Vegan fine dining: The top UK hotels for a vegan diet
15 August 2023
Discover the restaurants that cater for stylish vegan options
It’s hard to believe that ‘vegan fine dining’ used to be three words you’d never expect to see in the same sentence and very cheering that some of the UK’s leading hotels now serve some of the very best vegan food on the planet. We’ve come such a long way from the days when those looking for vegan options might at best have been offered an apologetic mushroom risotto, or at worst been asked by a bewildered maitre d’ ‘but you do eat chicken?’
Just as vegan cuisine has since gone mainstream, the concept of vegan travel is a growing trend that is here to stay. Destinations and hotels that best meet the needs of those looking for vegan options are now key to their travel decision making and hotel booking process. And as such, many of the UK’s five-star hotels have raised the bar, transforming what used to be somewhat of an afterthought into a culinary art form in its own right.
Those looking for vegan options now not only expect hotel restaurants to offer at least some choice of vegan starters, vegan main courses and vegan desserts on both à la carte and room service menus, but also offer fully vegan menus, tasting menus and experiences ensuring gastronomy is a key part of the stay.
While vegan travellers obviously make up a significant portion of the vegan tourism market, people who are vegan-curious are also increasingly likely to choose a hotel that offers a range of culinary delights.
So if you’re considering becoming vegan or are simply looking for a tasty introduction to the vegan lifestyle, there’s arguably no better introduction to plant-based living than staying at a top hotel that knows how to create mouthwatering vegan fayre served with style.
Here’s our pick of ten of the best UK hotels now serving some of the most innovative vegan dishes and vegan fine dining experiences…
1. 116 at The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences
Offering a winning combination of sumptuous venue and superlative cuisine, 116 at The Athenaeum is the place to savour some of the best vegan food in London. Situated in the heart of Mayfair, this beautiful Art Deco hotel not only offers a charming home- from-home in the capital but also a divinely delicious vegan tasting menu perfectly paired with drinks. Enjoy a vegan starter of English asparagus, peas, spring onion and parsley washed down with Chalkdown Bottle Fermented Cider from Hampshire, followed by a vegan main course of Beetroot mozzarisella salad with shaved radishes and candy beetroot coulis served with a glass of fine Austrian white wine: Grüner Veltliner ‘Stasser Weinberge’ 2018. And for the final flourish, the vegan dessert of Raspberry & vanilla tart with raspberry sorbet comes with a glass of celebrated French dessert wine from the Pyrenées.
2. The Dining Room at Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa
When it comes to vegan fine dining in the Cotswolds, Whatley Manor’s restaurant is sure to impress with its consistently excellent vegan feasts. Awarded a Michelin Green Star (which recognises sustainable gastronomy), The Dining Room offers a tantalising vegan and vegetarian menu that draws from the freshest and finest ingredients to make plant-based culinary magic. Highlights include vegan starters such as Beetroot Tartare with lettuce relish, Aubergine ‘ratatouille’ as a vegan main course and sumptuous vegan desserts such as Rhubarb ginger with almond sherbet. And the setting is sublime. Nestled in 12 acres of gardens, Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa is a luxurious hideaway of a country house hotel made for foodies and spa lovers alike.
3. SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel & Lake House
If you’re planning a trip to the Lake District, don’t miss your chance to devour some of the very best vegan food in the UK. SOURCE at the stunning Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, situated on the banks of Lake Windermere, has been awarded a coveted Michelin star following Ollie Bridgwater’s arrival earlier this year. This master chef spent nearly a decade at Heston Blumenthal’s three Michelin-starred Fat Duck, and now brings his passion for creating innovative dishes from sustainable local produce to this beauty spot by the water. The restaurant’s plant-based tasting menu is an experience not to be missed. Munch your way through vegan starters including chilled gazpacho of herbs with pickled radish, and vegan main courses including roast morel with potato, wild garlic and onion, before tucking into divine vegan desserts such as Furilake sushi rice pudding with miso caramel and lemon sorbet.
