Quick answer
The UK is one of the easiest countries in the world for Indian vegetarians. Menus mark vegetarian and vegan dishes clearly, supermarkets label everything, and London has neighbourhoods such as Southall, Wembley and Tooting where you could be eating in India. Jain food is easy to find in Wembley and Leicester. Edinburgh has good Indian restaurants too.
How easy is it to eat well?
Vegetarian & Jain friendliness
5 = easy everywhere, 1 = plan every meal
Indian food availability
5 = Indian restaurants everywhere, 1 = rare
What to order (and what to ask about)
Full English breakfast
Bacon, sausage, eggs, beans, mushrooms and toast. Most cafés offer a full vegetarian version with veggie sausages and hash browns.
Fish and chips
The national takeaway. Chips are usually fried in vegetable oil in London, but some traditional shops, especially in the north, use beef dripping; ask.
Vegetarian Sunday roast
Pubs serve roasts on Sundays. The vegetarian version is usually a nut roast or pie; check that the gravy is vegetarian.
Jacket potato
A baked potato with beans, cheese or coleslaw; cheap, filling and in almost every café.
Cornish pasty
A beef and vegetable pastry. Cheese and onion and vegetable versions are sold at most pasty shops.
Afternoon tea with scones
Scones with clotted cream and jam, sandwiches and cakes. Most hotels offer a vegetarian set if you ask when booking.
Chicken tikka masala
Often called Britain's national dish. British curry-house food is milder and creamier than home cooking; paneer and dal versions are everywhere.
Beans on toast
Baked beans on buttered toast: vegetarian, cheap and an easy breakfast.
Sticky toffee pudding
A date sponge with toffee sauce and custard; contains egg.
Vegetarian haggis
Traditional haggis is lamb offal, but most Edinburgh pubs serve a vegetarian version with lentils, oats and spices, alongside neeps and tatties.
Phrases that help
| Say | Meaning |
|---|---|
| V / VG on menus | Vegetarian / vegan. UK menus and food labels mark these clearly. |
| Is the gravy vegetarian? | Worth asking with roasts and pies; traditional gravy uses meat juices. |
| Are the chips cooked in dripping? | Dripping is beef fat. Ask at traditional fish and chip shops. |
Is the UK easy for Indian vegetarians?
It's about as easy as it gets outside India. Restaurants mark vegetarian (V) and vegan (VG) dishes, allergen information is a legal requirement, and supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer label vegetarian products clearly. A supermarket meal deal — sandwich, snack and drink — costs about £4–6 and is the cheapest quick lunch in London.
British food itself is more vegetarian-friendly than its reputation: jacket potatoes, beans on toast, cheese-and-onion pasties, nut roasts and afternoon tea all work.
Where to find Indian food in London
London's Indian food is some of the best outside India, and you rarely need to search for it.
- Southall (Elizabeth line): Punjabi dhabas, sweet shops and grocers along the Broadway.
- Wembley and Ealing Road: Gujarati and South Indian food, Jain-friendly menus and sweets, close to the Neasden Temple.
- Drummond Street, near Euston: long-running South Indian vegetarian restaurants, a short walk from the British Museum.
- Tooting: South Indian and Sri Lankan food in south London.
- Central London: Bombay-café-style restaurants, South Indian vegetarian chains such as Sagar and Saravanaa Bhavan, and upmarket modern Indian dining.
Brick Lane is famous for curry houses, but most serve British-style Bangladeshi curries; it's not the best choice for Indian vegetarian food.
For Jain travellers
Wembley, Harrow and Leicester have Gujarati restaurants that understand Jain food, and Jain derasars in north London. Elsewhere, ask clearly for no onion, garlic or root vegetables.
Outside London
Edinburgh has plenty of Indian restaurants and vegetarian cafés. In the Highlands and small towns, choice narrows to pub menus with one or two vegetarian options, so carry snacks on tour days.
How much does eating out cost?
A café lunch costs £8–15, a pub main £14–22 and an Indian dinner in Southall or Wembley £10–20 a person. Central London restaurants cost noticeably more. Tap water is free and safe.
Budget ₹3,000–5,500 per person a day for food — see our UK trip cost.
To stay near Indian food, see where to stay in London. For sights, see things to do in the UK, and for entry requirements, the UK visa guide.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best Indian food in London?
Is it easy to find Jain food in the UK?
Is British food vegetarian-friendly?
Can I carry homemade food to the UK?
How we checked this page
Last reviewed
Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
