Rootmaster

Very nice atmosphere as this is indeed a double decker London bus but the food didn’t have variety and there were hardly any warm dishes in the menu. If you are not a hard-​core vegetarian I don’t believe you are going to like this place very much for food.
Dessert was nice though, so I definitely suggest this place for coffee and dessert!

What a great concept, and they pull it off well. A converted bus used as a vegan restaurant !!
The food was tasty, service OK. I hope to go again and I would like to see more places like this one. It was a little hard to find, but not too tough

So i’m wandering around an almost vacant Spitafields market on a very snowy and cold Saturday afternoon, a week before Christmas. Slightly disappointed, I wander down some streets and happen to stumble across the snow covered Rootmaster. I heard rumours that this place was closing soon, so I was excited to eat there.
Setting: A stationary bus. Not much to elaborate on, other than the kitchen is on the lower deck, and the upper deck is the dining room that can hold up to 28 people — it’s an intimate space. When people are walking up the stairs, you feel the bus shake. Because of the snow and cold, the ceiling was sweating from condensation — the staff tried their best to minimize it by wiping the moisture from the ceiling but I did still get dripped on. Not a big deal. The bus was adequately warm, but not the same kind of warm if you were in a proper dining room.
Meal: started out with the soup of the day, a very delicious and spicy sweet potato coconut soup. It hit the spot for such a cold day, although when it arrived it was warm but not as pipping hot as I preferred.
My main was the Rootmaster Burger — everything about the dish was good — the bread, burger, condiment and the accompanying potato wedges (the homemade ketchup was yum!) — but the burger arrived luke-​warm.
Assessment: Even with the luke-​warm food and dripping ceiling, I would absolutely go back again (in better weather conditions), as their menu had quite a few things I wanted to try. You can’t beat eating vegan food on a double decker bus.
Rootmaster will be moving away from Truman Brewery on 24^th of December of 2010. It’s not known where they will move to, but I’ve been told to check their website for updates.
P. S. You can’t use your Oyster card here.

Yummy, funky and fun. This is how I like to dine when going casual.
I had the Rootmaster burger (black bean burger) and it was delicious, although cliché.
I will definitely return to try some more of their original items.

Yes, they really did build a restaurant in a London bus. The entire upper deck has been transformed into a dining area which can comfortably seat five.
So how good do you expect food cooked and served in a bus to be… actually it’s excellent. Rootmater serves vegan food (usually a byword for blandness), that surprises and impresses even the most fanatical of carnivores such as myself.
This is a fun place, and a great venue to entertain friends from out of town who want a truly quirky London experience.

ZOMG! It’s a restaurant… ON A BUS!!! AAAAAHH! How amazing is that?!
Now I sometimes get a lot of stick for being a vegan so imagine my surprise when my friend Peter G. (he’s a lurker) suggested we and our friend H go to Rootmaster to chillax after handing in our dissertations. On the way up they were joking that they were gonna ask if they do steak to which they received this —- *eye roll*
The area has that cool, relaxed and funky Spitalfields vibe which makes you feel like there is nothing outside of it. The food was amazing even pleasing the carnivorous of the party. Teriaki stir fry, curry and falafel finished off with cheesecake, apple crumble, and chocolate and fruit cannoli Omnomnomnomnomnomnom! Throw in a nice bottle of organic wine and we were all set for a very reasonable £53 bill, happy days!
Slightly OT is the girl sat on the table next to me announced proudly that she was an independent woman ‘because she pays her own phonebill’. Germaine Greer eat your heart out.
But yeah. Root-​master. Try it out. It’s the sex.

I always told myself I needed to eat here. I told myself that for 7 months. And then I moved out of London… but when I came back, it was one of the things I made sure I did, and I’m glad!
I came with a friend at like 4 o’clock on a rainy day so when we got there, it was empty. They sat us in the back of the bus at the big table, seeing as we were the only customers. But it was great! The atmosphere is wonderful and soothing and absolutely adorable. I had a pear cider and the panini and my friend had the stir fry. All of it was as tasty as can be! I can safely say that the entire experience was great, and I will definitely go back next time I’m in town.
Seriously, though – who wouldn’t want to eat on the top of a double decker bus?

