Located in a refurbished but still atmospheric Routemaster bus, Rootmaster serves up vegetarian cuisine in what’s perhaps the most interesting venue in the capital.

The Venue
There’s not much more to it than a big, red, old school Routemaster bus . There’s a couple of tables scattered outside and a big, open hatch window where you can order and watch the cooks at work over the stoves built into the interior of the bus. The best part is the top floor, which has been entirely converted into a restaurant, with several tables toward the front, a long bar with seats on one side and a low area with sofas toward the rear. A word of warning, though: if you’re over 5’4”, you might not want to stand up unexpectedly.

The Atmosphere
If you’re expecting something new and different you definitely won’t be disappointed, and if you’re expecting a five star experience you might actually be pleasantly surprised. Rootmaster has a great atmosphere at night, with a low buzz of conversation and twinkling tea lights adding to the intimacy. The service is amazingly friendly, despite the fact that the poor souls have to tromp up and down the bus’s stairs holding plates of hot food. They’re also incredibly patient, even when explaining that Rootmaster is a vegetarian restaurant, so yes, that means there’s no chicken wings.

The Food
Expect all sorts of vegetarian food, with an emphasis on Asian-inspired. Vegetable termpura, although a bit stodgy, is full of perfectly cooked vegetables inside, like heads of cauliflower and juicy mushrooms. The vegetable gyozas are nicely chewy, packed with chopped carrots, onions and mushrooms, and don’t fall apart when you spear them with chopsticks. Unfortunately though the dipping sauce served with both the tempura and the gyoza is a bit too salty and overwhelms the flavours of the vegetables.

The Drink
Although this may come as a surprise, considering that wines are made out of grapes, many wines aren’t suitable for vegans as they use processing ingredients derived from animals. Rootmaster has an all vegan wine list, containing eight reds, eight whites, two roses and four sparkling wines and champagnes, ranging from £12.50 - £56.00.

The Last Word
A definite experience that you shouldn’t pass up, no matter if you’re nearby or not. It may not look like much from the outside, but it’s worth a trip up the stairs.

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