Beatroot

http://hungryinlondon.com/2011/03/beatroot-cafe-soho/

Beatroot Cafe in Berwick Street is almost something like a Soho institution. It has been around since 1997 which is a long period considering the sometimes fast pace of change in the London restaurant scene.

I have never tried it though as it just never looked terribly inviting to me – the door of the small restaurant is always open and I am a very cold and draft sensitive. When I walked past last time with a grumbling stomach, Eureka!, the door was finally closed! (mind you, it was about 2 degrees and gales, so the door should be closed).

No excuse anymore and I went for it. I should point out that after I had ordered and taken my seat, the surprisingly cold-resistant staff left the door ajar again, so I had to eat in coat, scarf and was considering wearing my gloves. Dear Beatroot Cafe, doors should be closed in winter. They really should! I hate the cold so much, particularly while I am eating, that I am now negatively biased toward Beatroot Cafe. But let me try to be as objective as possible.

Beatroot Cafe is a vegetarian cafe and most of the dishes served are vegan. You have a choice of 10 salads (e.g. greek salad, lentils, broccoli, beans) and 10 hot dishes (like vegetarian moussaka, Shepard’s pie, curry, stir fry). You can combine as many of the dishes as you want in different sized boxes (Small £4.20 Medium £5.20 Large £6.20).

So there’s the problem: I chose the salad box with salads such as Greek Salad, Coleslaw, Tabouleh and Beetroot. They all tasted quite nice. However, as they were all (generously) stuffed into this box it felt like eating one dish with everything mixed in (and let me tell you, greek salad and coleslaw don’t go together very well…) as opposed to being able to differentiate between the different salads. A box is great for take away but when you eat in? It would probably also be much more environmentally friendly if you used plates instead of making a lot of mess with these boxes (I do think they are getting recycled though).

The box issue might be even more pronounced for the hot dishes: I don’t see Shepard’s pie and Indian curry being a marriage made in heaven… Of course you can always choose only one variety and this is probably the way to go.

The cafe got really busy and seems to have a fair share of returning customers. They probably have their warm office around the corner and take away their food. For eating in I have to say the atmosphere is not exactly great. The chill aside, the interior is more than spartan, which is not necessarily a bad thing in general but in this case it just looks a little dated and canteen-like. It is not comfortable at all and it vividly reminds me of the dining room in my primary school, not only the type but also the size of the furniture. This might be intentional though as you avoid customers who nurse a coffee for hours and take up valuable space.

I should point out that I actually really like vegetarian food and I love interesting salads. My favourite vegetarian, Mildred’s, is just around the corner and even though it’s more expensive and more a proper restaurant than a fast food place, the money and time is worth it in my opinion. So if you are not in a particular hurry and are after vegetarian, Mildred is the way to go. However, if you are under time pressure, Beatroot Cafe is a decent enough option.

If you're around Soho and happen to be in the mood for fast, cheap and cheerful hippie-style food, Beatroot is the place for you.

My partner and I fell into this place last night after failing to win ourselves a seat in any of the more obvious dinner time restaurants in the area, and were delighted to find that they were still serving at gone 9pm, and were happy to throw in a few extra veggie sausage rolls as they were finishing up.

The portions here are really generous (£6 for a large buffet box) and we felt were substantial enough for supper. Mostly nice healthy stuff too, but not worthy or dull.

A nice little West End haven - will bear them in mind more often in future.

Great food at an excellent price for quality and quantity! Everything is organic, made on the day, staff is very friendly and easy-going. A great cafe for vegans too, when I went there were mostly vegan options, and one or two vegetarian. The newspaper 'Positive News' is available for free, full of seasonal catch-ups on things that are going on or doing well as far as climate change/permaculture/eco movement is concerned.
Definitely a place I'll come back to in the future, it's a little gem in the heart of Soho.

Adorable little vegetarian buffet with hot and cold dishes.
You first pick the box size (small/medium/large), prices go from £4 à £6.
They give you generous portions, so you can easily chose the medium box. You can order takeaway food, or just seat on little wooden chairs with tables.

The food is good quality, it is diverse.
Cold buffet: spinach flan, pasta salad, quinoa, greek salad, wholemeal rice, coleslaw, red cabbage salad...
Hot buffet: chunky mussaka, shepherd's pie with lentils, roast potatoes, chinese vegetables stired with tofu.

Everything is good and cheap at the same time. For thirsty people, Beatroot has smoothies and fresh juices from £2.20. An address I really recommand.

Me like Beatroot. Veggie Sausage Rolls. Lentil Dhal. Greek Salad. Bean Stew. Tofu Stir-fry. It all so gooooooooood. And great value for money too.

My favourite place to go for lunch in London. Excellent food and you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy it. Friendly staff, good music, and a good selection of delicious, healthy food. Make sure to try the veggie "sausage" rolls. Five stars.

I've been to beatroot several times to grab some lunch. There is a selection of hot and cold food and the staff really do try to fit as much food as they can into the box you choose.

Up to now, all the food I have had was fairly good, properly hot and the staff are very friendly!

Probably one of the better places in Soho if you are looking for a quick veggie fix.

They also have (among other drinks) 'organic cola'. I have not tried it yet but a co-worker has and he thought it was quite nice.

Beatroot is a cheerful and bright little cafe on Berwick Street, just off Oxford Circus. You choose a size of box (small, medium or large) which will then be filled to the brim with a variety of delicious veggy and vegan foods.

There is a selection of hot and cold food on display and you can choose as many different types as you like. I recommend the vegan shepherds pie: a mixture of thinly sliced veg, lentils and whole button mushrooms, all covered in mashed potato (much, much tastier than the meat version!)

