I finally made it to the Wild Food Café in Covent Garden today. I’ve been meaning to go for months and months and it was well worth the wait.
It’s tucked away above Neal’s Yard. It’s cosy (seats about 40 people) but bright and airy. It’s a really lovely space with the kitchen in full view bang in the middle and you can either sit at the bar that runs all around the kitchen and watch them cooking or at one of the 4 big tables overlooking Neal’s Yard. Today it was absolutely freezing outside but the sun was pouring in through the large bay windows and it felt like a little haven of friendly, cosy, welcoming, warmth on an Arctic London day.
It describes itself as a ‘raw-centric food restaurant’ and uses ‘wild, fresh, colourful gourmet ingredients & plant-based (vegan and vegetarian) cuisine’. The vast majority of the menu is vegan and a lot of it raw. For anyone who is nervous of the phrase ‘raw vegan’ and presumes they will be faced with a plateful of rabbit food sprinkled with bird feed then fear not – it is astonishing what these guys create and you really don’t even notice that it’s raw.
I started with their ‘I apple, celery, lemon, banana, kale, fresh coconut, fresh aloe vera, fresh irish moss. It’s £6 which is pretty expensive but it’s almost a meal in itself. A hearty comforting glass of goodness.
Then I ordered scrumtious shiitake, raw olive & dulse burger with in-house cultured Wild Sauce, tomatillo salsa verde, caramelised onions, baba ganoush & crispy gem lettuce in a wholemeal sprouted organic wheatbread(V)(N)(R) £12. Completely delicious and filling, although not the biggest plate of food for £12.
Ed had the raw, dairy-free young coconut cheeze, wild sea purslane & basil pesto, raw cultured tomato & goji berry marinara, Turkish olives, artichoke hearts, avocado(V)(N)(R) £12.5 This was the star of the show and honestly one of the most delicious meals I have ever had in my life. It made me want to rush out and buy a dehydrator immediately!
The desserts looked amazing but we ran out of time sadly – but now I have an excuse to go back as soon as I possibly can…
Oh and the waiting staff are really knowledgeable and helpful… and exceedingly attractive which is always always a bonus!
Wild Food Café has a real community feeling about it. They offer cooking courses, full moon feasts, meditation sessions, gourmet meals with guest chefs etc… Go check it out!
Are there chicken sheds in heaven? 