Finding decent vegan food in Soho isn’t the challenge it used to be. Five years ago, you were looking at side salads and chips. Now, practically every restaurant has at least one plant-based option, though quality varies wildly.
The real question isn’t whether vegan food exists in Soho, it’s whether it’s actually good or just an afterthought thrown on the menu to tick a box.
The Vegan Pizza Problem
Pizza should be simple to veganise. Lose the cheese, add vegetables, sorted. Except it’s rarely that straightforward. Bad vegan pizza falls into predictable traps: dry base because there’s no cheese to add moisture, bland toppings because vegetables alone don’t carry flavour, or worse, vegan cheese that tastes like plastic and doesn’t melt properly.
When vegan pizza goes wrong, it’s aggressively disappointing. You’re paying the same price as a regular pizza but getting something that tastes like punishment rather than food.
What Makes Vegan Pizza Actually Work
Good vegan pizza needs three things: a base with enough flavour to stand alone, toppings that bring genuine taste rather than just texture, and if cheese is involved, it needs to behave like cheese instead of sitting there like cold rubber.
ICCO’s Vegan Veggie gets this right. It’s built around caramelised onions, which bring sweetness and depth. Aubergines add substance without feeling heavy. Peppers contribute colour and a slight char. The vegan cheese melts properly and doesn’t dominate the whole thing.
At £9.50, it’s competitively priced for Soho. You’re not paying a vegan tax, which happens more often than it should.
Beyond the Obvious Choices
Most vegan pizza menus offer the same safe options: Margherita with vegan cheese, or a vegetable medley that reads like someone just listed what was in the fridge. It works, but it’s boring.
The better approach is building pizzas where plant-based ingredients are the star rather than standing in for something else. Mushrooms bring umami. Olives add brine and punch. Spinach wilts down and works beautifully with garlic. You don’t need fake meat or cheese to make something satisfying.
ICCO keeps it straightforward. Their vegan option isn’t trying to mimic a meat pizza, it’s just good vegetables on good dough. Sometimes simple wins.
The Soho Vegan Scene
Soho’s plant-based food scene has exploded recently. You’ve got fully vegan restaurants, juice bars, and expensive health-food spots charging £14 for a Buddha bowl. Choice is brilliant, but affordability often gets left behind.
That’s where pizza fills a gap. It’s familiar, it’s filling, and when it’s done well, it doesn’t feel like you’re missing out on anything. You’re just eating good food that happens to be vegan.
Late-Night Vegan Options
Here’s where things get tricky. Finding vegan food during the day in Soho? Easy. Finding it at midnight? Your options shrink fast. Most vegan-specific restaurants close by 10 PM, and late-night spots tend to focus heavily on meat.
ICCO stays open until 3 AM on weekends, and the vegan menu doesn’t disappear after hours. If you’re out late and want something plant-based that isn’t chips, that matters more than you’d think.
Vegan Doesn’t Mean Compromise
The biggest shift in vegan food over the past few years is that it’s stopped apologising for itself. Good vegan meals aren’t “surprisingly decent for vegan”, they’re just decent full stop.
Vegan pizza should taste like pizza you’d actively choose, not pizza you’re settling for because options are limited. The base should be crisp, the toppings should have flavour, and you shouldn’t finish eating feeling like you’ve made a noble sacrifice.
Who Vegan Pizza Is For
Obviously, vegans. But also vegetarians looking for dairy-free options, people with lactose intolerance, anyone trying to eat more plant-based meals without fully committing, and honestly, anyone who just fancies vegetables on pizza.
The assumption that vegan food only appeals to vegans is outdated. Plenty of people eat vegan meals regularly without identifying as vegan. It’s just food.
Finding Good Vegan Pizza in Soho
The formula’s simple: fresh dough, quality vegetables, proper seasoning, and vegan cheese that actually melts. Not every pizzeria nails all four, but the ones that do make it look effortless.
ICCO’s been in Soho since 1999, which means they’ve had plenty of time to figure out what works. The Vegan Veggie isn’t a token menu item, it’s a proper option that holds its own against everything else they serve.
Vegan pizza in Soho doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. It just needs to taste good. Looking for vegan pizza in Soho? Try ICCO’s Vegan Veggie, loaded with caramelised onions, aubergines, and peppers. Find us at 23-24 Greek Street.
