"The meal was so fantastic, my boyfriend proposed" dining at Manna in London

 
Submitted by Helen on October 6, 2011 - 11:12am

On Tuesday evening of this week (October 4), my boyfriend Gwil and I had the delightful experience of dining at Manna - one of Europe's finest and oldest gourmet vegetarian establishments - for a review for Viva!'s Viva!Life magazine, for which I am the editor.

I cannot describe how wonderful the food was. I am someone who spends a large proportion of her life cooking, eating, researching and taking pictures of vegan food - and I have eaten at many vegetarian & vegan cafes and restaurants in the UK and Europe. I can honestly say, it was the nicest meal, probably of my life (I was thinking this even before we got to the best bit!).

I hadn't realised Manna is now 100% vegan, and the choice was simply out of this world. I ordered the dish that excited me the most - a crisped Ravioli filled with wild mushroom & walnut pate. As a vegetarian I used to adore Tortellini - but this dish knocked those memories out of the water. Delicious baked pasta served on a bed of rocket with a creamy-style sauce.

Gwil had a Thali, which embraced a light, subtle and refreshing take on the traditional indian dish. 

Our side order of marinated tofu actually ranked pretty high too - crispy on the outside and deep with flavour and texture on the inside.

If you've dined with me - you'll know I'm not one for taking my time with food as much as I should, but this meal was an exception. As we began to savour our way through a dessert of chocolate almond torte and cheesecake... Gwilym reached across the table and proposed to me!

Tears of joy and utter shock rolled down my cheeks narrowly avoiding my food (goodness knows what the other diners thought). And I said yes.

Such complements to Manna for serving us such a fabulous meal, in such a great setting and for helping to create the perfect moment for our engagement.

Many thanks go to the owners Roger and Robin. If you want an outstanding meal, which is effortlessly vegan, go and see them.

A full review will appear in the Winter Issue of Viva!Life magazine, due out at the end of November.

www.mannav.com

Helen