Very few fine-dining chefs do vegan plant-based menus, and that’s what sets chef Alexis Gauthier apart. This classically trained French pioneer converted his MICHELIN-starred restaurant deeply rooted in traditional, meat-heavy cuisine into a 100% plant-based destination. A judge on BBC One’s MasterChef and an OpenTable Advisory Board member, the celebrity chef went vegan in 2008 and turned his London-based restaurant Gauthier Soho into the first French fine-dining vegan restaurant in the world.
Today, three percent of the UK’s population is vegan, and the country’s local pubs and restaurants are quickly adopting this change by adding plant-based options. Animal cruelty, sustainability, and health are some of the key concerns for diners in 2025, and many would like to adopt a more vegan-friendly approach to dining. With that, chef Gauthier (a supporter of Animal Equality UK,) shares his journey to veganism and how everybody can love – and embrace – more plant-based food with a few easy tips.
From animals to plants, here’s how anyone can go more vegan in 2025
Remaining one of the best French fine dining restaurants in London
To stay true to his French roots, Gauthier considered the terroir of the food at his restaurant, traditionally based on produce of the land and the sea. ‘We never diverted from the foundations of French gastronomy‘, he says. ‘Jus, broth, and consommés started to be created from unexpected produce. Gauthier’s Soho cuisine was never about replicating fish or meat, but to explore plant-based creativity and open horizons that gastronomy had never seen before’.
It [vegan food] had to come purely from our creative skills.
What makes chef Gauthier’s cuisine exciting is its uniqueness within the UK’s culinary landscape—there’s really no other restaurant like Gauthier Soho in the country. For him, the exciting part is showcasing seasonality on a plate. ‘And what better ingredients than plants could reflect that?’, he asks. ‘From root vegetables to mushrooms, earthy winter produce that turns into fresh bright textures in spring… it aligns with fine dining and provides so much inspiration’.
Dishes to try
Gauthier Soho’s hyper-seasonal menu encapsulates the French tradition through a plant-based lens. For the upcoming winter menu, the star of the show is Apisius – a soft braised turnip in a rich, earthy broth coated in traditional warm spices and glazed in maple syrup for a beautiful sweet and sour bowl of winter.
Hungry for more? Don’t miss chef Alexis Gauthier’s exceptional mushroom pâté and his viral plant-based caviar.
The next culinary revolution – a kinder way of eating
Chef Alexis Gauthier’s shift is happening within a broader trend. ‘Vegan food is also good for the planet’, chef Gauthier says. When asked if anyone can go vegan, the chef says: ‘YES. Any change is a good change, it can be participating in Veganuary or Meat-free Mondays’.
‘Even one lunch a week is already a step in the right direction. It’s a tiny difference for the human, but a big one for the animals.
When consuming animal-based products, the chef recommends checking the provenance of the meat and fish, and how they’ve been raised. At home, it can be as easy as swapping butter for olive oil. In UK supermarkets, animal-friendly options are accessible everywhere, from vegan proteins and sweets to ready meals and plant-based milk. ‘Simple things are often already vegan’, says chef Gauthier, ‘think chips and tomato-sauce pasta – it always makes everyone happy’.
I understand how people might find it hard to stop eating meat – it’s very addictive. But that can change. Plant-based cuisine can be equally delicious.
For Alexis Gauthier, the rise of veganism is also led by a hunger for a change: ‘Being kind to others is the next revolution, a kind and compassionate way of living is possible… and it’s exciting!’ says the chef.
Explore Studio Gauthier and 123V Browns for more of the best vegan restaurants in London
For a more casual and budget-friendly approach to chef Alexis Gauthier’s vegan cuisine, Studio Gauthier and 123V Browns boast globally-influenced plant-based menus featuring 3-D printed meat (animal cells created in lab) and marinated ‘fish’. Menu highlights include plant-based sushi, tacos, rich bowls and a stellar faux boeuf bourguignon, ‘replicating meat and fish flavours can help people to eat more plant-based’, says the chef.
Chef’s Rec
Where to go for more delicious vegan food in London?
‘Mildred’s always has a delicious dish on their menu. Another one is Mali Vegan Thai in Hammersmith – their Pad Thai is unbelievable.’