Lunch on a bus… Bunch?! The VIP feel of eating on a bus, perched on the top deck, is really lovely. The décor is quaint and the seating in comfortable.
The vegan menu allows for few choices but all look very tasty and are reasonably priced. My friend and I stopped for a quick bite and decided to share the meze for two.
At £8, the price was right. Unfortunately, comparing the portion to that of a Turkish or Greek restaurant’s meze, it was pitifully small. The mix included sun-​dried tomatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, bread, hummous, tzatziki and very mild Italian olives. No complaints in terms of flavour, but should be moved to the appetizer section of the menu. I left hungry. Very Hungry.

Ladies and Gents, it’s a restaurant in a bus! Take a look at the pictures folks. You actually board the bus and then go upstairs to your table.
HA! Can’t believe I found this place in order to Unilocal about it. I typed in bus, vegan restaurant and voila!
I went there with the bf (now ex) a couple of years ago — on our walk over from the Hoxton we had a major fight. So our entire meal was very tense because we weren’t speaking at all… I remember the waiter kept looking at us like, «what the hell is going on with these two??»
I had the tofu tower and it was very nice. There is quite a bit of ambiance on the bus so don’t be nervous about taking a date. (Remember we had the fight BEFORE we arrived so we didn’t take advantage of the romantic setting.) Our waiter was gorgeous darling…

As far as veggie food goes this place is tasty, very tasty actually, but their menu is a little small for my liking. I almost feel like it’s fear that keeps a veggie menu small, it’s really hard to do the food wrong so why not make a few extra choices?!
Okay, okay so you’re a bus, but really I was expecting more than just novelty factor. As far as bus journey’s go, I have to say that this one was by far the best but also the most expensive!
If you are mooching around the market and it’s a sunny day this place is a winner all round. Oh and they only take cash!

…keeping bus-​ride-​home snacks delicious, vegetarian and healthy since 2007.(Mum would be so proud.)
While the wheels on the bus don’t go ’round ‘n round, my head certainly did after sipping organic ciders and sitting in the sun all afternoon. Ahh, feels like middle school all over again.

Atmosphere — 5.
It’s in a damn double decker, how cute is that? The dining area is all upstairs and the kitchen is downstairs. The set is very cozy, candle-​lit (obvoiusly i went for dinner) and eccentric.
Service — 3
While the greeter/​chef guy was really nice, one of the waitresses seriously needed to pull whatever it is up her ass out of there. Please match the pleasantness of the set up if you work there.
Food — 4
The food, I admit, is really good. I tried the spring rolls and skewers for appetizer; tofu tower, pizza and aubergine mille fueille for main course. I paid £14 for the aubergine alone, which I’m not so sure was quite worth it despite the quality and tastiness.
I think overall it’d be a better deal to go during lunch. I believe they do a £5 deal during lunch, which is way better than paying the £20 I paid for dinner.

The Rootmaster – deliciously healthy food, made and served by friendly greenies in a quirky yet inviting environment.
You wouldn’t think that an old routemaster could be romantic, but you’d be wrong. In the evenings the bus is lovely and warm and the soft candlelight makes you want to stay forever. Every dish I’ve had here has not only been delicious, but it’s been innovative too. Looking at the menu you might feel that the food would be a bit boring, but again, you’d be wrong. The veggie burger actually tasted and had the texture of vegetables rather than cardboard and the desserts are all playful and beautifully presented. To complete the experience, the waiters live the vegetarian dream – they are kind and laid back (so don’t expect to have a quick meal) and love to chat. They also know their wines so make sure to ask before you order!
You can also order take-​away which comes is fully compostable containers so they are doing their part for the environment. Obviously since I’m a nutty green San Franciscan, this pleases me to no end!
One last thing, that I happen to think is quite impressive – Like most boys, my boyfriend was quite weary of a vegetarian restaurant in an old bus, but after this experience he’s no longer a carnivore. Here’s to the Rootmaster for one less man dying of a red-​meat-​induced heart-​attack!

