The aromatic little restaurant near Gare du Nord that saved the day

Historically, the words vegan and Paris in the same sentence would produce at the very least a wry smile. Beautiful city, stunning bakeries, gorgeous bistros and, so the clichés suggest, approximately zero interest in feeding you without butter, meat, underlined by a baffled shrug from the surly waiter. In a world where HappyCow exists, IContinue reading “The aromatic little restaurant near Gare du Nord that saved the day”

Tofu knots, wontons and winter in Berlin at The Butterfly Lovers

It was a January cold snap in Berlin when I discovered the The Butterfly Lovers. This beautifully-named restaurant opened in 2021, making it a well-established spot in the thriving Mitte plant-based scene. Having lived in London for years I’ve been spoiled for choice for vegan Chinese options – think Tofu Vegan – so my standardsContinue reading “Tofu knots, wontons and winter in Berlin at The Butterfly Lovers”

Bologna’s vegan delights: a feast for the senses and the soul

Bologna in Italy has plenty of excellent options for the vegan traveller, a fact that added much to my enjoyment of this unpretentious and friendly city. Here are a few places I tried – and can thoroughly recommend – during a visit a couple of weeks ago. Everywhere I went, I was struck by howContinue reading “Bologna’s vegan delights: a feast for the senses and the soul”

The Green Flamingo, a vegan oasis in the meat-munching Austrian heartland of Innsbruck

Traditional Tyrolean cuisine is dense, rich and has a hell of a lot of meat and dairy in it. So when meandering through Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian state of Tyrol, you’ll see restaurant menus celebrating dishes such as Kasspatzln (egg noodles baked in cheese), Gröstl (a fried hash of bacon, potatoes and onionContinue reading “The Green Flamingo, a vegan oasis in the meat-munching Austrian heartland of Innsbruck”

Excellent restaurants in Florence that show it’s possible to deliver a vegan take on classic Italian cuisine

No greater is the divide between vegan and vegetarian food perceived, perhaps, than in the world of Italian cuisine. The thought of missing out on the culture of creamy cheesiness that this country has to offer and being confined to tomato-based sauces was not too appealing before a recent trip to Florence. But thanks toContinue reading “Excellent restaurants in Florence that show it’s possible to deliver a vegan take on classic Italian cuisine”

It’s only by speaking up that we’ll drag companies into the vegan future

What started life as an article ranting about a recent train trip from London to Edinburgh, and the different attitudes of the two train companies I travelled with – Virgin and CrossCountry – has become a piece about the power of the vegan voice, and why we must not just speak up, but positively yell.Continue reading “It’s only by speaking up that we’ll drag companies into the vegan future”