What would London’s vegetarian dining scene be like if it had been the Indian-Iraqi Jewish brothers Adrian and Michael Daniel who had landed the Guardian vegetarian column? After all, the founders of The Gate — now a four-strong chain — had been serving zhug and tagine, and scattering pomegranate seeds and crumbled feta on their dishes for decades before Yotam Ottolenghi came along. This cavernous St John’s Wood branch opened a few months ago: a handsome-looking place with large wrap-around windows and potted plants that give it a conservatory feel. The chain is famous for fungi dishes such as wild mushroom risotto cake in creamy cep sauce, dense and earthy as the forest floor; and there are now more Asian influences on the menu. Try delicate, tempura-like courgette flower if it’s available: stuffed with own-made ricotta and perched on a hillock of beluga lentils, it is exquisite.

This newest branch of the popular vegetarian mini-chain is located in large, bright Dalston Square just behind the Dalston Junction train station. The menu travels the globe; and the cooking at this branch is particularly vibrant. Stand-out dishes include wood-roasted cauliflower with charred leeks, skordalia and turmeric almonds; and substantial, spicy-sweet jerk tofu with rum guava glaze, coconut rice and peas, mango slaw and fried plantains. Fans of the Polish beetroot and white bean burger with pickled red cabbage and gherkins – it’s back on the menu, though it’s now served in a brioche bun so tastes a bit different.

The first thing to be said about this homely, two-room East Sheen venue is that, although it is vegetarian, it uses some cheeses with animal rennet, including Parmesan — chef-proprietor Emerson Amélio de Oliveira strongly believes these have a superior flavour. That said, the eco-friendly venue, with sustainability at its heart, has by far the most inventive vegetarian menu in London. Oliveira comes from a Brazilian-Italian background; and this is reflected in dishes such as hand-made pastas and risottos, alongside the use of Amazonian fruit and veg. There are plenty of dishes with breadfruit and jackfruit sourced from Tooting market; and speciality items such as dende oil, phytoplankton, and vegan faux gras. Some of the over-ambitious dishes don’t quite come off, but ‘nduja sausage’ made from jackfruit seeds and flesh, cassava, and smoked paprika impresses with its subtle spiciness; and a trio of Amazonian fruit sorbets made from açai, cupuaçu and pitaya taste like frozen nail polish — in the nicest possible way. A new site in Shoreditch is coming soon.

Hidden away at the very back of Kings Cross’ Granary Square development, past the Coal Drops Yard, Skip Garden, is a beautiful community garden created entirely of fruit, veg, flowers and plants growing in skips. It’s run by Global Generation, an educational charity that helps young people in the area; and this vegetarian café, located by the entrance, is part of the project. Although there’s some indoor seating, it’s best to visit in sunshine when lunch can be eaten on one of the many wooden tables outside, surrounded by greenery. The straightforward menu encompasses a hot dish, a soup, salads and sandwiches, made using some of the ingredients grown in the garden. A quiche of ‘London blue cheese,’ labneh and kale stalks is wonderfully savoury, and salad may include a mix of British-grown spelt grains, roasted fennel, slow-roasted tomatoes, cavolo nero and pickled leeks. Freshly baked cakes and pastries are also a strong point here, especially the plump scones.

Secluded in one of the labyrinthine side streets behind Goodge Street tube station, this chic, cosy vegetarian café has tempting displays of colourful salads, hot dishes, cakes and pastries by the entrance; and a miniscule seating area at the back. Originally set up by a father and son duo, the venue shut down for a few months last year, and has recently reopened with a new owner. It’s notable for currently being the only vegetarian venue in London to showcase cooking with broadly Ottolenghi-esque Middle Eastern influences. Regularly changing dishes may include quinoa, pepper and tomato-stuffed courgettes, and salads such as turmeric-golden cauliflower; mixed peppers with chickpeas, spinach and coriander; wild rice with borlotti beans and pomegranate molasses, and — best of all — roasted aubergine discs topped with tahini sauce, pumpkin seeds and shallots.

A sister café to Tide Tables nearby, this cosy venue serves an abridged version of the same vegetarian menu, but it’s worth visiting because of its idyllic location. Perched on a small grassy mound in the Terrace Gardens on Petersham Road, and decked out with twinkling lights, it looks like a fairy tale wooden cabin. It’s easy to while away a leisurely afternoon on its curved wooden terrace overlooking the flower garden. Hot food such as deep-dish butternut squash pie is very good, but go for the cakes after eating at the Tide Tables: date and pecan, and raspberry and coconut, are particularly lovely.

Climb a wide wooden staircase in a plant-filled room like a green-fingered celebrity to get to this airy, high-ceilinged vegetarian café that sits majestically on top of the Camden Garden Centre. The centre is part of a community enterprise for disadvantaged young people; and so is the café. High-quality suppliers are at the heart of its philosophy, including Oliveology, Seven Seeded bakery, Workshop Coffee and Postcard Teas. The menu is mostly made up of things on toast, either with eggs or without. An over-enthusiastic use of dried oregano peps up an otherwise straightforward Cretan salad of dakos (barley rusks), multi-coloured cherry tomatoes, red onions and capers. A deep smokiness underscores strapatsada – a mushy, grainy scramble of eggs with tomatoes, peppers and feta. Even simple, very thick-cut marmalade on sourdough toast is beautifully rustic; and there’s no holding back on olive oil and butter in the cooking here.

Fizrovia’s renowned cider pub The Green Man became fully vegetarian, relaunching as The Greener Man earlier this year. Local office workers, dating couples and the odd hen party lend the immensely friendly place a lively vibe. The menu is made up of global small plates, ranging from a Beyond Meat burger, to tender cauliflower ‘shanks’ on a bed of North African-spiced lentils with pomegranate seeds, pomegranate molasses, raisins, spring onions and mint leaves — best eaten with salty halloumi fries in alternative mouthfuls. For the uninitiated, cloudy Rosie’s Pig rhubarb cider is a sweet, easy-drinking delight.