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!

My pet hate as a vegetarian is when there is no protein in the meal. When it's just a pile of vegetables and maybe some pastry.

Especially annoying when I've paid a per head price & the meat eaters are enjoying a proper feast while I have sad looking slices of eggplant and maybe a mushroom.

When catering for vegetarians please replace meat with a different protein and make a cohesive meal, not just ingredients:

For example:

In a stir fry: Tofu instead of chicken
At a BBQ: haloumi instead of meat patty
In a wrap: falafel instead of meatballs

Mexican, Indian, Italian & Lebanese are usually good cuisines for vegetarians.

Oh god yes, the plate of veg that doesn't look like a meal. Nightmare.

When catering for vegetarians please replace meat with a different protein and make a cohesive meal, not just ingredients

That is such a good way of putting it. It is so often the case that you are just presented with a plate of ingredients, that are definitely veggie, and told it's a meal!

Thanks MrsBakedBean I guess they were shamed into it. There was quite an outcry about it at the time.

Go somewhere with a few options so they can choose. I can tell you all about what I personally love but then I am not your friend
The best way to go about it is to make sure there are a good few (5 or so) options for veggies.

Just because they don't want a chunk of rotting dead creature on their plate
Don't worry, meat eaters don't either. (rotting I mean, most meat eaters prefer their meat to be dead when it reaches their plates).

I'm vegetarian and have coeliac disease so the majority of menus have nothing I can eat. But I have found quite a lot of places will make something different that's not on the menu, especially if you phone in advance. A few places, and not particularly high end, have asked what I fancied and made that. Put me on the spot a bit as I was expecting 'we could do you a salad' and wasn't expecting to be able to choose!

I remember the meal I was offered a a hotel in York (happy to say it is now out of business) a plate of plain boiled rice with a handful of barely cooked button mushrooms. and that was it, it was like eating cat litte

Yes - I rant about this too. 30 years ago the vegetarian Christmas meal option was always festive vegetable lasagne which was never remotely festive. Then it was wild mushroom risotto or stroganoff then goats cheese tart. Now it seems to be a confused mix of goats cheese / beetroot / butternut squash , or if you're really unlucky all three... (I declined to go to the meal where the vegetarian meal was goats cheese and caramelised onion tart followed by beetroot and butternut squash risotto with goats cheese.) The very worst though was the formal work dinner I had to go to were everything was served in teacups and they had lots of different courses, but the vegetarian option was the same every time and with no protein - just cubes of roasted beetroot, red onion and butternut squash. It was underwhelming as the first course, but when I was presented with a new cup of the same thing every time I started to lose the plot a little. Admittedly some of the meat eater food was a bit bizarre - 10p size steaks and 5 chips served in a teacup - but they did at least get something different every time.

Sounds delicious viques

I remember going to a wedding with my mum, dad and sister. All of us vegetarian which wasn't common in 1989 I grant you. Our main course at the wedding breakfast was a whole boiled onion each

I miss the days of goats cheese tart and veggie risotto! I find a lot of places have decided to cover veggie and vegan and possibly gluten free all in one go by having a salad, and a bean based dish. Also no one seems to do tofu apart from Thai.

If you are looking for ideas I'd look at the menu for Mildred's. I don't eat at high end places but the last time I did, (someone treating us on a birthday) they looked at my vegan friend in horror - in spite of us having called in advance and being told there would be a seasonal vegan option on the day. I had some kind of butternut squash in filo thing that wasn't half as good as anything I've had at Mildred or Tibits.

I ate at a Turkish place last week and had lovely stuffed mushrooms (with halloumi and peppers) and rice. Simple but lovely. Also recall a couple of other places doing things like chestnut and or mushroom pastries.

In terms of work pub lunches and stuff I really wish more places would do veggie burgers. Sorry, that has nothing to do with high end, I'm just rambling.

Whoever made the comment about protein was spot on imo.

Frankly, the only place I've been to in recent years with decent veggie food was a Michelin starred restaurant. It was genuinely spectacular. Everywhere else, even the £70 per head restaurant, has been pretty dire. Many have fallen for the no-protein, just bung some veggies on a plate error.

Wherever that was, ThymeLord, I think I've been there too. They might have modified the dish slightly with some dried herbs and a light dusting of cheddar, but it was still, essentially, a boiled onion. As a lone, young vegetarian, I didn't even have the courage to laugh at it.

