
I went vegetarian 2 weeks prior to my trip. I have to say, London is not a vege-friendly town and it’s rather hard to get a healthy meal that doesn’t contain some kind of meat or chicken. I did enjoy all the “prawn” though! Oh, and they have fresh-squeezed fruit smoothies in cartons sold at every supermarket! Oh, and this is Snog.
Pictures from London trip will be up on Flickr tomorrow. Now I’m off to deliver our donation check in person to Bideawee.










No 2 – you can get worse then a glare sometimes :(
AND YAY YAY for you being at Space.NK – I have one right next door to my office! Just had a fat convo with a girl about your amazing lipsticks!:)
Em
http://emwampach-itsem.blogspot.com/
xxx
That’s what we have to learn at school in grade 7 – the difference between AE and BE :/
Cosmopop is amazin!! I wear it~~
pic here~
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee106/Flippinklein/Photoon2010-04-22at09544.jpg
Em Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 9:55 am
Agreed! Stunning Colour love it!
london is always cold, i grew up there !
got my centrifuchsia from the space NK in my city and the lady who served me was so nice and we had a natter about your blogazine :D, i wear it all the time and everyone loves it, especially the gorgeous packaging n.n
Sorry Doe, I love you, but you have one part completely wrong!
London is absolutely FANTASTIC for Vegetarians (and Vegans too!)!! There are some of the most delicious places I’ve ever graced Veggie-wise to eat in London, and I’ve always found even the train stations have something good on offer aside from just cheese sandwiches!
You should try looking on Happy Cow for recommendations for Veggie restaurants… as you sadly seem to have missed out on Neal’s Yard, which is an absolutely blissful place to be, and eat at!
Next time eh? :) And don’t be afraid to eat at the many stalls in London – some of the best falafel can be found there!
xx
Libby Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 12:32 pm
I agree – some of the most awesome vegetarian and vegan places are in London! Maybe it’s a case of you have to know where to look..? Anyway, next time you come, make sure to ask us all where to go! :D
Lydia Rachael Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I agree too! – There’s loads of lovely veggie food in London! Actually I’ve found in the past 10yrs there’s a wide variety of veggie food all over the UK. Gone are the days when vegetable was the only option :)
Lauren Calder Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 8:29 pm
I totlly agree with this! I’m British but now I live in Japan, and vegetarian food is so much harder to come by – most restaurants don’t even have an option!
Carolyn Reply:
May 1, 2010 at 2:15 pm
This is very reassuring! I’m a pescatarian and moving to London from Canada in the fall. I’ll definitely check out Neal’s Yard when I’m there!
I’m surprised you had a hard time with the food options because the vegetarian/vegan movement began in the UK and London is typically considered very veg friendly. Surprised you had a hard time.
tokidoki Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 10:57 am
I agree. I spent a month in Scotland and England when I was 17 (and that was in the early 90s) and I didn’t have a hard time eating as a vegetarian. Indian food and Italian food was EVERYWHERE in the UK. You just had to eat more non traditional food (thank got I got out of eating blood pudding and haggis) or if you don’t see vegetarian food on the menu ask them to make you something. Most chefs are very happy to do that. I’ve done it many times and typically my meat eater friends were jealous of the meal I received.
I also remember that fast food restaurant in the UK having veggie burgers when I was in there in the 90s. Veggie burgers were not big in the USA yet. I tend to run away from fast food places but it was cool that veggie burgers were offered as a option.
It’s sad that you couldn’t stick with your vegetarian diet while there. I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 20 (Never relapsed in the almost 20 years either) and I have traveled a lot (Mexico, Canada, Europe and Asia and never had issue eating while being vegetarian.
Dying for Cosmopop! Please don’t ever discontinue it…it might be a while til I can get mine ;p
Yeah…in terms of veggie/vegan food I think you just don’t know where to go! There is TONS of it! PS it’s not summer yet either….:)
This cute pic seems appropriate for #6. :)
Doe, speaking of colors, any chance we may see those darker shades this year? Today would be 500% better with navy lips.
Kristi Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 10:34 pm
I would LOVE a navy lip!
Glad you liked London but I’m shocked you had a hard time with veggie food. I’ve been veggie for twelve years now and my entire family lives in London so I’m there at least once a year.
