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Pura Vida, South Beach, Miami

Pura Vida was created by a husband and wife team as a place for friends and family to meet and eat delicious food. They’ve created an enticing all day menu and we visited this peaceful South Beach spot at lunch time.

The setting

This South Beach café is set in the quiet South of 5th neighbourhood on Washington. It’s a few blocks from South Pointe Beach and Park.

The space

Tables for two, with sun umbrellas, line the quiet, tree-lined pavement.

There’s also a covered area with more tables in the shade of the building – all screened off with lush greenery.

What else?

Pura Vida have several branches in Miami in South Beach, Coral Gables and Edgewater. You can order online. Plus, there a small shop inside where you can buy Pura Vida accessories including tote bags, T shirts and re-usable cups.

The fresh juice test

There’s a choice of eight superfood smoothies (including the Welcome to Miami of passion fruit, mango, banana and honey), four freshly made juices, four wellness shots, two house made lemonades and various kombuchas.

We decided to review the flu shot which was a bracing mix of ginger, honey, lemon and cayenne pepper.

As it was a humid day on our visit, we also chose the signature house made lemonade, their refreshingly zingy Lala Lemonade and a blood orange, carrot and ginger Heath Ade kombucha. Both hit the spot perfectly.

What we ate

Pura Vida has an all day breakfast selection of açai bowls, smashed avo and fruit salads.

The menu is vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian.

We chose a Kale Caesar which was a generous mix of multi-grain croutons, local kale and parmesan. The dressing was rich and creamy and the texture was excellent. We added feta to the Green Market Salad, which was an equally generous portion. It was packed with rocket, mixed greens, cucumber, cherry tomato, carrot, pickled cabbage, radish, sprouts, scallions, chick peas, micro-coriander and sunflower seeds and all topped off with a delicious green tahini and honey lemon dressing. The salad was fresh and filling, but sadly the dressing came in a separate plastic pot which seemed unnecessary.

What we’d go back for…

The açai bowls and smashed avo looked very tempting.

The bill

Lala lemonade  $4.95
Flu shot  $5
Kombucha  $6
Kale Caesar salad  $10.95
Green market salad  $12.95
+feta  $1.50

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Lele’s, Hackney, London

“We believe in good food, and kindness” is Lele’s motto Valentina, the founder, grew up in an Italian culture and wanted to bring this simple, honest approach to food to London.

The setting

Lele’s café is on Hackney’s busy Lower Clapton Rd, only 10 minutes walk from Hackney Central Overground station. There’s also a Lele’s in Dalston which also offers a dinner menu.

The space

Lele’s has a modest exterior and the interior has a welcoming, calming aura. House plants are everywhere – filling the shelves and countertops and mini cacti dot the windowsill-table. Mosaic floor tiles complement the mis-matched, up-cycled tables and stools.  Overall, the ground-floor is bright and airy thanks to large glass windows and a spiral grey staircase leads to a downstairs area with more seating.

What else?

Lele’s has been fully vegan since December 2017.

They also cater at big events and markets like Vegan Nights.. The café is dog-friendly with a jar of free doggy biscuits and water too.

The fresh juice test

Lele’s have a nutritious juice and superfood drinks menu and make all their juices to order. Their green juice was refreshing and light with a great balance between sweet and vegetable-savoury. It was a cooling blend of apple, spinach, lemon and celery.  The Root juice was equally as refreshing, if not a little fiery thanks to the fresh ginger. It was blended with apple, carrot and beetroot and packed with zest and zing.

What we ate

The menu at Lele’s is fully plant-based with options for gluten-free eaters.

As well as the seasonal menu, there’s a selection of fresh patisserie and cakes, sandwiches, bagels and vegan “sausage” rolls and a salad station. We decided to review the giant couscous stuffed roasted red pepper with a side of creamy raw slaw – a blend of walnuts and roasted root vegetables and potatoes.

The set menu offers the best value for sweet and savoury breakfast, brunch and lunch options. From sweet French toast and coconut, banana and chocolate drenched pancakes to porridge bowls, nourish bowls and Lele’s vegan full English. We chose the Marmite Avocado Toast. It was made with thick and chewy sourdough and topped with lashings of Marmite and creamy smashed avocado. It was generously drizzled with tahini, toasted pumpkin seeds, smoked paprika and a side of rocket. It was packed with flavour and texture and was a delight to eat.

With the sweet selection, we were spoilt for choice. Eventually, we chose their peanut butter cookie and a peanut butter cookie sandwich. A crumbly, chewy oaty cookie studded with big chocolate chips with a more-ish peanut butter flavour and texture. They were huge. The cookie sandwich used the same rich peanut butter bake smeared with thick Biscoff cookie spread for an indulgent treat.

We also tried their Oreo brownie on a staff recommendation. It was deliciously light and moist, quite spongey and topped with crunchy Oreo cookies. Finally, we couldn’t resist the signature chocolate croissant. It was a flaky, “buttery” rich pastry filled with a chocolate spread that melted in the mouth.

It was perhaps the best vegan croissant I’ve tasted – you couldn’t even tell the difference between it and a non-vegan pastry.

 

What we’d go back for…

All the food, cakes and drinks at Lele’s were  so impressive, I would go back in a heartbeat. They also offer monthly afternoon tea events which showcase their beautiful patisserie delights as well as savoury sandwiches with scones, jam and vegan cream.

The bill

Green juice  £4.20
Root juice  £4.20
Salad  £6.50
Marmite avocado toast  £7.50
Peanut butter cookie  £2.00
Peanut butter cookie sandwich  £4.00
Oreo brownie £3.50
Chocolate croissant  £2.00

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Fresh On Front, Toronto

Fresh is a pioneer in vegan eating in Toronto with 20 years of plant-based expertise. Fresh on Front opened in 2018 and offers a signature line of raw, organic cold pressed juices and in-house made vegan dishes.

The setting

Fresh on Front is on Front St East in Old Toronto. It’s a short walk from Union Station and is close to St. Lawrence Market, the stunning Sony Centre for Performing Arts and the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The space

The café has a window filled Victorian facade and inside the space is large, elegant and upmarket.

It’s a must visit when you are in Toronto.

You can eat at the long white counter in the black and white tiled entrance hall, or in the large, plush back room with pale central tables and green velvet banquettes lining the wall.  The staff are super helpful and the vibe is smart casual.

What else?

You can take out or order in via Uber eats, Foodora and Doordash. Fresh has four more branches across the city on Bloor, Crawford, Eglington, and Spadina.

The fresh juice test

There’s a choice of 16 colourful, super-blended juices.

The juices come in a large recycled glass bottle and contain a mega 10 servings of fresh produce!

We decided to review the pretty pink Rosy Glow. It claims to be “fruity and filling, nourishing and hydrating” . It was a blend of rose water, silica, coconut, strawberry and apple. It tasted exotically Moroccan and was quite simply one of our all time favourite juices.

If you fancy a more substantial drink, Fresh also have six power shakes and five smoothies on offer.

What we ate

There’s a large menu and a gluten-free menu. You can chose from toasts, salads, tacos, burgers, wraps and bowls. All have an extensive choice of add ons, dips and sauces. Plus, the portions, like the juices, are all large.

We had the creamy hummus and toast for starters. It was “Jerusalem style” and rich in tahini with a grilled seeded flatbread . Next, the charred greens and feta flatbread.

It was packed with baby pak choy, swiss chard, kale, vegan feta, lemon garlic oil, agrodolce and sea salt with glazed seeds and almond topping.

The dish was crispy and delicately spiced and the vegan feta was excellent.

 

The Cobb salad was a combo of tempeh bacon, crispy chick’n, avocado, marinated farro, vegan feta, tomato, red onion and mixed lettuce. It was large and filling. Finally, with the smashed avo toast, we chose the option to swap the toast for grilled sweet potato.

The smoky potato was a delicious touch of genius perfectly complementing the avocado, vegan feta, seeds, baby arugula, lemon garlic oil and tomato.

What we’d go back for

The juices and the avo toast. Pretty much everything really…

The bill

Rosy glow juice  $12
Hummus $13
Charred greens and feta flatbread  $14
Smashed avo $13.50
Cobb salad  $17

 

 

 

 

 

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By CHLOE., Oxford Circus, Marylebone

By CHLOE., NYC’s vegan fast food sensation, is making serious in roads into the London plant-based scene with their third location in London, just steps from Oxford Circus. By CHLOE. are now truly spreading the love in the UK with their plant-based burgers, pastries and delicious air fried fries (with beetroot ketchup!). As I am a huge fan of By CHLOE. NY,  I was keen to review the central London branch.

