Vegan London | From Historic Treasures to Baklava Cheesecake

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🎙️ Episode 194 – Mini-Series Part 5

Join Brighde in the final episode of our Spring Travel Mini-Series as she explores London with fresh eyes and a full belly! From walking tours past Big Ben and the Tower of London to indulging in vegan roasts, baklava cheesecake, and Thai delights, this episode is packed with reflections, insider tips, and food-fueled adventures across the capital. Whether you love history, plant-based dining, or wandering with purpose, this episode has something for you.

Episode 194 wraps up our journey through Europe—from Italy to Croatia, Azerbaijan to France, and now the UK. Don't miss this travel diary finale! 

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Transcript

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the podcast — and welcome to the final episode in our special spring travel mini-series!

 It’s Brighde here, and today I’m taking you along for our time in London — a city that I honestly didn’t expect to fall for again, but did, completely and utterly.
We left Bosham, where we’d been staying at The Laneside Apartments, and made our way toward London. The drive ended at Hertz Car Hire at Edgware Road in Paddington, located in the Tyburnia area of London. From there, we took a short 10-minute walk to our hotel, Inhabit, Southwick Street.
The room was quite nice—compact with a long, narrow bathroom. There weren’t many outlets, but there was decent storage space for a London hotel. Lunch was overdue, so we headed to BrewDog Paddington. I had some cauliflower wings with vegan mayo, and Seb went for a vegan chicken burger, likely called something like the “Clucky Burger.”
Next, we set off on a mission to visit the British Library and its Treasures Gallery—my first time there and it was astounding. We marveled at treasures like Magna Carta, handwritten Beatles lyrics, and my favorite: an ancient Egyptian school tablet, the oldest known homework. It had wax engravings by a teacher for the student to copy - like a handwriting class—such a window into the past!
In the evening, we walked for more than an hour through what I believe was the borough of Camden, eventually reaching Unity Diner, a not-for-profit vegan restaurant supporting animal rescue work. They had a Sunday roast carvery, complete with four types of vegan meats. I chose the vegan lamb, plus roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, leek gratin, stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese, and lashings of gravy. Honestly, delicious—but the "best roast potatoes" claim was debatable. We ended the evening with a Tube ride from Tower Hill back to our hotel for the night

The following morning, we had a bit of a sleep-in and then walked from Inhabit Hotel to Mildreds Soho, passing the Animals in War Memorial in Hyde Park which Colleen had introduced us to when we were there a few years ago.
 The Animals in War Memorial is located on Park Lane, right at the eastern edge of Hyde Park, near Brook Gate. It was unveiled in November 2004 and is dedicated to all the animals that served, suffered, and died alongside British and Allied forces in wars and conflicts throughout history.
Designed by sculptor David Backhouse, the memorial is striking and moving. It consists of a huge curved Portland stone wall — meant to evoke a field boundary — which is split by a pathway symbolising the path to freedom or the line of duty. Along the pathway are two heavily laden bronze mules climbing up the incline, symbolising the burden carried by animals. A bronze horse and dog stand at the base, looking back through the opening in the wall — this opening is symbolic of the void left by the animals’ sacrifice.
The inscription reads:
“This monument is dedicated to all the animals that served and died alongside British and Allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time.”
 And simply:
 “They had no choice.”
More than eight million horses and countless mules, donkeys, camels, elephants, pigeons, dogs, and even glow worms and canaries were used in World War I and World War II alone — for transport, communication, detection, companionship, and morale. The memorial acknowledges their unspoken courage and forced service.
It's free to see, always open, and easy to find near Hyde Park Corner Tube station or Marble Arch.
We continued our walk and ended up at Midrid’s where we had made a reservation.

