Green Way Classic - Gwarna

Back in the 1980s, most vegetarian restaurants in the UK focussed on their own wholefoods-based interpretations of British classics, with an extra large helping of salad. The odd curry or chilli might sneak in, but that was as exotic as it got. The menu here took me back to that time, consisting mostly of vegetarian Polish classics, plus a curry and a couple of Mexican inspired dishes. And it was comfortable, rib-sticking stuff, in enormous portions and served with great piles of salad, mostly cabbage-based.

It also looked the part, very rustic and every table decorated with a hand-crocheted doily.

Both times I visited at lunchtime, and I opted for the "croquet with cabbage and mushrooms", which the online menu suggests is not vegan, but the ones in the café said is. There was nothing about it that made me think it wasn't vegan, and the website menu appears to be out-of-date.

The dish consisted of a large, slightly crispy pancake wrapped burrito-style around a generous stuffing of mushrooms and sauerkraut, very similar to the classic pierogi filling. It was topped with more mushrooms, in a rich sauce, and was warming and so filling that, on neither day, did I feel like I needed an evening meal! For those who are daunted by such an amount of foods, a number of dishes are available in half-portions, though only one of those is vegan.

The ubiquitous meat-eating other half was with me for one of the meals, and enjoyed the food. It was very closely related to the Jewish comfort food he loves. Another nice point was that, on the second visit, I was handed the English-language menu before I'd even asked. If you want a reliable choice, this and the other branches of Green Way provide that. Apart from a daily special and a soup of the day, the menu doesn't change very often.