As someone mentioned, the veggie movement (seperate from religion) started in England. They have some of the best laws requiring restaurants and grocers to label veg friendly food. And it’s such a diverse city that it can be easy to find Thai, Indian or other cultures food with excellent veg options.
And I swear to you, England has some really really gorgeous days. Go back again! Drop me a line and I’ll outline all the delicious places to eat.
xoxo
I would love to hear some of your suggestions on Cosmopop. I got the color for Xmas and love it, but I can figure out how to make it work with my skin. :(
James Vee Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 11:00 am
can’t* Of course.
Doe Deere Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 8:03 pm
I think it looks best if your skin already has yellow/peach undertones. If not, try to steer it that way with blush – works on me. Otherwise, Cosmopop is a great color to mix with other lipsticks!
I have spent lots of time in London (I grew up in the southwest of England) and I have been vegetarian for 21 years – since I was 6! I am surprised you had a hard time with vegetarian food. I never have/had a problem.
You can even get vegetarian pastys in London these days!
1. Oh come on… I know you were cold all the time but it gets much, much warmer than it was! I get the same weather as in London and I went out in shorts, a tee and a cardigan yesterday!
Yes, please keep Cosmopop around! :) I loooove it. :)
Jen Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 11:51 am
Meant to add that I have 8 out of 10 Lime Crime lipsticks, and second only to No She Didn’t, Cosmopop gets the most compliments!
I like your handwriting!
I was very sad to hear you didn’t find any decent vegetarian food, as it is everywhere. But as I’m sure you know, there are so many food places, you clearly didn’t always get the good ones – ask me next time!
For take-away, eating on the go options go to Marks & Spencers and Pret-a-manger – both do fantastic salads. Also for a home cooked cheap option ‘Food for Thought’ 31 Neal Street. And as mentioned before for the less healthy, but super delish and cheap is the pasty, which are everywhere in London (Cornish named places, are the best).
I’m surprised you had problems with veggie food as well, it’s pretty much everywhere! When I was in the US a couple of years ago I found it far, far harder to find decent vegetarian food over there than I do here.
Really, London is AMAZING for vegetarian food, I’m sorry you didn’t manage to find any but I hope you do next time you’re there. England’s one of the most veggie-friendly countries :)
You live in New York City! You should have been extremely familiar with rule #2 (unless you never take the subway).
Also, you have cute handwriting :)
Liz Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 1:04 pm
agreed!
Does #6 correspond to a specific incident?
And, like many people living in London commenting above, I’m also surprised that you couldn’t find good vegetarian/vegan options! I’m not vegetarian myself, but my boyfriend is vegan, so we always tend to eat at vegetarian/vegan spots. There are tons of spots in Covent Garden and Soho – Food for Thought, Neal’s Yard Salad Bar, Mrs. Marengo’s/Mildred’s, World Food Cafe… and the Vegan Bus! Oh, this is on the unhealthy end, but there’s Red Veg for Communist-themed fast food!
Not to mention, Indian restaurants always have vegetarian options, and Indian food in London is so much better than anything I’ve had stateside!
See, the great thing about your blog is that you have friends all over the world willing to give you tips when traveling! ^_^
And Innocent smoothies are delicious, aren’t they?
I’m a vegetarian yet i go up to london alot.
There’s alot of nice food and vegetarian, but only in “higher class” restaurants. :)
slightly offended by “don’t be a vegetarian”. for some of us it’s a lifestyle, not just a choice we make and can bounce between :/
tokidoki Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 2:02 pm
I didn’t say it in my previous post But I’m glad you did because I agree with you. For me it’s a lifestyle. I would never break a vegetarian diet for lack of food options in a city or restaurant. You can always find stuff to eat and it won’t be “just salads”. Most ethnic restaurants have a ton of vegetarian food (Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Ethiopian, Japanese, Middle Eastern etc…)
And if I can survive being a vegetarian in South Korea for a whole year (they typically eat a TON of fish & beef) then you can survive being a vegetarian anywhere.
Jackie Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 3:24 pm
I completely agree with this. If you are only a vegetarian as a fashion statement or part of a trend, then you shouldn’t bother. I see it as a lifestyle (vegetarian 8 years, vegan 3) and have never struggled to keep up with it anywhere!
Doe Deere Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Yeah, I have a post coming about that.
LKR Reply:
April 27, 2010 at 9:16 am
Have to chip in…I wouldn’t “break veg” for ANYTHING unless I was literally stranded on an island. It really feels almost like my religion, a vow I’ve taken not to have any innocent creature die to be my dinner or outfit.
