The Gate

A forward-thinking vegetarian hot spot started in Hammersmith in late 1989 by brothers Adrian and Michael Daniel, wanting to reflect their Indo-Iraqi Jewish background and recreate the combined Indian, Arabic and Jewish flavours of their grandmothers' cooking, but with French and Italian touches. Food is served with über-style and ranks as far richer than the taste-and-texture sensations normally associated with vegetarian food, matched by atypical prices. And the attractive and generous-sized room gets buzzy and loud and trendy-feeling – another vegetarian anomoly. This branch opened in 2012 during the temporary closure and reinvention of the original Hammersmith space, which is now open along with an outlet in Marylebone. Tube station: Angel.