We dive into London’s new (mostly) vegan restaurants and discover food ready to silence the anti-vegan naysayers.
Tendril piqued our interest from the get-go. A ‘(mostly) vegan’ restaurant that had begun life as a very well-regarded pop-up restaurant but was taking the leap into a permanent home – and one that was pushing boundaries on what vegan cooking could be.
They’re on a mission to show the city what veg-based cooking can do. We went to see what that motive could produce. Let us tell you, we were not disappointed.
Tendril – The Full Review
The Food
We went for the discovery menu – a tasting menu and tour de force of what Tendril’s kitchen is all about.
Our first course was a selection of sharing plates that consisted of little bites and dips with bread. A plate of crispy potato cake with fennel remoulade and a dip of white bean and chilli came as a blindside. Both were so tasty we almost weren’t ready for the punch of flavour they packed.
This set the tone for a meal that was pretty mind-blowing right the way through, but before we get on to the next course, special mention must be made to the little tartlets of salted cucumber and gherkin ketchup – big hits.
We opted to add a leek fritter to our menu – a wise choice. This was one of the nicest things we ate. Crisped to perfection on the outside with a nice bite to the inside and, again, full of flavour.
There’s an old notion about the restaurant business that to make things tasty chefs just cook them with a lot of butter and salt. Tendril whomps that claim on the jaw and tells you to keep eating. The (mostly) part of the veganism here comes from a few touches like feta on a stuffed courgette we thoroughly enjoyed.
The main course was a stylish-looking piece of grilled beetroot, spring onion and smoked soy. Again it was packed with flavour. They’re really good at getting the most out of their ingredients and bringing the food to new levels with creative techniques.
This came with a bowl of lemongrass rice and charred sweetcorn. Although the beetroot and soy were almost overpowering on their own, when you get a forkful of all the flavours on the main, they matched up perfectly creating a course that was greater than the sum of its parts.
Dessert was a slice of almond cake in a vegan custard that drove home what we’d said about Tendril with every plate that came out: delicious, compelling and absolutely ready to silence anyone who tells you vegan food can’t match the heights of its non-vegan counterparts. At Tendril, it can.
The Drink
Our waitress recommended a very nice bottle of natural wine from a list that’s got reds, whites and oranges from an intriguing variety of locations under an equally intriguing variety of names – there was one white listed as Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Roll…
After dinner, we tried a couple of cocktails. Tendril makes a few of their own inventions but the menu is mostly made up of twists on classic drinks.
Ours riffed off the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan and were, we have to say, the only part of the meal that disappointed. They weren’t terrible, just not as good as the original drink would have been.
The Look
The space is dark and cosy. Two dining rooms are separated by a bar with bar seating if you want to eat your dinner and watch mixologists at their work.
The split makes each room feel intimate and homely. The cooking is ultimately very comforting so the homely feel to the place really helps you settle right in. Throughout all of this though, you’re still dining in a setting as classy as any other restaurant at this price point.
Final Thoughts
Tendril are doing a lot of things very right. The cooking is truly fantastic. It will wow you, and likely put in their place anyone who tells you vegan cooking can never be that good.
They’ve got the feel of the place down in spite of not having been open very long. The only drawback we can point to is the cocktails, but as we said, they’re still new – we expect that they’ll iron out these kinks.
In the meantime, we’ll be back for more of that food, and a bottle of Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Roll.
Tendril – Practical Information and Map
Price: £££
Address: 5 Princes St, London W1B 2LQ
Map
Review 4 / 5
Dining At: Tendril
Tendril - The Full Review
Tendril are doing a lot of things very right. The cooking is truly fantastic. It will wow you, and likely put in their place anyone who tells you vegan cooking can never be that good.
Overall
4- Tendril - The Full Review