The setting

By CHLOE.  Oxford Circus is based next to busy Oxford Street, so certainly super central! A few streets away in Fitzrovia, you can find Glow Bar and Kin.

The space

Outside they have the signature monochrome look of the By CHLOE.s  in the US.

The inside has a canteen kind of vibe, the space is large, black and white striped, with stripped brick walls.

There are lots of chairs and tables of different sizes, plus striped couches and tiny tables where it’s easy to sit on your own.

It’s not the best space to work on your laptop, being much more of a space to get lunch or dinner to go or to quickly eat in – especially with the many office workers nearby. You order your food at the counter and they give you a buzzer, so, when your food is ready, it buzzes to let you know.

I’m going to be very honest here, since I have visited multiple locations in New York and now in London, maybe it’s the ultra busy location, but this branch has more of a fast food vibe (and less of a relaxed vibe) than others. In New York, By CHLOE.  is very much a relaxed brunch spot too.

The crowd

Being so central, expect a different crowd to their other branches.: shopping teenagers, and lots of business men and women from nearby offices.

What we ate

In the UK By CHLOE. has created some “British specials” like toffee pudding and fish and chips, but sadly, due to the busy location, they had run out of those and other options on the menu, so we couldn’t try them out.

I usually have the Caesar salad, which is super tasty! So decided to mix it up with the Thai salad. When the salad came it was sprinkled with crispy wontons, a few pieces of apricot-siracha glazed tempeh and a very few edamame beans. I suspect they were running out of ingredients here too. However,  peanut dressing was super tasty and gave a really lovely Asian twist to the dish.

Next, we had the breakfast platter of scrambled tofu, spinach, a maple sausage, market greens, walnuts and 7 grain toast. Sadly, the tofu was wet and the sausage was burned. However, the toast was well toasted and crunchy with slightly brown edges, just how I like it.

So, after the negativity, good news: the legendary By CHLOE. desserts!

Their sweets are all amazing and you literally will have no idea you’re eating a vegan pastry!

I’ve had their muffins before, and do really recommend them, but the banana bread is definitely my favourite of all. It’s a super thick slice fully loaded with pieces of chocolate and walnuts. The crust has a little crunch and is perfectly baked and not too moist. Also, I had my first pecan cookie and that was a real winner. The cookie was moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside and contained chocolate chips and pecan pieces.

I’m still a big fan of By CHLOE. and I really hope they will get their kitchen better organised at this busy branch, because Tower Bridge and Covent Garden are doing really well.  The guy at the counter was super sweet and really tried to compensate for the lack of menu items and make everyone happy who was eating in.

The bill

Sweet potato fries  £4
Spicy thai salad  £9,95
Early bird platter  £9
Banana bread  £3.60
Cookie, classic pecan  £2.40

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Raw Juce, Miami

Need a Miami juice bar? Raw Juce has established itself as the go to take away juice spot in Miami with a choice of twenty delicious organic juices,. The local juicer from Boca Raton, up the coast, offers cold-pressed fruit and vegetables juices, smoothies, organic snacks and raw vegan desserts.

The setting

Raw Juce has branches in Aventura, Brickell, Coral Gables and Weston. The Brickell branch is in the shopping mall at Mary Brickell Village., There’s also a branch of Dirt nearby.

The space

It’s more of a grab and go with a few seats and tables. The vibe is metal industrial chairs with super friendly staff.

The fresh juice test

We were quite overwhelmed with the choice of 20 innovative and tempting flavours of juices. not to mention the 11 Smooth-e-lixirs with names such as Dragon Bomb and Hercules.

We decided to review the Turmeric Soul and the Square Root juices.

The first was a blend of orange, turmeric, ginger and reishi and delicious. Refreshing with a zingy twist. The Square Root took a common blend of beet, Gala apple and ginger to a new level with the addition of aloe water and lemon.

What we ate

It’s not all about the juice. Raw Juce also do organic grab n go snacks like raw oatmeal parfaits, kale and quinoa based salads, açaí bowls, and a selection of raw desserts such as the yummy cashew butter cups (like Reese’s but guilt free). We went for açai and chose the Power Bowl. It was a generous mix of banana, mango, açai, almond mylk, protein and almond butter. The topping was equally generous. It was loaded with blueberries and bananas, flax seed, granola, hemp seeds and almonds and drizzled with honey. We loved it.

Next we had the Blue Majik Cheesecake. Magic hit the nail on the head .

It was a creamy, dreamy mix of almond, coconut, agave, cacao, cashew, lemon sea salt, spirulina, blueberry, pistachios and raspberries. It tasted as good as it looked.

The bill

Turmeric Soul $11.50
Square Root $11
Power bowl $13.50
Blue majik cheesecake $7

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Dirt, Miami

Dirt’s Chef Nicole Votano says “At a lot of healthy places the health comes first and the taste comes after, we’re the opposite.”

The setting

Dirt is in South Beach’s waterfront enclave of Sunset Harbour. The casual café is surrounded by gourmet restaurants, chic shops, high-rise condos and fitness centres.  It’s also just a few blocks from the retail therapy mecca of Lincoln Mall.

The space

The modern grey tiled exterior is pretty much unmissable.

Inside, is a large, light space with a warehouse vibe- polished concrete, industrial touches and metal stools. There’s a selection of shared counters and tables, plus sofa banquettes with cushions lining the walls and windows. Dirt has free WiFi and lots of laptops were out during our visit.

 

What else?

Dirt are keen on inclusivity and do include meat on the menu. You can order a steak sandwich, but it will be grass fed.  Dirt also has branches in Brickell and Arlington.

The fresh juice test

We were totally spoilt for choice.

There’s the local Counter Culture kombucha on tap, the local brand of Radiate Kombucha in cans, Rebirth Elixirs and house-made lemonades including a matcha lavender.

If that’s not enough, they offer tempting vegan ice-cream mylkshakes, honey cardamon lattes and a large selection of Dirt’s own juices and shots.

Despite the various temptations,  we decided to review the Dirt Root juice. It was a cold-pressed blend of beet, apple, carrot ginger and lemon. It was refreshing with a subtle kick. We also had a delicious Radiate Flower Power kombucha favoured with hibiscus flower, lemongrass and lemon juice.

What we ate

Theres quite an extensive menu and an all day breakfast featuring bowls, pancakes and toasts. Plus, soups, sandwiches, tostadas, salads and seasonal plates.

We couldn’t resist the intriguing Grilled Watermelon and Balsamic Toast.

It was a surprisingly delicious combination of watermelon, lemon-zested Greek yogurt (there are vegan alternatives), blueberries, balsamic reduction, honey, toasted sunflower seeds, Maldon sea salt, Harpke Family Farm Farm sprouts and Zak the Baker bread.

Next we had the So-Cal Burrito. This was a filling portion of  scrambled cage-free eggs, pepper jack cheese, sautéed onions, organic quinoa and “Dirty” de gallo all rolled in a spinach tortilla wrap and served with pickled onions and house-made salsa verde (there’s also a chipotle option). Although the portion was large, it was quite bland, so maybe we should have ordered the chipotle sauce with it.  Finally, we had the Vegan Creamed Spinach. The spinach was cooked with house-made garlic cashew cream, almond “Parmesan” and grape tomatoes. The cashew cream was delicious.

The little things

Dirt has four menus: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and Paleo.

Plus, they break down the nutritional components of each dish on their menu  into calories, protein, fat and carbs.

What we’d go back for…

The vegan ice-cream mylkshakes…

The bill

Root juice  $8
Kombucha [canned]  $6
Grilled watermelon + balsamic toast  $12
So-cal burrito  $12.5
Vegan creamed spinach  $6

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The Vic Café, Picton, Ontario

Prince Edward County is fast becoming the must visit weekend destination for Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.  This small island on Lake Ontario is packed with fresh farm stalls, wineries and antique shops.

The main town of Picton is a foodie destination and home to The Vic Café – a modern diner that prides itself on catering for all diets in a fun atmosphere with individual vegetarian, vegan and GF menus.

The setting

The Vic Café is on Main St, Picton surrounded by antique shops, vintage clothes stores, book shops and retro record stores.

The space

The café, with its neon sprayed walls, is unmissable from the historic street. Outside, there’s a large wooden, covered terrace with a lot of tables and pot plants.

Inside is white, shiny and modern with neon lighting and pastel retro stools, banquettes and cushions.

It’s child friendly and exudes fun.