It was a hotel in east lancashire Brecon. I won't name it because it still operates but I understand it has improved somewhat since then! I've never looked at an onion the same since

I really enjoyed the meal we had at Zizzis recently. They have a seperate vegan menu so it would cover veggies and vegans, as well as a gluten free pizza base. All three courses were yummy (DP and I split the starter) although I was very full after! The one we went to was really nice inside as well.

Mary, Wikipedia quotes: "The Food Standards Agency Public Attitudes to Food Survey 2009 reported that 3% of respondents were found to be "completely vegetarian", with an additional 5% "partly vegetarian".[93] The UK's National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) reported in 2014 that its four-year study found 2.6% of adults and 1.9% of children were vegetarian.[94] Some less formal market studies suggest that vegetarians constitute 7% to 11% of the UK adult population.[95][96][97]"

The statistics given on the UK Vegetarian Society website only go up to 2012.

The NHS page that quotes the 2% figure also give as their source the same 2012 survey.

Given the huge rise in vegetarianism over the past few years, the logical answer is that it was 2% five years ago but has risen sharply since then. But due to the way national statistics surveys are done, there is no 'official' statistic for rates of vegetarianism in Britain in 2017. Hence why many places still use the out of date 2012 figure.

My favourite vegetarian dish is veggie "fish" and chips. Fried halloumi + chips + mushy peas. There's a pub we go to that has a few different veggie dishes and I'm yet to try the others because the veggie fish and chips is HEAVEN!!!

Turkish and indian restaurants. Las iguanas are excellent as pp mentioned.

My pet hate is paying £15 for a plate of pasta and tomato sauce.

I remember going somewhere and having asparagus risotto. That's what they said but it was a cold sticky shape of rice(a bit like when you get a bowl shaped portion of rice at an indian restaurant but it was more an upturned soup bowl shape)with 2 asparagus spears on top. It wasn't very nice even if it was better than a boiled onion.

People (like people who create menus and my mum) seem to think that there is "vegetarian food" and that it is what vegetarians eat. This isn't things like egg beans and chips or beans on toast i.e perfectly decent food that is suitable for veges, but is special 'vegetarian' food. This means that it is what they think vegetarians eat.
This is one of:
Mushroom risotto
Butternut squash risotto
Butternut squash pasta
Goats cheese and caramelised onion tart
Pasta bake.
Goat's cheese and beetroot salad

These people also think that we adore deep fried camembert or brie and nut roast.. And that we want to pay the best part of £20 for a main dish of Portobello bruschetta. Mushroom on fecking toast!

@Elphame - you could try the Toby Carvery at Binley (Coventry).

Veg options include -
Portobello Mushroom Bullseye Tart
Pepper and Pomegranate Tart
Broccoli and Brie Parcel
Spiced Carrot and Chickpea Wellington.

I've been to Vanilla Black. It was amazing, but it's for a celebratory meal as was not cheap!!
Luckily I like goats cheese but am not a big risotto fan - it never looks nice even in Italian restaurants.,
I think either choose a vegetarian restaurant or go somewhere where many dishes are veggie like Italian or Indian. Gastropubs are the worst for providing veggie options.

OP - find recipes you like and email to restaurants in question from ?Ottolenghi? etc. Ask if they could do them for the evening in question and at what price.

For PPs who've had problems with restaurants, as above, but:

Find a really good veg/vegan website/cookbook.

Send an email to the disappointing restaurant mentioning their disappointing choices. Say good food is treasured by carnivores as well.

Attach link.

Some will think and improve. Others will just have staff (no real chef) who just put stuff together to a template. Eg grilled steak, mushrooms +salad of tomato+bagged lettuce+bought in croutons. Or bagged salmon and the above. So they can't do much for carnivores let alone veggies and will ignore you.

Good luck, OP.

My worst is mushroom burger ie, a mushroom between 2 halves of bread. At least make a proper veggie burger!!

People (like people who create menus and my mum) seem to think that there is "vegetarian food" and that it is what vegetarians eat. This isn't things like egg beans and chips or beans on toast i.e perfectly decent food that is suitable for veges, but is special 'vegetarian' food. This means that it is what they think vegetarians eat

This really made me laugh! This is exactly the problem isn't it. The idea that vegetarian food is other and isn't a pizza or, as you say, egg chips and beans!

Are there any aremenian restaurants close? My sister went ot one in manchester, whole menu was veggie and very imaginative