Red Hot & Green, 6/17 Lawson Street, Byron Bay, NSW 2481, Australia

Everyone thinks that Byron Bay - the hippy haven of New South Wales - will be a walk in the park for vegetarians. I suppose it would be, if that park were laced with minor obstacles like rabid dogs. 

OK, so I exaggerate. It's not that sourcing out vegetarian food in Byron Bay was difficult...it just wasn't all that easy either. 

After avoiding a fish and chips restaurant, some other seafood sea shack (or something like that) and a few sharks (there were no sharks...not on land anyway) we stumbled across Red Hot & Green: a thai restaurant nestled into the nook of a car park...eh?!

We settled in to enjoy some rice, steamed veg, fresh fish (for the t-rexes) and some wine...until we swiftly realised that to enjoy a tipple we needed to BYOB: Appoint sentinels to watch the table, send out the scouts. Wine acquired, job done. 

Apparently finding wine in Byron Bay is as easy as a walk in the park. 

After a week of a very unhappy tummy, the uncomplicated ease of Red Hot & Green was just what I needed: simple food, a friendly waitress and a cool breeze. 

Price: Unknown - my uncle paid and despite an epic fight to acquire at least a glimpse of the bill I was defeated

Veggie Friendly: 3/5

Food: 3/5  

Service: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Kitchen Sanitarium, Riverside Centre, 145 Eagle Street, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Australia in April couldn't be further from the reality of Britain in September. However, my parents are about to make the trip that I made in April and because they are vegetarians (kind off) I thought it my job, as their daughter and a food blogger, to post my best Brisbane find. 

Up until finding Kitchen Sanitarium I was struggling to find places with choices, or that one option on the menu that was strong enough to be...well...the only veggie option on the menu. 

We were introduced to this place by my ever so beautiful cousin from Brisbane who works near-by. It is very much a lunch haunt with it's deli bar, minimal table service, and small outdoor eating area. It's also refreshingly kid free - or was at the time. Not that I have an issue with kids, but sometimes you need to eat without them flinging a dangerous amount of their lunch  in your direction. 

The restaurant is totally vegetarian, plus the drinks and food menus tell you how the food will benefit you. I had the lentil and five bean chilli which is apparently great for 'sustained energy, chronic disease prevention and anti-ageing'. 

The effects have worn off now...but I felt so full of beans that I almost unregistered with my GP. 

Price: $110.00 AUD (approximately £64.73) for 4 x mains, 4 x fresh juices and service charge
Veggie Friendly: 5/5
Food: 5/5 
Service: 4/5 
Atmosphere: 4/5 

Izakaya, Albert Cuypstraat 2-6, Amsterdam 1072CT, Netherlands

"I'm vegetarian, will I..."

"We have vegetables, tofu...everything. Don't worry, we'll see you tonight at 7.30." 

After a cursory attempt to dress for dinner, we left our room at the Sir Albert - a boutique hotel in Amsterdam - and avoided the rain by eating at Izakaya, the hotel's Japanese restaurant. 

The low lighting, sleek black walls and wood floors of the hotel are partially left behind. Opening up into a long row of diners, plus group tables on the side. Think Wagamama's with extra panache. 

The hostess's advice to refrain from worry did not amount to nothing. There were a suitable number of options available: a splattering in the starters and a sprinkling in the mains. 

Deliberating over wine was purposefully drawn out, interspersed by helpful tips from our waiter - a particularly jovial breed of man. 

He warned us off the tofu tempura and suggested I opt for the Mushroom Toban. Both suggestions were heeded, and the evening was the better for doing so. I like dehydrated tofu - the kind that Cauldron do, minus their marinade. The tofu that was served around me was fresh and wobbly - suitable for some, unsuitable for me. 

The mushrooms, sizzling in their clay pots, produced a watery 'gravy' that was strong in flavour. It is advisable to have rice with this dish as the meal increases in saltiness the more you eat. I don't know how this works but I was told that it's something to do with how long the mushrooms stew in the soy sauce and spices added to them.  

