If there's a cuisine that boasts plenty of accidentally vegan food, it's Italian. While there's pepperoni pizza and meaty lasagnes, there's also arrabiata, pizza marinara, bruschetta and marinated olives (to name a few). So when I heard that Vapiano had added some vegan options to their menu I was slightly cynical about how exciting it would be.
If you're unfamiliar with Vapiano, it works a little differently from other restaurants. When I walked in I was greeted by a perky staff member in a pseudo-reception area who gave me my card and explained the self-service style of the place. Essentially you find a table, decide what you want from the menu and head up to the kitchen and they'll freshly prepare the dish right in front of you. Waiters came round the tables and took drinks orders. As you go, you swipe your card on a machine, which tallies everything up and you pay on the way out. It does make splitting the bill between friends a lot easier though I almost dropped my card a few times.
I did have a nosy at the menu before I visited, and it was your usual Italian-chain fare. The vegan options on the menu were:
- Aglio e Olio
- Arrabbiata
- Funghi Bolognese
- Insalata Mista Piccola
- Bruschetta
- Lemon or Raspberry Sorbet
I opted for the Funghi Bolognese, as it was the only thing that was a little different. It was also not until after I ordered that I noticed a vegan lasagne advertised in the restaurant itself (but not on the actual menu). I would have totally opted for this, as vegan lasagne is not something that is regularly available. Also...no vegan pizza despite the big pizza menu.
While you can probably sense my slight lack of disappoint at the creativity of the dishes, I was not let down by the quality. The Funghi Bolognese was flavoursome and the pasta was al dente. The chefs also have fresh herbs growing in the kitchen (there was also herb plants on the tables, but I can imagine children pouring Fanta in the soil). And while the sorbet I had for dessert was pre-packaged, it was creamy (instead of icy, which far too many sorbets are).
The drinks menu was impressive, though. There was a good selection of cocktails on the cheap, as well as a two page long wine list. If anything, I'd go back for the drinks alone.
While Vapiano certainly hadn't pushed out the boat in terms of imagination, it's not a bad effort. Would I recommend that the vegans of Glasgow rush out to try the menu? Not by any means, but it's great that another option exists of vegans trying to dine with non-vegan pals.
Have you been to Vapiano yet? What did you think of the vegan menu?
