A few weeks ago I was invited to try the new spring menu at the popular vegetarian restaurant, tibits. As a vegetarian, the idea of being able to eat absolutely anything on the menu without checking ingredients was incredibly exciting, so I immediately jumped at the opportunity.
tibits is conveniently located in Heddon Street, a beautiful pedestrianised oasis just off Regent Street. There is a large patio area out front, which I imagine will be beautiful in the summer.
Upon entering, tibits you are greeted by a large central buffet boat, containing a wide range of dishes (over 40 in total). I took a non-veggie friend along with me, and neither of us had a hard time piling our plates high with everything from salads including Fennel apple salad and Beetroot horseradish salad, to delicious warm dishes like Mushroom risotto made with spelt rice and Thai green aubergine curry.
After we piled our plates high, we took our food over to the till where it was weighted, and the price calculated accordingly (at lunch it’s £1.95 per 100g; £2.15 at dinner).
They also offer a range of organic beers (Old Speckled Hen and organic Freedom Lager) and wines as well as freshly made juices. I opted for the coconut pineapple juice, and can honestly say it alone is worth the trip to tibits for.
We made sure to try a little bit of everything and, there was nothing we didn’t like. My favourites were the Bulgur wheat spring salad with peas, radish, carrot and swede and the Lebanese lentil hotpot with lentils, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, spring onions and coriander.
After finishing our mains we headed back up to the boat, to check out the desert selection. We were not disappointed by our options of Passion fruit cheesecake, coconut cream, sticky toffee pudding and wild berry crumble.
I had worried that a self-service restaurant with a “food boat” would feel a bit like a café, but this couldn’t be further from reality. The décor is quite simple and laid back, with great mood lighting and comfortable seating along the windows. By the end of the night, my non-veggie friend and I were making plans to visit tibits again – having thoroughly enjoyed our experience.
The verdict – if you are looking for a good vegetarian restaurant in London, or rather a good restaurant in London, look no further!