The evening ended with a note of madeleines with creme fraiche and marmalade; and mini meringues with strawberry ice cream, fresh fruit and small cubes of marshmallow which  I dutifully avoided - oh how I loath thee gelatin. 
Despite a belly groaning in pain from toban overload, I annihilated dessert...annihilated. 

Price: Approx. 100 EUR (83.66 GBP) for 2 glasses of white wine, 2 x starters, 2 x mains, 2 x dessert and service charge

Veggie Friendly: 3/5

Food: 4/5

Service: 5/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Punjabi Grill by Jiggs Kalra, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, B1-01A Galleria Level, Singapore

In the address above I have spelt the word 'shops' in accordance with how it is on all the signs to, from and in the Marina Bay Sands. I don't know why it has an extra 'p' and an unnecessary 'e'. Maybe the extra letters relate to the extra random things inside the shopping mall. Like a rain catcher upside down fountain thing-a-majig, or a mini canal with gondolas...or, fine dining restaurants inside a mall.  

It felt weird to dress up and stroll through a mall to get to the restaurant. But, the mall is so glossy and everyone is wearing extremely expensive clothes, so you don't feel overdressed. It still doesn't change the fact that the view you get if seated near the front of the restaurant will be of some high end shop. Maybe that's the plan: look at pretty, expensive things while you eat delicious food and maybe when you leave the restaurant you'll be so high on good food that you'll buy things that you can't afford! Luckily for me, we were seated nowhere near a view of any shop - phew! 

Once you enter Punjabi Grill, it doesn't feel like you're in a mall. It is, by all accounts, a bona fide restaurant (I had had visions of food courts). Like everything in Singapore, the restaurant felt spacious and very glossy. 

Like all the food I'd eaten so far in Singapore, the food was amazing. This was a little more amazing than the other food, so much so that I went there twice: once on the way to Australia, once on the way back. 

Whether you go for a dry curry, or a grill or even the raita, the food is rich and flavourful with very generous portions. Oh man, I'm getting so hungry just thinking about it. 

We ordered the vegetarian grill selection. It was huge! After the amuse bouche which was a fancy little vadai (lentil cake), and too much poppodam with the best chutnies in the world, I knew that I probably shouldn't eat too much of the starter...but it was too tasty, so I ate like I hadn't seen food before. 

Then came a creamy panner curry, a tadka daal, some stir fry asparagus, boondi raita, mango lassis, rice and a bread selection (naan, roti, paratha - yuuummmmm). It was so freaking tasty I forced myself to eat way more than my belly was willing to allow. Who cares, I probably won't go there again for years unless I find myself in Singapore anytime soon, and if that happened I'd do the same thing again. I'd eat, and eat, and eat, and eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, etc. 

When food is that delicious, I don't really care about anything else. Yet, despite that, I couldn't help but notice how wonderful the service was! 

I only have one thing left to say. In the vain hope that Jiggs Kalra will ever read this blog: Please open a Punjabi Grill in London. 

Price: Approx. 160.00 SGD (84 GBP) for 3 x soft drink, 1 x veg starter sharing platter, 3 x vegetarian curries, 1 x vegetarian side, 1 x bread basket selection, 1 x rice and service charge. 

Veggie Friendly: 5/5

Food: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Atmosphere: 4/5  

Giant Robot, 45 - 47 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5RS

Wouldn't it be grand if the Giant Robot had robots manning (ho ho) the kitchen or waiting on tables? Or, maybe if it had GIANT ROBOT bouncers at the door? I realise this would require leaps in science and technology that as yet National Geographic, New Scientist and MIT don't know about, but at least it would make sense...and be awesome.  

As it stands, I don't know why the Giant Robot is named as it is. There seems to be no reference to giants or robots anywhere else but the name. 

It also carries a very different vibe to its sister venue, Milk & Honey. Perhaps that's the point. 