Mildreds is one of London’s true trailblazers in the world of vegetarian and vegan dining. When Mildreds first opened its doors in 1988 in Soho, it was pretty radical for the time — back then, plant-based dining options were few and far between, and certainly not as stylish or vibrant as Mildreds made them.
The original Soho branch is on Lexington Street, tucked in just off Carnaby Street, right in the heart of this buzzing neighbourhood known for its creative energy and boutique shops. The Soho location still feels true to Mildreds’ roots — it’s casual, colourful, always lively, and doesn’t take reservations, which adds to the bustling, drop-in vibe.
Mildreds’ concept has always been about hearty, globally inspired vegetarian and vegan comfort food made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. They blend big, bold flavours from all over the world — you’ll find influences from Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, all turned into satisfying dishes that appeal to omnivores and vegans alike. Their mission is to show just how exciting plant-based eating can be — colourful, filling, and delicious.
They’ve grown steadily over the decades and now have a small, well-loved chain of restaurants across London:
I had the mushroom and ale pie with Gravy, Seb had a vegan chicken burger, and dessert was a highlight: baklava cheesecake for him and crème brûlée for me—both fantastic. If you are wondering what made Seb’s cheesecake a baklava cheesecake, it was that the base was made up of Kataifi which is a type of shredded pastry dough — it looks like very fine vermicelli or angel hair. Instead of using the usual thin layers of phyllo pastry sheets (which make classic baklava), kataifi pastry is made by drizzling a thin stream of flour-and-water batter onto a hot rotating metal plate, which instantly cooks it into those delicate strands. Anyway these strands which were all sweet and gooey were pressed in to the base of the cheesecake - hence the name.
After lunch, we bussed to Westminster Bridge and did two self-guided walking tours from Rick Steves’ London Guidebook—one through Westminster and one through Soho. We passed Big Ben, Palace of Westminster, and glimpsed Westminster Abbey and Parliament Square. The Soho walk included Regent Street (famous for shopping and Hamleys toy store), Carnaby Street (a fashion epicenter in the 1960s), and Denmark Street, once the heart of the music recording industry.
Seb then got a haircut at Fitzrovia Barber, while I popped into The King and Queen Pub on Foley Street. We reunited for dinner at Tofu Vegan Fitzrovia with Rowena and Matt, feasting on tons of Chinese vegan dishes which was amazing and we ended up with a pint at Newman Arms, a cozy pub with a charming downstairs lounge. We returned to the hotel by taxi—another full, satisfying day.



A Riverside Stroll & Towering History
The next day, we hit the South Bank, one of my favourite stretches for walking. From Westminster Bridge, we passed the London Eye, Jubilee Gardens, and the colourful vibe that makes this area so lively. We strolled east past Blackfriars Bridge, the Tate Modern (if you love modern art, add it to your list!), and the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, a faithful recreation of the original Elizabethan playhouse where the Bard’s works still come alive today.
We ducked into Plants of Roselyn, a Thai vegan spot, for lunch — I went for a Burmese tea leaf salad and mushroom larb, Seb for a vegan chicken and cashew stir-fry. Then, under glorious sunshine, we crossed the iconic Tower Bridge — a 19th-century marvel that people often mistake for London Bridge. (Fun fact: London Bridge is actually much plainer!)
But the star of the day was the Tower of London. This fortress has stood on the Thames for nearly 1,000 years — from William the Conqueror’s White Tower to the haunting graffiti left by prisoners awaiting execution. We joined a guided tour with a Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater — all retired military officers who still live on-site and guard the Tower’s secrets (and the ravens).
The highlight? The Crown Jewels, glittering under thick glass — a must-see that never disappoints.

ooking back on our London adventure, I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed it. I had expected to just “tick boxes” off a sightseeing list, but having a few unscheduled days and walking so much gave me a deeper appreciation of the city.
Here are some of my takeaways:
Use What3Words – This app allows users to pinpoint a location within a 3x3 meter square using just three words. It’s great for meeting people, more precise than live location sharing, and is even used by emergency services in the UK. It should honestly be used more widely!


Opt for the bus, not the Tube – London buses (especially the double-deckers) are scenic and help with getting oriented in this sprawling city, which lacks a single central downtown area. Even if they’re slower, they’re far more pleasant—cooler and above ground! Also, now you can just tap on with your phone or a credit card so you don’t have to get a travel cards or figure that ouit.


Vegan scene = incredible – There are loads of great vegan restaurants across the city and most restaurants have solid vergan options. Many are on HappyCow, and Instagrammers focused on vegan London offer great tips. If you are a foodie, you will want to do your research before hand. 


Avoid information overload – One info-heavy attraction per day is plenty. For example, doing South Bank and the Tower of London in one day was exhausting.


Try Rick Steves' walking tours – The audio guides and routes in his books are a super engaging way to explore.



In short: London delivered. The weather was great, the food was delicious, the hotel was comfortable enough to relax in—and now Seb and I are even considering spending more time in the UK. There’s just so much to explore, even beyond the big-ticket attractions. I can’t wait to return.

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Guests!
So that wraps up our spring adventures — from Italy to Croatia, TO Azerbaijan, to France and to the UK — and I hope you’ve enjoyed coming along for the ride!
We’re already recording lots more episodes with amazing guests, and we’re so excited to be back to our regular programming soon.
I’d love your feedback: Did you enjoy this mini travel diary series? Would you like more episodes like this in the future, where I take you behind the scenes on our travels? Drop me an email at brighde@worldvegantravel.com — your thoughts really do shape what we do next.
Until next time — thank you for listening, for travelling with me, and for dreaming up your next adventure.
Talk soon! 🌍✨