London Dietary Concerns

In a country battered by foot-and-mouth disease and besieged by mad cows, it’s not surprising that one in five Brits under age 25 is vegetarian. For more information about vegetarian travel, contact The Vegetarian Society of the UK (☎0161 925 2000; www.vegsoc.org). Browse www.vegdining.com, www.happycow.net, www.vegetariansabroad.com, or the travel section of The Vegetarian Resource Group’s website (www.vrg.org/travel). In your local bookstore, pick up The Vegetarian Traveler: Where to Stay if You’re Vegetarian, Vegan and Environmentally Sensitive, by Jed and Susan Civic (Larson Publications; US$16), or Vegetarians London, by Alex Bourke (Vegetarian Guides Ltd.; US$11).

In addition to satisfying the vegetarian’s appetite, the popular bhel poori and Buddhist restaurants are also a boon to kosher travelers, since they offer religiously exacting standards and a complete absence of meat products. Jews with a taste for meat or who prefer to eat in rabbi-certified establishments can find a number of places in North London, particularly Golders Green . For more information, check out the Jewish Travel Guide, edited by Michael Zaidner (Vallentine Mitchell; US$18). Travelers who eat halal will have little trouble eating well in London, as long as they have a good appetite for North Indian, Turkish, and Middle-Eastern food. Marylebone and Bayswater have the highest concentration of Lebanese restaurants and Islington the most Turkish. Indian restaurants are fairly ubiquitous (though not all are halal), and the East End is known for its large Bangladeshi community. Travelers looking for halal restaurants may find www.zabihah.com a useful resource.