What else?

The café caters for meat eaters and kids and doesn’t do take-away. Make sure you check out the pink kitsch toilets!

The fresh juice test

You can order straight OJ, kombucha, matcha and turmeric latte or go for one of their signature smoothies.

We decided to review the Queen of Green,  a blend of kale, pineapple, banana, OJ and mint. Despite the banana, it wasn’t overly heavy or sweet and the mint added a refreshing kick.

What we ate

There’s lots of vegan and veggie options. In the end we ordered an avocado toast. It came with a side of fruit and consisted of a slice of sourdough, two poached eggs, avo mash, with pumpkin seeds, pesto vinaigrette and pickled onion.

Next, we had the Sunrise Skillet, a version of shakshuka with two poached eggs, a slow burn tomato and pepper sauce and onions on sourdough.

All garnished with a leafy salad. It was beautifully presented in a skillet with a home knitted handle protector.

The bill

Smoothie  $8.50
Avo on toast  $16.25
Sunrise skillet  $15.00

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Calii Love, Toronto

Every city needs a dose of Californian Summer from time to time, right? Well, Toronto has struck lucky with Calii Love bringing super smoothies and Summer sunshine across the city no matter the weather.

The cafés aim to spread good vibes inspired by Californian sun and Hawaiian breezes. They also make a mean smoothie bowl.

The setting

The branch we visited is on King St West near the TIFF Bell Lightbox and a short stroll from the CN Tower and the Harbour Front. There are other branches of Calii Love in Yorkville, Union Station and First Canada Place.

The space

The exterior is vivid turquoise with large welcoming windows. Inside is light and spacious.

Most of the café is on a large mezzanine level with long communal tables and a serving bar where you place your order.

There’s a more chilled area with softer seating as you enter, plus a few stools along the window side counter. The decor is modern, with cool wallpaper and slogans on the walls and stairs. The vibe is very relaxed.

The fresh juice test

Calii love has an extensive drinks menu. The lattes include Golden Milk, Collagen, Blue Majik, Beet and Activated Charcoal and there’s a choice of a five superfood smoothies. Each smoothie (and dish) is named after a feeling, we decided to review the Charming.

The smoothie was a vegan blend of strawberries, mango, banana, chia seeds, beet, rose water, coconut, medjool dates, Himalayan salt and house nut milk.

The addition of the rose water and salt gave it an exotic twist and we loved it.

What we ate

There’s a good selection of smoothie bowls, poké bowls and build your own bowls – where you choose variations of a base, proteins, toppings and sauces.

We decided to review a Signature Salad Bowl and chose the “Excited”.

The large bowl contained chopped kale, roasted beets, green apple, watermelon radish and vegan feta and was topped with apple beet vinaigrette, seaweed strips and espresso walnuts. The combination of flavours and textures was pretty much perfect.

For desert, we ordered the “Dreamy”. The aptly named smoothie bowl was also perfectly favoured and textured. It was a delicious blend of blue majik spirulina, mango, banana, coconut mylk and pineapple. All topped off with bee pollen, shredded (and beautifully crunchy) coconut, raspberries, kiwi and mango.

What else?

The recipes are all created by a nutritionist and Calii Love sources ingredients as sustainably as possibly. All their packaging is recyclable and their website includes a macro nutrient breakdown of each dish and an allergy grid. They also run wellness workshops including meditation and yoga.

What we’d go back for…

The servers list the names of your dishes when they take the order.

I was feeling “charming, excited and dreamy”.

I’m hoping to feel “grateful, limitless and legendary” next time, but I just might have to re-order the Dreamy…

The bill

Charming smoothie  $7.95
Excited salad  $10.95
Dreamy smoothie bowl  $10.95

 

 

 

 

 

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Love Life, Miami

Miami’s district of Wynwood has rapidly changed from industrial hub to must visit art’s district in just a few years. It’s now home to city’s best galleries, restaurants, cafés and the famous vegan hotspot Love Life.

Love Life’s delicious plant-based food has been known to satisfy even the most ardent carnivore. It was voted home to the “best veggie burger in America” at the Seed Food and Wine Festival’s epic burger battle.

The setting

Based in hip Wynwood, Love Life is a few blocks from the iconic Wynwood Walls, and surrounded by the hottest galleries and trendiest shops in the city.

The space

The space is light and open with warehouse vibes and vivid blue striped walls.

There’s long communal tables of recycled wood and a more relaxed sofa and small shop area as you enter. You order at the bar and the staff bring your food to the table. There’s free WiFi and a relaxed atmosphere.

What else?

Partners Veronica Menin and Diego Tosoni are co-owners the café and have both qualified in nutrition and health.

 

The fresh juice test

Love Life has a very tempting menu of six smoothies. We decided to review the Sunshine Spice.

It was loaded with all the goods: orange juice, pineapple, cold pressed turmeric, cold pressed ginger, lemon juice and Bee Free Honee.

The turmeric and ginger were quite dominating, so it wasn’t too sweet, which we liked. We also had a refreshing Counter Culture Kombucha that came in a pretty recycled jar.

What we ate

There’s a large menu of soups, salads, bowls, burgers, arepas, pizza, burritos and tacos. Despite being tempted by the award winning burger, as it was mid afternoon, we concentrated on cooling snacks.

We ordered a Dragon Bowl, the vegan Vanilla Affogato (as we’ve never had a vegan version) and the highly recommended Guava Rose Cheesecake.  The Dragon bowl was a large ice-cold portion of blended pitaya topped with chia seeds, hemp seeds, goji berries and banana.

The affogato’s vanilla ice-cream was perfect -creamy and indistinguishable from a diary based ice, topped off with decaf coffee and nuts.

We nearly ordered a second one, but we had to leave room for the cheesecake. It was made of guava – subtly infused with rose water – and celestial chunk cookie crust, cashews, coconut milk, house-made vanilla syrup, lemon and pink salt. It was also quite filling.

What we’d go back for…

To try the famous veggie burger.

The bill

Sunshine spice smoothie  $10
Kombucha $7
Red dragon bowl  $12
Guava rose cheesecake  $8
Affogato $5

 

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Simple Healthy Food, Miami

Miami is packed with high profile, glitzy cafés, but if you want simple healthy food, we suggest this local’s favourite on 6th.

Simple Healthy Food is led by two sisters, Shakti and Anto, and is packed with locals. Using mainly organic, local ingredients, they serve superfood bowls, organic açai bowls, smoothies, fresh juices, salads, paninis and more.

The setting

Simple Healthy Food is on 6th near Washington and just a few blocks from Lummus Park and the beach.

The space

The café is compact and colourful.

The walls are covered in artwork and a large botanical themed sign, Eat Simple, dominates the space.

You can eat at the bar or at the counter overlooking the street. There’s free WiFi and the staff are very helpful. Fruit infused water is free and the menu is very good value for South Beach. The vibe is friendly and casual.

The fresh juice test

The café has a choice of six freshly squeezed juices, six smoothies and shakes and six superfood smoothies.

We had the Morning in the Tropics Juice which was a refreshing mix of orange, beet, carrot and ginger in a pretty recycled jar.

What we ate

There’s a large breakfast menu of toasts and bowls, plus salads, Buddha bowls and wraps for lunch. We decided to review the Dragon fruit bowl. It came in a large ceramic bowl and was a combination of raw organic dragon fruit blended with banana and strawberries topped with granola, chia seeds, coconut, banana, raspberry and blueberries. It was delicious and a great sized portion.

We also chose the Organic Avocado Toast which was two slices of toast with organic avocado paste , fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil.

It tasted really fresh and the mozzarella was delicious.

What we’d go back for..

The juice, the fresh food and the casual, local vibe.

The bill

Juice  $6.60
Dragon fruit bowl  $10.50
Avocado toast  $8.90

 

 

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Maison Nomade, Paris

Need a vegetarian café in Paris where you can eat well and relax close to the Eurostar? The motto of Maison Nomade is meditate, eat and treat.  It’s open for breakfast, brunch and lunch, promotes zero waste and offers yoga classes on site!

The setting

Maison Nomade is in the 10th arrondissement close to Gare de l’Est with the Gare Du Nord also nearby. The café is extremely handy for commuters and Eurostar passengers. But the area is also known for pickpockets, so do take care of your belongings.

The space

The café feels more like Bali than Paris and you instantly relax when you walk in.

You will find the décor is soothing whites and pale wood.  Outside is a terrace bordered by plants and there are heating lamps for the cooler months.