The best part is Beatroot is relatively inexpensive: under £5 for a medium sized box (which is big enough for dinner or a heraty lunch). Perfect for fueling your mad shopping spree on Oxford Street!

I stumbled into beatroot today, starving and in a hurry which is never a good way to choose food. However I got the small box with cold salads and borwn rice, and I must say from this weakened perspective I realy liked it!
The rice was tangy and fresh, the salsads crisp and it was jsut the right size. It is pretty straight up and down so far as veg joints go, but it was less than a fiver and hit the spot.

Although I’m not vegetarian, if I’m wandering around Soho near lunch time and feeling hungry, Beetroot is where I’ll eat. They serve a great selection of very tasty vegetarian and vegan food and you can choose whatever combination of dishes you fancy, filling up whatever size box you think you can manage (the £5 box is usually plenty for me). I particularly like their veg lasagne, savoured while sat at one of the outside tables enjoying the hustle and bustle of the market.

Oh my god! How amazing is this place?

Tucked away on one of the scummier streets of London, across from the tiny but busy market this little cafe serving vegan and vegetarian food is simply divine. I absolutely love coming here, whether I choose to sit on one of their peculiarly shaped tables or grab a large cardboard box of food to go, I’m never disappointed.

Pricewise a large box is around £5 with smaller ones available but what’s the point? It may sound pricey but when you figure meal deals of limp sandwiches etc can cost around the same this freshly prepared range of sumptious salads, vegetarian lasagnes and moussaka will some of the most divine potato’s really will leave you feeling full after having some wonderful, healthy flavours work their magic on you.

Honestly, if you’re in the area and stuck for something to eat you could do a lot worse than go here.

Thoroughly recommended!

Perfect for the colder months, Beatroot specialises in filling, hearty meals. You can have as much as you can fit in your choice of box size, with dishes like tofu stir fry, shepherds pie, vegan sausage rolls and a variety of salads being typical. It’s a bit weird when you get a mouthful of pasta salad and mashed potato mixed together but hey, I’m open to new experiences.

The vegan cakes are a bit rubbish and quite expensive, but they do sometimes have huge chocolate cornflake cakes with raisins for £1.50 and they’re gorgeous. Definitely the sort of thing to be eaten in private though - believe me, there is no decorous way of consuming them and I assure you it would sound the death knell to any date if you attempted it.

Vegetarian options - ALL!
Vegan options - many, just ask the staff. I highly recommend the sausage rolls, mmm.

This is in such an out of the way place that you’d never know it was there. However, when you do, what a find! Every day they have a different selection of meals and you can either eat in, or take away. Also they do meals in small, medium or large, to suit both appetite and/or your pocket. The smoothies and juices are a tad expensive but they’re freshly made.

If you’re in the area, this is one eaterie worth seeking out.

I’ve got my lunch from Beatroot three or four times, and while I’m not a huge fan or anything it does hit the spot when you’re looking for something a bit more substantial than a sandwich to take back to your desk.

There’s three sizes of container to choose from, and for me the small wouldn’t sate a hungry chipmunk, while the large would be enough to feed a small family of gorillas.. so i always play it safe with the medium..

There’s two counters of goodies to pick from, one hot and one cold. If I’m paying nearly five quid for my box then i want hot food so i normally end up walking out with a weird but tasty amalgam of three or four of their dishes: something pasta-based, some potatoes of some kind, some meat and anything else they can squeeze in there.

The food is tasty and well cooked…oh and it’s all veggie of course…but I wouldn’t necessarily call it healthy. A good lunch alternative if you’re around Berwick Street way.

You know those days when a bland sarnie from Pret just isn’t going to cut it? They’re similar to the days when you bring in your measly pasta salad and just can’t face it; when it’s raining and you need some warmth and some colour to perk up the grey West End day. You know what you need? Beatroot.

I’ve often walked past this primary coloured veggie lunchtime hotspot, but never ventured in until recently - more’s the pity. The concept is nice and simple - pick a container by size/price (depending on which rules your heart, appetite or budget) and get the staff to fill it right up to the brim with whichever vegetarian delights your heart desires. I plumped for moussaka and greek salad and was not a bit disappointed. Lots of bang for your buck and a nicely full tummy mean Beatroot earns a spot in my Soho Lunching Spots Hot 100. (well, perhaps that’s not hard).

One gripe - wooden ‘cutlery’ gives me the heeby jeebies. And you thought lolly sticks were bad.

Beatroot is a small veggie cafe on Berwick Street in Soho, with a few tables inside and some space to sit outside - the layout inside reminds me of primary school - all orange and curvy. If you can’t get a seat then you can always get a take out, as they serve up all the food in boxes of various sizes. There’s a wide selection of dishes available from both a hot and a cold counter. Not sophisticated fare by any means (it won’t impress a date - unless they’re a veggie!) but its very wholesome stuff. They also do various concoctions of fresh juices - the A.B.C looks like a good one - apple, beetroot and carrot :) They can also serve up wheatgrass shots if that’s your thing

Cheap and cheerful and highly recommended - small, medium and large boxes of food for £3.90, £4.90 and £5.90. Not bad at all for Soho.

Beatroot is a bright little vegetarian cafe located on the narrow pathway of Berwick Street. The eatery has an assortment of vegetarian and vegan food for cheap prices under £7. Simply choose a container size and choices of vegetable stir fries, curries and moussaka you'd like piled on. The staff is knowledgeable about which foods are and aren't vegan. The food reminds me of the options at Fresh & Wild except Beatroot's food is just as warm and tastes a lot more well-prepared.