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interesting

4 Posted on 04 / 20 / 2013

It's true that if you are vegan you'd better let them know in advance. That's what we've done both the two times we've been there, and we haven't been disappointed.
Vanilla Black is a french influenced contemporary vegetarian restaurant, and this is what you'll find here.
It's not cheap, and it's not an everyday place to go neither. But a dinner here is an experience that you wont find in any other veggie place in London.
For a special occasion, and for something really different and hight quality.

Pros: interesting and original menu, elegant , good wine list

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Definitely worth a try

4 Posted on 11 / 02 / 2012

I went here with my boyfriend last night and we both thought it was really lovely. The food seemed a bit unusual (e.g. creamed jacket potato - essentially mash for a starter), but was lovely all the same. I'd also say that some of the food was a bit too intense in flavour - but I am a bit picky!

I don't think it was quite 'our cup of tea', but as a vegetarian, I really do think it's worth going to and giving a try. Also, the staff were absolutely wonderful, I thought they were really friendly and helpful.

Pros: Friendly staff, Good selection of food, Yummy
Cons: Eccentric choices, Intense flavours

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Wonderfull

5 Posted on 09 / 07 / 2012

Took my wife here for her birthday and we both loved it. Yes its expensive and not an everyday restaurant, but couldn't recommend this place more highly.

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Amazing food, great service

5 Posted on 09 / 04 / 2012

We have been to Vanilla Black three times, and loved it each time. The food is always interesting, imaginative, and tasty. There are often unusual combinations, and ingredients. It's a fairly formal restaurant. Service is excellent. Prices are high (including drinks and service, it was just over £50 each), but we always feel that it is worth it for the quality and experience.

Pros: Great service, Imaginative food

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Worst ever place I have been

2 Posted on 06 / 01 / 2012

I visited this place with another fellow vegan and was very disappointed at the service, food selection and the price for what we had. On booking the table they did not ask if we were vegetarian or vegan and being a veggie place we assumed it meant vegan as well. On asking for vegan options we were then advised that we should have told them in advance as they may not be able to provide anything. After they discussed with their chef we were told it would be ok. However all was not OK and the food we were served was disgusting. We had a salad to start which was suggested and it contained very basic salad items that were just thrown together in a rush. After debating the mains and causing a bit of commotion as the waiter was not sure what was in we were ordering had to keeo checking with the jitchen and got a bit irate. In the end what we got was over priced vegetables presented in an attempt to look chic and sophisticated but failed on both accounts. We decided not to stay for deserts and also got a tut we we decided not to have alcohol with our food. Never again shall we visit this place and I will save the money and get some proper food next time. The worst experience I have ever had.

Pros: None, None, None
Cons: poor service, bad vegan food, very expensive

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sublime

5 Posted on 05 / 22 / 2012

We both eyed the Fried Onion Broth. I love a good French Onion Soup
and it's so hard to find one that isn't or doesn't taste beefy. But
here we were, two vegetarians at an all-veg restaurant with numerous
options, and we were both getting the same dish? I also had my doubts
about how it'd go with my main, and my waitress concurred the ensemble
might be too salty. That gave me the out I needed; I got the Whipped
Jacket Potato instead.

The Broth was nothing quite like I'd expected -- much thicker than a
soup. It was good, but my little taste of it seemed very salty.

The Potato was sublime. My partner's comment was, "I didn't know a
potato could do that".

For the main, she got the Goats Cheese and Toasted Cauliflower Mille
Feuille. She said it was good overall, and the cauliflower sublime.
I got the Salted and Ash Baked Celeriac and Foraged Garlic Leaf. My
whole plate was brilliant. The ash did something amazing to the
celeriac, and the remaining members of the ensemble held up their end
of the bargain.

After this we had to get dessert. She got the Peanut Butter
Cheesecake and Cracked Cocoa Beans. The "cheesecake" wasn't anything
like we expected in form factor -- they were little sticks. They
unfurled in three distinct flavors: first a setup, the second a solid
peanut butter, but the third a cleanser that left no PB taste in the
mouth. Brilliant engineering, but a bit odd. The toffee sauce and
banana bread were very good.

I had the Iced Malt and Burnt Orange Marshmallow: a soft but spottily
crunchy marshmallow with an orange infusion. My meringues were too
hard: you want them to crunch a bit and then yield, but they persisted
a little longer than one anticipates (though they tasted fine). The
puree tasted a bit like Horlicks or Ovaltine (I can never remember
which one's which), a bit on the malty side, and a lovely complement
to the crunchy sugar marshmallow. A superb ensemble.

My partner chose conservatively and got solid dishes; I picked the
riskier options and in each case it paid off splendidly. I'd gladly
eat the same set again, and I wouldn't trade any of my three dishes
for my partner's.

