Autografs vegetable skewer
I recently became a vegetarian and, since that moment, the mouth-watering smells of grilled marinated lamb wafting down Green Lanes have gone from a being a blessing to a curse. So I set out to do something about that, by road-testing a series of alternative mouth-watering vegetarian dishes at some of the area’s best known eateries.
The Salisbury’s Halloumi & Portobello Mushroom Stack
Sounds pretty standard right? Wrong. It’s truly impressive when a non-gastro, lager-filled pub like this one does food well. This towering dish combining houmous, roasted vegetables, couscous, portobello mushroom and halloumi was full of flavour. If you’re vegan you can swap the halloumi with artichoke hearts too.
The Salisbury, 1, Grand Parade, Green Lanes, St Ann’s Road, London N4 1JX
Gokyuzu’s Sarma Vegi Beyti
The menu describes this dish as featuring fried vegetables wrapped in lavash bread with cheese and grilled over charcoal, topped with tomato sauce drizzled with butter, served with yoghurt and bulgur.
In other words, this is a veggie party and let’s just get over the fact it might not be the healthiest option. We can vouch that this one tastes even better than it sounds.
Gokyuzu 26-27 Grand Parade, Green Lanes London, N4 1LG
Antepliler’s Vegi Plate
This dish I’d argue is a healthy meal. This makes a sizeable dinner for one (depending how much you’ve gorged on the free salad and bread at this restaurant beforehand) or, alternatively a mezze to share between two as a starter. You get houmous, yoghurt, cheese, roasted aubergine dip, a spinach and cheese pastry, lots of tabouleh and salad plus a small mound of bulgar which is expertly spiced.
Antepliler, 43, Grand Parade, Green Lanes, Haringey, London N4 1AG
Seating area at the back of Rakkas
Autograf Grill’s Veggie Burger
One warning before ordering this – the portions are massive so you’ve got to be seriously hungry. Best known for their burgers, I thought it only right to give their veggie version a try. I loved the delicate flavour of the burger versus the chunky, rustic chips and bun. The tangy pickle was also a welcome contrast. I’ll be trying their veggie skewer next time (pictured above).
Autograf Grill, 488 W Green Rd, London N15 3DA
Blend Café’s Bagel with Applewood smoked cheddar, red onion chutney and chicory
Blend Café’s Bagel with Applewood smoked cheddar, red onion chutney and chicory
I’ve made my way through most of Blend’s menu and this by no means is the only vegetarian highlight. In fact, it might not be the best, but its simplicity and unusual combination got my juices going. This is a perfect lunch choice, with the locally sourced mature cheddar perfectly off-setting the fiery chicory.
Blend Café, 587 Green Lanes, London N8 0RG
Rakkas’ Rakkas Omelette
You’ll thank us for giving you some direction once you open the menu in this restaurant – the choice is extensive. This omelette however derives its pleasurability from its simplicity. Salty, fluffy and hearty (you won’t need a dessert.
Rakkas, 369 Green Lanes, Harringay, London N4 1DY
Words: Selma Willcocks
Images:Selma Willcocks and also supplied by the venues.