Last Updated on January 18, 2023
How to Giveaways for a Vegan Party
Here at London Unattached we love Red Letter Days, a company that ‘pioneered the concept of giving memorable experiences as gifts’ to become a ‘gift experience company’. In England alone they have over 4,500 experiences. And if your gift recipient prefers to do something different, it’s easy to swap out the original for a different experience. So when Red Letter Days asked us to review their range of Vegan experiences, we weren’t going to turn them down. There are tons of vegan afternoon teas to choose from. For afternoon tea in London, The Palm Court at the Langham Hotel is hard to beat and the Vegan Afternoon Tea at The Langham London for Two looks delicious. And if you’re looking to add a little zest to your life, then you can opt for the Vegan Afternoon Tea and Glass of Sparkling Wine for Two at The Langham London.
Speaking of sizzling which we love to do, The Rubens Hotel has a great Bottomless Champagne Vegan Afternoon Tea for those times when just another glass will do. If you’re looking for something out of town, then the 5-star Bovey Castle Hotel, set in 275 acres of Dartmoor National Park, would be a good bet with their Afternoon Tea for Two.
If an Indian vegan feast is more your thing then we can recommend the Seven Course Tasting Menu and Vaasu Martini for Two at Vaasu by super chef Atul Kochhar at glorious Marlow. Back in town, there’s a Vegan Five Course Tasting Menu and a Glass of Prosecco at the stylish Athenaeum hotel in Mayfair.
But we opted to try the £200 for two Seven Course Vegan Menu Gourmand and Bubbles at MICHELIN Starred Galvin La Chapelle, a Shoreditch post from Jeff and Chris, Galvin Brothers. We love Galvin at Windows, a stunning restaurant tucked away at the top of the Hilton Hotel Park Lane (see our review).
This restaurant has one of the most stunning restaurant interiors in London. As you might have guessed from the name, it’s in a converted church with brick walls, exposed beams, and a striking glass-and-steel mezzanine. We had a very subtle welcome from Franco Becci, the Maître d’Hôtel, who was a reassuring and highly experienced presence throughout the meal. The team really were on hand for our visit (something that can be a concern when vouchers are involved and bookings are made through third party sites).
We started with a welcome glass of sparkling Chateau Moncontour. This is a Vouvray made by Methode Traditionelle but fresh and refreshing with lots of fruit and no champagne biscuits. There is an optional wine flight for an additional £75 per person. After savory rice and polenta crackers are lifted by the sweetness of tomato chutney drizzled with powdered seaweed, we munch on some excellent sourdough and olive oil.
Our proper first course was the kind of vegan food I love. It had the fresh vegetable crunch of the kohlrabi shavings, the sweet and sour taste of the green apple, and the tang of vanilla and fermented kimchi sauce. Now we have turned to the aroma of butter melon from the white house of Galvin, Bourgogne Blanc Galvin, Domaine Vincent Girardin, Burgundy.
Our second plate was a stark contrast, a perfect winter veggie dish featuring the rich root flavors of heritage baby carrots, the sweetness of garlic and blood orange puree, and the freshness of puntarelle.
Next up we have miso-coated king mushrooms that are loaded with umami and flesh, enhanced with a creamy parsley puree and lime zest.
When I see a truffle risotto dish next fall, full of tantalizing mushrooms, as a non-vegan, I automatically expect it to be black from squid or cuttlefish ink. But the ink color comes from the Trompette mushroom, which together with the cured North African lemon flavor makes it light with an al dente citrus crunch.
Our main course was a celeriac fondant BBQ ‘steak’, with Trevisan radicchio caramel, a vegan ‘plankton’ vinaigrette (there was vegetable plankton – who knew?) with raspberry sauce which was the only fake note in the meal.
Tamarind poached rhubarb pre-desert with a surprise quinine of frozen gin and tonic is the perfect palate cleanser.
Our final course, a blackberry with cocoa sponge, walnut crumble and raspberry sorbet was a bit decent for my taste and needed a bit of vegan decadence.
All in all, despite being a seven course meal, the food is light, clean, and creamy, and it’s great to go without feeling overloaded with carbs and protein.
To find out more about Red Letter Day, please visit www.redletterdays.co.uk.
Seven Course Vegan Menu Gourmand and Bubbles at MICHELIN Starred Galvin La Chapelle
Galvin LaChapelle
35 Spital Square London, UK E1 6DY
If you’re looking for vegan options, you might also be interested in our review of Mildreds Soho
Check out our review of the lunch set menu at Galvin La Chapelle
