Oliveira Kitchen - Vegetarian Vegan Restaurant Shoreditch London

I came here for a birthday meal with my family. Pros: super friendly and attentive service; very nice design and attention to detail down to beautiful crockery; a good range for various dietaries on the menu and our server was super careful to make sure coeliac options were clear; my sorbet was really excellent; the cocktails were nice and the wine list was interesting; the restaurant very sweetly organised a surprise birthday pudding for me with candles (: Cons: some of the dishes were disappointing, especially at this price point - my starter was chewy and bland, my main had some amazing moments and some dull moments. When I booked the table I was warned in a slightly surprising tone that the restaurant can’t cater for coeliacs and was basically told I should not be eating freshly prepared food out (!!) (despite the menu offering GF options, and despite me and my mum both eating there without incident - I get you can’t promise no cross contamination at all but I’ve never had a high end restaurant in London send an email like the one I received). The atmosphere was a bit dead in the restaurant as there were only two tables downstairs but this may have been due to issues with the Tube on the evening in question. All in all, I had a nice evening because of the service but at this price point I expected more from the food and from the pre meal communication about dietary adjustments.

This lovely, tucked-away boutique vegan and vegetarian restaurant has a chilled, low-key vibe that I really enjoyed. As a vegan, I was excited to visit, and I brought along my meat-eating friend who was trying a ‘no meat’ restaurant for the first time. They opted for the Forest Floor Calamari to start, followed by the Fruit of a Banana Leaf for their main, and finished with the Cheesecake Treatment for dessert. They were absolutely delighted with all three dishes and said they'd happily have them again. As someone who's plant-based and has tried all sorts of global cuisines, I tend to be a bit more critical when it comes to flavours and textures. I started with the Faux Gras, which I understand is a popular choice here. Unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark for me in flavour. However, the Fillets of Trumpet Royale for my main course won me over again! The Madagascan Green Peppercorn Sauce was a delight. My only slight niggle was that the mushrooms were a tad chewy—I would have loved them to be seared for that extra touch (personal preference). Dessert was an absolute dream, which is something I rarely get to enjoy when dining out as I’m both plant-based and gluten-free (I know, the joys!). The Peruvian Chocolate Porcelain with Salted Caramel and Vanilla Ice Cream was exactly what I needed. I also tried my friend’s Cheesecake Treatment, and as much as I adored my dessert, theirs truly stole the show—I’m craving another one already! We both noticed how light and satisfied we felt after our meal—none of that usual heavy, ready-for-a-nap feeling. It's fantastic that they don't use any soy or fake meat replacements; this is how good food should make you feel. 5 stars to the staff who were —attentive, friendly, and an absolute joy to interact with. We were seated at the back, so we missed the action from the live kitchen in the centre of the restaurant, but hopefully, next time I’ll get to experience that too. All in all, I’m looking forward to my next visit—hopefully, it’ll be five stars all around!