If you’re vegan, then you’ll know that there are countless restaurants in Soho, let alone the whole of London, coming up with creative ways to make delicious food without a single ounce of butter in sight. Indeed, cooking without animal products is no longer seen as a constraint, but rather an opportunity to be creative. Leading the way for this kind of cooking, Gauthier, right in the beating heart of Soho, has been doing creative things with style and flair using plant-based products for years now.
This much loved and lauded vegan only fine dining restaurant has an admittedly chequered history. As one of the few three rosette, (former) Michelin-star restaurants focusing on vegetables and plant-based cuisine, Gauthier subverts the traditions of your classical French fine-dining experience.
The restaurant is headed up by Alexis Gauthier, a once-controversial figure who was an Alain Ducasse protege and has held multiple awards and accolades for over 12 years.
That controversy – intense protests regarding his restaurant’s use of foie gras – caused Alexis to suddenly switch to veganism and the chef has never looked back.
Gauthier seemed to take these protests to heart – and fair ducks to him – at first removing foie gras from the menu before committing to overhauling the entire thing, which is now a wholly vegan affair serving as testament to just how good vegan dining can be.
Unlike some British culinary institutions that tend to treat vegetables as an afterthought or distraction, at Gauthier they are everything – the main focus – paired with herbs and spices to create decadent combinations. And in true decadent style, the food here is delivered as a tasting menu, inviting diners to luxuriate in leek terrine with plant caviar (made from kelp), tomato ravioli, a stuffed courgette over bouillabaisse, and so much more.
Read: Where to eat vegan food in Soho
The interior takes up three floors of a regency townhouse and oozes a sense of traditional class. Here, the elegant dining rooms boast white-linen-cloaked tables, appearing somewhat like a dressed-up living room in a stately home. In the best possible way of course…
Gauthier Soho claims to be the first classical French fine-dining vegan restaurant in the world, and whilst many others have since followed suit, it still represents one of the UK’s best treats for vegans looking to dine out in style.
Address: 21 Romilly Street, London W1D 5AF
Website: gauthiersoho.co.uk
