Scully 8-course vegan tasting menu review – “a celebration of veg”

Finding a fine-dining restaurant that offers an extensive vegan menu may seem challenging, but we’ve got good news for you.

Located in the heart of London, Scully offers a fusion of diverse flavours taking inspiration from countries worldwide.

Head Chef and Owner Ramael Scully launched Scully in 2018 as his first solo venture after working as Head Chef at Ottolenghi’s legendary restaurant, Nopi.

Born in Malaysia, Scully takes inspiration from his Chinese, Malay, Indian and Irish heritage. His experimental cooking techniques and thirst for dynamic and authentic flavour have put Scully on the map.

Earlier this year, Chef Scully and the team launched their first 8-course vegan tasting menu, priced at £90 per person.

The menu is a fusion of dishes and plant-based ingredients from South America to Indonesia.

Following the launch of their vegan tasting menu, we paid Scully a visit to get a taste of his plant-based cooking.

Scully vegan tasting menu review

Located just off the vibrant and noisy Piccadilly Circus, Scully St. James’s appeared to be a safe haven from the hustle and bustle of central London.

On arrival, I was greeted with a wall of jars filled with spices, pickles, and other delicious-looking concoctions. The restaurant had an intimate feel with an open view of the kitchen where you can witness the chefs in their element.

At a glance, the 8-course tasting menu was like nothing that I had ever seen before. Free from any meat alternatives, this menu solely relied on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other plant-based ingredients.

First up were the ‘welcome snacks’, consisting of three miniature snacks – wasabi takoyaki, cornflour tempura, and a yuba (tofu skin) tart filled with green beans and topped with crushed peanuts and pomelo.

Each of the snacks had unique flavours and textures that complemented each other perfectly. The texture of the soft, doughy bonbon followed by the crispy tempura and crunchy tart was delightful and paired with the Asian-inspired flavours got me excited for what was yet to come.

Next was the Arepa, Eggplant Sambal, Cedro Lemon & Coconut Labneh (spoiler alert, this was the star of the show!).

This humble yet lip-smackingly good dish was bursting with authentic flavour. The aubergine sambal is Head Chef Scully’s mother’s original recipe and is rich in sweet and smokey flavours that make you just want to grab a spoon and dig in.

The idea is to fill the hollow maize-dough arepa with aubergine sambal and vegan labneh and then eat it. This dish was nostalgic and hearty and I simply can’t stop thinking about it.

To follow was a beetroot dish served with urap sayur (caramelised and shredded coconut), and a peanut and chilli miso sauce. Again, this dish was an exploration of textures, the crunchy urap sayur paired with the thinly sliced beetroot that had been slow-cooked for 4 hours was a match made in heaven.

As I worked my way through the tasting menu, I was taken on a taste journey across the world.

Whether it was being transported to Indonesia with Scully’s take on a traditional Nasi Jagung dish that celebrated corn, or the Mediterranean with a betel leaf dish filled with tomato sofrito, smoked almonds, and pickled green peaches.

Not to mention the jackfruit sorbet with caramelised coconut sticky rice!

Dessert was ‘Petits Fours’, a delightful trio of bite-sized treats that were visually stunning.

First was a white chocolate soursop capsule filled with the most delicious passion fruit syrup, followed by aerated dark chocolate topped with a sweet blueberry sauce and finished with jam coated in peanut dust.

I found the menu to be nothing more than triumphant, dish after dish I continued to be blown away by the creativity and exploration of flavours and textures.

Chef Scully and his team have created an inspiring menu that is truly a celebration of veg and ingredients from across the globe.

Scully St. James’s opening times

Scully St. James’s is open Tuesday – Saturday, from 17:00 – 23:00 (last booking 21:30).

Planning a trip to London? Check out these 39 best vegan restaurants in London to find your new favourite place