Winner
Terre à Terre, Brighton
Over its 11 years in business, Terre à Terre has grown from a timid, 30-cover BYO into a 100-cover pioneer of nu-vegetarianism. 'We're in the business of exoticising vegetarian food, not making it just about edible,' says co-owner Amanda Powley. She and her business partner Philip Taylor have seriously glammed up vegetarian food, ditching the usual pulses for quirkily named dishes with a sense of humour. Popular choices include Rosti Revisited and Mushroom Cappuccino with Parmesan Doughnuts. A recent refurbishment - all damask and candy-stripe paint finishes - means even more pizzazz. Wines are organic, locally- sourced ingredients are seasonal and they'll gladly supply producers' details to diners. Keep it simple and order the Tapas à Terre, while watching Brighton's celebs (including a recently spotted Heather Mills) mingle with the locals.
· Terre à Terre, 71 East St, Brighton, 01273 729 051, www.terreaterre.co.uk
Best of the rest
London
Rasa
55 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16, 020 7249 0344, www.rasarestaurants.com
Delicious Keralan food of the highest standard.
Food for Thought
31 Neal St, WC2, 020 7836 9072
Unpretentious Covent Garden staple serving simple, hearty food. Prepare to queue.
Eat and Two Veg
50 Marylebone High St, W1, 020 7258 8595, www.eatandtwoveg.com
Soya versions of home-cooked favourites.
Manna
4 Erskine Rd, NW3, 020 7722 8028, www.manna-veg.com
Britain's oldest veggie restaurant, much-loved by locals of Primrose Hill.
Sagar
157 King St, W6, 020 8741 8563
Delightful South Indian food, not too spicy and excellent value.
Blah Blah Blah
78 Goldhawk Rd, W12, 020 8746 1337
Mad décor, food from all corners of the world.
Carnevale
135 Whitecross St, EC1, 020 7250 3452, www.carnevalerestaurant.co.uk
Three courses for £13.50 - what's to complain about?
Green Note
106 Parkway, NW1, 020 7485 9899, www.greennote.co.uk
Great tapas-style dishes, live jazz.
Southern England
Café Maitreya
89 St Mark's Rd, Bristol, 0117 9510 100, www.cafemaitreya.co.uk
Imaginative and brilliant food.
Demuths
2 North Passage, Bath, 01225 446 059, www.demuths.co.uk
Exciting and deliciously indulgent food - the 20 years of experience shines through.
Food for Friends
17-18 Prince Albert St, Brighton, 01273 202 310, www.foodforfriends.com
Gourmet dishes, largely vegan and gluten-free .
Robertson's Organic Café
8 Pepper St, Tavistock, Devon, 01822 612 117
Huge local following and some of the best pizzas in Devon.
Willow
87 High St, Totnes, Devon, 01803 862 605
Book ahead for the Indian-themed menu on Wednesday nights and the live music on Fridays.
Rainbow Café
9a King's Parade, Cambridge, 01223 321 551, www.rainbowcafe.co.uk
The only vegetarian restaurant in town - fantastic cakes.
Northern England
Wild Ginger
5 Station Parade, Harrogate, 01423 566 122, www.wild-ginger.co.uk
Simple, imaginative vegan café. Peanut-butter-banana-and-apple sandwich anyone?
Hansa's
72-74 North St, Leeds, 0113 244 4408, www.hansasrestaurant.com
Female proprietor and chef Hansa has specialised in Gujarati-inspired dishes for over 20 years - excellent value .
Dandelion & Burdock
16 Town Hall St, Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire, 01422 316 000, www.dandelionandburdock.uk.com
Classy interior to match the menu. Try the weekend brunch.
Earth Café
16-20 Turner St, Manchester, 0161 834 1996, www.earthcafe.co.uk
Good, filling, wholesome food, with freshly squeezed concoctions from the juice bar.
Sky Apple Café
182 Heaton Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, 0191 209 2571, www.skyapple.co.uk
A rich selection of dishes on the evening menu means you'll have to book ahead, but the 'bring-your-own' policy keeps costs down.
Hitchcock's
1 Bishop Lane, Kingston upon Hull, 01482 320 233, www.hitchcocksrestaurant.co.uk
What fun! The first person to book for the evening picks the theme of the food - always vegetarian but a different country each night.
World Peace Café
5 Cavendish St, Ulverston, 01229 587 793, www.worldpeacecafe.org
A different veggie pie is made every day; entirely organic drinks.
Midlands
Bobby's
154 Belgrave Rd, Leicester, 0116 266 0106, www.eatatbobbys.com
Simple setting with all the attention firmly on the western-Indian food.
Sibila's Restaurant
Canal Sq, Birmingham, 0121 456 7634, www.sibilasrestaurant.co.uk
Sibila, the Croatian-Italian chef, creates unique dishes, at super-cheap prices.
Good Earth
19 Free Lane, Leicester, 0116 262 6260
Much-loved, long-established local that does great salads.
The Good Life
Barracks Passage, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury, 01743 350 455
Cosy atmosphere with hearty, home-made food.
Wales
Govinda's
8 Cradock St, Swansea, 01792 468 469, www.govindasvegetarianrestaurant.org
Well-priced (£2.95 for a veggie burger) and yoga and an Ayurvedic clinic upstairs. What more could you want?
Vegetarian Food Studio
109 Penarth Rd, Cardiff, 029 2023 8222, www.vegetarianfoodstudio.co.uk
Oriental, Indian and traditional veggie dishes.
Scotland
David Bann
56-58 St Mary's St, Edinburgh, 0131 556 5888, www.davidbann.com
The chilli-and-smoked-cheese tortilla tartlet with chocolate sauce says it all.
Henderson's
94 Hanover St, Edinburgh, 0131 225 2131, www.hendersonsofedinburgh.co.uk
Their motto is 'eat better, live better', so expect the best .
Grassroots Café
97 St Georges Rd, Glasgow, 0141 333 0534, www.grassrootsorganic.com
Veggie breakfast is served until 3pm at the weekends. Very thoughtful.
Ann Purna
44-45 St Patrick's Sq, Edinburgh, 0131 662 1807
Relaxed Indian restaurant; clever regulars share one of the mixed platters.
Northern Ireland
Archana
53 Dublin Rd, Belfast, 028 9032 3713, www.archana.co.uk
The 'Little India Vegetarian Cuisine' menu could cover a restaurant on its own. Be aware that meat is served here too.