Milk & Honey is more 1920s - 1930s (or maybe even 1940s - whenever it was that men wore braces) exclusivity, whereas Giant Robot holds onto those American roots with an American diner style menu, with a relaxed East London vibe. Most of this vibe has been lifted directly from the days that the Giant Robot was Match bar (cocktails and mocktails and the like, oh my - I miss it). 

In an attempt to resist the urge to reminisce, let's focus on the food. 

My dear cousin Senorita of the Glen and her husband: The Man Who Survived Ciudad Juarez or TMWS Ciudad Juarez for short, thought the food was fine. The Husband shared the same sentiment. 

Senorita of the Glen ordered a salad and a slider, and while the food was tasty it was unnecessarily unhealthy...I mean, more unhealthy than you would already expect American diner style food to be. For example, her salad was swimming in over-salted dressing and the side of green beans that we all shared was smothered in butter and garlic. Seriously, I think I heard a bean cry out for air...'please nice lady, save me from this hell...they have emptied the entire tub of butter into this bowl and my family have all perished and wilted under the weight....save me...'

If you are a raging Veggiesaurus, things will be a bit more dire. Let's face it, the reviews above weren't glowing, so the next paragraph isn't going to be good. 

There were two options, which isn't awful considering the menu as a whole is small. They also take the trouble to point out which desserts are vegetarian. This is handy considering that many a good dessert has a sneaky pinch of gelatin...though sometimes ignorance can be sugary bliss. 

The two options for mains are cannelloni or cauliflower cheese arancini (what?!). I had to order the latter as I was so intrigued. Conclusion: bleurgh. 

Remember those cauliflower cheese ready meals you got in the early 90s. I don't mean the M&S posh nosh version you get these days, I mean that really heavy, crunchy, cheese and fat heavy yet low on taste on stuff. 

Now imagine that rolled in bread crumbs and deep fried. There you have it! 

Dessert was a more pleasant affair - big portions, big flavour. 

I'll give you another plus point to end on: the cocktail list is pretty darn good and the cocktails are yummy. They even have a page of old favourites from the days of Match. 
Now, it's time to reminisce. 

Price: Approximately 108.00 GBP for 2 x cocktails, 1 x beer, 1 x ginger beer, 2 x burgers, 1 x slider, 1 x salad, 1 x veggie main, 3 x sides, 4 x dessert and service charge. 

Veggie Friendly: 2.5/5 - if we were going solely on savoury the score would be lower, but because they told us which desserts were veggie friendly they get an average

Food: 2/5

Service: 4/5

Atmosphere: 3/5

Il Baretto, 43 Blandford Street, London, W1U 7HF

Good reviews are always so hard to write. No opportunities for hilarity, sarcastic comments or blunt remarks...but that is Il Baretto's only flaw. 

Great Italian food, gorgeously simple décor and it's always buzzing with people - even if you plan on going on a week night I suggest booking at least a week in advance. 

I've been to Il Baretto at least three times and the menu does change, so I'll sum up my favourite dishes from all three visits - if you see these on the menu, get them...immediately:

- Asparagus and parmesan salad. It's not really a salad...it's asparagus drizzled in aged balsamic with a few sun dried tomatoes and parmesan scattered over it. Simple, flavourful, delicious. 

- Macaroni and cheese with black truffles - if this was in front of me everyday, I would eat the whole thing, feel full and still order more. Fatness is worth it for this. 

- Pumpkin ravioli - pretty much how I feel about the macaroni and cheese

- Berry Mille Fuielle - OK, French dessert in an Italian restaurant but it's so good. So, so good. 

I don't think that there is much else to say other than, I wish I was there - ciao for now! 

Price: Approx. £98.00 for 1 x carafe of red wine, 1 x bread, 1 x starter, 2 x mains, 2 x sides, 1 x dessert and service charge

Veggie Friendly: 4/5 

Food: 5/5

Service: 5/5 

Atmosphere: 5/5

Cafe Sorgenfri, Bryggetorget 4, 0250 Oslo, Norway

If you want to brave something other than American pizza in Norway, then you can try Cafe Sorgenfri. It is located in a shopping district known as Aker Brygge. Aker Brygge is by the water and kind of looks a little bit like Liverpool - kind of. 