The furniture inside is quite boho with sofas, chairs, pillows and hanging plants. There’s a lot of of tables inside, some shared,  so there’s plenty of  space to eat, and work. The WiFi is good.  At the bar they display freshly baked cakes and pastries. I couldn’t take my eyes off them!

The fresh juice test

The café offers a range of healthy juices and teas. We decided to review the Vitaminasana juice.

 

It was a bright blend of carrots, orange, lemon and ginger.

It is one of my favourite combinations, as it contains vegetables, but you don’t notice because of the sweetness of the orange.

What we ate

Maison Nomade serves vegetarian food with a lot of vegan and gluten free options (clearly marked on the menu).  At the weekend there’s a special brunch menu; and for lunch  and breakfast during the week they have a  fixed menu, which is typically French.

We ordered a Full Nomade menu fixé which comes with a choice of a bowl, a drink and dessert.  The choice was the Nomade bowl, curry or the Mexican bowl. We went for the Nomade bowl which was a mix of roasted butternut squash, sweet potato fries, quinoa, kimchi made off red cabbage, avocado and sukkah (we skipped the labneh). It was warm and delicious and very filling with a generous portion of quinoa.

For desert, we picked the carrot cake. It was vegan and gluten free, moist on the inside due to the grated carrots, walnuts and raisins. It was topped with some very sugary icing, but the cake wasn’t too sweet. We chose a home-made lemonade for the final part of our menu. It contained lemon, ginger and a little hint of agave. It was not sweet.

As well as the fixed menu, we also had an açaï bowl, a plat du jour and the Vitaminasana bowl. The açai bowl was delicious.  It contained cherries, dragon fruit and açai.

It was pretty sweet, but had an intense berry flavour which we really liked.

The bowl was topped off with fresh bananas, blueberries, homemade granola, coconut chips and puffed crisps.

The plat du jour was pretty special.  The base was coconut curried rice with raisins. Next was a layer of eggplant and zucchini tempura. It was not oily, but  perfectly crispy – with some super spicy warm grilled tomatoes. Finally, a layer of sprouts added the perfect finish in touch making the dish complete for me.

The little things that make the difference

You can book yoga classes at Maison Nomade. Check the website for the schedules.

The bill

Full Nomade  19EU
Açaï bowl  9EU
Plat du jour  12EU
Vitaminasana  6EU

 

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Maka Maka. Split

Heading to Split and looking for a plant-based café in Split? We discovered Maka Maka for a unique healthy brunch experience. There are two plant-based locations in Split. We visited their Old Town branch and also tried out their take away stall nearby.

The setting

The main café is on the corner of a pretty tree lined square in the Old Town, one street away from the Diolcletian’s Palace.

The UNESCO listed area is Instaworthy and peaceful.

Maka Maka is also near local falafel hotspot, Daddy Cool, with its iconic floral syrup drinks.

The space

So what can you expect when you arrive? A massive window opens onto the street. Outside, there are more tables in the tree shaded square and a few stool height tables for two against the wall. We loved the bright coloured cushions on the floor.

 

What else?

Maka Maka also has a take away stall on the Riva. It’s a  perfect plant-based pitstop for an evening stroll along the waterfront. It serves a range of plant-based smoothies, açai bowls, juices and kombuchas. The café also does take-aways and they are happy to pack any leftovers up for you.

The staff, especially at the stand on the Riva, are very helpful.

The fresh juice test

Need a kombucha when you are in Split? There’s a good range of smoothies and juices – seven of each, plus kombucha and shots.

We decided to review the Detox – a crisp and thirst quenching mix of cucumber, carrot, ginger apple and lemon.

What we ate

The café keep it simple and stick to doing two things very well- poké bowls and açai bowls. There’s a large choice of vegan and vegetarian bowls on offer.  We went for the for the açai.

We chose the Nalu – a blend of açai, banana, mango and coconut milk. The freezing cold mix was topped off with granola, cashews, blueberries, pineapple, coconut shavings and bee pollen.

It came in a pretty ceramic bowl.

Later in the day we visited the stand on the harbour front. We had the pink Dragon Bowl. Refreshingly cold, it contained pitaya, bananas and coconut milk. It was topped with granola, pineapple, bee pollen and berries and was perfect pre-dinner treat. We also tried a bottle of lime and ginger kombucha.

The bill

Detox juice  32HRK
Nala bowl  55HRK
Dragon bowl  55HRK
Kombucha  30HRK

For more Split inspiration click here. 

 

 

 

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Avo Brothers, Milan

Looking for a plant-based or vegan café in Milan? Avo Brothers is a new experience totally dedicated to avocados. As well as celebrating all things avocado, they offer an American brunch style menu serving meat and fish alongside a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes. Avo Brothers is also responsible for an Italian first – they sell the revolutionary Beyond Meat burger.

The setting

Avo Brothers is in Porto Vittoria. Take tram 9 or 19 or bus 12 or 27 to Piaza Cinque Giornate, a five minute walk away.  The café is next to the beautiful church Santa Maria Del Suffragio and Muzzi, the healthy breakfast and salad bar.

The space

Avo Brothers is painted a vibrant green so you can’t miss it.  There are two large tables outside and inside there are padded emerald banquettes and velvet sofas galore.

The walls are decorated with mirrors and avocado themed paintings and the large, bright space has small marble tables and a massive sharing table.

If you go at lunchtime you will find it gets quite crowded, There is WiFi, but you should avoid working at busy times.

 

The fresh juice test

Avo Brothers have energy shots and juices, but they are known for their signature rainbow lattes. We had to try one, or two.

We ordered the raspberry chai latte and a butterfly blue latte with oat milk, both in great sized cups.

The lattes were very sweet, maybe a little bit too sweet for my taste. The raspberry one tasted like the Dutch sweets I used to eat when I was little. The staff suggested  we get the oat milk as it froths the best, but there’s also coconut, almond and soy mylk on offer.

What we ate

Avo Brothers serves plant based guilt free food and also caters for meat eaters.  The menu stretches from pancakes to smoothie bowls; from salad bowls with a side of sweet potato fries to meat- free burgers.

We decided to review the classic avocado toast on sweet potato, the açai bowl, the botanical bowl, some sweet potato fries, plus the guilt free brownie

The avocado toast came on three sweet potato slices. It had half an avocado on top sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds.  We also added scrambled eggs, which were made with almond mylk instead of regular. The sweet potatoes were nice and soft and the avocado was was perfectly ripe. We loved the idea of substituting the toast with sweet potato.

Açai is pretty rare in Italy and the açai bowl was a real winner. You can top it with honey, granola and peanut butter for free. The granola is delicious and crunchy, but not too sugary. The bowl was finished off with berries and coconut.

The Botanical Bowl comes with lettuce, carrot, avocado broccoli, mushrooms, cucumber, edamame beans and beetroot hummus with sesame and chia seeds on top. The veg were nice and crispy, not overdone, but the bowl was not overly large.

Next, we had the best, most crispiest sweet potato fries I’ve ever been served – along with some paprika aioli, which was plant based. The sweet potato fries were super crispy, but not oily at all. The dipping sauce had a really mayonnaise-y kind of texture which perfectly matched the hint of paprika powder.

Finally, we had the guilt free brownie to share. The brownie is vegan, but it is still super chewy. On top it was layered with crushed walnuts and powdered sugar.

The little things that make the difference

The bathroom is full of cute avocado paintings.  We love!

The bill

Avo Toast    €5.50
+ scrambled egg  €1.50
Açai  €8
Botanical bowl (Large) €12
Sweet potato fries  €4
Guilt free brownie  €2.50
Raspberry chai latte with oat milk €3
Butterfly blue latte €3

 

 

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Stem and Glory, Barbican

Looking for a plant-based meal in the Barbican? “Delicious enough to turn anyone vegan” is how Stem and Glory describe themselves. Voted best vegan restaurant in the capital by Design My Night, Stem and Glory is a must visit vegan café.

The setting

A short walk from either Barbican or St Paul’s tube station, Stem and Glory is tucked away in Barts Square. Mid-week it is popular with city workers.  At the weekend, it’s a great spot for a quiet and relaxed brunch or lunch with friends.

The space

Take a seat at one of the tables for two along the roadside or relax indoors.

You will find light grey washed tables, minimalist furnishings and lots of greenery decorating the ceiling and bar area.

The interior is modern, light and airy and the floral pattern on the windows accentuates the plants. There’s a large choice of tables and you can also unwind near the bar where they serve fine vegan cocktails, mocktails, craft beer and wines.

What else?

