Wild Food Cafe is healthy London’s raw, vegan, free-from restaurant hidden in Covent Garden, Healthista’s writer Vicky Hadley reviews…
Being a health obsessed vegan, I was excited when Wild Food Café invited me and a friend down to review. Hidden in a quirky part of Covent Garden Wild Food Café boasts a bright blue exterior staircase leading up to their café. Fairy lights hang from the windows and wooden tables and bars fill the café. An open planned kitchen is positioned at the back of the restaurant showing just how fresh the food is.
I was in the Healthista version of heaven.
After being seated at our table we were handed the menu, it was filled with exciting and deliciously unique food options. I was about to ask for the allergy menu when I realised absolutely everything on the menu is vegan, gluten, wheat and refined sugar free. Not one for a burger and fries? Me either, but just glancing at the olive, shiitake and quinoa burger option (£13.20) confirmed I was in the Healthista version of heaven.
The staff were all quirky and friendly and instantly made us feel incredibly welcome and valued. The drinks ranged from organic wines, gluten free beers, smoothies, juices, organic coffees and teas. Kombuca drinks (£3.70) were even on the menu, Kombuca is a probiotic fermented drink that helps aid the good bacteria in the stomach. I may or may not have had one or two drinks the night before, (I did) so I opted for a Kombuca drink, despite never having tried one before.
The Kombuca was pleasantly surprising, it had a lightly fragrant sweet taste that reminded me of a mix between lemonade and soda water mixed with a gentle zingy hint of ginger.
It was the freshest and creamiest hummus I have ever tasted
To start with we opted for the hummus and raw crackers (£6.50). The hummus was made from sprouted chickpeas and the raw crackers were made from sunflower seed and shallots. Together they tasted incredible and were so moreish. The crackers were slightly warm and were perfectly accompanied by a mix of the freshest and creamiest hummus I have ever tasted. I am not ashamed to admit that I am a hummus addict so this choice was an obvious decision for me and definitely not a disappointment.
I was so excited about my first genuinely healthy curry
For our main courses I chose the ‘Karma Kameleon Curry’ (£15.50). A plate of vegetables and purple quinoa, wild rice and red cabbage slaw was beautifully presented in front of me. It was definitely not quite how I’d imagined it to look, but I was so excited about my first really genuinely healthy curry. The quinoa and wild rice was spicy and delicious and had the natural curry spices that set your taste buds on fire. Whilst the marinated vegetables mix of peppers, green beans and squash had a mild korma coconut flavour that mixed well together. I am normally a very big eater, despite being such a small person but the curry even though it didn’t look that big defeated me, (or maybe I just wanted to leave room for dessert).
The dessert blew the entire meal out of the water, looking through the menu of delicious sounding cakes and desserts I didn’t know how I would manage to choose. Luckily our waiter recommended the ‘Young Coconut Banoffee Pie’ (£5.50) which I excitedly agreed to. The slice of cake was decorated and presented beautifully; the creamy texture melted in my mouth and left a coconut flavour that instantly reminded me of summer. Caramel flavours and soft banana were hidden within the cake that really finished off the perfect flavour.
Overall I loved my experience at Wild Food Café and would definitely return, if not to just eat my way through the desserts. My only advice would be to make sure you keep some room for the puddings as you will regret it if you don’t, trust me.
Wildfood Cafe is located at 14 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden WC2H 9DP
See full menu on their website.
Opening hours:
Monday: 12-5pm
Tuesday – Saturday: 12-10pm
Sunday: 12-7pm
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