Greenwich for Vegans
Today I’m going to be turning the spotlight on to Greenwich, the patch of London I love the most. I moved here just over a year ago as, despite being in zone 2, it has a little suburban, old town feel to it. It’s a nice patch of calm in the bustle of London.
Most importantly, Greenwich is incredible for vegans, particularly those that like to support small, sustainable businesses and enjoy spending a day in nature. If you want to see what you can expect from some time out in Greenwich, check out my video walking you through my favourite spots;
Greenwich Market
Easily one of the main attractions, Greenwich Market is super popular and open 7 days a week and Bank Holidays 10am – 5.30pm, so you’ll surely find some time to visit.
Greenwich Market is my favourite in London as it works hard to showcase unique creative works and maintain variety between traders. Roughly, half the stalls are food and half are ‘other’ which expands over beauty, art, crafts, jewellery, antiques and more. For those with a keener interest in antiques and second hand shopping, head to the Clock Tower market close to Greenwich Station.
Favourite Stalls
- Clarks Furniture for sustainable, reclaimed wooden furniture that brings warmth and personality to a home
- Kate Jaconello Photography for beautiful London and wildlife photography, I have her ‘sunbathing fox’ photograph at home and he always puts a smile on my face
- Pergola London for vegan-friendly organic eco soy wax candles which are handmade/poured in London and finished with dried flowers
You’ll find your own treasures and favourite stalls at the market. It’s a really fun market to browse, shop for gifts and support small businesses.
Favourite foods
- Fudge Patch – the little fudge shop where they cook fudge in store, roughly 80% of the flavours are vegan & they are very generous with their free samples
- Little Leaf Pizza make the best pizza in London and they are completely vegan
- Ruby’s of London for a huge array of vegan sweet treats; cake, donuts, cupcakes galore
Vegan Food
Outside of the market, if you’re more interested in a sit down meal, there’s plenty of great vegan options in Greenwich. Here are some my favourites;
Chain Restaurants
These are the chain restaurants you can find nationwide but are worth visiting in Greenwich for their great location, decor or stand-out menu items;
- Cafe Rouge – the Greenwich branch has considerable outdoor seating and a reasonable vegan menu, great for a summers day
- Nandos, Zizzi & Byron Burger – all of these chains offer good vegan options and are right beside Greenwich pier with gorgeous views of the river. Call in advance for a good table at busy times.
- Greenwich Grind – all day restaurant, cafe and cocktail bar. They specialise in fairly traded and sustainable coffee, the decor inside is gorgeously millennial. I love popping in for a vegan Bloody Mary or Expresso Martini in the evenings.
- Bills – the best place to grab a vegan breakfast (served until 11:30am), they also have plenty of options throughout the day
- Honest Burger – a burger chain hard to find outside of London that offer an incredible Beyond Meat burger served alongside rosemary fries.
pubs
If you’re looking for a more traditional experience, Greenwich is home to some great pubs with warm welcomes and vegan options;
- Coach & Horses – located in the main market place, you can grab a pint and borrow a board game to pass a few hours
- Richard the First – a bright welcoming space great for having a sit down meal with the family, even better if you get a table in the beer garden on a summers day
- The Greenwich Union – not many places offer a vegan roast in London, but you can find one here
- Gipsy Moth – found beside the Cutty Sark, this small pub has a discreet nautical theme and cute patio garden with retractable roof
Explore
There’s also quite a bit of sight seeing to do in Greenwich;
- Cutty Sark is world’s last surviving tea clipper, which was built at the end of the golden age of sail. It’s huge and beautiful to look at. For a cost you can explore the ship.
- National Martime Museum – an educational choice for those that want to learn about Britain’s encounters with the world at sea
- Old Royal Naval College wander around the gorgeous architecture which you can use to frame photos of Canary Wharf from Greenwich Park
- Greenwich Foot Tunnel – walk beneath the Thames and through to Millwall
Greenwich park
One of the best things about living in Greenwich is being able to go on my weekly run around the park, trying to explore every hidden path. There’s so much to this park, you could spend all day exploring;
- Royal Observatory is situated on a hill in Greenwich Park, with great views overlooking the River Thames. It’s best known for the fact that the prime meridian passes through it, and thereby gave its name to Greenwich Mean Time
- Deer enclosure – a quiet and secluded enclosure providing sanctuary for local wildlife.
- Millenium Sundial by the lake
- Band Stand – the band stand within the park sometimes holds host to mini-concerts during summer
Love to travel? Me too!
If you want to hear more about some great locations through the eyes of a vegan check out my other posts;