Vegetarian options in restaurants

[CrackersDontMatter]

This isn't strictly an aibu, so I know I am being unreasonable to ask here but I know that the vegetarian options on menus are often unimaginative and disappointing (mushroom risotto, goats cheese tart anyone?) Can I ask what any vegetarians out there like to see as an option and perhaps what has been your favourite vegetarian meal in a restaurant, particularly in high end places? I've had a few friends and my SIL go vegetarian over the past year and I'd just like a better idea to help me choose a venue for a big celebratory meal later this year. None of the veggies are local to me so I can't really ask them for a recommendation!

I've been vegetarian for nearly 30 Years there's always plenty of interesting choices in Middle Eastern and Indian restaurants.

Good for you mary. I'm not really sure what you think you are contributing to this thread?

I had thought I was giving my opinion on the question asked, but perhaps you didn't understand it>

mary a quick Google shows the estimate of vegetarians in the UK to be 7% to 11%. The proportion of veggies is fast increasing, so you're data is likely very out of dat

Not sure what you are googling but both the UK vegetarian society and the nhs disagree with you.As well as wikipedia..

If you say so.

This place in Bristol has an amazing menu www.cafemaitreya.co.uk/evening-food-menu.html

One pet hate for veggie options (I'm not veggie, my DH is) is that the assumption always seems to be that the veggie option has to be uber-healthy as well, it's always brown rice or whole meal everything.

Percentages of vegetarians in the population are much higher if you include people who eat a 'mostly' vegetarian diet. Lots of omnivorous people will choose a vegetarian option if it seems interesting.

Oh i've been there Okite! I had halloumi pancakes, or they might have been rolls?! Either way they were delicious and the menu is fab. Shame it's so far away from me.

Percentages of vegetarians in the population are much higher if you include people who eat a 'mostly' vegetarian diet

yes, percentages of vegetarians would be much higher when you include people who are not vegetarians. Seems obvious.
Percentages of women are higher if you also include men.

Thali restaurants are fab for veggies in my experience. Or tapas.

I'm not veggie but eat a high proportion of veggie meals and would love more veggie options on restaurant menus.

mary, that's a slightly disingenuous response. I refuse to believe you've never been on any of the 'vegetarians don't eat fish' threads.

I made a point of saying to the manager of a pub recently how brilliant it was that there was a veggie wellington on the Sunday roast menu. Nothing more depressing than going out for Sunday lunch and having everyone else around you tucking into roast potatoes and yorkshires and you're stuck with flipping tagliatelle.

I just want a place to have shown they have put some thought in to the veggie options and cooked them properly. There are lots of good recipes with beetroot, courgettes or aubergines, haloumi's always a winner. I've had great sweetcorn or pea fritters in the past, souffle or vegetable strudel. Sweet potatoes, polenta, vegetable tempura. Or even some imaginative and filling salads. More basic places can win with cauliflower and broccoli cheese, a properly made vegetable lasagne or vegetable bake.

And I can cope with risotto, pasta or goats cheese flipping tart if it's done nicely. Had a fabulous beetroot risotto, spaghetti primavera with asparagus and peas or a goats cheese and walnut tart with a decent salad. Or at the absolutely least - an omelette!

This thread is making me hungry.

Good for you mary. I'm not really sure what you think you are contributing to this thread?

I had thought I was giving my opinion on the question asked, but perhaps you didn't understand it>

It might be your opinion but it isn't actually answering the question though which as I read it, is about wanting to know what vegetarians would like to see on a menu, not how many vegetarians there are or whether they go to the wrong places, not everyone can afford to eat where you do and vegetarians are paying customers too, who would like a decent choice. Just because they don't want a chunk of rotting dead creature on their plate doesn't mean they have to give up the right to eat something they like.

Another vote for Las Iguanas - absolutely amazing menu and they're always happy to help make meals vegan if you need that.

I'm moving to Manchester at the end of this year and cannot wait to visit V-Rev - I've been following them on instagram for months! There's also a bakery - Tender Vegan Bakery

For a fancier meal I like Vanilla Black, otherwise there's Mildreds, but you can't book a table. Any vegetarians visiting London should check out Vanilla Black, even my meat obsessed brothers are happy to go there. Just looking at the menu is a pleasure!

