LD’s Kitchen

My review

Vegan barbecue is an extremely rare find and decent vegan barbecue is even more rare but LD’s Kitchen is up there with the best.

LD’s is owned by Lianna who learnt a lot of her recipes and techniques from her family in America. She’s the most wonderful, hard-working woman and you can see this in her food. In Lianna’s own words - it’s food for the soul. Everything is made with love and also made completely from scratch which is so impressive.

When I first tried their food at The Black Heart in Camden, I remember being blown away by their “chicken skin” because it was something I’d never seen veganised. It was seasoned to perfection and the texture was spot on - it added that fatty, crispy layer that you don’t normally get with vegan chicken and I absolutely loved all the flavours. The southern fried mocken and waffles with maple syrup was a fave too - I’m a sucker for any dish combining sweet and savoury!

I’ve tried many of their dishes over the years and it’s been so nice to watch them develop and get even better over time! The “wings” are still a fave of mine - definitely some of the best vegan chicken in London. They’re unique because they’re made from a mix of tofu, jackfruit and wheat gluten which keeps them juicy yet meaty.

Lianna’s sides are also excellent - her homemade beans are one of my favourite dishes. The baked mac and cheese is so creamy and decadent. It’s not super cheesy but I actually prefer that with vegan mac because I don’t like it too sweet.

A couple of years ago, they opened another branch at Saint Monday in London Fields - London’s first ever vegan smokehouse which was very exciting. The ribs were (and still are) my absolute favourite. I have to say, I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did because with vegan meat served like this, there’s nowhere to hide - the products have to be amazing. But BOY did they deliver. Lianna uses a proper smoker machine which gives the “meat” such a beautiful flavour. I used to be a big ribs lover back in the day, so this filled me with pure joy - they were tender but still had bite to them. Lianna is truly a vegan wizard and she’s made me want to smoke absolutely everything.

Sadly, these two branches closed but in October 2026, Lianna reopened LD’s in a new Camden location and merged the most popular dishes from both menus alongside new additions including a vegan take on the beef sandwich from The Bear.

They also serve roasts too and I can’t recommend them enough. They’re unique, flavoursome and HEARTY. Time Out actually named them “third best roast in London” and that’s including non-vegan roasts!

The roasts have a southern influence to them with trimmings such as sweet potato purée, creamy greens, perfect roasties, big Yorkshire puddings and stuffing balls with caramelised onion chutney. The cauliflower cheese is saucy, creamy, cheesy and decadent and the thick Marmite gravy is an absolute umami smack in the face. Some people might find it a bit overpowering, but I really like it.

If you enjoy the taste and textures of meat but don’t want the suffering that comes with it, head to LD’s and arrive hungry because Lianna does not play around when it comes to portion sizes.