As a vegan I'm always looking out for new and tasty spots to eat out, and my Friday night visit to Mildreds in Camden was a treat.
The 100 per cent plant-based restaurants has been pushing boundaries in vegan food since 1988, and have branches in Covent Garden, Dalston, King's Cross, Soho and Camden - about a five minute walk from Camden tube station.
Each has its own unique design - ours has been recently refurbished with a frontage of floor to ceiling windows.
The food draws inspiration from around the world, including supper clubs where they experiment with new dishes.
Watch out for the Veganuary specials which feature the flavours of the Caribbean.
The menu has options for any occasion, whether it be brunch, dinner, or festive dining.
I went for dinner with my mum, and found myself drawn in by the warm atmosphere as we were greeted by the friendly manager.
We started with drinks – a refreshing fruity mocktail for me, the Coco Key Lime, and the Mandarin Cranberry Negroni for mum, which was delicious and strong.
Attentive waiting staff brought starters of beautifully made Wild Mushroom Tortelloni, which came in a caramelised leek cream and green sage oil that was light and delicately flavoured.
The finely chopped mushroom filling gave an umami flavour that was not overpowering.
My mum went for the Hummus with paratha, insisting: “You can always tell a good vegan restaurant by its hummus”.
And so it proved, the dip was the best either of us had tasted, silky smooth and tangy thanks to the sour cherry harissa. The paratha was the perfect pairing, bringing warmth and buttery flavours to the hummus.
Up next was the Cumberland Sausage and Mash which didn't disappoint. An elevated version of the British staple, with mustard mash, creamed cabbage, and a delicious red wine jus, it also came with super crispy onion rings.
My mum went for the Bubble & Squeak Chick’n Burger from their Christmas menu and was really impressed. The burger was huge and filled with truffle aioli, red onion, pickles, fried brussel sprouts, and cranberry chilli relish.
A generous portion of fries came with it along with a smoky pig’n a blanket and bubble and squeak that was lovely and crisp.
The portion sizes at Mildreds are not for the faint-hearted and we had to take a break in-between mains and dessert but we managed a tiny bite of the White Chocolate Tiramisu with a coffee syrup and almond sponge before admitting defeat.
The Mildreds team kindly boxed it up for a next day treat.
It had a rich but light and lovely texture although the almond and coffee overpowered the white chocolate it was a great tiramisu!
My mum went for a creamy Passionfruit Cheesecake that came with an impressive Black Sesame Tuille.
The staff were kind enough to gift my mum their new book ‘Mildreds Easy Vegan’ which she was over the moon about and has already started using. We will definitely be back for Veganuary.
Mildreds Camden is at 9 Jamestown Road, London NW1.
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