If you’ve over-indulged over the festive period, or feel like you’d like to start the new year with healthier food options, here are few great healthy local eateries, writes Pippa Duncan
Foodilic
A rustic all-day café, offering hot and cold vegetarian and vegan dishes, as well as meat. The owner, Peter Ilic, spent time working at Claridge’s as a commis chef, before opening his own restaurants (and there are quite a few!) in London and Brighton. Breakfasts include a full monty vegan fare (and the meaty kind), lunches include vegan moussaka, beef lasagne or the superfoodilic salad: broccoli, cauliflower, sweetcorn, avocado, goji berries with mint, ginger and French dressing. 85 Putney High St, Putney SW15 1SR foodilicputney.co.uk
OKA
Offering Pan-Asian Cuisine and handmade sushi. Choose from Hosomaki (rice rolls wrapped in seaweed with ginger and wasabi), Uramaki (inside out rolls, with ginger and wasabi, sushi, sashimi and tataki – an incredible selection of delicious options. Main options also include Mongolian rack of lamb, chilli sambal chicken, marmite chicken (yes, really!), and Asian tofu Caesar salad. Enjoy your food with a glass or two of Sake or Haku Japanese vodka and tonic. 88 Church Road, Barnes SW14 0DQ / okarestaurant.co.uk
The Retreat Kitchen
A daytime plant-based café (last orders 3.30pm) in a great location on Richmond Hill. Weekly changing menus as well as seasonal breakfast and lunch options. Breakfast options include cheezy mushroom and spinach chickpea omelette, blueberry and banana pancakes or Acai smoothie bowl with fresh fruit, chia seeds and granola. A small lunch selection such as homemade vegan ‘BLT’ sandwich, super green quinoa burrito and falafel wrap. 16 Hill Rise, Richmond TW10 6UA / theretreatkitchen.co.uk
A Cena
This little Italian is a firm favourite with locals and it would be hard to eat unhealthily here. Primi courses such as burrata, crushed pumpkin, pomegranate and almond crumb or chargrilled Cornish squid and salsa verde. Secondi include salt baked celeriac, wild mushrooms with butter and truffle oil and pan fried sea bass with grill corn, spinach and N’duja (spicy pork sauce). Delicious!
418 Richmond Road, East Twickenham TW1 2EB / acena.co.uk
Find more reviews on great local restaurants here.