We expected snooty service, given the price and location and concept
and that we weren't dressed up, but got the opposite: the staff were
friendly, helpful, and seemed to know precisely when and how to glide
in and out.

95 GBP for two people to have three courses and a glass of wine each +
service. Totally worth it.

Pros: inventive, tasty, elegance without snobbery
Cons: expensive

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Vanilla Black

4 Posted on 02 / 09 / 2012

There are a lot of negative reviews here which do not reflect my experience of the place (I have been twice.) Yes it is expensive, but they are hardly opffering mushroom risotto and goats cheese tart here. I thought the food was delicious, and refreshingly different without being unidentifiable as the offerings of some vegetarian restaurants seem to be. The service was impeccable. I am very happy to be able to go somewhere upmarket for a change, as few of the more well-known 'posh' restaurants in London cater satisfactorily for vegetarians.

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Fit for foodies

5 Posted on 10 / 22 / 2011

I don't understand the negative reviews -- this place is fantastic! The staff is wonderful and friendly. The food is a feast for the eyes and the palate. We ordered off the vegan menu and had several wonderful choices. We made reservations in advance and mentioned we were vegan. I don't think that's too much to ask. This is the type of place that you'd make reservations at anyways. We felt very welcome and had a long and lingering dinner that was just fabulous. Will definitely return and recommend to others.

Pros: Fine dinning, Good wine list, No rush

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Sophisticated dining in a lovely restaurant

4 Posted on 09 / 10 / 2011

I think there must have been some changes since the last reviews as I was very pleased with my vegan options. They were not the same as the vegetarian ones with the veggie parts omitted but instead had additional ingredients which were all tasty and very well presented. I'm a vegan and went with an omnivore friend. We ordered the mushroom mouses both of which were rich in flavour but different to each other. My friend tasted mine and really liked it. Overall we had outstanding service, high quality food although the portions were very small. We went on a Friday evening and the restaurant was full with a lively atmosphere. The surroundings and decor were classy and sophisticated and we had a very enjoyable evening for a very reasonable price. Given the location and the style of restaurant we were surprised at how low our bill was. We would both recommend it so long as you've got a huge appetite! My recommendation to the restaurant would be to increase portion size.

Pros: high quality food, sophisticated dining for veg*ns
Cons: small portions

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Disappointing!

2 Posted on 06 / 13 / 2011

We felt the previous reviewers' criticisms concerning the decor to be unwarranted. So, too, the criticism of the restaurant's request that vegans give advance notification. Given that this restaurant is located in an area frequented by lawyers and other professionals, it makes sense that it has a formal decor and restrained ambiance. The restaurant does state on its website that they be notified if the diners want vegan options. The main problem is with the food.

We know vegetarians that love Vanilla Black and this is probably because they have a different experience eating there. On arrival we were presented a vegan evening menu. Sadly, it was a vegan menu by omission -- in that they had simply taken dishes and veganized them by omitting or substituting ingredients. The amuse-bouche of horseradish turkish delight wrapped in edible rice paper with a mint-lemon shot was unusual and tasty. The bread was flavorful as was the olive oil that accompanied it.

A starter of potato cakes with black radish slices, capers, and tomato sauce was disappointing. The potato cakes were creamy but lacked flavor. The tomato sauce that came with it was overpowering. We avoided the peculiar-sounding starter of asparagus with "salt and vinegar gel" which normally would have included feta cheese.

For mains, we had a onion tartin with purple potatoes (not dyed as a previous reviewer speculated!), parsnip crisps and wilted spinach. The portion size was small, and the dish underwhelming. The other main course of fried mushroom mousse was lacking in mushroom flavor and we didn't like the texture. It was accompanied by baby potatoes, fennel and broccoli. The restaurant had omitted the tarragon waffle that was in the vegetarian version. The vegetables were cooked appropriately.

Our disappointment was compounded when we saw that the only vegan dessert options were two granita/sorbets. As mentioned by a previous reviewer, this is an uninspired and
tired offering.

The staff was friendly and attentive.

I doubt we would eat again at Vanilla Black. London has much more interesting and vegan-friendly options available.

Pros: Elegant decor, Attentive staff, Good bread
Cons: Uninspired cuisine, Small portions

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Give it a MISS!

2 Posted on 05 / 22 / 2011

My friend booked us a table at Vanilla Black as a treat for me being veggie!

Well, what a weird restaurant! We felt like we were stuck in a movie and we're about to be abducted by cult members any second! The decor was so so odd we couldn't stop trying to figure out what it supposed to be saying! Had this horrible 80's funeral home feel to it, not that I know what that looks like.. but is about as close a description I could think of! So we figured.. it must be so as the food will stand out even more, we wait for our meal.

