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 

Peppes Pizza, STORTORGET 2 9008 TROMSØ, Norway

So...the Veggiesaurus went on restaurant reviewing strike. But, every strike has to end and the catalyst for crossing the picket line of non-reviewing was Norway...specifically Tromso. 

You see, I lost my way...I became overly critical in restaurants  Yes, that's right, I had become that moron that you sometimes see at the next table, complaining that the Mille Feuille is one layer short of technically being 'Mille Feuille'. I forgot that the reason I was reviewing restaurants was to make life easier for the humble vegetarian. That was, until I went to Tromso. 

If only there was a one stop shop out there to tell me where to go when it is too cold to go a merry wandering through the streets, asking to be let into the inn. In layman's terms: Norway for vegetarians is a tough place. Generally things are very fish or meat heavy and everything costs the same as private health care so, if you don't want to buy yourself the equivalent of an MRI for dinner then go to Peppes. 

It's Pizza...Gangnam style. Not really, it's just a good, solid place to have decent pizza.

One word of warning, when ordering a Mocha in Peppes, always add 'Caffe' in front of the word Mocha. If not, you will end up being served some odd non-alcoholic beer which shares a minor similarity in name to the word 'Mocha'. 

All in all - a safe bet for Vegetarians. Plus, if you're lucky you might walk out and see Aurora borealis stretching over the city. If you're not lucky, book yourself on a tour - specifically, 'Chase the light tours'/'Marianne's Aurora Chaser Tours'. You get cheese sandwiches and hot chocolate - yum! 

Price: Approx. 400 NOK (~£44.00) for 1 x pint of Coca Cola, 1 x Caffe Mocha, 1 x large vegetarian pizza, 1 x dessert and service charge. 

Veggie Friendly: 3/5 - maybe 4/5 because you can pick your toppings if you want. 

Food: 3/5

Service: 4/5

Atmosphere: 3/5 

Regina Pizzeria, 11 1/2 Thacher Street, Boston, MA 02113, USA

"Boston's best pizza since 1926". 

A bold statement, but oh so true. Not that I've tried all the pizza in Boston but it's definitely the best pizza that I've ever eaten: thin crust, fresh toppings, a vegetarian section and maximum yumminess.

The walls are lined with old pictures of boxers, and what I can only assume is one 1920s pizza genius after another. Old signs for beer and Coca Cola fill the spaces left behind leaving very little wall on show...but who really needs to see the wall anyway?!
Booths, friendly staff and the beginnings of a round the block queue are the icing on the cake...or should I say, the topping on the pizza.

It might be a fool's dream, but I look forward to the day that Regina Pizzeria put a new slogan on their website: 'London's best pizza since 2012".


Price: $35.00 (approx. £21.98) for 1 x beer, 2 x bottled still water,  2 x 10" pizza and 25% service charge.
Veggie Friendly: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5 

Figs - Beacon Hill, 42 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA

I've come to realise that the way to end a writing hiatus is to either eat really good, or disgustingly bad food. Luckily for me, my Boston experience was firmly in the camp of the former.

The past weekend has been glamourous on paper:
1. Fly to Boston on BA Miles - check
2. 3 days waking up next to the Boston Public Garden - check
3. Straighten my hair, curl it, re-straighten it, curl it again...realise I've definitely killed already dead hair, but not care because it's in the name of glamour - check
4. Walk around in gorgeous sunshine eating cupcakes on the go - check
5. Eat out and eat everything to ensure that you gain weight before your wedding - check

OK, so the above five points wasted your time, bar the exception of point number 5, the eating out and everything part....yum!

Figs, is a pizza place (which also serves some pasta and salad) and has something to do with a chap called Todd English. I don't have the faintest idea who Todd English is, but I will be kidnapping him, putting him in a room with a wood-fire oven and instructing him to make me Pizza on-demand...I'll be doing the same to the chefs at Regina's Pizzaria as well...but we'll get onto that in the next post.

I quite happily ate more than my fair share of a pizza topped with cheese, rocket, red and yellow tomatoes...and what I can only assume was a delicate sprinkling of heaven on top. I need to buy me some heaven seasoning.
It's worth noting that these pizzas are huge, rectangular beauties that are served on top of some metal, swirly stands. You can order them half and half, which is what I would recommend, especially, if you're on a date. If you order one each, one of you will be eating a pizza off your lap. 

