Forgo fast food and indulge in some of these hand-picked healthy eating hotspots in London
Here at GTG we’re big advocates of eating healthy, well-balanced food that doesn’t compromise on taste. In fact, we’d go as far to say we’re full-on foodies (roughly 85% of our day is often taken up by food-based discussions or conversations about what to eat for dinner).
When we’re rustling up supper at-home, it’s not too difficult to find something quick and simple to cook (read: courgetti) that’s both satisfying and guilt-free. However, when it comes to eating out we, as I’m sure many of you do too, struggle to stay on the straight and narrow. Indeed, deciphering menus and rooting out genuinely healthy-ish restaurants can be so tricky that by the time we’re done, we’ve almost lost our appetite.
So, we’ve decided to enlist expert help and have delved into our professional directory to call on the knowledge of some of the industry’s best nutritionists and healthy food aficionados, to discover which top notch London eateries they recommended for offering the best in lean, clean, scrummy cuisine.
Zoe Stirling, Nutritional Therapist
“With an LA meets New York vibe, CPRESS is the place to go if you want somewhere to care about what you put in your body as much as you do! Having worked with CPRESS as a consultant and in continuing to do so, I’ve had first-hand experience in seeing how much TLC goes into each and every single juice and product on their shelf. They’re also the first cold-pressed juice bar in London to have gained the organic stamp of approval through the Soil Association so you’re guaranteed to get a high quality cold-pressed juice, no questions asked!
“Their salads are wholesome, nutrient dense and full of flavour, while treats such as muffins, granola bars and banana bread are all gluten and dairy free. My favourite salad is the Pesto Zuchetti - it’s simple yet delicious and my favourite juice is The Farmers Market, a veg-only greens blend that tastes crisp and so pure that you know you’re getting masses of goodness through each and every sip. For those who haven’t quite made the leap over to juicing then they also serve off-the-chart amazing coffees that you can freshly prepare with their homemade almond milk; one of my guilty pleasures!”
Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, Co-Authors of cookbook 'The Art Of Eating Well' and contributors to Vogue and The Guardian
"We tend to make our own juices but we love that we can find a good, organic cold-pressed juice when we’re out and about and need to refuel in between meetings. Super green ones are our favourite, they’re a potent powerhouse of vitamins and we keep them vegetable based! Raw Press in Mayfair do a great coconut water, cucumber, celery, kale, spinach, swiss chard and parsley combo."
Karen Cummings-Palmer, Health, Beauty and Nutrition Consultant
“When it comes to eating well on the go - I like my healthy food to be all pleasure and no pain. Iddu in South Kensington ticks a lot of boxes for me - from their Alkaliser Juice to the Aeolian raw vegetable salad and eggs that are well accompanied and always organic. I love the fact that I can order rye bread while my guest can order focaccia and wine. This place is packed with delicious nutrition that seems to feed the body and soul in equal measures.
Eve Kalinik, Nutritional Therapist and Founder of Garden PR
“I love this new-ish addition to the London healthy scene. Only around a year into opening, Nama serves everything from smoothies and juices right through to delicious desserts and innovative main courses, which may be raw and vegan, but will leave even the most discerning carnivores positively satisfied. In particular, I love the new latte that they’ve recently launched, which includes turmeric to give it its beautiful namesake.”
MORE GLOSS: The top 10 places to get a cold-pressed juices from in London
Karen Rosen, Plenish Founder and Juicing Expert
“For beautiful, healthy, plant based foods you can't beat Nama restaurant. They started as a tiny cafe in a shared space in Queen's Park and have now moved to their own space off of Ledbury road with some alfresco tables for summer. The food is all plant based, unprocessed, and full of amazing flavours. I love their salads, courgette pasta three ways and the spicy Mexican bowl with guacamole and chips. If you’re not a fan of dairy, but love coffee they will also whip you up any kind of coffee, such as an almond milk cappuccino or a coconut milk latte. The raw hazelnut brownie is also addictive!”
Petronella Ravenshear, Nutritional Therapist
“One of the things I love about Riccardo’s restaurant in Chelsea is the total freshness of the food - much of it is organic and comes from Italy and you can almost taste the sunshine in it. I first came across the restaurant when I realized, 15 years ago or more, that my young son had a problem with gluten. I was bewailing the news to a friend, of being unable to take him to Italian restaurants anymore, and she exclaimed incredulously, “Don’t you know about Riccardo’s?!”
“Riccardo’s has been serving up delicious gluten-free pasta for 20 years and was one of the first restaurants in the world to do so, a true pioneer. Chef Massimo has perfected the tricky art of making gluten-free ravioli, and one of the secrets is lots of eggs. One of my favourite dishes is the chocolate and almond cake, which is completely flourless and delicious. Their mantra is ‘healthy food not health food’ and they are always looking at ways to increase the nutrition of the dishes. Not only is most of the food organic but many of the stocks and soups are also based on organic bone broth , which is full of collagen protein and valuable minerals. It’s not often you come across a place that serves up delicious food that is also actively good for us. Not only that, but I could say, in a way, that gluten has been a Godsend, as without my young son’s gluten intolerance I may never have met my husband Riccardo!”
Henrietta Norton, Author, Nutritional Therapist and co-founder of Wild Nutrition
“My favourite place has got to be Leon . Rather than being glamorous or ‘cutting edge', their food is wholesome, creative, ethical and reliably nourishing. All ingredients are fresh, often seasonal and flavoured with herbs and spices rather than sugar and salt. It is my go-to when I have no choice but to grab something on the run and, over the last few months, their kale Caesar and fresh mint tea have been my perfect partner on the train ride home after a long day at clinic.”
Emma Olliff, Nutritionist
Pure Taste is all about creating dishes around the foods you can eat, rather than the foods you can’t. The kitchen is both dairy and gluten-free in order to prevent any cross contamination and caters for every weird and wonderful diet imaginable! I love it because it’s the only restaurant I know where you can go to and find something to eat that caters for absolutely everyone – even coeliac's can eat here. But it’s not just about catering for everyone’s food fads – the food is absolutely delicious and the menu changes monthly – so you never tire of it.”
Antonina Parker, London based Chef, Culinary Writer and Director of food company Nina
"I'm a huge fan of Bill Granger's Granger and Co . in Notting Hill and more recently I went to his one in Farringdon. For me, it’s the interiors and the feel of the place as well as the food. I look for the whole experience. I prefer to go there for breakfast as they do amazing juices. I love ‘Bill's Greens’ and ‘The Beet One’. I just feel that they don't seem to put any rubbish in them. You can also order some delicious granola and eggs. They just get everything right for breakfast and I also rate his cookbooks.
Gabriela Peacock, Nutritionist
The food as Tanya’s is raw, delicious, and all organic. They do superfood cocktails that you can have with or without alcohol, which is a great option if you want a healthier alcoholic drink! The ‘Raw Chocolate Cake’ dessert is also so dreamy, as is the ‘Plant Burger’ – plus they do delicious dips!”
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