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Food for Thought (restaurant)

Food For Thought
Food for Thought exterior.JPG
Food for Thought (restaurant) is located in Central London
Food for Thought (restaurant)
Restaurant information
Established 1971
Current owner(s) Vanessa Garrett
Previous owner(s) Margot Boyce-White
Food type vegetarian
Street address 31 Neal Street
City London
Postal/ZIP code WC2H 9PR
Coordinates 51°30′51″N 0°07′32″W / 51.5142473°N 0.1255163°W / 51.5142473; -0.1255163Coordinates: 51°30′51″N 0°07′32″W / 51.5142473°N 0.1255163°W / 51.5142473; -0.1255163
Seating capacity 40
Website www.foodforthought-london.co.uk

Food for Thought was a vegetarian restaurant in the Seven Dials district of London's Covent Garden.

The restaurant was founded by Margot Boyce-White in 1971 when the relocation of London's fruit and vegetable market to New Covent Garden caused the area to be redeveloped. The premises in Neal Street had formerly been used as a banana warehouse. The business changed hands in 1977 and was owned by Vanessa Garrett, daughter of the couple John and Jane Damant, who bought it. Rising rents caused the restaurant to close on June 21, 2015.

The counter-culture activist Sue Miles worked at Food for Thought, so starting a career as a restaurateur.

The restaurant was patronised by workers in the nearby businesses of the Covent Garden district, which included the numerous theatres. Acts which ate there included the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The food at the restaurant was vegetarian and vegan. Fresh vegetables were used but, to keep the cost down, these were not normally organic, The preparation avoided peeling to preserve the nutrients in the skin of the vegetables.

Russell Rose, reviewing the place for Veggie & Organic London, rated it five stars for vegetarian choice and three stars for taste.

This is a remarkable bargain basement vegetarian eaterie on one of Covent Garden's busiest thoroughfares. ... Food For Thought is a bit rushed but for a really cheap bite, in the middle of London's theatreland, it's tough to beat.

The counter and tables are in the basement.

A lunch dish of soup and salad served on stoneware

Patrons would commonly queue up the stairs ...

... and squeeze into the cubbyhole

Vanessa Garrett (right) on the last day


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Wikipedia

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