Still, YAY AND CONGRATS DOE, going veg is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself, the planet, the animals, etc. I am glad you are “making the connection” and that the chickies and pigs and fishies on plates are the brothers and sisters of the cats and dogs you love.
The veg way of eating is not something that will automatically come to you in so much that you will have to do some research and experimenting to find new foods you love to eat and where to find them. NYC might be the most vegan-friendly place on the planet so take advantage!
April isn”t summer!! London is probably one of the hottest places in the UK in the ACTUAL summer! You should have gone to Liverpool or somewhere more “up north” then you can appreciate a cold day.
I hate that Americans think we only have crap food in the UK. You can’t judge the entire country by the “tourist trap” restaurants and the greasy cafe’s. You don’t have to go far or spend a fortune to get food outside of London. To get anything in London costs £££’s!
(let’s not judge america by the “supersize” & fast food phenomenon shall we)
And as for being Veggie! Unless you hate beans/vegetables/salads/pasta then I really can’t see you having a problem getting veggie food.
In my experience, you can ALWAYS get good greenery with your dinner in the UK, more likely to struggle in Europe – I swear they are allergic to veg throughout the Alps, I was litterally dying for anything green!
Next time, get a local to show you around :)
Clara Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Agree with you. It’s very easy to fi8nd good food in the UK, veggie and non veggie. Healthy lovely food with lots of veg. We have so many cafe’s and little places to go especially in London. And there are cheap places in London too, you just gotta avoid the tourist places and off the side streets are some lovely places.
The glares on the tube is a London thing, I admit I do it sometimes, but then when you’ve done a long day in work, have to do a really long commute back home out of London and all you wanna do is get home, people standing in the way will get you annoyed. It’s like people who stop right infront of you in a doorway when you’re walking.
Doe Deere Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 11:16 pm
That was just my personal experience & impression. I’m sure there’s good vegetarian cuisine in London but I wasn’t on a gourmet tour of London so I had to eat whatever was available.
Phoenix Reply:
April 27, 2010 at 3:15 am
But you don’t need to be on a “gourmet tour” to find good food. Any guidebook will show you some great places – all it takes it a little common sense.
Lucy Reply:
April 27, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Agreed – it doesn’t have to be a ‘gourmet tour’! A lot of my london friends are vegetarian/vegan and although we are perpetually poor students, when we’re out and about we never have trouble finding something affordable and delicious. All these comments are probably making you realise now how readily available it really is :) It’s always a good idea to do a little research before going to a new city – if you don’t know where to go just ask a local or check a guidebook – that’s also how you find the hidden gems!
Dear Doe,
I just received D’Lilac and Airborne Unicorn from your shop and I la la love them. I got a little over-exuberant when I was out the other night though and applied Airborne Unicorn so heavily that the lipstick broke. I’ve heard you can melt them back together, but I tried to and it just came off again the next time I tried to apply it…
Any repair tips?
Thanks!
<3Ali
Doe Deere Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Hi Ali, sorry to hear that! You can melt the top part in a sample jar in the microwave and apply with a lipbrush, like you would gloss!
In the last 7 years I went to London four times and I didn’t had a single problem with being a strict vegetarian and eating healthy ;)
Standing on the right side of the escalator is so much better. ^^ Since I went to London I could kill anybody who is blocking the entire escalator by standing right in the middle. Unfortunately that’s quite common in my home country…
Very surprised you had difficulty finding decent veggie/vegan food in London. I’ve lived and travelled throughout the UK and even the tiniest towns have plenty of veggie/vegan options and if a restaurant didn’t have something I liked they would go out of their way to help… I really can’t imagine why you couldn’t find any decent options! Very odd.
Ooh!
I want to analyze your handwriting!
Doe Deere Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Go for it ;)
Just received the three Magic Dusts I ordered on Thursday night! I am thrilled! They are rad and I love how fast it was shipped! ♥ Thank you!
Haha, I went to London on Spring Break with my school… I see a couple things that I learned there too!
I actually love your handwriting too. My handwriting is messy, and yours just matches your personality so well.
