5 Health Cafes
BETH FLAHERTY EXPLORES SOME OF LONDON’S BEST HEALTH CAFES
Our city is full to the brim with cafes dedicated to serving healthy, nutritious food and as a result, the standard is exceptionally high. With so many Londoners embracing a variety of different diets, the popularity of health cafes is rapidly increasing. We’re lucky enough to live in amongst so many of them, making healthy-eating more accessible than ever before. Yet, how do we choose which ones to visit? There may be some who are thinking: “avoid these places at all costs”. So, particularly for those who might be more sceptical, here are a few of the best healthy hot-spots that achieve the perfect combination of healthy and delicious.
THE MAE DELI
The opening of The Mae Deli, in Marylebone, has been long awaited, as it’s co-founded and run by health foodie sensation Ella Woodward – better known as Deliciously Ella. The ‘Mae Bowl’ is its defining feature, which allows you to choose four options from the enticingly colourful collection of dishes displayed on the counter. Though her philosophy is committed to encouraging people to enjoy plant-based food, for those who need their protein fix, chicken and salmon are offered as accompaniments. Breakfast is also extremely tasty here and is definitely recommended. Plus, The Mae Deli is an ideal spot if you’re just after a coffee and a slice of (healthy) cake.
ALARA ORGANIC CAFE
Just a few minutes walk from the main campus, on Marchmont Street, Alara is the perfect place for grabbing lunch on-the-go. It’s self service and priced by weight, offering everything from veggie curries to vibrant salads with an array of dips and sides. It’s inside the health shop, so is perfectly positioned for purchasing any healthy snacks for later, or to complement your lunch, and picking up any groceries you may need for making all this delicious food yourself.
26 GRAINS
26 Grains is a cafe dedicated to serving porridge all day. This is more exciting than it sounds, I promise! No longer can porridge be thought of as bland and boring, with amazing flavour combinations, such as the more traditional Banana and Cacao, to quirky savoury options that include Sweet Potato and Ginger. It’s rather cosy inside but its location in Neal’s Yard makes sitting outside equally as charming. The porridge also looks stunning (so you’ll get a pretty good photo for Instagram!)
ROOTS JUICERY
Ideally located just off Goodge Street lies Roots Juicery. Certainly, it is best known for its extensive range of juices to suit all tastes and purposes, however, what ought to be most celebrated about Roots are their sweet treats. Yes – they are all vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free but these labels do no justice in describing them! Try the raw snickers bar, coffee cake or even the sour cherry cookies, accompanied by the more alternative choice of an almond milk latte. And to top it off, it’s a wonderful spot for lunch too.
WILD FOOD CAFE
Set in heart of Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden is the very unique Wild Food Cafe, which centres around raw food. But don’t be put off by this or how complicated the menu might sound; the food is amazing. Inside has such a relaxed atmosphere, you feel as though you’re in someone’s kitchen rather than in a busy London health cafe. In addition, if you sit around the bar then you can watch everything being prepared. Whilst the mains are certainly very filling, you can’t skip Dessert at this place. They feel so indulgent, you’ll totally forget that they can be devoured guilt-free.
These cafes are accessible to all; so whether you’re a regular to these types of spots, or a total newbie, you’re sure to enjoy these healthy cafes. They’re not designed to trick you or convert you, rather, they just serve delicious food that happens to be nourishing for your body too. It’s a win-win!
All images in the article are by Beth Flaherty.