Well, disappointed is an understatement! Affected, pretentious, insidious food combinations. Dyed potatoes that had no flavour and just looked alien! It felt like they just made the menu up by picking ingredients from a deck of cards. Sounds harsh but we really didn't enjoy the experience at all. The salad was nice! The staff were reserved but fine. We had a complimentary shot of this turkish delight-minty-horseradishy drink.. which was the best thing we had (bar the wine!). I won't be recommending this restaurant to anyone unless you like over-priced, pretentious restaurants that weird you out! : ( [edit by staff]
Updated from previous review on Sunday May 22, 2011

Cons: Over-priced, Pretentious, Cold atmospshere

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A bit vanilla

3 Posted on 12 / 19 / 2010

Vanilla Black is a vegetarian restaurant, you have to let them know in advance if you are vegan. Somehow my friend and I felt disappointed by the experience of eating there. Although, the staff were friendly and attentive, the decor is very muted and the place feels rather formal. In this kind of environment you would expect the food to be the special focus but it didn't quite shine as much as we had hoped. It was nice food of course, the starters were tasty: a beetroot terrine was very fresh-tasting and a sort of dhal with spicy oil was more-ish. But the mains we had were a bit dull, a slice of a potato/truffle layer thing with some vegetables and mushroom pastry things with the same sort of vegetables and more beetroot on the side. Nothing really made us feel excited and because the price is high and the atmosphere is so subdued, we expected to be more inspired by the food.

Updated from previous review on Tuesday December 22, 2009

Pros: attentive staff, healthy food
Cons: expensive, uninspiring mains

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Awful and expensive - Avoid.

2 Posted on 10 / 27 / 2010

I visited Vanilla Black a few months ago and overall had a bad experience. The service was really good but when the food tastes so bad and then you're charged so much for it, it really leaves you with bad views.
Whatever you order comes out as a boring white pile of tastless mush. Both myself and my brother ordered different things and every dish was tasteless and boring. It is an expensve place so I would avoid until they reavalute the dishes.

Pros: service
Cons: food, price

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Worst Experience Ever!!

2 Posted on 07 / 30 / 2010

I was in town for work with a colleague and saw this place on Happy Cow so we decided to check it out. When we arrived it was 6pm on a Wednesday and only 1 other party was there. They asked if we had a reservation, we said no. (Not realizing we needed one.) The bitchy hostess snapped that we needed a reservation, as if how dare we enter their large empty restaurant without one. We said "fine, we can go some place else."

The hostess said "well, if you can eat quickly I suppose we can fit you in." We only stayed because the menu looked good.

Once seated we asked the server which items on the menu were vegan. He angrily snapped that "THIS IS WHY WE INSIST YOU MAKE RESERVATIONS! WE ARE A VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT, NOT VEGAN!" I wanted to throw my drink at him. Also, they had vegan items on the menu. He just wanted to make us feel as uncomfortable as possible.

When our food came we found the vegetables bland and over cooked. Who the hell boils carrots and cabbage, any way? It was disgusting. It was also so unbelievably scalding hot that both myself and my colleague severely burned our mouths on the food.

I was so embarrassed for having suggested this nightmare of a restaurant. Also it stayed empty the entire time we were in there, so clearly there was no need for them to be so damn rude about their reservation policy.

If you're vegetarian in London, go to Saf. The service is good and the food is exceptional.

Pros: none
Cons: exceptionally rude service, awful food

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comparing vegans to people with food allergies

2 Posted on 06 / 28 / 2010

My boyfriend bought a 3 course meal plus wine at a charity auction for 30 pounds so we went here for a meal. Right when we got in the door we asked them for a vegan menu. The first server said "what?!, you didn't tell us you were vegan, you really should have, we might run out of your food. You know there is a big difference between a vegan and a vegetarian restaurant. I'm just telling you this for your own good." which stressed us out and made us feel like aliens. Then the other server (who we later found out was the manager) also scolded us for not telling anyone we were vegan when we made the reservation. I have to say the food was mediocre but the presentation was beautiful. I got a dish with roasted potatoes and tomato sauce. The tomato sauce tasted like V8 or a virgin bloody mary and totally overpowered the potatoes. The dhal was nothing I couldn't make at home although we did eat a sort of tart/quiche thing which was quite nice. Dessert was some sort of a strawberry soup which, though nice, was exactly the sorbet kind of thing you would expect for vegans at a omnivore restaurant.
At the end of our meal we talked to the manager and said that if vegans have to say they are vegan it should be on the reservation page of the website or asked for over the phone. She said there was a big difference between vegetarians and vegans and that if we had a nut allergy or something we would call ahead to reserve something special. She also said that they make extra special dishes and bread for vegans which is why they need the advanced warning. 1) I have never heard of vegans compared with people who have deathly allergies and 2) there are no other vegetarian restaurants in London that ask you for advanced warning if you are vegan (or any others that I have heard of) 3)Nothing we ate was so special that I think advanced warning was necessary. Having once been an omnivore I don't really think vegan bread is any less tasty than bread with animal products in it. She told us she would consider reminding vegans to declare their vegan status when they call in and apologized for our stressful welcome reception. We handed her our coupon and got out. Dinner took over 2 hours and we had to eat again later since the portions were so small (and we had the 3 course meal). I'm never going back.

