Vegan
Organic
Raw
Western
Buffet
Juice bar
British
Re-opened Nov 2013 after brief closure. May also use the name Vantra. Vegan organic cafe offering a buffet of salads and hot dishes, or choose from the extensive menu. Vegetarian, vegan, and raw food. They now charge by weight of food taken from buffet. Moved from 74 Wardour St, Soho. Note: Vitao London has now teamed up with Vantra London. Reported closed Nov 2017.
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Last update on 05 Nov 2017 by Meaks
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149 Reviews
First Review by chaval
ColletteFarnol
Points +127
Great for lunch if your shopping on Oxford street - Edit
I've been here a handful of times when it was on Wardour Street. The lunch buffet is varied with many hot and cold options of noodles, rice, vegetables and sauces. In the summer the iced V creama lattes are the best with coconut nectar to sweeten it. For dinner there is a menu of many raw dishes, which are very flavourful, however can be small portions. The raw desserts are really delicious and rich, the ice creams and the mango cheesecake are the best.
Read morePros: Great lunch buffet, Delicious vegan raw desserts, Good selection of juices/ smoothies
Cons: Some dinner options are small, Along time to wait for food at dinner
Guest
henj
Points +37
nice place, not amazing - Edit
we missed the lunch-buffet, and the evening menu is less attractive, the prices are not super-high, but the dishes are quite small in my opinion, and to order another one do makes the deal too expensive. the service was very slow. we ordered for dessert the mango-cheese cake and it was good. the bottom line - you could give it a try, but London is full with better places
Read morePros: nice atmosphere, special dishes, central
Cons: slow service, small dishes, not very cheap
Guest
MissPennyLane
Points +44
a reggae style place with a great lunch buffet - Edit
a nice place for healthy smoothies, just a coffee or a great lunch buffett.
Read moreThe buffett is inexpensive and you can pile your food on your paperplate as high as you dare. Very filling, tasty and healthy food.
Pros: healthy, tasty, inexpensive
Guest
gin_and_tonic
Points +92
Buffet style lunch - Edit
I went here at lunch time and found they didn't take cards. So after a trip to a cash machine, I tried again. Help yourself, but one visit is the way they do things at lunch. I had a large plate, which was paper, making it tricky to fill as it kept wanting to slide off.
Read moreThe food is a mix of curries, stews, dahls. There was a good mushroom stroganoff type dish and some salads. There was rice and noodles with about a dozen or so dishes to choose from. The food was as one would expect from a buffet, good but it's not fine dining.
One complaint I have about this type of 'fill your plate' eating, is that everything becomes homogenized. Rather than having several tastes of dishes and being able to savour the flavours, it all becomes one. Perhaps I'm being too picky.
I had a citrus smoothy, which was freshly made, and was excellent. Worth a visit for this alone. There was mention of deserts on the boards, but I didn't see any.
The decor is sort of designer hippy trail. Its kinda compact and I would imagine that it gets packed out easily. Good for watching the world go by in this busy end of Soho.
Pros: good range, smoothies, vegan friendly
Cons: no labels on dishes or sauces
Guest
LauraStone90
Points +773
I don't think we've seen it all... - Edit
We've once been into Vitao, but at the time we went, they didn't seem to have a huge variety of foods. It was nice, but we're definitely going to go in again, and see what else is on offer. I think we had food from the 'help yourself' buffet. It was all nice, but I think they've got more on offer, at different times.
Read moreGuest
Miwa
Points +26
Taste was great but... - Edit
I was looking forward to eating at this restaurant. Taste was great and the price was not too high. I saw staffs are friendly. But I've been discriminated by a man who 's seated front of me, during my lunch, looking at me, saying to a staff " Jps (Japanese)disgusting, she ate so much fast...etc"
Read moreI was feeling sad during my lunch. And also the staff's listened to him and given nods... because of Japanese...? Are we hated..? I was thinking like that. But food was so tasty. How can we do.. just born in Japan. Just Japanese may be not welcomed..