Lets start with the best and work backwards:

- The service was excellent. Our waitress was knowledgeable, friendly and provided alternative suggestions in areas where the menu lacked veggie friendliness. 

- The food was tasty, albeit a bit on the salty side. 

- The menu had one '100% vegetarian' option in the mains which was a tasty and hearty lasagne. No chance of a vegetarian starter so we ordered a cheese board to share instead (recommendation of the waitress). 

- When seated, at eye level the restaurant is decorated beautifully: candles, dark woods, a mixture of booths and table, hearths, fireplaces etc. but...

- When you start to look around, especially at the ceiling, it's filled with...erm...stuff. I'm not quite sure if antiques is the right word. It's not the wrong word but it doesn't fully capture everything that's rammed into the place. I'm talking old rocking horses, pictures of people no-one knows, model aircraft from years gone by. I know what you're thinking: that sounds cool...and it was, if the journey into other people's past had stopped there, but it didn't. There were old manikins dressed in various things - some just heads, some heads and shoulders and some heads, shoulders and more. I found that a little creepy. I tell a lie, I found it distractingly disconcerting. So much so, that The Husband, kept saying 'it's ok if we just don't look up'. Come on - that's a line from a horror movie...or some kind of thriller at the very least!

I'm not sure how to finish so I'll go with: The Husband ordered the halibut and really enjoyed it. Plus, Cafe Sorgenfri is best know for it's traditional Danish lunches.+

Price: Approx. 800 NOK (~£100.00) for 1 x glass of wine, 1 x beer, 1 x sharing cheese plate, 2 x main, 2 x dessert and service charge. 

Veggie Friendly: 2/5

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 5/5

Atmosphere: 2/5

The Greenhouse, 27a Hay's Mews, Mayfair, London, W1J 5NY

For a vegetarian, eating at The Greenhouse is like going on a good blind date: You have no idea what you're going to get, but it turns out to be a good evening. The only problem with that is, I have spent my life saying no to blind dates because I like to have some idea of what is on the menu.

Plus, it's kind of hard to order off a menu...that doesn't exist. That's right, there is no menu for us Veggies. Instead, we're told that they can cook us anything...anything! Maybe I should have tested this by asking for an exact replica of my mum's peas and paneer curry - bet they couldn't produce that!

Ok, I know, endless choice sounds amazing but in practice, having nothing to reign in my overactive brain was one heck of a burden so I just asked them to give me a vegetarian version of the tasting menu. This still meant that I didn't know what I was getting, but at least now it was the kitchens job to decide.

Did I mention that the vegetarian tasting menu is the same price as the meat feast version?

What? Why are you so surprised? Have you never seen yam priced the same as the best cut of beef? Clearly, you must mingle with the commoners if you haven't...OK, so I took a portion of that line from The Lion King.

Whine out of the way, the food at The Greenhouse is delicious. So delicious, that my aubergine hating Husband (the artist formerly known as Fiance) actually enjoyed eating a course that was aubergine rich. 

For younger people (I think I'm still in this category), this restaurant attracts an older crowd. By older I mean richer. Seriously, it's like playing a game of lawn bowls...surrounded by the finest garments and clothing...in the world. 

So veggies, the only question you need to answer is: Is good food worth high prices and no menu to reign yourselves in?  


Price: Approximately £300.00 for 1 x bottle of red, 2 x glass of dessert wine, 2 x 7 course tasting menu and service charge. 
Veggie Friendly: 2.5/5 - I'm going to have to go with straight down the middle. Yes, they produced the goods, but I'd really rather have a menu
Food: 5/5 
Service: 10/5 - seriously 
Atmosphere: Under 40s: 3/5. Over 40s: 5/5