4. The Henry Robertson Dining Room at Palé Hall
Few hotels in Wales are quite as breath-taking as Palé Hall, a charming five-star country house hotel and an award-winning restaurant in the Snowdonia region. The restaurant’s Head Chef, Gareth Stevenson draws inspiration from his travels, and his vegan creations are masterful. Here, you’re spoiled for choice with two dedicated vegan tasting menus: The Plant-based Five and The Plant-based Eight. Highlights include warm salad of Jersey Royals with shiitake à la grecque and kelp; sautéed wild mushrooms with broad bean, black garlic and truffle, and vegan desserts such as Nyangbo 68% chocolate with lime and coconut sorbet. The dining room is a feast for the eyes and the food will keep you coming back for more.
5. Montagu’s Mews at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
If you’re hungry for a taste of Regency elegance, The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, a five-star haven of sophistication in the historic centre of Bath, has wow factor in spades. Montagu’s Mews is the hotel's new bar and dining experience inspired by the original resident of No. 16, the dynamic Elizabeth Montagu; host of the Blue Stockings Society, writer, salonière and advocate for women’s education. Who better to inform its unique approach to dining? The vegan tasting menu created by Head Chef Martin Blake turns the freshest produce into a memorable feast. Highlights include Black treacle soda bread with Piqual olive oil and chickpea hummus; Wye Valley asparagus salad with almond and confit lemon, and vegan petit fours. There’s also a delightful Gluten Free & Vegan Afternoon Tea menu with delicious savoury bites and sweet treats including Home-made gluten free scones, Raspberry Mousse, Chocolate Bounty Bar and Passionfruit & Basil Macaron.
6. The Dining Room at Gravetye Manor
Seeking a peach of a hotel in the Sussex countryside? There are many reasons why the magnificent Gravetye Manor is considered one of the very finest hotels in the UK but its Michelin-starred restaurant is obviously a major draw. All the menus reflect the ever-changing seasons and every single ingredient has either been grown in the hotel’s historic walled Kitchen Garden (created by William Robinson at the turn of the last century), or sourced from a trusted, local supplier. The latest vegan menu features a choice of two vegan starters, main courses and desserts including Kohlrabi, green strawberry, rhubarb & alliums, followed by Potato & seaweed pressing, broccoli, cucumber & almond, and finished with a delicate dessert dish of Coconut, strawberry & rosé.
7. Ocean Restaurant at The Atlantic
Situated a short stroll from a glorious sandy beach, The Atlantic in Jersey is winning awards for its excellent culinary experiences, as well as its warm Channel Islands hospitality. The Ocean Restaurant showcases modern British cooking with the emphasis on fresh Jersey produce. Executive Chef Will Holland has a relaxed vision of good food, with all menus demonstrating his passion for seasonal produce and using the finest ingredients from the island’s fields as well as its shores. The vegan menu features a stunning repertoire of vegan starters including Caramelised Roscoff onion tart, with barbecued leeks, red wine pickled shallots, crispy onions, and green onion oil, and Coconut and celeriac panna cotta, with tomato and basil essence, sweet and sour celeriac, and fresh coconut. To follow, highlights include Forest mushroom risotto, with watercress salad, truffle dressing, and cep powder and Tomato and basil risotto, semi-dried cherry tomatoes, and basil cress. To finish, it’s a tough choice between the Caramelised chocolate, with Amatika custard, soft biscuit, whipped ganache and the Mille Feuille — a decadent hazelnut creme patissiere, with salted caramel and chocolate sorbet.
8. The Brasserie at Sopwell House
A Georgian hotel with a contemporary twist, Sopwell House is a five-star hotel with spa, situated in 12 acres of Hertfordshire countryside in St Albans. The Brasserie restaurant is an elegant open-plan dining space that serves an all-day menu fusing British and Mediterranean cuisine. Its vegan dishes are carefully considered and delicious with its latest vegan starter dining options including Heritage tomato, shaved cucumber, radish, olive tapenade, and green herb dressing and vegan. For main courses, there’s a choice of Plant-based mushroom stroganoff with pilaf rice and pickles, and Wholemeal tagliatelle with green pesto, vegan parmesan, and pistachio kernels.
Please note that all menus are subject to change with many dishes crafted from the freshest ingredients of the day. Contact the restaurants for further information or to discuss specific dietary requirements.
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