Guest
frads
Points +261
Interesting food in a relaxed environment - Edit
My husband and I visited Vitao during our trip to London. As long-time vegans we were excited to try this well-reviewed restaurant. Upon arriving we were drawn to the look and coziness of the place but it was certainly crowded and difficult to relax with no place to put winter coats which left us sitting on them which was a bit uncomfortable since the tables are pretty low to the ground.
Read moreThe selection of food was good though there was a particularly herb or spice they are very keen on using in just about every dish (one that is not particularly mild, perhaps ginger). It is buffet style and you may fill your plate once and the restaurant is cash only!
Pros: Cute Restaurant, Nice Vibe
Cons: Cash Only, Very Small Space, 'Interesting" Flavors
Guest
Evguy422
Points +77
Really nice spot - Edit
Ate here while on vacation in London. It's in the heart of Soho, so a really cute and friendly area. Food was good. A bit tight on the seating, but everyone had enough room. All the options were vegan, which always puts me at ease since a lot of places that are vegetarian can have seemingly vegan options that have dairy or egg. I definitely would recommend it to people and since you only get one plate I'd recommend heaping as much as you can!
Read morePros: Good food, Central Location
Cons: Tight seating, Plate for food not that big
Guest
lovingmalaga
Points +24
Does the buffet menu change everyday? - Edit
I went there once last year , and just few days ago I went again in the evening and it looked different from outside. They put up a buffet where you can see from the window outside. As I could remembered it wasn't a buffet before but now they have changed and the dishes didn't look inviting to me, maybe just my bad night? so I didn't go in and decide to give the other restaurant a try.
Read moreAnyways, I still give a good rating as I went in last year for the very first try with my family while in london, for the good experience and great menu they had.
Guest
Gudrun
Points +4891
Thai Twist With A Green Juvenator - Edit
Not really being a raw food fan, I went to this restaurant for dinner after having a very sugary (and unhealthy) vegan cake elsewhere. I was really up to something healthy for a change. I had a raw dish called "Thai Twist" with papaya and carrot "noodles", mango, pineapple, tomato, chilli, basil and mixed seed crumble, and one of the super juices called "Green Rejuvenator". It was really delicious, and I felt much better after having this as well. I would love to come back and try some of the other dishes, like "Oasis of Sahara", "Lasagna Vivente", "Southern Volcano" or "Buddha Bliss", along with one of the many fresh juices from the juice bar. Of the 2 people of the staff one (the guy) was not very friendly, rather a bit harsh and grumpy, but the other one (the lady) was very nice and helpful. The place was quite crowded and I did not reserve, so I was lucky to get a seat. In general, laid-back atmosphere.
Read morePros: healthy food, excellent food, special dishes
Guest
anarchistanimal
Points +563
Super! - Edit
Bustling vegan cafe with delicious and healthy food. Lots of tasty and creative raw options. Fun and energetic atmosphere with friendly staff. We had the raw lasagne, a laksa, the raw wrap and for dessert the mango cheesecake and raw vegan ice cream. Everything was very impressive, tasty and you feel great afterwards. Love it!
Read morePros: Fully vegan, lots of raw, So delicious, Beautiful and creative food
Guest
MasonLegrange
Points +71
Let down - Edit
I use to eat there nearly everyday cos I work in the neighbourhood and I loved it, no wheat, no sugar all vegan, it used to be all organic, they had tasty spelt noodles with creamy mushroom, seaweed lasagna, and amazing coleslaw, shepherds pie and Greek salad with kalamate olives and brazil nuts, amazing dressings, raw humous, but the owner keeps changing the menu and use cheaper ingredients and the last two years it really went downhill, there,s two many spices in the food which make it un eatable, food is watery too lemony, who wants to eat a hard rock steam spelt muffin? and none of the original dish are on display anymore, a serious let down
Read morePros: Juices, Smoothies, Seaweed salad
Guest
AidenBrady
Points +85
good value - Edit
wide selection of dishes. my advice go hungry & get refillable plate. price cheaper for lunch than dinner, but reasonable whenever. vegan sugar free deserts, fantastic. intimate, cozy, cool, and romantic with the right person. has a bohemian feel to it that many places aspire to but don't manage. . . . . & cool tables. jus sayin.
