Meal for 6 vegan restaurant

[Upcyled]

Going out for an evening meal 6 people a week on Friday.
1 person is vegan so has suggested we go to a vegan restaurant.
I'm not against veganism and have family that are vegetarian and vegan which is great their choice.
I am struggling with a vegan restaurant as a choice to be honest. If it were vegetarian I'd be fine with it but vegan seems too much to expect. Obviously the drinks will also be vegan.
I've eaten at great vegan places for lunch not an issue just a whole 3 course meal has annoyed me a bit. Vegan butter, vegan cheese etc (they're not butter or cheese)
So I guess AIBU to suggest a vegetarian restaurant as a compromise?
I guess I don't want to come across as 'the awkward one'

OP said later that she doesn't fancy anything off this menu, and mentioned a possible vegan alternative. It's not in the first post, you have to click on all posts.

So that tells us she doesn't have any problem with eating at a vegan place per se. The only thing we know is that she doesn't want anything from this one vegan menu. In the same way that, say, one could be an omnivore but not care for the Brazilian barbecue type restaurants mentioned a few posts up.

A vegan that doesn't like onion or garlic?!?!

Your friend is a weirdo! I would have gone to a normal restaurant and your vegan friend can bring their own marmite sandwich.

As a full on Marmite cultist, I'd suggest a Marmite on toast party, but I have a feeling that might end up being even more divisive!

Thank you for all your messages.
I am looking forward to seeing these friends and won't make a fuss about the restaurant.
I hope to be pleasantly surprised by the food and vegan wine.
I can't browse and choose my meal beforehand because apparently it changes all the time.

As a cultist, you will know about marmite in oil for roast potatoes and stew for that extra kick? Also own brand imo is better for cooking and spread as it is goopier.

I don't have a marmite problem. I can quit any time I want!

😂

I love a bit of it in a stew, but roasties was a new one on me!

For those asking why vegans want to eat sausages, burgers and other things that resemble the meat equivalent. Newsflash - its not always about not liking the flavour and texture of meat

A lot of the time it's so it fits in the bin 😂

Bun not bin. Although dh nickname is the bin so does often end up there if I don't watch him like a hawk.

I hope to be pleasantly surprised by the food and vegan wine.

@Upcyled rest assured that vegan wine is no different from non vegan wine. It just means that no animal products were used in the fining process. Non vegan wines use egg whites, gelatine or isinglass in the fining process.

I don't mind vegan food/restaurants and will always opt for it if I'm going for lunch with my vegan friend. It is easier when it's just the two of us as she can eat anything. But I don't think the food is as good, most of it is fake meat and not veg based meals.

If there was a group and just one vegan, then no, I'd make sure the place had a vegan options so they weren't just sat with chips. But an entire vegan place? No

But I don't think the food is as good, most of it is fake meat and not veg based meals.

This is simply not true of many vegan restaurants. A decent chef worth their salt will want to provide imaginative and interesting dishes using plant based and natural ingredients. They won't be using fake meat.

I think you might be surprised. I'm not vegan, but the last vegan restaurant I went to (on the basis of a recommendation from a carnivorous friend!) was absolutely bloody delicious - truly, one of the best meals that I've had in years and my mouth starts watering at the mere thought of it.

Vegan food is just food that happens to be plant based. It isn't all fake meat and fake cheese etc, which I'm not really a fan of. If the chef is good, it can be amazing.

Keep an open mind and try it. You might find that you really enjoy it!

Have you actually been to a vegan restaurant with mostly fake meat?

Because I mostly see fake meat in the vegan options in "normal" restaurants. All of the vegan places that I've been to tend to be much more imaginative.

And still the ignorance abut vegan restaurants continues

Im another who is interested to know where all these vegan restaurants that have fake meat dominating their menu are.

Every vegan restaurant I’ve been to (without exception) makes plants the star of the dish with good use of spices and flavours. When vegan cheeses are on the menu, they are made in house using nuts and not ultra processed. Very occasionally, there is the odd fake meat item to cater for all but these also tend to be made in house from scratch.

By contrast regular restaurants have a couple of token vegan dishes usually supplied by the likes of beyond meat (ultra processed cardboard) with the addition of some plastic fake cheese. The original veggie burger made from vegetables has long disappeared from all menus

Vegan restaurants usually serve proper creative whole food dishes. Most vegans I know cook in the same way. Since the shops have jumped on the bandwagon with substitutes it seems everyone thinks vegans eat a load of fake meat- not the case ! Most vegans don't want to be reminded of meat as they hate the thought of meat it's usually for people on transition or experimenting etc

Since the shops have jumped on the bandwagon with substitutes it seems everyone thinks vegans eat a load of fake meat

Which reinforces the view of the uneducated/unadventurous cooks that all vegans only eat fake meat.

I eat meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan food because I will try just about anything, except parsnips which are vile

Just thought I'd come back to update.
The meal was very good not fake meat, we all chose something different.
I had asparagus sushi starter which was great. My main was nice. I didn't fancy the desserts so chose some sorbet. Wine was also good.

That looks lovely!

Good for you for giving it a go, OP, and for coming back to update. Really glad that you enjoyed the meal more than you expected to.

Great update @Upcyled

Glad to hear you had a good time. I think it just shows that vegan food can actually be nice if the restaurant puts effort into it. Something most mainstream restaurants don't do.

What a great outcome

There is often a massive difference between vegan options (usually only one) in a standard restaurant and the options in a vegan restaurant

Standard restaurants either cook a standard meal and take the meat/dairy out (which means the dish is shite and nutritionally unbalanced - I’ve ended up with a plate of boiled rice and aubergine before) or some fake meat ready meal type. This is because the chefs have no idea how to cook vegan.

Chefs in vegan restaurants know how to cook and design dishes for a vegan diet (rather than presenting something which happens to be vegan)

I no longer attend most work socials because I end up eating complete shite costing the same as everyone else’s meals. Someone said why pay to eat something you don’t like? We I guess why should the vegan?

glad you enjoyed it in the end 😀