“The Willy Wonka of vegan junkfood”: Happy Friday Kitchen in Oxford ★★★★★

Yesterday I went to Happy Friday Kitchen for the first time ever after so many people recommended it to me. Hidden on Cowley Road, this place is an absolute walhalla for vegans.

Food & drink: ★★★★★
Happy Friday Kitchen is a 100% vegan diner that serves “Californian style” food, including burgers, pizza’s, hot dogs and much more. As it was Burger Deal Thursday (burger + beer/cocktail for £12/14) when we were there I ordered the California Burger and a Pornstar Martini cocktail. The burger was absolutely divine: the seitan was delicious, the aubergine “bacon” had a very rich taste and I loved the fries that came with it. The martini was well made, accompanied by the cutest shot glass filled with Prosecco. After enjoying my meal I ordered a “Freedom” ale. I’d never heard of the brewery but I love unlocking badges on my Untappd app so I had to give it a try. Freedom brewery “live[s] by the words independent, natural and sustainable”. It is a vegan friendly beer, certified by the Vegan Society as suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The taste reminded me a bit of Amstel beer, very tasty.

Atmosphere: ★★★★✩
The atmosphere is very pleasant. I’d describe the decor as “cosy meets funky”. Lots of plants, nice wall decorations and there’s a fake corgi hanging from the ceiling! After a while though I did find it a bit too cosy. It’s quite a small place so with lots of people it gets a bit too hot.

Service: ★★★★★
I hate to fall into clichés, but we got “service with a smile”. We didn’t have to wait long for our orders and when asking for an extra carafe of water they didn’t hesitate to bring us one. It made us feel very welcome.

Happy Friday Kitchen is the Willy Wonka of vegan fast food.

Overall rating: ★★★★★
Happy Friday Kitchen is a great, funky place with good food. It is the Willy Wonka of vegan fast food and I would definitely recommend it to everyone. A regular we met there told us it was her “happy place” and whenever she would feel sad, she’d just pop in, order something, and feel better. If that can’t convince you…