Read morePros: nice enviroment, friendly staff if yo catch the nice ones, intimate
Cons: the selection doesn't seem 2 change much, juices get expensive, nothing else
Guest
turion
Points +297
Worth a few visits - Edit
The food was spiced in a very interesting way.
Read moreHowever, there was not much salt in it (and I couldn't find a salt shaker), so people who aren't used to it might mistake the food for being bland.
Not all of the food is organic.
An all you can eat is 8.90, and there are a lot of choices, so it's really worth it. You can also take away food.
On a saturday evening, the restaurant can be completely full. I liked the atmosphere.
Staff is helpful.
The only real downside is: There are no regular plates and cutlery, just disposable ones. That really destroys a lot of the feeling and is also awkward to handle.
Some small bowls and plates and proper cutlery would be helpful.
Pros: cheap, spicy, nice atmosphere
Cons: disposable, no salt in food or on table
Guest
AnaEatsPlants
Points +1651
50/50 - Edit
I really like to support vegan places when I am out and about... this was an interesting experience.
Read moreMy husband didn't enjoy it. He found the food bland and wondered how they could actually make organic food so tasteless. The dishes did seem either a little lacking in flavour OR flavoured with chilli.
I really like the fact that it was vegan, organic and near to the theatre that we visited on Saturday night.
The cost was £8.90 for all you can eat within an hour (which seems good for London).
They have a nice selection of herbal teas, including my favourite Pukka. They also have juices and desserts.
I can see why some would like it and others wouldn't. I didn't really feel inspired by the staff - it didn't feel as if they overly wanted to be there.
Pros: vegan, organic
Cons: unispiring flavours
Guest
SunFlowerChild
Points +47
Good except for chairs - Edit
Plenty of choice but salads were not very exciting. Been twice and enjoyed both meals. Another time I took a friend but she wouldn't stay as she has a bad back and the chairbacks give no support and the chairs are wobbly.
Read morePros: Choice, Price
Cons: Chairs, Cramped
Guest
alimac
Points +265
Buffet lovliness - Edit
I found this via Happy Cow's android app.. it was well worth it! Such a bewildering choice of lovely food, all freshly prepared and full of healthy goodness. I have never seen raw food desserts on a menu before. A lunchtime buffet of goodness. If I lived near here I would go all the time! Will definitely seek it out again.
Read morePros: healthy cake, vegan options, great choices
Cons: busy
Guest
pupa
Points +122
Best Vegan Buffet - Edit
Small and cozy restaurant tugged in the heart of Soho. It was a bit hard to find but definitely worth the effort! I loved the worm and home feel of the place. The staff is very friendly fast and attentive. All the dishes are greatly displayed, so one can easily browse and fill up the plate! The food was delicious! Hands down the best all vegan buffet I have been to! Rich and flavorful, the theme is Middle Eastern, Moroccan and South Asia! Lots of curry and intense spices. Barely any mock-meets, which to me is always a breath of fresh "air" ( produce ).
Read moreI was really hoping for some raw choices but there were none! Though the guy behind the counter suggested me their other locating, which was not too far, but since I was there and everything smelled delicious I decided to stay, and did not regret it.
I also had an espresso drink, which was unmemorable, but I would still go back for the food, curious to see, what is new on the buffet line.
Pros: delicious food, friendly staff, inexpensive
Guest
gabynbrad
Points +126
A must if you're in central London! - Edit
If you're into delicious food and a laid back atmosphere, then Vitao is the place for you. We ended up eating there 3 times. At one instance, we took our non-vegan friend with us. She was skeptical, but loved it so much that I think she will be back on her own. There is a wide variety of dishes and multiple flavours. If you go there for dinner, you pay £8.50 for the all you can eat buffet. It's a bargain really. The place is small, so be prepared to share a table or to wait until one is available. Totally recommend this restaurant!
