Holy Carrot is all over TikTok. Or rather, Holy Carrot is all over my TikTok. And I have to admit: seeing this contemporary vegan restaurant on my for-you-page influenced me to visit. If you aren’t being served Holy Carrot videos, let me introduce you to one of London’s newest sustainable restaurants. Having opened in July of this year, I was excited to see a fresh take on plant-based food in London. After my visit, you may be asking: is Holy Carrot worth the hype? Read on to find out.
Holy Carrot Restaurant Review
A TikTok-Worthy Restaurant
Despite creating content for a living, it’s pretty rare that I’ll take a restaurant recommendation from TikTok. I much prefer reading longer reviews or scouring online magazines’ round-ups for places that fit my taste, aesthetic, and pocket. However, Holy Carrot looks absolutely beautiful on TikTok, and even more so in person. This spaceship of a restaurant sits on Portobello Road, with smooth, concrete walls, mid-century modern furniture, and a shiny metal bar. It’s completely monochromatic, apart from its incredibly tasteful watercolour illustrations that could easily become my next iPhone wallpaper.
I initially suggested visiting after a friend was coming into London and in the Notting Hill area. While she eats meat, I try to eat vegan and vegetarian where I can, and suggested here. She immediately agreed, easily swayed by the sexy illustrations and indulgent small plates.
A Rotating Seasonal Menu
I have to admit, we visited Holy Carrot in late August, so the menu looks a little different now. This vegetarian restaurant centres its dishes around fresh produce and works with seasonal ingredients, so where there were juicy peaches, you’ll now find persimmon. Instead of grilled watermelon, you’ll get smoked beetroot. However, in comparing menus from our visit to now, some plates have remained the same, with rotating vegetables, while others are completely new for the new season. And I love that. Eating seasonally is not only better for the environment, it also provides better taste and nutrition.
Upon our visit, we were presented with a menu filled with late-summer produce, and we made the most of it.
Shareable Small Plates
To start, we shared three plates: stracciatella with peach and hazelnut; grilled watermelon with cucumber, seaweed and togarashi; and Cuore del Vesuvio tomatoes with almond ricotta, kombu, and fine herbs. These were beautifully presented, and it was clear the ingredients were high quality. Despite their eye-appeal, I did feel a little disappointed with all three starters, where the principal ingredient was pretty much the only thing delivering on flavour.
For mains, we went for the oyster mushrooms al pastor. This dish was rather underwhelming, again delivering a one note taste, with a tiny smattering of crema.
And for dessert, we went for the rich chocolate tahini with cremeux roast hazelnuts and the matcha ‘tiramisu’. The tiramisu was my favourite of the two, but again, and on reflection, were pretty impressive considering they were both vegan. But at this point I realised my issue: while the food itself was undeniably seasonal, absolutely vegan, and clearly social media-worthy, it just wasn’t very interesting.
My Overall Rating: 7/10
I feel a little unfair giving Holy Carrot less than a 7/10, simply because of their seasonal practices, sustainable credentials, and incredibly chic take on vegan food. We need so much more of this – not just in London, but nationwide. The space is undeniably cool, the drinks are great, and the service was slow but pleasant. However, I feel that the food we chose felt a little basic overall.
While I understand the ‘vegetable-forward’ approach, I felt like many of the plates served were a little too close to undressed salad, and for the price tag, I expected more. Compare it to the offerings of restaurants like Land (Birmingham) or Wilson’s (Bristol) and you’ll see what I’m getting at. However, it’s always nice to dine sustainably, and we had a pleasant time overall.
