London, Ladbroke GroveLeafwild, the husband and wife run vegan gem

By Glowcation
9 October '19
Glowcation Leafwild London Ladbroke Grove Review

Searching for some new vegan inspiration in Notting Hill?

Leafwild  is a healthy food concept created after owner Anna became a mother. After experiencing post-natal depression she turned vegan as she tried to discover a holistic way to get better.

Anna opened Leafwild with her husband in ‘super stylish’ and ‘wonderful to wander’ round Notting Hill.

Having opened in May 2018  they have already been awarded best coffee in Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove by The Times.

Glowcation Leafwild Cafe Ladbroke Grove

When I visited during the week there were quite a few people working on their laptop but during the weekends I suspect it might be too busy to sit all day.

Three reasons to go there:

Healthy food and very good coffee  Some of the best in Ladbroke Grove and Nothing Hill.
The standout dish and food vibe. Their smashed avocado toast! But their Matcha latte is one of their best selling drinks.
One other reason. They are trying to be a 100% zero waste cafe.

The location

Leafwild is next to Ladbroke Grove tube.

The area is a family neighbourhood made infamous by Richard Curtis’s film Notting Hill. It’s home to several other Glowcations including the Dayroom Café and the Good Life Eatery and Portobello Road market packed with fruit, vegetable and vegan options is a 10 minutes walk.

The space

Outside of Leafwild they have a few tiny tables where you can eat out. It’s painted light green and above the big windows hangs their Leafwild sign. The street is busy with people and traffic.

When you walk in you immediately see fresh baked pastries, cakes and healthy treats on the very big counter.

On the opposite side a fridge is stocked with take away pots, salads, juices and smoothies. The decor is basic- marble tables and wooden chairs and benches. But there’s nothing wrong with basic, because the interior looks beautiful! There are photo’s on the rough brick wall and some big green plants.

The crowd

Leafwild is run by lovely Anna,  an interior designer and her architect husband. They did the design themselves as their dream second business. They wanted to create a space where they could eat healthy food.

The crowd is diverse and includes  mothers, students and locals coming in from the gym.

When we came a lot of people came in and out for take aways or were working on their laptop. Through the weekend it can get a little more crowded.

Glowcation Leafwild Ladbroke Grove muffin

Glowcation Leafwild Ladbroke Grove

What we ate

Leafwild has an almost 100% plant based food menu, and tries to be as gluten-free as possible. I say “almost” 100%, because they do coffees with normal milk as well. One of their goals in the future is to become a fully plant based restaurant. So enjoy your dairy coffee here now you still can!

Through the week you can choose food from their counter, which they make fresh, or take-out pre-packed in the fridge.

On the weekend they have a special brunch menu which includes waffles, sandwiches and smoothie bowls. We picked the mango coconut yoghurt, a kale salad, avocado toast, banana bread, a muffin, the purple cold pressed juice and the shroom mama latte which was definitely very special!

The mango coconut yoghurt was a cute tiny pot with some gluten-free granola chunks on top. They finished off the pot with some fresh pomegranate seeds, figs, coconut chips and edible flowers. It was such a beautiful presentation and the pot was very tasty as well.

The kale salad came on black rice, beetroot hummus, sautéed kale, grilled aubergine, super-seed falafel and some a peanut butter satay dressing which was definitely a perfect finish in touch. The falafel seems very dry at the first blink but was perfection.

They’re super moist from the inside and bursting with flavour.

The Avocado toast is the only menu item you can order throughout the week. They make their gluten-free buckwheat soda bread themselves. It arrived perfectly toasted with a rich layer of smashed avocado on it with a hint of lime, Himalayan sea salt, chili flakes, pumpkin seeds and some vegan pesto! This is definitely their best seller and the star of the menu!

The banana bread was crisp from the outside and moist inside. It was spicy too.

The muffins change daily. We tried out the forest berries muffin, which was gluten-free and not too sweet.

Next to all this food goodness we ordered the shroom maca latte. It tasted like normal coffee so definitely a good hit if you don’t want to drink any caffeine, but you like the coffee taste.

They make their own juices daily. We had the purple juice which contained beetroot, carrot, lime, ginger, apple and orange. The juice had a lot of ginger in it, which I loved because normally they don’t add that much ginger in a juice, so this one was very good. The apple and orange was a perfect balance.

The bill

Shroom maca latte £3.90
Acai pot £3.90
Cold pressed juice £4.30
Kale salad £6.50
Avocado toast £5.50
Banana bread £3.50
Muffin £3.50

The little things that make the difference

The owners are so passionate about their cafe and are always super happy to serve you and answer any questions! 

Glowcation Leafwild Ladbroke Grove

Leafwild Café

156 Ladbroke Grove
London
W10 5NA

020 3417 6616
@leafwildcafe
visit website
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