Stem and Glory also have an award winning restaurant in Cambridge.

The fresh juice test

We decided to review the Classic Detox Juice – one of four juices and smoothies on the menu.

It’s a bright and vibrant blend of cucumber, ginger, lime and apple.

Not too sweet and not too tangy,  it’s served with a paper straw and an edible flower. We also tried the more indulgent Chocolate Mocha – a clever cross between a smoothie and an iced coffee. The blend of banana, espresso, cacao and almond milk creates a really smooth and creamy drink finished with coffee beans.

What we ate

Everything at Stem and Glory is made fresh on the premises by a talented team of chefs. They change the dishes regularly to make the best of seasonal ingredients. We visited on a Saturday and the weekend brunch menu has some extra dishes that you won’t find mid-week. We tried their Vegan English Breakfast on the waitress’s recommendations. It was full of comforting vegan breakfast essentials- sticky sweet and smoky tempeh bacon, soft scrambled tofu, house-made baked beans, guacamole and crispy mushrooms served with toasted sourdough bread.

We also chose the RainBowl. It was packed with a rainbow of colours: green spiralised cucumber, smashed avocado, orange and purple carrot sticks, roasted beetroot slices, black and salty nori tapenade, baked butternut squash pieces and a watercress salad drizzled with a chipotle mayonnaise.

The star of the bowl was the crispy and thin seedy crackers packed with chia seeds, linseeds and pumpkin seeds.

What we’d go back for…

The service at Stem and Glory was great, with very attentive and knowledgeable staff. Next time, I will try one of the four desserts on offer which inclulde Chocolate Almond Cake, Triple-Layered Raspberry Cheesecake, Mango Cheesecake with Rich Cashew base and Ice Cream with Fruit Coulis.

The bill

Vegan English Breakfast  £12.50
RainBowl  £10.50
Classic Detox Juice  £5.00
Chocolate Mocha  £6.00

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Paradise Plantbased

Paradise Plantbased began as a raw food stall in 2014, before setting down roots in Kensal Rise in 2018. Lithuanian-born Egle owns and runs the café. She avoids using refined flours, sugars, oils and salts as well as offering an extensive range of raw and gluten-free options. Her motto is “Freshness and soul are at the heart of all that we do.”

The setting

You can find it just a short walk from either Kensal Rise or Kensal Green station and close to one of our favourite flower shops, Scarlet and Violet which is well worth a visit on the way. The pretty pastel exterior of Paradise Plantbased stands out so you won’t miss it.

The space

Walking into Paradise Plantbased is like stepping into a tropical haven . Palm trees are splashed across the walls, green plants hang from the ceiling and vast plant pots dot the café. The furniture, wall hangings and cutlery trays are all upcycled and painted by hand.

You’re greeted with a gorgeous display of raw and baked cakes, a salad buddha bowl station and a snack shelf for the chocoholics.

You’ll also find a well-stocked fridge full of gut-healthy fermented foods, drinks and waters as well as a pantry wall, packed with gluten free flours, nut butters, chocolate spreads and cereals for sale.

 

The fresh juice test

The smoothie menu at Paradise Plantbased is extensive.  We had two. The Ziggy Smoothie was packed with mango, papaya, ginger, turmeric and coconut water – a vibrant and smooth drink. Then the Green ‘N’ Mean Smoothie which was surprisingly light and refreshing. It was made with kale, spinach, pear, avocado, celery, lime, mint and coconut water but didn’t taste very “green” despite the abundance of raw vegetables and fruit.

What we ate

From açai bowls to burgers, raw pizzas to posh mac ‘no’ cheese and with any combination of smoothies and hot drinks, you’re spoilt for choice.

We had the Apple Pancakes with chocolate sauce which were delightfully light and fluffy thanks to the Khorasan flour. We had to review their signature Paradise Breakfast plate, which features with home-made sunseed sausages, a baked bean filled avocado rose, mushrooms, sourdough toast and umami rich silky scrambled ackee. The ackee was definitely a highlight.

We also tried their Bagel and Beans – a wholemeal bagel loaded with home-made smoky beans, crunchy spicy coconut chip clusters, fresh tomatoes and slices of avocado.

The creamy cashew cheese sauce on top was a real winner here. We also sampled a small buddha bowl of sweet potato wedges, crunchy chickpeas and garlicky green beans which was great.

The dessert fridge was fully stocked with raw cheesecakes, baked cookies and protein balls and truffles. We tried the Chocoholic Raw Cheesecake which was a quadruple layered cheesecake of nutty hazelnut base and a creamy rich chocolate cashew-based cheesecake layer. We also tried their baked Chocolate Brownie Cake complete with edible flowers – delicious!

What we’d go back for

We would definitely go back for the original and homemade touch to each dish, the striking interior and the amazing array of handmade vegan bakes and raw cakes.

The bill

Apple pancakes  £8.50
Paradise breakfast  £11.00
Bagel and beans  £9.00
Small buddha bowl  £4.00
Ziggy smoothie  £6.00
Green ‘N’ Mean smoothie  £6.00
Chocolate brownie  £4.50
Chocoholic raw cheesecake  £4.60

 

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Wave, Hackney

WAVE stands for We Are Vegan Everything and is the brainchild of cupcake queens Cait and Soph. Their company ‘Cupcakes and Shhht’ is renowned for frosted cupcakes and cookie sandwiches. The duo created WAVE to offer good, honest and delicious food. The café is proudly fully vegan and on a mission to prove that vegan food is the future.

The setting

WAVE is a 5-minute walk from Hackney Central overground station. Set in a private courtyard with wide, bright glass doors and windows, the café has a large indoor and outdoor seating area.

The space

Outdoors the wooden tables are surrounded by small stools as well as a gorgeous ground seating area covered in patterned rugs, comfy cushions and cosy throws. Or you can relax in their numerous hanging egg chairs.  There are two outside and two hammock chairs inside too.

The light and airy nature of the café has a chilled-out Bali beach vibe.

There are cosy wooden sofas, plush pillows and lots of greenery – plants in vases, flowers on the tables and green foliage dotting the seating areas.

Inside you are welcomed with a well-stocked counter top of fresh sourdough cheese stuffed sandwiches, vegan cream and faux-salmon bagels as well as a selection of bakes, raw bakes and power snacks.

The fresh juice test

All the juices at WAVE are made in house. The Goodness Gracious Green is a vibrant  mix – a not too sweet blend of spinach, apple, spirulina, cucumber, lemon and ginger. It is a real refresher and feels packed with goodness.

We also had the Himalayan salted coffee which comes with oat milk as standard, as do all the hot drinks at WAVE. It tasted just like caramel. Served like a latte, rich and creamy, it tasted unique!

What we ate

The menu at WAVE is extensive with every dish sounding – and looking – delicious.

Decorated with edible flowers, fresh herbs and nuts and seeds, each dish is presented in beautiful stoneware crockery.

We chose the famous Brekky Bowl – a buddha bowl style breakfast feast. It’s filled with organic turmeric scrambled tofu with chives and black salt, basil toasted plum tomatoes, garlic and parsley fried mushrooms, smoky aubergine and avocado served with a fresh wedge of lemon, chilli flakes, mixed seeds, walnuts and rocket.  The dish is gluten-free and packed with flavour. The sticky glazed aubergine was the real highlight of the bowl.

We also had the Mac and Cheese – a creamy and light macaroni pasta in a vegan cheesy sauce topped with roasted tomatoes and broccoli, crispy kale, rich umami coconut bacon and fresh micro herbs.

We spotted slices of pink frosted strawberry and pistachio cake, thickly-stuffed cookie sandwiches, raw berry cheesecakes and peanut butter chocolate slices.

We chose the sticky and generously glazed cinnamon roll. It was subtly sweet and filled with so much cinnamon. Light and fluffy with a silky-smooth glaze, this bun is the perfect afternoon delight.

What we’d go back for

The staff are really friendly and informative, adding an inviting touch to the already incredible eatery.

The bill

Greens juice £5.00
Brekky bowl  £12.50
Mac and cheese £10.00
Salted coffee £3.50
Cinnamon roll £3.50

 

 

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Peloton Supershop, Bali

Know what a Peloton is? It’s a group of cyclists who bike together to build speed and conserve energy. They share the effort and strive to reach their goal as a group. The Peloton Supershop café has the same aim. It’s a café where people come together, share their journey and eat delicious plant-based food. Plus, it’s a restaurant and a bicycle store in one.

The location

The café is on the busy road Jl. Pantai Berawa, which connects Canggu and Seminyak. The easiest way to reach it is by taxi.

