One of London’s best loved venues is embracing the trend for meat free menus with a new range of vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Diners at The National Café – Restaurant and Bar, at the National Gallery, Covent Garden, can now choose from a menu of small plates, created by the venue’s catering partner Peyton and Byrne.
The menu comprises fried and raw dishes along with a winter roots selection and a section featuring beans and pulses.
And while all are suitable for vegetarians, a number of vegan dishes have been included in each section for those looking to rid their diet of meat, fish, dairy eggs and honey.
The vegan options include fried padron pepper with sea salt and romesco, along with pan con tomate – a Spanish toast and tomato recipe - with winter bull’s heart heirloom tomato, shaved raw fennel with toasted fennel seeds, dried chilli and lemon.
Vegan customers can also opt for raw kale served with rapeseed oil with cumin, fresh pomegranate and molasses, Castelluccio lentils with black cabbage, roasted chilli, blood orange and extra virgin olive oil and sautéed chickpeas with Moorish spices and green harissa.
Vegetarian small plate dishes include fried aubergines with orange blossom honey, goat’s curd and thyme, stuffed and fried gordal olives with orange alioli and butter bean hummus with flat breads and pickled guindilla peppers.
Lovers of root vegetables can opt for warm heritage carrots with maple, cumin and buttermilk, winter roots gratin or slow cooked beetroots with candied almonds and almond sauce.
Oliver Peyton, creative director at Peyton and Byrne, said, “Anyone who thinks a vegan diet is boring can think again. It is a great opportunity to really explore the vast range of ingredients that is now readily available and it is a genuine test of creativity.
“We cater at a number of London venues and know from experience that our vegan and vegetarian menus are also a big hit with our meat eating customers, too. That’s why we don’t just embrace veganism in Veganuary – it’s on our menus all year round.”
The National Café is open from 8am to 7pm on Monday, 8am to 10pm from Tuesday to Thursday, 8am to 10.30pm on Friday, 9am to 7pm on Saturday and from 9am to 6pm on Sunday.