42° Raw, London W1, restaurant review Walnuts had been ground with tomato to make the first layer of sauce, which was not totally disgusting. The second layer was ground cashew, which had the texture of mealy hummus and an ersatz vegan creaminess. It tasted horrible and landed on the stomach like a bag of sand. All the flavours of the noodles were underpowered, the peanut especially, swamped under their strange texture, buried in indeterminate gunk; given that peanuts are just about the only thing in the world that don't taste better heated, to neuter them like this seemed almost vindictive. Oh, and there wasn't enough chilli. The avocado was OK, a serviceable if slightly sloppy guacamole with a red onion sliced on top. Its 'sandwich' of non-cooked bread was a lot of grains, pressed together to ward off constipation. E also had the walnut and apple salad (£7), which had one or two distinctive leaves in it - a purpley creature with a hint of mint was quite nice - but was bland overall. The dressing was meant to be mint and cardamom, but you couldn't taste the latter. I hate cardamom, but if I see it written down, I want to be able to taste it. I also had the lasagne (£8). It was an accidental double order; I didn't realise that 'tapas' was just a word for menu-upcycling, repackaging other elements of the short list. I finished it feeling as if I'd munched my way through a skip. Plus, I had the 'Thai' soup (£6), which was luckily way hotter than 42° but had so few nutrients in it that degradation thereof was presumably deemed irrelevant. If you wanted to lose 5st in a month, this is the kind of thing you'd eat: hot and sour, a bit too citric, a few untreated mushrooms bobbing in it forlornly like men overboard, and one giant basil leaf. If you've ever tried to make a pud for a rogue vegan, you'll know things could only get worse. The chocolate brownie (£3.50) I couldn't cut with a knife. The 'energy balls' (£3) were squished dried fruit with a bitter aftertaste. If you remember Holland & Barrett circa 1989, you'll know what I mean when I say 'a radically overpriced Grizzly Bear bar'. It was stickier, though, so we finished our meal in silence, as we tried to rid our teeth of this pestilent squidgy matter. Why make food on these principles, which would only appeal to people who don't like food? Why can't they do something else - go horse-riding, take up the violin? River Green Cafe The Street, Trowse, Norwich (01603 622448) This converted bakery serves colourful, comforting vegetarian dishes such as an African-inspired sweet-potato stew, which, due to popular demand, is never off the menu. It's made with roasted red peppers and fine beans in a spicy peanut and tomato sauce (£9.90) The Veg Box Cafe 1-2 Jewry Lane, Canterbury (01227 456654) A red cabbage mural on pea-green walls sets the scene for the vegetable-based menu at this jolly café. Try the burnt orange and black-olive quinoa salad with cashews and roast butternut squash (£7.95), before raw-chocolate cheesecake (£2.50) Warehouse Cafe 54-57 Allison Street, Birmingham (0121 633 0261) Herbs, microshoots and scores of courgettes are plucked fresh from the chef's allotment for salads, curries and a tajine featuring aubergine, chickpeas and home-made harissa, which comes with tabbouleh and date-filled pastry cigarellos (£9.75)