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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Vegetarian options in restaurants

158 replies

CrackersDontMatter · 14/07/2017 12:38

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!

OP posts:
Mustbeoriginal38 · 15/07/2017 00:32

I'm in Scotland and whilst on a big family holiday recently sil who's veggie had some different choices:

Vegetarian haggis lasagna (sold out so couldn't try)
Macaroni made with local cheese
Vegetarian haggis and mustard cheese made into a burger
Salad with pear and blue cheese
A vegetable burger
One place we were having sandwiches allowed you to pick up to three fillings and there was plenty scope for her.
Most of the soup options were lovely too.

At our wedding meal a few years ago she was brought a list of things the chief was prepared to make a veggie option of. She ended up with a beautiful veg curry.

Sil has had issue with places using parmesan on veggie dishes as usually it isn't vegetarian.

She also struggles with unimaginative options based around the same few ingredients - as you can see from the list above many places on holiday had similar options.

CockneyRhymer · 15/07/2017 07:52

Is Greens in Manchester still there? That was awesome. Terre a Terre is the most imaginative by miles.

Also have a look at Anna Jones' cookbooks and Ottolenghi's Plenty for ideas.

Iwanttobe8stoneagain · 15/07/2017 07:53

Hallumi cheese is the best. I'm no longer veggie but still often have the veggie option. I first became veggie about 30 years ago and can remember my mum ringing ahead to restrrrsunts and then getting a premise neal out the freezer (this was a really nice place for the rest of the food) so nowadays there seems loads of options. The lounge chain do a whole veggie menu

CockneyRhymer · 15/07/2017 07:58

Oh god Risotto. It's always totally tasteless. I had a beetroot one the other week and it was just.. purple. No beetroot taste.

Demuths in bath was also good but I don't think it's there any more. We eat Turkish a lot and Indian, especially South Indian.

Worriednurse · 15/07/2017 08:20

It depends which type of restaurants you go to, I find Chinese, Thai, Indian, Tapas and Italian are all really good for vegetarians with a good amount of choices. In my city, we have quite a few independent and chain restaurants/cafes/takeaways that cater for vegans too offering a very good choice. However if you visit country pubs or small town places then it can be restrictive.

Worriednurse · 15/07/2017 08:30

Sushi and Turkish restaurants are always good too

SuburbanRhonda · 15/07/2017 08:31

Sil has had issue with places using parmesan on veggie dishes as usually it isn't vegetarian.

Parmesan is never vegetarian. You can buy good alternatives in most supermarkets these days but for some reason, restaurants (except chains like Pizza Express and Zizzi) don't use it.

runsmidgeOMG · 15/07/2017 08:33

Sorry if this has been mentioned already but this - "butternut squash" it's in everything veggie round these parts and I hate it bleughhh...
Also why does the pasta option have to be arriabiatia (sorry for poor spelling!) what if you're veggie and don't like spicy stuff either ?! Gahhh

SuburbanRhonda · 15/07/2017 08:38

Middle eastern food is generally a good choice for vegetarians - Comptoir Libanais is a great chain if you're near London.

Madhairday · 15/07/2017 08:57

Some cheaper chains are OK for veggies. Harvester for instance - does a great battered halloumi and chips, veggie burger, different salads etc. Pizza places are fine and places like Zizzis and Novellos. It tends to be higher end gastro pubs which are. Much worse and always only have the dreaded risotto etc. I dread big Christmas meals, everyone else with their roast dinners and me sat there with penne pasta in tomato sauce. Yay. Hmm

I went to a Turkish restaurant yesterday and was spoilt for choice, I literally didn't know what to do with all this unaccustomed choice. I had this halloumi dish with asparagus, peppers etc in this delicious spicy creamy sauce with rice. It was heaven. I could have eaten about 10 dishes off the menu. I always find Indian great and to a lesser extent Chinese.

I always rate a place by the number of veggie choices, as veggies have preferences too and don't always love mushrooms/beetroot etc. I actually really enjoy anything goats cheese so I'm probably easier to please than most! I like to see some imagination though, especially with set menus.

CoughLaughFart · 15/07/2017 09:16

What's even worse than the single veggie 'option' is when the dish bears no relation to the rest of the menu / style of the restaurant. Granted, this is a few years back now, but I remember going for a meal in the middle of winter with my family at a quite high-end hotel. The meat and fish dishes came with an amazing selection of vegetables and potatoes. The veggie option? Lasagne and salad. Why the hell when you have a great choice of vegetable accompaniments would you not make a dish to suit? Vegetarians tend to like vegetables, weirdly enough!

NotTodayDear · 15/07/2017 09:23

If you're in the north-west and looking for somewhere nice for a treat, I'd recommend Northcote. I've had their veggie tasting menu and it was to die for. I've also taken a large party with several vegetarians there for their short-menu lunch offer, and they put a second veggie option on for us so I think two out of four choices were veggie.

Very interested to hear about other good places in the NW.

mismo · 15/07/2017 09:44

I've been veggie for 20 odd years and pretty much the same as a none veggie by simply replacing the meat option with a quorn version, Sausage and mash, hot dogs, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken burger, beefburger, steak pie, chicken and leek pie, scotch eggs, stew and dumplings, macaroni cheese, the list is endless, I don't particularly like vegetables, however even the summer school fete can't manage to serve a simple veggie hotdog or burger, god knows what that greasy fried up mush they try to pass off as a burger is. it's not hard to serve up a normal everyday meal to a veggie.

TheWitchAndTrevor · 15/07/2017 09:48

Someone asked for links to places with good vegetarian/vegan menus, so here's one I went to a couple of years ago, there menu also caters for most food alleges as well.

