Nestled in Notting Hill, NAMA foods is one of London’s best raw vegan cafes and I was lucky enough to enjoy a very delicious (and very non-traditional) Sunday lunch there in December with my boyfriend. I am a vegetarian and whilst I enjoy eating cooked vegan food at home, I never prepare raw vegan meals for myself so I was really looking forward to a treat. At NAMA, their brunch, lunch, dinner, drinks and of course dessert menus all offer a delicious variety of some of the healthiest foods available, similar to some of the raw and vegan food wellness retreats we send our clients to.
Nestled in Notting Hill, NAMA foods is one of London’s best raw vegan cafes and I was lucky enough to enjoy a very delicious (and very non-traditional) Sunday lunch there in December with my boyfriend. I am a vegetarian and whilst I enjoy eating cooked vegan food at home, I never prepare raw vegan meals for myself so I was really looking forward to a treat. At NAMA, their brunch, lunch, dinner, drinks and of course dessert menus all offer a delicious variety of some of the healthiest foods available, similar to some of the raw and vegan food wellness retreats we send our clients to.
Digging in with these sumptuous vegan cuisine at NAMA
Raw is categorised as anything that has not been heated above 46°C so all dishes are prepared in this way and are also all gluten-free as well as being void of meat, dairy, fish and eggs. You may wonder how on earth a whole menu could be put together with this criteria, however NAMA’s menu confirmed everything I knew about raw vegan food – creative, fresh and always packed full of flavour! Take the Italian option of pizza made of a light walnut and courgette base with a tasty tomato sauce and range of toppings (think raw nut cheese and marinated vegetables). Far from your traditional bloat-inducing pizza and actually much more full of flavour!
Vegan battenburg cake at NAMA
The pasta with Autumn Truffle was another delicious dish that we sampled on our visit to NAMA. Of course, this did not contain a trace of stodgy pasta or dairy but instead, it was zucchini pasta, cashew cream, chestnut mushrooms and black autumn truffle. It was truly incredible how creamy and rich this tasted; it was honestly unbelievable that it contained no dairy!
NAMA's creamy pasta with autumn truffle
My personal highlight (as usual) was dessert. Unable to decide between the cheesecake, tiramisu or Salted chocolate caramel cake (yes, these sweet treats can all be made whilst sticking to the raw vegan principles!), we opted for the Selection of sweet treats to share - the perfect way to try a bit of everything. This beautifully presented platter was covered in an assortment of tasters including blueberry cheesecake, pumpkin pie, chocolate truffle and my favourite, the chocolate tart. Most had a base made of a blend of nuts and dates whilst the topping would also be nut-based, which turn creamy when blended. They were really filling and just so delicious! I am a huge fan of desserts like this which do not leave you feeling bloated and also allow you to really indulge whilst avoiding the headaches and sugar crashes that processed sugary desserts can give you.
Sweet selections at NAMA
The drinks menu was equally varied and the range of dairy-free milks available was impressive! With coconut, hazelnut, hemp, rice, oat, bonsoy, almond and cashew all available, I had never seen so many plant-based milks on offer! These were served in a mixture of ways including smoothies (I highly recommend the Chocolate Heaven smoothie which is so thick and creamy!), vegan variations of lattes (try the Chai or Matcha Lattes or the Superfood Latte for an even healthier hit) and hot chocolates.
Enjoy chocolate smoothies at NAMA
Over-all we loved our meal at NAMA. The atmosphere is very chilled and relaxing and I found all the staff to be super friendly and helpful. It’s a great place to try out if you want to expand your foodie horizons and I think it makes for a great experience for meat-eaters and non-meat eaters alike.
For more information visit www.namafoods.com
For healthy foodie holiday inspiration visit our Nutrition Friendly Retreats
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