I’m always on the lookout for good vegetarian places when I travel and this place looked fab. A double decker bus? We get to get in a double decker bus? Totally cool! So we raced all the way down to this restaurant for dinner before seeing a show in the West End. We ordered a drink and quickly placed orders for soups and an appetizer to split (we were in a hurry) and then we started to wait. And wait. And wait some more. Needless to say, if you decide to dine at the Rootmaster, make sure you have some time on your hands because service wasn’t exactly snappy. The soup we ordered was delicious though and the appetizer we received was huge and plenty for two to share. Ambiance is a 5, Food a 4 and I’d probably rate service a 2. So I’d give this place 3.5 stars.

a vegetarian restaurant in a bus tucked away in shoreditch– I was SO excited to find the Rootmaster. And first glance of the menu had me salivating!
However, I’m sad to report that the food (and service) has a lot of room for improvement. The spicy tofu was mild, ingredients were missing, and our server seemed to have better things to do than. her job.

TOURIST ALERT! TOURIST ALERT! How utterly goddamn charming. Seriously, this joint must be a SUPERMAGNET for out of towners. A vegan restaurant. In an old double decker bus. There is really nothing spectacular about the food (though it was very solid), but it is an A++ in charm/​kitsch factor.
I’d go again in a heartbeat.
Fucking London, I goddamn love you!

A retired bus cum vegetarian restaurant, Rootmaster is one of the best things in Brick Lane. If you can manage to avoid the curry barkers and make your way through the Old Truman Brewery complex without filling yourself with foreign delights, you’ll find Rootmaster tucked in the back of the parking lot. It often goes unnoticed: many Londoners I’ve mentioned it to, familiar with the neighbourhood, are often entirely ignorant of it.
Their loss. This place is fantastic. This is what a hipster neighbourhood should really be about, and I drag all veg and non-​veg friends who pass through town here for lunch on weekends. All invention, totally reasonable prices, an absolute treat.

Now if you want a twist between tourists, red bus and art scene, I want to be your guide. I would take you to Liverpool Street and walk towards Bricklane.
There you will find a traditional route master from London’s good old times just parked off Bricklane. Those days you were able to get on and off the bus anytime. They got bit by bit rid of them, which is a shame, as there is so much tradition behind it. I think some reason where that they could not transport a high quantity of people, accidents happened by people jumping on and off the bus and that they needed to hire an extra man to expect all tickets one by one.
Noe imagine standing in front of a red Routemaster bus. Going nearer you will discover this Rootemaster had been rebuilt into a restaurant with the kitchen downstairs and serving organic food upstairs!
What a better way to promote this restaurant. This place is usually open from midday to 9.45pm. I was a little bit disappointed with their website, they need some advice how to present this unique place in a much cooler way. There main aim is to promote organic healthy food this explains their name. I wonder how long it takes to grow lots of green around this bus. I only say so much the mouldy old bus seats have been replaced by modern chairs and tables but the rest you have to discover by yourself! It is different to anything you experienced before!

A café in a bus: yes, almost reason enough to pay Rootmaster a visit!
Food is OK, we had a mezze plate which was rather average, the food had a quite rustic and home-​made feel, but was lacking that extra something. Staff were pleasant but service was really slow. Painfully slow. Rootmaster boasts a good range of teas, cold drinks and coffees.
However, I think the novelty of eating in a bus will wear off after the second visit. I won’t be hurrying back.

I finally went for a cup of tea in the Rootmaster last Sunday! it was a Chilly Sunday autumn evening and my pal and I were in need of some hot drinks!
We were greeted by a really lovely curly haird waiter who showed us to our table upstairs! it was candle lit! I ordered a coffee and was waiting ages, but the lovely waiter informed me that if i ordered tea it would be quicker which i did promptly!
We oooh’d and ahhhed at the food that was being served there! it all smelt and looked really good!
It’s worth it to go here for the novelty of having tea in a bus!