Read morePros: Delicious, Big variety of dishes, Great value
Cons: Small place, The tables could be cleaner
Guest
KCW
Points +23
Disappointing - Edit
I didn't really like any of the dishes that much, and I'm not that hard to please. I could have made much better food at home. This place is pretty pricey as well, and the quality definitely doesn't match the price. The decor is cute, but I didn't find much else to recommend about it.
Read morePros: Nice decor
Cons: Bad food, Overpriced
Guest
hippublican
Points +286
Great value - Edit
We came here for lunch buffet and it was very good. Some dishes from the buffet were better than others, but I imagine if you went more than once you'd get a handle on what you like and what you don't. In any case, it was filling and a great value for the money.
Read moreWe got a brownie too, which was good but not brownie like at all. When I tried to divide it with my fork, it went flying off my plate because it was so hard.
The one thing I really didn't like was how quiet it was in the restaurant. It's pretty small, and you're sitting near other people, so some music would have been nice to help make my conversations a little more private.
Guest
Frankie85
Points +540
Found through Happy Cow! - Edit
We were looking for an all you can eat place in the Soho area and this one was the first that came up on our Happy Cow search. It's healthy and reasonably priced with some really good raw options for both food and drink. We stuffed ourselves with flavoursome vegetable based dishes until we couldn't move. :)
Read morePros: Central location., All you can eat buffet., Plenty of food on offer.
Cons: 1 hour limit on buffet., Not enough seating., Staff a little slow.
Guest
dkinjer
Points +309
Convenient location, but not terrific food - Edit
We ended up eating here twice on a three day visit to London, because it is convenient to where we were situated and because some other places were not open as advertised. The food was OK, but nothing special. As other people pointed out, you don't know what you will like, so you have to take your chances when filling your plate. It is a bit annoying that the different foods get all mixed up on the plate. The staff were not particularly pleasant.
Read moreGuest
beitme
Points +149
healthy salad bar - Edit
Salad bar serving up fresh food will be a sure bet for the health conscious. There's a wide selection of food including both soup and salad varieties; more so on the latter. The taste is well suited to the palate, though nothing very remarkable. The price is okay for the amount you get. Nice atmosphere if you decide to eat-in, but be prepared to pay a little more for it.
Read morePros: healthy food, wide variety
Guest
PhilippeNicolitch
Points +91
Not impressed - Edit
the food was just OK. The staff was not particularly friendly. I won't go back. There are better buffet alternatives in London: tibbits, 222, and Loving Hut
Read morePros: location
Cons: Taste, Cleanliness, Friendliness
Guest
veggiewoman
Points +374
Not bad but you can porbably find better - Edit
This is a small, cute, hectic place that is good to grab a smoothie or meal, but dont expect amazing quality. It is very homemade tasting, meaning good, but not really worth paying much for because you can make it just as well.
Read morePros: price, variety, fun atmosphere
Cons: oily, mediocre taste
Guest
RachelLouise
Points +577
Good food, but too crowded and chaotic - Edit
I think I would have liked this place a lot more if it weren't so crowded, and if I had the time to figure out the system.
Read moreYou can order either the buffet, which is only the food at the side of the restaurant, and not anything at the counter. The buffet is charged by the plate, which is a little annoying because you can't know what you will like before filling up your plate. We ordered the buffet, which was good, but not spectacular. We also got two drinks, but apparently they didn't hear the order for the second and only ended up with one. I realized later that we weren't charged for the second drink, so it wasn't going to come. To get another drink would have meant standing in line for 20 minutes, so we were stuck with just the one.
The other way you can order food is by the item, but unless you want a small meal, it is likely to end up more expensive than the buffet. Also, that is what slowed the line down, and made the restaurant so crowded.
I would recommend that if you go, you go on a weekend so it's less busy. The line at 1:30 on a Monday was incredible.
Pros: Good food, all vegan
Cons: Crowded, Overly rushed service, single-plate buffet
Guest
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