I LOOVE snog. :)
glad you found it! <3
Sorry for the double post, but I don’t understand the right and left escalator thing. :(
Clara Reply:
April 27, 2010 at 1:45 pm
On the underground, well pretty much anywhere but especially the Undeground you are supposed to stand to the right. That way people who need to run to get the train have a clear path on the left to get through. That’s why people get a bit arsey about it. I know I’ve missed my train home a few times because I’ve been stuck behind people who won’t move out the way and seconds count when it comes to running to catch at tube train you need that will get you to the station. When you’ve got to wait another half hour and all you wanna do is be home, doesn’t put people in a good mood.
London is actually the most vegetarian friendly city.
I don’t understand #6, what does that have to do with specifically London?
Doe Deere Reply:
April 26, 2010 at 11:10 pm
Trolls had the opportunity to show their faces in person, but they much prefer keyboard heroics.
Chelsea Reply:
April 29, 2010 at 8:35 pm
=\ Doe I love you lotsss and what you do but I think thats a little immature. There are haters every where, and if they -did- show up in person, that’d be rather immature of them as well.
Here in Australia they say chips for ‘french fries’ as well and your potato chips are ‘chips’ here as well. It’s the same with the restroom/toilet word too. Although I personally say ‘Bathroom’ or ‘Restroom’ because it sounds more polite.
These were some really interesting facts. Thank you for sharing :)
Oh, and yes I agree with you that cosmopop is tricky to pull off. I bought it, but I’m a fan of darker lips so I didn’t feel confidant pulling it off. That being said I love the red lipstick! And I really want to invest in Styleto shortly.
Also…
braces = suspenders
and
suspenders = garters
It’s an important one to remember :)
Just received Centrifuschia and Retrofuturist! I LaLaLaLove them!
Just feel like being a bit pedantic considering I live in and LOVE London… ;)
1. That depends on the time of year… At the moment it’s about 20 degrees celius out doors and reeeeaaaally sunny, as it has been all week!
3. Good food isn’t necessarily expensive in London – you just need to know where to look! Though in all fairness London is one of the most expensive cities in the world in general…
Hope you enjoyed your trip though!
I don’t feel safer when I’m in New York because guns are legal there!
x
Oh bummer, i totally thought you were talking about the goth/industrial artist SNOG!
That place looks totally cute though! Thanks for sharing!
I never fully understood the word “restroom” – surely people don’t go in there to “rest”? :) “bathroom” is understandable when you’re at home or refering to a room that actually features a bath tub; when out and about, i doubt you’d be looking for a bath. :D toilet is the perfect word. (that said, i also dislike “loo”, it just sounds silly).
i am dying to try this snog thing out (lol) but haven’t had a chance yet. as for food, i think london is a great place to eat and the food is very affordable unless you want to go especifically for the expensive places. I believe food in NYC isn’t cheap either, especially when you add the minimum 20% tip you’re supposed to leave after a meal (would be nicer if the restaurants would pay better wages to their employees instead). but at least the water, coffee and fizzy drinks refils tend to be free. :D
No. 2 made me laugh. I was born and lived in London all my life until 2 years ago now I live up North and it really annoys me when people don’t stand on the right side of the escalator!!! It just makes sense to me stand on the right walk on the left then no one gets in any ones way ^_^
Echoing the above- you weren’t in London in the summer! Also, I felt so unsafe in New York, in a way that I never did growing up in London (though I did find a lot of New Yorkers incredibly friendly). Sounds like you had a fun time though!
good call on SNOG, i make pilgrimages to that place the minute i get off the Picadilly tube line!:) though its not hard being a veggie if you get time to look around- Camden has an amazing vegan place called Inspiral, there are some beautiful upstairs cafés in Neals Yard (esp. the brazilian place- rice-bread and pesto muffins, brazilian rum and blackberry tea- the BEST way to consume rum, i think!). in Soho there’s also great veggie sushi and falafel to be found, not to mention one of the only Whole Food Market english branches..
yep, in London is cold but it’s worth it!
kisses&take.care
Totally mystified as to why you had a hard time finding cheap vegetarian food in London, it’s everywhere! All the sandwich shops (EAT, Pret, Marks and Spencers, LEON etc) all have at least four or five vegetarian options, never mind the numerous vegetarian cafes and restaurants – even regular cafes usually have a couple of vegetarian options. You know there are nearly 4 million vegetarians in the UK? A quick google search would’ve shown you hundreds of easily accessible options. Weird.
Also, since when was mid-April the summer?