Pros: ambience, wine
Cons: vegan food, service, price

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Extortionate and disappointing

2 Posted on 02 / 22 / 2009

I fail to understand good reviews for this place. I went there for my birthday and was incredibly disppointed. The portions were tiny and everything had a sickly sweet taste. The lacklustre mish-mash of cuisines were deeply uninspiring and a meal for two came to over £90. In London there are many veggie restuarants that can do so much more at half the price or even less than that.

Cons: Extortionate, Sugary sweet dishes

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Amazing!! First Prize!!

5 Posted on 12 / 14 / 2008

We were extremely impressed with the delicious, rich, creative dishes on offer at this one-of-a-kind sophisticated veggie restaurant in London. The staff were very friendly and helpful and we felt very at home. The interior is simple yet modern and very cosy and clean. The menu is so varied - something for everyone. The unusual combinations of ingredients were a welcome change from the more homely, hippie-ish veggie cafes that are more common. This is Award winning stuff! Not too pricey and definitely good value for money on a spoil-yourself night out. Would be a great place for a quiet romantic evening. We got 2 courses each - Main and Dessert with complimentary bread and a shot of sweet Chilli Tomato purée that easily had more of a kick than anything alcoholic! The portions look slightly small but you'll barely be able to finish as the presentation is deceptive and everything is so choc-full of rich flavour! Try this restaurant - you'll love it!

Pros: Excellent Food, Friendly, Helpful Staff, Upmarket, Quiet & Clean

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Good, fine dining for a special occasion

4 Posted on 09 / 16 / 2008

Wasn't too difficult to find - it's right next to the Chancery on Cursitor St and most taxi drivers know where that is. We went on a monday night and it was quiet, only four tables so great service but was quiet and cold as quite empty - take a jumper. Decor is stunning you can tell it's all brand new. All the cutlery, crockery and linens are of a very high quality - fine dining for veggies, very rare! Food was gorgeous but only two vegan options for starter and for main. The menu is on the website and updated - there were quite a few cheese dishes, but a selection of cow, sheep and goats cheese. I had the sweetcorn creme brulee with tomato salsa to start which was gorgeous, more like a pudding. My friend had the cheese toastie with picallili which she said was amazing. Main courses we had were the goats cheese on potato rosti and I had the mushroom torte with seasonal veg. All were excellently presented and the mix of vegetables and sauces wonderful. Not massive portions but all is very filling so you wouldn't want it any bigger. Great selection of desserts and good for vegans to get something other than a fruit salad. Bill came to £85 for two (but that only inc one glass of wine) so it's not a cheap eat - we had the 3 courses for £30 and were full. Would recommend as a romantic dinner venue for vegetarians wanting to impress! Will be going back.

Pros: fine dining - rare for veggies, great wine selection, excellent food and service
Cons: cold, quiet, expected more selection for vegans

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Sophisticated, contemporary, delish

5 Posted on 08 / 15 / 2008

We've enjoyed Vanilla Black many times in York and were gutted to find it had closed there. However, to discover it had moved much closer to us was excellent compensation!

The food is even better and more imaginative than we remembered from York, with seasonal and 'different' veg; the decor is the same extremely classy affair, and the restaurant much larger.

We (and the friends we took) will be heading back as soon as we can. We were there on a Friday night and although there was a nice buzz there was plenty of room for more customers so get booking and fill this great new place up to the rafters.

I'd recommend it as an excellent option for persuading non-veggie friends that veggie food isn't necessarily all lentils and lettuce!!

And if you want a good pub nearby to start off in, the Cittie of York on Holburn is 5 minutes walk and serves Samuel Smiths beer, a lot of which is vegan and gorgeous.

Pros: Delicious food, with a twist, Seasonal and unusual produce, Sheer class and style, central location
Cons: Not open weekends as area is very quiet, MORE PROS: lovely, knowledgeable staff, Lots of vegan options

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Lovely place

5 Posted on 07 / 25 / 2008

A really friendly restaurant - lovely decor.

Used to be in York - closed there & reopened in London a few months ago.

Donna & Andrew are excellent restauranters.

Several vegan option each day.

Take a good look at their website.

It is best to book ahead for dinners.

Perfect for lunches if you are in "The City".

Very close to Chancery Lane Tube Station.