The Gallery Cafe

As I was already in London on Saturday I took the opportunity to stop by at the Vegan & Vegetarian Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green. Having followed their Twitter account for some time now I was looking forward to having lunch there and experiencing some of their local homemade food. 

Despite it being a sunny day it was pretty chilly so I opted to sit inside but it's worth noting, especially for any dog owners, that the Gallery Cafe has sufficient outside seating areas in both the front and back gardens. 

My favourite kind of Vegan food is food that is in the form of vegetables. Although I don't mind the occasional 'fake meat' style meal, my ultimate love is hearty vegetable base dishes. So bearing this in mind I was really happy to see items on the menu such as falafel, vegetable curry, soup, jacket potatoes and mixed bean burritos. Yum! 

Along with serving up some delicious veggie food, the Gallery Cafe is, as its name would suggest, a space for art exhibitions and live events. It is a non-profit cafe where all of the proceeds go to the St Margarets House charity who work towards supporting the local community, creativity and well being in Bethnal Green. 

Inside the cafe the space has a very simple yet cosy feel to it and appears to attract customers of all kinds and ages. The wall space hosts works by a different up and coming artist every month. The vibe here is very chilled, homely and trendy!

As usual it took me a while to decide what I wanted from the menu, the choices were varied and all very inviting! However, I just so happened to be in the mood for falafel so I ordered the wrap with a side of chips. My husband decided to try the mixed bean burrito with a topping of vegan cheese. 

When the food arrived it looked delicious! Portion sizes were great and I couldn't wait to get stuck in.

I can really recommend the falafel wrap, it was so good. It also had mixed salad and hummus inside, making it really tasty and filling. 

The homemade fries were to die for and a great accompaniment to our dishes! 

The mixed bean burrito was huge and my husband informed me that it was packed full of flavour with a smokey spicy seasoning. He was a little apprehensive about trying Vegan cheese for the first time but ended up being impressed by the healthy, yet still cheesy, alternative! 

The Vegan take away sandwiches on the counter display looked really innovative with a choice of 'Facon', lettuce & tomato' and 'mushroom pate' available. 

I really enjoyed my lunch here and would recommend you all to try it if you happen to be in the East London area. 

I am very envious of all the options available to Vegans & Vegetarians living in this area! It's quite something and an insight into the progression towards a plant based lifestyle becoming an established part of mainstream culture. 

Sarah x