The space

From the outside, Peloton Supershop has huge, inviting windows. There’s no ground floor outside area, but it does have a second floor roof terrace. There’s a large sitting area (featuring bikes), and they have a communal table where you can sit on with a group or just by yourself. I chose the welcoming blue, soft couch with a wooden table. They also have super cute graphite blue tables. The service is very quick, even when it’s busy. I arrived around 4pm and it was still super crowded. There’s very strong working wifi, and it’s a great spot to work on your laptop!

The fresh juice test

Peloton Supershop have six juices and a selection of smoothies and shots.

I decided to review the Minty Magic juice. For me, it wasn’t really a juice, but more like a home-made lemonade with lemon, ginger and mint. The taste was mellow, but the juice still had a lot of flavour. They also have a choice of warm up, cool down and Ayurvedic drinks.

What we ate

Almost all their food is organic and made with local produce. They don’t use any palm oil in their kitchen and their used oils are donated to the Green school to fuel their Bio bus.

After eating a lot of rice and nasi, I was craving fresh salad so I picked the Powerhouse bowl with some sweet potato fries as a side and a carrot cake muffin as dessert.

The powerhouse bowl was filled with  greens, roasted pumpkin, broccoli, crunchy brown rice, marinated tempeh, carrot, cashews and hummus.

I also got toasted sourdough bread with garlic and an infused balsamic dressing for my salad. The salad bowl was huge and filling. The toast was deliciously toasted and the spread on it really finished everything off nicely.

The sweet potato fries were not super crunchy, but were still delicious. They were served with a homemade BBQ sauce which gave the perfect finishing touch to the dish and they came in a woven basket.

The carrot cake muffin was gluten free and huge. It was filled with grated carrot and a lot of raisins. On top was a huge layer of “cream cheese” and a walnut. The frosting made the muffin very sweet, but the cake itself was not too sweet and packed with flavour.

The bill

Sweet potato fries  35K IDR
Powerhouse bowl   75K IDR
Carrot muffin  45K IDR
Minty magic juice (Large)  30K IDR

 

 

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Cafe Organic, Bali

Café Organic base their menu and environment around wellbeing and sustainability. They support local farmers and they have also become a Bali Instagram sensation. They specialise in vegetarian and health-conscious meals with a farm to table concept. So, I had to check them out!

The setting

Café Organic has three locations- Seminyak, Canggu and Umalas. We went to the one in Seminyak which is near the famous beach club Potato Head and KYND Community. It’s on the main road which leads to all the hotels.

The space

They’ve surrounded their terrace with lush plants and palm tree parasols to create a more secluded, jungle vibe. Outside are picnic tables and inside the restaurant is split into two halves. On the left is a small lounge with wooden and bamboo chairs and a striking “garden gangsta’s” mural on the wall. There are homemade cakes and pies on display and the bar where they make all the fresh juices and coffees.

The café is surprisingly large. It has a central wall with soft sofas and a selection of tables.

The walls are full of art giving the restaurant a very modern look.

They have good working wifi, but I would advise against lingering at rush hour, since it gets very crowded. Café Organic is an Australian concept cafe, so expect a lot of tourists, Instagrammers and influencers. It’s well known so is always busy from around 10am.

The little things that make the difference

Even though the Seminyak location is in the busiest part of town, Café Organic feels calm with their lush terrace planting.

The fresh juice test

There is a good choice of juice options and they will also create one for you if you don’t like what’s on offer. We decided to review the Heart beet juice which was packed with apple, carrot, beetroot, ginger and lemon and had a pretty slice of pineapple on top of the glass. It had quite a savoury flavour, but the apple, ginger and lemon added enough sweetness.

The juice had a very beautiful deep purple and red colour and came with a metal straw. Go zero waste!

What we ate

Cafe Organic serves vegetarian and plant based food with several gluten free options. Each dish is made with the finest organic ingredients supporting local farmers, conscious agriculture and environmentally friendly products. Expect one of the longest menus you’ve ever seen with an insane amount of options.

Two of their smoothie bowls are served in a coconut shell, so obviously we had to try them. We ordered the Açai coco with an extra dot of homemade peanut butter, also we had the Troppo chia pudding, a mermaid latte and the Chocotella coffee tart.

The Açai coco was the most beautiful bowl that has ever been served to me.

The base was made of açai berries, raspberries, cranberries, banana and mango. It was beautifully topped with fresh banana, mango slices, strawberry slices, super crunchy granola, toasted coconut, almonds and blueberries. The toppings added the perfect finishing touch. The peanut butter (we added extra) was delicious, it had a super crunch and was not solid at all!

The Troppo was a chia pudding soaked in coconut yoghurt with stunning, purple homemade pitaya nice cream on top made out of pitaya, banana and cashew mylk. On top of this was another layer of Coyo,, house made crunchy granola and banana slices. The granola gave a perfect crunch to the dish.

The Chocotella coffee tart was one of their raw vegan treats and a very good choice. They decorated the cake with some shaved coconut, almonds and chocolate.

We also ordered a mermaid latte with almond mylk. The colour of the latte was a very earthy blue/grey colour and it had a different flavour than I expected, but the almond mylk did not really foam up sadly!

The bill

Heart beet 39K RPH
Açai coco  75K RPH
+ Homemade peanut butter 10K RPH
The Troppo  50K RPH
Chocotella coffee tart  45K RPH
Mermaid latte  40K RPH
+ Almond mylk

 

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Feya, Marylebone

Feya is famous for its pastel décor, butterflies, white blossoms and glistening fairy lights. It’s such a must-visit for locals, bloggers and tourists alike that Amy and I decided to visit and do Glowcation’s first joint review.

It’s run by Zahra Khan, a chef and graduate of Gordon Ramsay’s Tante Marie Culinary Academy. The impressive brunch menu was designed by Virpi Mikkonen, a Finnish author and the blogger behind Vanelja.

The setting

Feya is on St. James Street in Marylebone, just a stone’s throw from St Christopher’s Place and Selfridges. It’s a peaceful escape from the busy crowds of Oxford Street.

The space

From the outside, you can’t miss the iconic cherry blossom trees and glass cake stands in the window.

The floral theme continues inside, with golden butterflies on the pastel pink walls.

Dusky pink chairs and velvet couches add to the elegant atmosphere. There are small marble-top tables and golden cutlery. The quick turnaround of tables means you’re likely to get a seat. But don’t expect to get your laptop out and spend the day there. In particularly busy times, you can choose grab and go. We love the aqua algae or emerald matcha with your choice of dairy or plant-based milk.

 

The fresh juice test

Feya has a selection of cold-pressed juices and smoothies. With so many options to choose from, we eventually decided to review the the layered Mermaid Smoothie. It features dragon fruit, zucchini and blue spirulina and it was delicious. We also had to try one of their six speciality lattes – the pretty Pearl Rose latte with oat milk.

What we ate

The brunch menu has the most choice.

We ordered the Be Gentle – pink oats, caramel chia pudding, mashed rose raspberries, banana flowers and rose petals.

In addition, we tried the Pastel Rainbow Smoothie – a two-tone smoothie bowl with pineapple, banana, spirulina, pitaya and coconut milk, topped with crunchy granola, edible flowers and fresh fruit.

 

While there are several vegan and gluten-free options to choose from, the menu also caters to non-vegans, with dishes such as chicken cobb salad, pesto pasta and a goat’s cheese quiche. The signature dish is avocado toast where the avocado is carved into roses on a bed of hot pink hummus dyed with beetroot. However, the bread which it comes on does contain dairy. The food at Feya is relatively pricey, but is very good quality and stunningly presented.

The little things that make the difference

The decoration is undoubtedly the most outstanding factor of Feya and is what draws people in from near and far.

The bill

Be Gentle  £8.50
Pastel Rainbow Smoothie  £10.70
Mermaid Smoothie  £8.50
Pearl Rose Latte  £5.50

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Zest, Ubud

Zest has amazing views, an uber cool space and they are 100% plant-based. They use “locally grown tasty fruits, shoots and roots” to create their innovative dishes. The restaurant sources produce from local organic farmers, artisans and even their own staff.

The setting

Zest is a little uphill walk from the centre of Ubud, near the stunning Campuhan Ridge walk .

The space

Although Zest is on a busy road, as soon as you enter you instantly feel a sense of calm.  You pass a Buddha and it looks like you’re entering a temple, not a restaurant.

The space is built around a tree. There are relaxing sofas, and tables with an amazing view of Campuhan Ridge and modern art on the interior walls .

