Holy Carrot

"Portobello Road has always been painted as a little bit bohemian, but right in the middle there’s a handful of burger chains as well an intergalactic-looking restaurant on the corner. That place is Holy Carrot. So much about this vegan restaurant is intended to make you turn your head. There are smooth lines and silver furniture, cocktails are supplied by A Bar With Shapes For A Name, and when we visited, the menu had no less than three mentions of the word ‘crema’. Micro-influencers recline against the curved walls, while the rest of the clientele feels like the segment of the Notting Hill set who are really into bangles. Surfer-vibe, jewellery-clad servers will enthusiastically serve you grilled watermelon and cucumber—a wealthy adult’s version of a child’s fruit salad, for all intents and purposes—and a plate of celeriac schnitzel arrives looking like a flower bed. It’s all one-note and fine. Heavy on vinegar or light on togarashi. And the matcha tiramisu, although satisfying and notably made with Holy Carrot’s leftover coffee grinds, is just not a tiramisu. Come for a cocktail or a snack or two. It feels like you’re eating on Virgin Galactic, now. Food Rundown photo credit: Jake Missing Grilled Watermelon, Cucumber, Seaweed, Togarashi An adult fruit salad, for all intents and purposes. Not as sweet as a can made by the man from Del Monte but, equally, not as good either. This is a refreshing bowl of cubed watermelon with a smattering of togarashi and salty dressing at the bottom. There’s not much to it. photo credit: Jake Missing Crispy Celeriac, Pickle Butter Is that a miniature meadow of wild flowers? Or are those two slightly odd discs of celeriac schnitzel with a load of leftovers from the florist thrown over them? More so the latter. This isn’t a bad plate of food but it’s a bit of an odd one. The schnitzel is fine and the pickle sauce is just whizzed vinegaryness." - Jake Missing