Press
Vanilla Black is the only vegetarian restaurant in London recommended in the Michelin Guide
This veggie stronghold is more akin to a smart, regional French restaurant with Michelin ambitions. The whole feel is clean, airy, comfortable and confident. Food here is inventive, clever and decorative, even challenging at times. Greg Wallace, Olive Magazine February 2010
It is encouraging to see Vanilla Black getting on with the business of being a proper, mature restaurant, rather than a preaching centre for flaky Greenpeace activists with hairy armpits. The food is really punchy, hearty stuff....there are twiddles and flourishes, quirky combinations [...] again Michelin stuff. But the combinations are intelligent and functional, never pretentious. Henry Little, thelondonword.com, February 2010
I knew I was going to get a good meal as soon as the delicious home made bread rolls and fabulous butters were served. Every course was beautifully crafted with such attention to detail, great flavours and delightful presentation. This is vegetarian food on a new level. Contemporary and exciting - GO! Mitzie Wilson, Editorial Food Consultant, Woman and Home Magazine, previously editor of BBC Good Food and Delicious, October 2009
The parcels of fresh greens are tender, with a punchy sauce that wows but doesn't overwhelm. Now this, I imagine, is what vegetarians come off the beaten track to eat. After my visit, a friend asked me if I'd recommend it as a good place to take his vegetarian teenage daughter for a special occasion. I certainly would: it has a gravitas and elegance missing from the rest of the "brown rice brigade". The Independent on Sunday, September 2009
They call their food vegetable cuisine which seems fair enough once you have tried the food here. Incredibly good value too. Harpers Bazaar, August 2009
Vanilla Black is a little like going back in time (in a good way) where you can leave the hustle and bustle of London behind you and relax in a pleasant environment thats free of pompousness. Lussorian, August 2009
Vegetarian restaurants and Michelin guides may sound like unlikely bedfellows but Vanilla Black, one of London's newcomers to the non-meat scene, scores itself a mention for the quality of its cooking. The Independent, July 2009
Vanilla Black is a haven for bored vegetarian diners who crave something more than humdrum mushroom risottos. This is exciting, playful vegetarian cuisine. Thats the thing about Vanilla Black: it shocks its diners with strange flavour combinations, then sits back and watches you enjoy. Love Food Love Drink, July 2009
Vanilla Black is without doubt the best vegetarian restaurant I've been to in this country. It's certainly the poshest. The cooking is refined, adventurous and presented with an artists eye for shape and colour. It's certainly somwhere I'll be recommending in the future and not just to vegetarians. Tracey MacLeod,The Independent, October 2008
My veggie pal, resigned to too many mushroom risottos and roast veg and goats cheese towers, is impressed. But it's the syrupy,custardy sponge pudding that wins the day: gorgeous. Marina O'Loughlin, Metro, November 2008
Vanilla Black is one of if not the best restaurants I have ever eaten in. The food was a fantastic balance of flavours. The processes used by the kitchen team are truly mind blowing. The staff are attentive, knowledgeable and relaxed. I can not recommend this place enough. I'll be back very soon. Amazing!!
Reader Review, Top Table, September 2008
A vegetarian restaurant is hard to find, especially a good one. Diners at this hideaway might feel they are being let in on a secret. Think vegetarian haute cuisine.
Bloomberg.com, Mark Beech, July 2008
Vanilla Black joins the very short list of London restaurants that serve vegetarian dishes so good, so precisely spiced and seasoned, and with such interesting combinations of taste and texture, that even hardened meat eaters don’t miss their pound of flesh. Vanilla Black deserves a warm welcome.
Charles Campion, June 2008
Vanilla Black has a very grown up unhippy like décor and ambiance. The food matches with effort going into presentation and tastes which do not rely solely on normal vegetarian fare. I felt like I was dinning in a restaurant not a vegetarian restaurant.
Reader Review, Top Table, July 2008
There is something interesting going on here.The part of this meal which really indicated a strong hand in the kitchen was the smallest :a tiny pot of home-made brown sauce.The same skill was evident at dessert. I hope to return soon to give the menu a proper shakedown.
Jay Rayner, The Observer, October 2007
Die-Hard carnivores may scoff at the idea of a vegetarian eatery being as brilliant as top end restaurants. Let them. It just leaves all the more space for the vegetarians in this proper gem.
Metro, 2005
Spacious interior. Very interesting dishes with host of influences.
Michelin Restaurant and Hotel Guide , 2008
A lovely looking restaurant caused my sudden halt. Back in York two days later I popped in for lunch and left two hours later happy. My partner claims to be a full blown carnivore and yet he came away impressed.
Yorkshire Life, June 2005
Listed as one of the top 10 vegetarian eateries in the U.K.
As featured in The Times, May 2006
The 1930s décor complements the superlative modern British food for vegetarians. An absolute gem.
Reader review, The Guardian, June 2006
Eating at Vanilla Black is like being in a 1950s dining room in one of those polite cafes where waitresses wore black dresses and white aprons, before the Swinging Sixties sent us all into the future. Except the food is better, much better. Indeed, most things served here have good flavour, those tastes that are missing so often in general purpose restaurants where the only clues you are eating a carrot are the shape.
Yorkshire Post, August 2005
Our meal started on a high point and remained that way throughout. I went for a Frozen Bloody Mary. It cleansed my palate and assaulted the senses all in one go and I literally went wow.
The Hull Journal, November 2005
Best new vegetarian restaurant. A never predictable menu.
BBC Olive Magazine, September 2005
A tranquil haven from the bustle of Swinegate. Originality and style come from the kitchen.
The Times, January 2007
The result is a menu rich in quality ingredients, lively flavours and imaginative combinations. The elegant 1930s inspired décor is striking without being fussy and the friendly staff ensure a relaxed ambience.
GNER Livewire, April 2006