They have a very strong WiFi and you can work. However, if it’s busy they politely ask you to move to quieter area of the restaurant.

You can reserve tables (and it does get busy at lunch and dinner time), sit in or get a take away. When I came to review it was around 9 am and pretty peaceful. The food comes fast and the service is super friendly.

The little things that make a difference

This menu is interesting. It promotes native superfoods such as moringa, soursop, starfruit,  jackfruit, cassava, and turmeric. Plus, we were impressed by their commitment to being an eco-conscious establishment. They aim for zero waste by using cloth drink coasters, cloth napkins and glass and metal straws.

The fresh juice test

They have a great drinks menu including warm infusions, elixirs, shots, shakes, smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.

I had a carrot, beetroot, jicama and ginger juice. It had a very earthy taste because of the vegetables and the ginger gave it a strong spice kick.

The juice was freshly made and came with a metal straw. Next, I had fresh moringa shot with pineapple, as I wanted to sample a local superfood.  Most of the Balinese people kick start their day with a moringa shot. The beautiful green shot tasted of the pineapple, but I felt great afterwards.

What we ate

Zest serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have a lot of vegan options on the menu from Indonesian food, to tapas to raw pizzas. I had the Zest pancakes and the smoothie bowl, which are two of the famous breakfast dishes at Zest.

The smoothie bowl was a blend of banana, moringa and katuk leafs and was topped with dragon fruit, papaya, granola, shaved coconut, cashews, granola and mint leaves.

It looked beautiful and was very tasty. The pancake was stacked with mango, coconut, caramelised banana and topped with a rich chocolate sauce and dragon fruit.

What we’d come back for…

The view over Ubud is amazing. Incredible plant-based food and that view of nature- what’s not to love!

The bill

Zest pancakes  70K RPH
Green smoothie bowl  78K RPH
Fresh moringa and pineapple shot  25K RPH
Carrot, beetroot, ginger, jicama juice  50K RPH

 

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Rainbow Rawfood, Tokyo

Rainbow Rawfood’s owner, Keiichi Kato had his healthy lightbulb moment when he dropped out of high school at 16 and left Japan for the US. There he began a new health regime of fruit for breakfast and fasting with enzyme juice. Next, he enrolled in cookery school to learn how to make raw vegan food. In 2010, he returned to Japan to open Rainbow Rawfood in Hamamatsucho. Now he’s relocated to Ebisu. I couldn’t wait to review this rare raw food gem.

The setting

Rainbow Rawfood is in Ebisu, a five minute walk from the metro station.  It’s on the eighth floor of the building and in the evening, after 5 pm, it becomes the Hemp Café and the menu changes. At this height, there’s a really  cool view of the area. Healthy hotspots KO-SO cafe and Marugo Deli Ebisu are nearby.

The space

Rainbow Rawfoods has menu boards outside, but you need to take the stairs or the elevator to its eighth floor location. The café has a Hawaiian theme and plays Hawaiian music. The chairs and tables are wooden with black padding and the wall is decorated with Hawaiian ornaments and a surfboard!  They also have a little balcony where you can sit.

The service is very quick and you could definitely get your laptop out to work, as I did. They have strong wifi.

The fresh juice test

The juice of the day was green and so thick- it was more like a smoothie. It changes daily depending on local market produce. Mine was made of pineapple, apple, spinach and fruit from Okinawa. I loved the taste, because I’d never tried the famous Okinawa fruit before.

What we ate

For lunch they offer set menus. The mains are raw sushi rolls or wraps with a juice of the day and a side dish.

Their whole menu is raw and vegan which is rare in Tokyo, especially with sushi  rolls.

I picked the raw sushi set, curry as a side dish and a raw pie as dessert. The raw sushi was mock monkfish liver, carrots, lettuce, avocado and cucumber. On the side was a raw pad thai salad of cabbage, a sour sauce and some toasted chopped walnuts. The curry was mini, but perfectly sized. It came with brown rice and was nice and warm.

I was full, but not bloated after my meal which I really liked, as I still had some room left for dessert. They have a selection of three raw pies, ice cream, pancakes and also a lava cake. I chose the hempseed cheese cake, with a strawberry and beets sauce. The flavour was very light and simple and the pastel pink sauce added a special vibe

The little things that make the difference

I loved the interior and the music, it gave all the Hawaiian vibes you need! It’s important to know they only accept cash.

The bill

Lunch menu 1350¥
Dessert 980¥

 

 

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Our favourite Glowcations, Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of our favourite cities. It’s packed with canals, art galleries, flower markets and museums. However, what attracts us most is the cool vibe and the huge choice of plant-based food. The selection of vegetarian and vegan cafés can be quite daunting. Luckily, two of our Glowstars, Fabienne Dobbe and Fleur Maat are local and Dutch, so we can really narrow down your hit list. Here’s our top three must visit vegan and vegetarian cafés in Amsterdam.

Lavinia Good Food, Centrum

Lavinia Good Food is a hidden gem in the historic centre of Amsterdam. Sat on the pretty Kerkstraat, between two canals, it is charming, laid back and serves a mean gluten-free pizza. The food is mostly vegetarian and vegan, but they also have some salmon dishes if you eat fish.

Lavinia has an all day brunch and lunch menu with lattes, juices, cocktails, beers and organic wines.

We suggest  ordering The Lavinia bowl with whole grain cous cous, roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, pickled red cabbage and home made hummus. Model Fabienne thinks the vegan vanilla pie is “a must! ”

To read more about Lavinia Good Food click here.

Juice Brothers, several locations

Our favourite spot for a vitamin packed juice is Juice Brothers. Founded in 2015 by four friends on a canal holiday, it’s now a huge success and has  several branches in Amsterdam, plus two in New York. We love their Haarlemmerbuurt branch with its view of the iconic ”Willemsbrug”. The café and grab and go is modern and minimal. You order at the bar and the eating area is upstairs.

Juice Brothers have a mega choice when it comes to drinks: ten juices, three tonics, three mylks, six shots and ten smoothies! We suggest the Unicorn’s Blood – a fresh and spicy mix of watermelon, pineapple, ginger and lemon.

And there’s the smoothie bowls… all the smoothie and açai bowls are made with made with non dairy organic products. We love their signature bowl the Almond açai.

Finally, they sell Van Leeuwen the vegan ice-cream brand. Fabienne and Fleur suggest grabbing one to go. Plant-based heaven.

To read more about Juice Brothers click here. 

The Meets, De Pijp

The Meets is in the Pijp, one of Amsterdam’s coolest neighbourhoods, packed with cafés and home to  the Albert Cuypmarkt street market.
This brick walled café focuses on locally sourced produce, using organic ingredients as much as possible and staying away from refined sugars . The menu is international.  It includes açai bowls and kimchi toast for breakfast, fresh spring rolls, beetroot balls for lunch (a healthier vegan alternative for the famous Dutch ‘bitterbal’ which is a deep fried ball of minced meat)  and Sicilian eggplant stew or Pad Thai for dinner.

On the drinks front, student Fleur loves their fresh coconuts with lime juice,

“I have tasted many fresh coconuts in my life (in Vietnam, Malaysia and Bali), but I must say this was one of the best coconuts I ever had!”.

Also, don’t miss their blue smoothie. The ‘Samui Blue’ consists of banana, mango, coconut water, whey protein, spirulina and bee pollen.

To find out more about The Meets click here.

 

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The Happy Balance, Megan Hallett

Megan Hallett is a Superfood Superstar – nutrition coach, wellness enthusiast, recipe developer and content creator. Oh and did we mention she also writes a hugely successful blog called The Plant-Based Londoner? And that she has also written several Glowcation reviews? When we heard she had written The Happy Balance, a book about hormone health, we had to find out more.

Megan wrote The Happy Balance to explain how hormone health works. From painful PMS to stubborn acne, mood swings to bloating, these are all signs your endocrine system could do with a little love. But where do you start if you want to live your best hormone healthy life? We caught up with Megan to chat hormone health.

Why did you decide to write the book?

Megan I became obsessed with my own hormone health after a PCOS diagnosis left me feeling very confused. Living your best hormone healthy life consists of a number of different principles. From supporting your liver through its detoxification of metabolised hormones, to strategically balancing your blood sugar throughout the day. The food on your plate plays a vital role in both ensuring your body is not only producing the right quantities and quality of different hormones, but that they are sufficiently hitting the target cells to do the job they are supposed to.

