I hate to say it, but vegan food’s reputation for being boring is not entirely unwarranted. Plant-based options, if there even are any on the menu, sometimes seem to be nothing more than a box-ticking exercise; a way to please everyone without actually doing anything to excite the taste buds of those who don’t eat meat or dairy. Don’t get me wrong: this is not always the case, and it happens less and less, but in the mainstream food world at least, it’s easy to see how vegan food has gained this reputation.
Holy Carrot in Knightsbridge, London, is on a mission to change this perception with a menu that includes vegan sushi, “crab” burgers and their version of shepherd’s pie. With an excellent amount of choice – all plant-based and gluten and artificial sugar-free – it was one of the first times I was truly excited to try an all-vegan restaurant.
When we arrived, we were ushered into the newly launched Holy Bar, a dark, gothic room located off the main restaurant. The cocktail menu is printed on tarot cards, and you are encouraged to pick a cocktail at random, leaving the fate of your beverage in the hands of the cards. However, after fate managed to pick the one cocktail I couldn’t have (walnut bitter), I opted instead for The Sun, a coffee, chocolate and almond drink that was absolutely delicious.
Equally tasty were the bar snacks, particularly the moreish Angels and Devils: rice crisps with a rich and tangy Bloody Mary sauce (ideal with a drink). The Holy Carrot hummus on raw flat breads offered a range of textures and a mix of sweet and savoury tastes thanks to the berries served with it. The Cosmic Tide “fish and chips” were also very enjoyable and, I have to say, impressive; the nori-wrapped tofu really did taste like fish.
The new bar is endlessly Instagrammable, if you’re that way inclined, as some of the unique cocktails are showpieces involving bubbles that burst to release blue and white waterfalls of smoke around your glass and the candle-lit table. The tarot card menu is delightful – they even have a tarot reader in every now and then, reading fortunes in between drinks. I can’t imagine spending a whole night in the dim light, but arrive an hour before you eat at the restaurant and lap it all up. It’s a magical and fun way to begin your meal.
From Hell, if the darkness of the Holy Bar could stand for that, one steps, presumably, into Heaven. The Holy Carrot restaurant is a light, Midsummer Night’s Dream-esque mix of white and pastel blue with high ceilings. It feels like an eloquent old Edwardian tearoom (which they also serve in the day). It’s a fantastic space in which to be and to eat.
To start, we had Kentish purple potato croquettes, mushroom and radish carpaccio and the tartare selection. The croquettes were tasty little bites, and I could easily have eaten many, many more. The tartare didn’t taste of much at all, while the carpaccio - thin, raw radish ribbons served on a tasty mushroom sauce - desperately called out for bread to dip. The radish failed to retain the delicious sauce, so it felt like two components entirely.
For mains, we had the shepherd’s pie and the smoky aubergine with crispy mushrooms. The shepherd’s pie had that homely, rich feel that shepherd’s pie needs, and was perfect on a winter’s night with a mix of tempeh, lentils and veg with a wonderful potato top. However, I can’t say the same of the aubergine. Served with a puree-like root sauce, it certainly didn’t help bust the myth that vegan food can very boring indeed.
I wish I could have tried more on the menu. The table next to us got the “crab” burger, which looked excellent and the taste of the “fish and chips” in the bar made me wonder what their sushi was like. I would like to venture back to try everything I missed.
Despite that, Holy Carrot was an enjoyable restaurant experience. It was by no means perfect - the service was slow and a tad inattentive - but the variety on offer made for an interesting meals and the perfect place for vegans and anyone curious about plant-based diets to explore what is on offer.
