Tony's Natural Foods

Ira

Veggie Haven in Kings Cross 19th December 2008

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Tony's Natural Foods is a green beacon at 10 Caledonian Rd, Kings Cross. Amongst the scary fried chicken shops and Starbucks type cafes with their soggy croissants, Tony's is a welcome haven for anyone trying to find organic/biodynamic vegetarian/vegan or raw food in central London.

Tony himself is a raw foodist hence the excellent selection of salads, sprouts and oils. The fresh produce is sourced from a biodynamic farm, all the cooked food is made on the premises as are the salads, raw hummous, mayo-free coleslaw and so on.

For those with a sweet tooth they make fantastic, and I mean this, fantastic raw chocolate, raw chocolate cakes and non-cheese 'cheesecake'. No sugar or artifical sweetners are used and the cakes/'cheesecakes' are made using soaked seeds and nuts so you can feel positively virtuous about dessert.

If you are even just curious about health this cafe is worth a visit. I always knew hemp seed and oil was good, but never realised the full benefits until coming here. I have also learnt that coconut oil is the healthiest to cook with and about the benefits of sea and Himalyan salt as opposed to table...there is always something new, something to learn.

The cafe also stocks a range of supplements, books, the Himalyan Salt and who knows what else! Definately worth a visit; there really isn't anywhere else like this in London.

Angel_Bury

22nd May 2007

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I love the idea of this place, although the service and food can be rather hit amd miss. They're missing a trick with their opening hours, I'd certainly look in and pick up a box of salad for lunch en route to work if they were open at a decent hour in the AM. I'm quite endeared with the haphazardness of this place and I do leave feeling like I've got quite the righteous tummy albeit vaguel unsatified tummy...

k_thrn at 24/05/07

You and I obviously spend a lot of time in Kings Cross!

Angel_Bury at 24/05/07

indeedy!

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k_thrn

Hemp seeds, gotta love 'em 22nd May 2007

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Tony's is a busy vegetarian/vegan wholefood store selling a range of vegetarian foods to eat in or take away. Salads are sold by weight and there are usually a few hot dishes as well as sandwiches to choose from. They are also into hemp in a big way. (Hemp seeds, hemp seed oil, hemp clothing, you name it and they'll hemp it) Four years ago this place was quite a discovery in grungy Kings Cross. I work nearby and found it a welcome oasis from the kebab shops, adult video stores, MSG ridden noodle bars and that Kings X dust that is everywhere. The organic revolution here?! Times, they are a changin' though and Kings Cross is getting a new lick of paint. {We have a Starbucks now, you know?) And frankly, Tony's just doesn't measure up as a health food store, an organic cafe, a juice bar or any of the other hats that the eponymous Tony chooses to wear. Granted you can get a nice fresh salad here and the hot dishes are hot and nutritious. They are also boring, un-seasoned, bland and served with a liberal dose of self-righteousness. I'm not a vegetarian but this doesn't prevent me from loving good vegetarian cooking. Good vegetarian cooking this is not. Sandwiches are made on some kind of weird vinegery hemp seed "bread" that falls apart if you so much as look at it suspiciously. Fresh made smoothies arrive decidedly warmer than room temperature. The service also leaves much to be desired. I'm not sure if they can spot me as a meat eater when I walk through the door but they always seem to have an attitude of moral superiority of their food and are very haughty when you ask questions. Excuse me for not being able to tell my mung beans from my sprouting hemp seeds! Passion is great. I just wish they could put more of it into the food and improve their product. If you're after a nice (if not slightly over-priced) salad and you happen to find yourself in the area then you could do worse. I hear the soups are quite nice and are now accompanied with real bread rather than the [cough]unique hemp-seed variety. Despite my criticisms, I will continue to eat there because you know what you're getting, there are plenty of omega 3's on offer and, well, hemp seeds are our friends. However, it will be interesting to see what happens to Tony's as the Kings Cross refurbishment continues. I'm just not sure it will be able to compete. Did I mention, Acorn House is just down the road?