Lovely food, and setting. It's between Reading and Henley.

theflowingspringpub.co.uk/food.html

Disclaimer --
I'm not veggy (but eat a lot of veggy food) so my idea of a good menu may not be yours..........I'd still give the place 100% for effort though.

Madhairday · 15/07/2017 09:52

That looks lovely, thewitch, I'd happily eat there, hungry reading it!

PovertyPain · 15/07/2017 09:55

If I win the lottery, I'm moving to Liverpool. I'm currently here for my youngest boy's graduation and the restaurants are amazing. So much choice for vegans, never mind vegetarians. Fab city and everyone is so lovely and helpful. Ive eaten out at least once every day, for the past week and in different restaurants. Delicious food. Belfast is crap for veggies. The restaurants never quite get it right. I haven't tried Home Restaurant, in Belfast, yet, but I've heard it's good.

TheWitchAndTrevor · 15/07/2017 10:16

Glad you like the look of it mad I might chance taking a family member there, I just didn't want to spoil my memory of it by him.

He is the most annoying awkward person to go out with, not because he is vegetarian(he is veggy), but just a huffy puffy fussy eater. He creartes seething atmospheres, if he can't find the exact thing he fancy eating at that point in time, on the menu.

My mum's vegetarian so we are use to checking menus, for good variety, before going anywhere. So everyone can enjoy being out to eat.

But he just takes the piss, really puts me off going out with them.

Mama1980 · 15/07/2017 10:34

The drunken duck in the Lake District was great. I had vegan options and the food was out of this world.

Mysteriouscurle · 15/07/2017 17:21

Whale tail in Lancaster is amazing. It is a veggie cafe only and just open during the day. Lots of choices and several good vegan options too. I have been known to have a day out there just so I can go to the whale tailBlush

Thanks for drunken duck recommendation marma. I might google that one

RamblinRosie · 15/07/2017 23:18

For recipe books, I second Ottolenghi's Plenty, I'd also suggest Cotter's Cafe Paradiso. Any Claudia Roden will also have loads of great veggie options.

I'm not veggie but do eat a lot of veggie food and have a few veggie friends , we usually go for Lebanese or Southern Indian. I could live on potato stuffed dosas with coconut relish.

Sree Krishna in Tooting or Bobby's in Leicester are places I used to love.

Years ago I was in a city, can't remember where, trying to book a meal for a large group with a vegetarian, I rang a number of restaurants, but could only find one which offered a veggie option. Starter was OK, when the mains came, we all got our mains on a large white hexagonal plate, with a small black hexagonal plate of 6 boiled/steamed vegetables arranged like a clock. Our Veggie got a large white hexagonal plate of vegetables as per our side plates..... plus a side plate of..........vegetables !!!

Even better was in Frankfurt, a colleague ordered a meal "without meat" and was given a plate of salad with a thick sauce on it, when she investigated, she found a pork fillet hidden underneath... they thought she just didn't want to see the meat, they couldn't comprehend "not wanting meat ".

Greenbread · 16/07/2017 07:57

I would recommend the happy cow app, as mentioned up thread.

As a vegan I'm finding it surprisingly easy to eat out. You just need to check the restaurant menus online before you go and sometimes make restaurant suggestions if you can see one has a better menu. Most places will have separate veggie and vegan options.

The fact that chains like Hungry Horse and Toby Carvery have vegan options for mains and deserts shows that a plant based diet is becoming more mainstream.

Crumbs1 · 16/07/2017 08:13

We have two veggie daughters. One is fussy, one isn't. We often call ahead to the restaurant for special occasions to discuss potential menu options. A good restaurant should be able to accommodate their preferences and make suggestions.
Indian restaurants are particularly good and nicer restaurants like the Cinnamon Club in London or Asha's in Birmingham make a curry a special event.
We've had things like caramelised shallot tarte tatin, root vegetable crumble, Mediterranean mille feuille, the ubiquitous tomato pasta, asparagus and lemon risotto, soufflé etc added to menus without much effort. A particularly good fish restaurant in Dartmouth always groans at the idea of vegetarianism but then comes up with the most amazing decadent creations - if veggie meals can ever be decadent.

Andrewofgg · 16/07/2017 08:23

I'm told by a rellie who knows that there are two vegan restaurants in Gateshead. Probably traceable on line. HTH somedi here if not the OP.

sashh · 16/07/2017 08:47

I would email some independents (much harder for a chain to offer non standard menu) and ask what they could do.

I did this before a big birthday as I was taking a fussy eater with me. I said if they couldn't do anything then that was fine, I understand.

They replied asking what my friend did eat and they produced a personal menu for him!

At the actual meal they served lots of small bits between courses but asked if we had any allergies, anything we didn't eat. I don't do sea food so what was a prawn for other diners was a mushroom cooked the same way for me.

This was Adams in Birmingham - I highly recommend them.

The fact that chains like Hungry Horse and Toby Carvery have vegan options for mains and deserts shows that a plant based diet is becoming more mainstream.

Not just that but these are places works outings go to, lots of people who eat at home eat vegi out for religious reasons.

ragged · 16/07/2017 09:02

I'm not vegetarian, but I don't like meat for main course b/c the portions are huge (MN explained to me that most meat eaters actually like huge meat portions, yick).

My dream is a lovely stirfry. Ideally with sesame oil.
In a buffet setting.

So I can add in some sunflower seeds, feta cheese & some anchovies or a piece of chicken (to the massive portion of stir fry).
I guess that looks like a LCHF choice to an observer, but it's just a great selection of veg with some thing else-not-wheat in my mind.
I don't eat out often... I much prefer buffet settings for eating out.