The Happy Balance starts putting these puzzle pieces together, making hormone health a little bit less confusing for anyone suffering with various symptoms.

 

We all hear about the importance of balancing blood sugar for our hormone health, but what does that mean?

Megan “The easiest way to approach your blood sugar curve is to take it meal by meal.

Every plate of food in front of you should primarily focus on a quality protein source, then a healthy fat source.

These two macronutrients are essential is preventing an instant blood sugar spike. In excess this can stress out the body and heighten symptoms of both endocrine syndromes (such as PCOS and hypothyroidism) and your everyday annoyances, such as energy slumps.

You’ll also want to ensure you’re getting in a hefty portion of dietary fibre and greens.

This formula is especially important at breakfast time and the easiest way to go about it is a smoothie. You need to make sure it contains at least two tablespoons of fat (nut butters, avocado, MCT oil), a scoop of clean plant-based protein, two tablespoons of chia or flax seeds, and a handful of greens.

What else do you advise?

Alongside balancing blood sugar, it’s so important to focus on supporting your liver too.  In my book, I talk about my everyday super foods for hormone health, more often than not they’re super easy to pack into your meals. And I highly encourage eating seasonally as it is not only the best thing for our planet, but our bodies too.

One of the most reached for staples include liver-supporting leafy greens. Spinach, kale, cavolo nero, chard and mustard greens are all great sources of folic acid, magnesium and calcium.

What about seasons and gut health?

Megan Eating seasonally and locally means your veg is at the very peak of its performance and will nourish your body in the most amazing way.

Ensuring you’re on top of your gut health can do a world of good too. Regular bowel movements can be overlooked, but is absolutely essential to our hormone health. They are the way we dispose of any metabolised hormones that no longer serve us, preventing them from building up (which is the cause of oestrogen dominance, which is more common than you may think).

Take more time over your meals and establish a healthy environment in your gut with fermented and probiotic rich foods that feed the good bacteria, such as sauerkraut, kimchi and coconut yogurt.

What are your favourite recipes in the book?

Megan

My favourite recipes from the book have to be the chocolate heavy ones.

There is a sweet potato chocolate mousse made from only four ingredients, as well as a lovely nut-free salted chocolate tart. I love the ayurvedic dahl recipe, as it is something I make a good few times a week without fail. Finally,  the beetroot and Portobello stew with celeriac mash is a great hearty winter dish. The blueberry and almond loaf with lemon cashew icing is a real winner for me, as it’s low in sugar but ridiculously more-ish – I think I ended up eating the whole thing on the book shoot day!

Can we try your sweet potato chocolate mousse recipe at home?

Megan Sure! I might be biased, but there is a high chance this going to be the most more-ish, drool-worthy dessert you will ever make. With its thick and creamy consistency, it will take every ounce of your willpower to resist scraping it from the blender and straight into your mouth. It’s also not overbearingly sweet, allowing you to eat as much as your heart desires.

This particular chocolate mousse recipe is packed full of nourishing, nurturing ingredients such as skin saviours sweet potato (vitamin E) and raw cacao (antioxidants), plus rich coconut cream that promotes healthy hormone production.

Serves 2–4
Prep: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour soaking and 30 minutes chilling
Cook: 20 minutes

1 sweet potato (about 315 g/11 oz), peeled and chopped into small chunks
4 tbsp cacao powder
3 medjool dates, stoned (soaked for at least
1 hour in warm water)
400 ml (14 oz) can full-fat coconut milk (all the cream on top plus up to 4 tbsp of the coconut milk)

1. Steam the sweet potato until completely soft, in a steaming basket, this should take around 20 minutes or so.

2. Once soft, place the sweet potato in a food processor or blender along with the cacao, soaked dates and all of the cream on top of the can of coconut milk. Gradually add up to 4 tbsp of the thinner coconut milk until your desired consistency is reached. This may take a few minutes to achieve a smooth yet thick mousse.

3. Spoon the mix into ramekin dishes, dividing into either two hefty or four slightly smaller portions. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

To buy your copy of The Happy Balance click here. 

For more on Megan click here.

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Vegan Bowls, Barcelona

Vegan Bowls is plant-based, plastic free and popular throughout Barcelona. It may be tiny, but it certainly packs a punch when it comes to serving up plant-based food.

The setting

Vegan Bowls is centrally placed near Plaça Catalunya and the shopping district. You can take the L2 metro to Universidat or the bus D50 to Ronda Universitat.

The space

The baby pink payment desk is stacked with their delicious plant-based doughnuts and famous cookies. Inside, they only have two tables with four chairs in total. They are mainly take away.

The white painted walls are made of wood with their colourful logo on either side. They have a good working wifi. However, I would definitely not recommend lingering with your laptop. There’s basically no space for it!  It’s very popular with all ages, so you may have to queue for a while.

The fresh juice test

I loved the green detox juice.

They made it fresh in front of me.  It had pineapple, organic apple juice, mint ginger and kale in it.  It was sweet, but you could taste the hint of veg in it, a very good mix!

What we ate

Vegan bowls has a surprisingly large menu for such a small take away spot. They specialise in bowls like smoothie bowls, toasts and savoury bowls but they also have a huge selection of plant based treats, healthy (and unhealthy).

Their food is super colourful!

I decided to review the Red curry, one of their muffins and their famous vegan chocolate chip cookie.

The curry was warm and filling and made of coconut milk, chickpeas, sweet potato and tofu. It comes with brown rice and beautifully topped with kale, sliced almonds, edible flowers and sprouts! The curry had a very thick coconut flavour and was packed with chickpeas.

The waitresses suggested I try the cookie.  It’s not very healthy, but it’s definitely worth a go. You won’t believe that it is plant-based, because it’s so incredible. The outside is super crunchy, but when you break it open the inside is still soft and moist.

Finally the muffins. They have four kinds of muffins: with nuts, banana, blueberry and apple. All the muffins are sugar and gluten free. The outside is crispy and well baked, the inside is a softer texture.

The little things that make the difference

They offer a delivery service via Deliveroo and Glovo.

The bill

Curry  €9,40
Muffin  €2,80
Cookie  €2,70
Green detox juice  €5,00

 

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Trueberry, Tokyo

Trueberry is a rare thing in Tokyo, as it’s 100% plant-based. The founder, Naoko Nishimura, wanted to provide organic food and build health awareness in Tokyo, so began to work with organic and natural farming farmers in Japan to make cold-pressed juices. The motto of the restaurant is to Enjoy Your Health and Conscious Life!’

The setting

Trueberry has two locations. One in Nakameguro (close to the cherry blossom area) and one in Ometosando, the shopping district. Nakameguro is mostly focussed on take away, so I decided to review the one in Ometosando, so I could to sit in and brunch.

The space

It’s a compact space. There’s a large bar to sit at, or on there’s also a counter against the wall. So you can’t face each other or be at a table. We sat down at the bar so we could see the food being made.

Trueberry is on a side street, so it’s nice and quiet and there’s outside seating if the weather is good.

Everything in the café is wooden- the bar, the shelves, the chairs and the floor. In the background, they softly play quiet music, which is very peaceful!

The little things that make the difference…

If you visit at the beginning of April it will be Sakura season, so visit Trueberry Nakameguro which is really close to one of the most famous cherry blossom  Instagram points in Tokyo.

 

What we ate

We chose the spirulina matcha parfait, a dahl soup and the hot beet smoothie-bowl. A warm smoothie bowl?

The hot beet smoothie was a combo of beetroot, apple, strawberries, bananas, dates and raw cashews all topped off with oats, banana, dried fig, cacao nibs, coconut and goji berries. The base was super creamy and thick and it was a perfect bowl for a cold winter days. It wasn’t too sweet and you could still really taste the beets.

Trueberry have a choice of soups, so we chose the Dahl one. It was a warming blend of yellow mung and mansoor mixed with turmeric, ginger, salt, cumin seeds and coconut oil. It was quite simple: warm, but not hot, so we could eat it straight away, which was very nice.  You could still savour the texture from the beans, as they were not overcooked and pureed which we really enjoyed!

The spirulina matcha parfait had a pretty, dark green base made out of bananas, spirulina, matcha powder, coconut milk, dates, raw cashews and almonds.

It was topped with oats, goji berries, banana pieces, cacao nibs and homemade cashew cream. The cashew cream was very stiff, but a perfect topping on the bowl. I just wish they had toasted the oats or used granola, so that the parfait had a bit more crunch.

The bill

Hot beet smoothie bowl  1430¥
Dahl soup  450¥
Matcha smoothie parfait  1580¥