in terms of either taste or texture, so this was a really baffling and disappointing addition. Battered banana blossom mimics the texture of fish quite well for me, and with its irregular shape it even looks the part. Whatever was going on with this was very strange.
Unfortunately, I would not go back to this place – there’s definitely better vegan fish and chips options out there, and the real fish was reportedly nothing to rave about either, according to omnivorous Mother HH. It might be a bit of a tourist trap. It was worth a try though, and I’m still always on the look out for a proper good chippie.
Herbivores' Heaven 