I feel that vegetarian options in non vegetarian restaurants have got more and more half arsed over the last 10 years (with the honourable exception of Italian and Indian places).

OP - check out the Terre a Terre cookbook if you want to really knock their socks off

Someplace that actually lists the vegetarian option on the menu is a good start. If they say vegetarian dish of the day, you know it's going to be mushroom bloody risotto or pasta with a gloopy sauce. If there's a couple of things that don't involve pasta or risotto, even better.

I once went to a very posh restaurant for an extended family do where I got a beetroot goats cheese starter followed by beetroot and goat's cheese risotto. I also left a conference a day early as every single restaurant in the small town had mushroom risotto as the vegetarian option.

Just saw someone else recommend mezze or tapas - this is a good idea if there are only a couple of you, but please don't do this for a bigger group (and I guess it will be for a celebratory meal)! It always goes the same ways - meat eaters tuck into all the veggie options ordered, leaving the actual vegetarians with nothing. If anyone points this out/reminds them someone gets sulky about 'not being allowed' what they fancy. The problem is that obviously no omnivore should be forced to eat exclusively meat - but letting everyone just have what they want usually leaves the veggies with a lot less than a full meal! (Then, to add insult to injury, the bill gets split and it turns out you owe £24 for two spoonfuls of patatas bravas and one stuffed jalapeno pepper...)

marymarytoocontrary - 5.7% vegetarian quoted here. learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/uk-now/read-uk/vegetarian-uk

I don't mind not having lots of choice. I eat anything and everything apart from meat or fish. I'm happy with one or two interesting things that's aren't risotto (love it when cooked well but ubiquitous these days and often revolting) or 'Mediterranean' pasta. I love goats cheese (in fact, all cheese) but I agree that it's too often the default option, usually with caramelized onions.
One thing that really annoys me is when there is a very limited menu and the vegetarian options do not complement each other (eg goats cheese starter followed by goats cheese main course - I have seen this before!).
Just something that someone has given a bit of thought about, and not just a slab of goats cheese on top of a mushroom is always welcomed.

Imogen that's so true about the Sunday lunch! I find it is the same at Christmas if you go out to eat. Everyone else is eating roast potatoes, yorkies, lovely veg etc. and the vegetarian option is always something shite like goats cheese tart with new potatoes. How festive! As though it is difficult to add a veggie roast/wellington and serve with the same trimmings as the meat munchers!

FatBottomedGal you will not be disappointed by V-Rev. The Malaysian satay burger is uh-may-zing

I used to eat as Las Iguanas until I read that the staff are not allowed to keep any tips. They go to the company. I haven't been back since.

We've pretty much given up eating out - there is a very good veggie restaurant in Bath but you have to book well in advance in the evening and during the day too in the tourist season.

One of the worst veggie meals I've been served was a butternut squash risotto from a Michelin starred restaurant, so "high end" is no guarantee at all of a exciting vegetarian menu - in fact many of them don't want to bother with vegetarians. I guess their skills and imagination are limited to meat based dishes.

I'm away in Coventry this weekend so a diet of cheese salad/ploughmans or ham egg and chips without the ham invariably beckons.

I'm a vegetarian and I hate eating in supposedly high-end places because they have so little imagination. As you say, OP, it's so often something with goat's cheese or mushroom risotto. It really amazes me because I cook delicious vegetarian and vegan food at home, and yet these professional chefs can't be bothered to put any effort in.

My choice always would be to eat somewhere where vegetarian food isn't an afterthought but is a normal part of the cuisine, such as Italian, Indian or Thai. I've been to an excellent Cypriot restaurants where at least half the meze dishes are vegetarian, and that's really nice too.

It's usually something with goat's cheese - carmelised onion and goat's cheese tart is a popular one. Even some upmarket restaurants have this as their only vege option.
It would be OK but it's been on almost every menu I have seen for about 15 years.
Often the starter and main course both have goat's cheese in it.
I don't mind goats cheese but I wouldn't choose it and I certainly don't want to pay restaurant prices for a meal that, at home, I would turn my nose up at.

I agree with MargaretCavendish. BBQs and buffets are good for this too. One each for the vegetarians...

I've never thought of eating at Las Iguanas until I read this thread so I've just had a look. Menu looks interesting but it also says that tips all go directly to staff - so perhaps that's a new (and good) thing @Elphame