Vegan Nights London Review

A review of the best vegan party in London: Vegan Nights! Showcasing all of the delicious food, sweets, and fun that happens on Brick Lane once a month in East London – get yourself to the next one if you can!

Old Truman Brewery, Address: 91 Brick Ln, London E1 6QR

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VEGAN NIGHTS

If you’re looking for the best vegan party in London, then you need to stop in at the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane for London’s monthly Vegan Nights event. Vegan Nights launched in September 2017 and has been growing ever since. They now host more than 40 food stalls, serving up the biggest and the best vegan street food and desserts. It’s a plant-based party that you don’t want to miss!

I actually attended my very first Vegan Nights a year ago, for their 4^th of July USA-themed Las Vegan Nights (held on Thursday, the 5^th July). As an American myself, I especially appreciated this theme! I remember being completely blown away by the whole experience. I loved all of the USA touches, including the Hollywood sign turned ‘Go Vegan’, the veggie-fied celebrity names on the Walk of Fame, the Statue of Liberty holding a carrot instead of a torch, and the American-themed food stalls. All of the food options also left me feeling almost overwhelmed. There was just so much!

It’s been amazing to see how Vegan Nights has grown since then. Every time I have attended, I have had so much fun and eaten so much incredible food.

WHAT TO EAT

At Vegan Nights you are honestly spoiled for choice when it comes to food. It’s hard to know where to even begin. My best advice is to take a lap around and see everything on offer before deciding on what to get. It’s also nice to go with a friend (or several!), who you can share dishes with, so that you both can split costs and try even more food!

There are two main areas for food – the savoury vegan meals in The Yard, and The Sweet Spot with all the vegan desserts.

The Yard

There are loads of savoury vegan options to choose from. I usually opt for splitting an appetiser with a friend, and then a main meal. Over the months I’ve been to Vegan Nights I’ve been fortunate enough to try out a number of different dishes, all of which I can highly recommend!

The Kind Burger

In May 2018, Vegan Nights came out with their very own vegan burger: The Kind Burger! Packed with two Beyond Burger patties, melting vegan cheez, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and a special Kind sauce, it’s an absolutely epic burger.

For this 4^th of July, Vegan Nights are rolling out a new Kind serve: The Meatless Meatball Sub. It features Beyond Meat’s Herby Meatless Meatballs, homemade spicy marinara, melted vegan cheez, and fresh basil. I’ll definitely be trying it out, and if you’ll be there make sure to check it out!

In past Vegan Nights I have also dug into some delicious meals including:

The Taco Guy Cauliflower Wings – @iamthetacoguy – May 2019

These cauliflower wings were incredible, super crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked to be soft in the middle. The sweet chilli sauce brought it to the next level, and the vegan yoghurt dressing helped balance out the whole dish. Plus it’s purple!

En Root’s Select Plate – @enrootldn – July 2018

A colourful mix and match platter including ‘curry inna hurry’, daily dhal, raw rainbow salad, and topped with a bhajia falafel. So flavourful and filling.

Shakey Shakey’s Tofu-ish Burger and Chips – @shakeyshakeyvegan – August 2018

This burger was delicious. I was especially impressed by the gluten-free bun, and the tofu-ish’s slightly fishy taste from the nori. The sauce brought the whole sandwich together.

Cook Daily’s Sticky Chick’n Teriyaki Bites – @cookdailylondon – August 2018

These bites tasted just as good as they looked, and their texture was incredible similar to real chicken wings.

The Happy Maki – @thehappymaki – September 2018

I had dreamed of trying The Happy Maki’s sushi burritos for years before finally trying out these wraps. I split the duck wrap and the chicken wrap with a friend. Each wrap was delicious, but the flavour of the duck was my favourite. The chicken wrap did have sweet potato in it though, so really you couldn’t go wrong either way.

For a list of other savoury food vendors that will be at the next Vegan Nights in July 2019, check out this post.

The Sweet Spot

While there are so many savoury meals to enjoy, it’s important to save room for dessert! There’s a remarkable range of vegan sweets and treats to check out. Again, I like to walk through and get the lay of the land before deciding on what to indulge in. Sometimes I’ll also buy a piece of cake or a cupcake to enjoy the following day and keep the Vegan Nights magic going for a little bit longer.

Get Dappa’s Blueberry Fool Vegan Soft Serve

For most of my Vegan Night experiences, I have always gone for Get Dappa’s vegan soft serve ice cream for pudding. It’s sweet but not too sweet, and a bit of a lighter dessert. Their ‘Blueberry Fool’ flavour is my favourite – the salted caramel sauce combined with the nuts and blueberries complement the creamy and sweet vanilla soft serve beautifully. It’s so refreshing and the perfect summer treat!

For a list of other sweet food vendors that have been to Vegan Nights in the past, check out this post.

WHAT TO DO 

Aside from eating ALL of the vegan food, which is mainly what I spend my time doing, there’s still more to do at Vegan Nights. You can meet up with amazing vegan foodies, catch up with friends, take a spin on the dance floor, and even get in some ethical shopping!

(@dereksarno from @wickedhealthy, Laura from @whatshotblog, @thelittlelondonfoodie and @thebigjolleyvegan, @imserenalee from @vegansofldn, Emma from @emmafitnessphd, and Amy from @nourishing.amy)

Honest House Market

If you go inside the Truman Brewery you can visit the Honest House Market for some sustainable shopping. A number of ethical companies create this lovely marketplace. It’s fun just to walk around, chat to the owners, and see some of their impressive creations.

For a list of the Honest House Market traders at Vegan Nights July 2019 check out this post.

DJs and Music

To add to the festive atmosphere, there are DJs stationed around the Truman Brewery, playing music throughout the evening. If you stay later into the night, the party really gets going with loads of people dancing under disco balls and colourful lights. I have to admit I’ve never stayed that late (I’m a bit of a grandma), but if that’s your scene it looks like a fun time!

A FEW FINAL FAQS AND TIPS

• Tickets are available from the Vegan Nights, and range from £7-£10. Buy them early, or in groups, for discounted prices. Limited tickets are also available on the door for £15 each, but they recommend buying in advance!
• The night starts at 5pm and ends at 11pm (with final entry at 10:15pm).
• Follow along with @vegannightsldn’s Instagram – they always showcase the traders coming to the next event. I like to keep an eye on the food offerings so that I go in with an idea of what I might want to eat, but I always still do a lap or two around to get a look in person before digging in.
• Go more than once if you can, so that you can enjoy different dishes and desserts each time!

What to bring:

• A charged phone
• Card and cash (just in case – most traders take both, some just take card)
• Your ID
• Ticket
• An empty water bottle (no liquids are allowed but there are water refilling stations).

Have you ever been to Vegan Nights? If you’re ever in London, I highly recommend getting yourself to East London for it – it’s definitely a fun night to remember!

Find more Vegan food spots in London on my London Vegan Bucket List.