What's the only thing that could improve the experience? I think the answer to that question should be in list format:
1. Dark wood and brick decor - check
2. A bonkers soundtrack that ranges from 90s ballads to Ibiza mad, thus being a great conversation point - check.  
3. Sam Adams - check
4. The ability to be a little fancy...but really not be all that fancy - check check check. This one was particularly important to me as we were very jet lagged...in this case: jet lag schmet lag - a woman was in there having a nice glass of wine wearing an engagement ring the size of her head (she had a ginormous head), and running shorts.

So...I guess, that will be no improvements needed then...


Price: $36.00 (approx £22.64) for 2 x 16oz beer, 1 x pizza (more than enough for two) and 20% service charge.
Veggie Friendly: 4/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5

Bacco Cafe, Pike Place Market, 86 Pine Street, Seattle WA

It's been a while since I've blogged about restaurants. That's not to say that I haven't been eating well and eating out, because I have definitely been enjoying food made better than I could ever make. 

The present question: To blog in arrears or to not blog in arrears. 

Though I'm not a huge fan of serious time lapses when it comes to post-dining judgement...who am I kidding, I love to judge. 

As Bacco Cafe is not brilliantly fresh in my cluttered mind, I will refrain from commenting on anything other than vegetarian options, of which there were only a few. Surprising for Seattle. However, in true Seattle form, the options present were simple and good. I had a grilled cheese sandwich and it did what God intended a grilled cheese sandwich to do: fill me up and lightly coat the inside of my arteries. 

Was it tasty: Yes
Would I go there again: Probably not. With all the vegetarian options out there in Seattle, it doesn't make a huge deal of sense to limit myself to a few. 


Price: Sandwichy - in truth, I cannot remember and I can't find the bill but from their website I would say approximately: $15.00 (£9.50 at today's rate) for a light main and a coffee.  
Veggie Friendly: 2/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 3/5 

Roast, The Floral Hall, Stoney Street, London, SE1 1TL

Before starting this blog I never imagined that Lord of the Flies would be so relevant, but as this will be the second time that it rears its ugly head, I guess that I should just accept that for me, all bad food experiences are synonymous with this book...or at least some reminder of it...wait, scratch that last bit. You'll find out why in a moment. 

I fully understand that for a vegetarian, venturing into a place called 'Roast' and expecting a plethora of choices is somewhat similar to a midget trying to buy clothes at Long Tall Sally. 

With that in mind lets review the choices that they did offer:

At first glance the list looked impressive - 3 starters and 3 mains! Monsieur, with 6 choices you are really spoiling us. 

Sadly, Monsieur was not spoiling anyone. 

The 3 starters on offer: chilled mint pea soup, asparagus with hollandaise or tomatoes on toast. 

The 3 mains on offer: Summer vegetable salad, Somerset organic spelt and herb salad (so...that'll be the salad for you then, Madame) or mushrooms and egg on toast. 

At least have the decency to combine the last starter with the last main and just give me breakfast!

Maybe it would have been bearable if the food was tasty, OK even. Unfortunately, I think mine must have fallen into a mound of salt somewhere between the kitchen and the table. 

However, the sides of mashed potato, carrots and chips were pretty good, and warranted the price. 

I should also note that meat fiends were extremely happy...those bastards. 

On the upside, Roast had a good show of puddings: sticky date pudding gets a thumbs up, as did the Eton Mess. 

I also really liked the ambience: live music, mellow, airy. 

With good pud and an atmosphere like that, Roast was close to finishing on a higher note...until I spotted the severed pigs head. That's right...a severed pigs head, just chilling out on the counter facing the room. That's not 'we like meat', it's more 'we probably killed ants with a magnifying glass and pulled our cats tails far too hard'. 

Being veggie, I can't handle any food with a face...but even the strong stomached T-Rexes found the display of savagery a touch creepy. 


Price: Approx. £300.00 for 1 x bottle of red, 6 x mains, 4 x sides, 3 x dessert, 1 x cheese platter and service charge.
Veggie Friendly: 1/5 (unless you really like salad, in which case it's a 2.5/5)
Food: 2.5/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 2/5 (Loss of major points due to the severed pigs head)