If you know me in real life, you'll know that I don't consume dairy because I'm lactose intolerant: cakes, ice cream, brownies... the like. A lot of people gasp and tell me "oh my god don't you miss it" and well to be honest, no I don't because it makes me feel bad and I don't think I ever want to eat something that makes me sicker, ya feel me?
While 'vegan' eats and treats have been mushrooming all across London, there's far and few dairy-free dessert places, let alone dairy-free ice cream places! My favourite remains Edoardo in Florence, where they serve fruity heaven concoctions.
Recently, this ol' place called Yorica! has been getting all the attention. A stone's throw away from Chinatown and off the ever buzzing Shaftsbury Avenue, itt's the first (you guessed it lol) vegan and dairy-free ice cream parlour right smack in Soho... and because I loved Edoardo and dairy-free ice cream, I thought I'd try it out one sunny weekend.
As you can see, they also do 'milk'shakes and soft serve (matcha available!)... which is what I went for! They free from a long list of ingredients too: gluten, nuts, wheat, eggs. All you vegans rejoice! I'm not vegan but as far as I can tell, my vego + vegan friends that have been really enjoying it.
For £4.50, I got a big cup with a mix of vanilla and matcha soft serve, topped with the free sprinkles available. You can also add toppings for 65p each but your gurl ain't rich $$$$. There's also chocolate and caramel available, and they both sounded good to so I may have to go for a second round soon... ice cream pals?
Matt went for the traditional ice cream - strawberry, mango and melon. The price for ice cream is the same, and there's many flavours on rotation to choose from too.
For London's first foray into proper dairy-free treats, it's not bad. It was a bit thick for me and I preferred Florence's more fruity and lighter flavours but for those looking for a milkshake substitute then Yorica is your place to go ;-) plus flavours like beetroot and chocolate really intrigued me and I can't wait to bring my friends for a lil trip there for something wild! A wide selection of flavours is also something to explore, especially for those a bit hesitant to venture to the dairy-free side. It's a thumbs up from me, unless Edoardo opens a UK branch here (sadly not happening) in the future...
Hit me up if you're in London and wanna try it out, I need more dessert buddies!
Yorica!
130 Wardour Street
W1F 8ZN
If you have any other dessert places in London that have dairy-free options, holler at me!
