Review: Figurati's Vegan Extravaganza impressed all tastes

But as a veggie, who sometimes dabbles with oat milk, I was very excited when Figurati! invited us along to their five-course vegan evening. 

In an ideal world, I would be vegan. It's better for the planet and your diet can be very healthy. But unfortunately, I love cheese and I'm yet to find a non-dairy milk that tastes good in a cup of tea. I'm very aware these are all first-world problems. 

On Wednesday, June 26, Figurati! held their 'Vegan Extravaganza'. Located in the Ocean Village, it was the perfect day to hold the event - with highs of 28C, the sun was beating down on us as we walked around the harbour. 

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The views from Figurati are lovely (Image: Newsquest) The restaurant is very sophisticated, and the dark wood furniture paired with ocean blue sofas felt extremely luxurious. Each table was laid out perfectly and the service was very quick - it's clear Figurati! know what they're doing with a five-course event. 

I'd never been to a dining event before, so we ordered our drinks and waited in anticipation for the first course to arrive.

It felt a bit like a wedding, there was live music thanks to Danni Murphy performing lovely covers on the mic, and no one knew what our tastebuds were about to experience. 

The Beetroot Arancini (L) and Warm Asparagus Salad (R) (Image: Newsquest)

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Up first was the 'Beetroot Arancini', which came with pickled beetroot and salsa verde. The arancini was hot, clearly freshly done and the beetroot provided delicious flavour that melted into the rice. 

Next was a 'Warm Asparagus Salad' with Jersey Royals, confit garlic, and mint pesto. The potatoes were delicious, their skin was crispy and they were soft inside. The greens were perfectly cooked too. 

Unfortunately, we did leave this course wishing it had been paired with a bit of cheese. Sorry vegans, but a bit of mature cheese would have absolutely slapped here. 

The main course was very fresh and delicious (Image: Newsquest) Our main course was gnocchi. It was absolutely delicious. 

 The sun-dried tomatoes with the peas, courgettes and broad beans were a fantastic combination. It was a flavour explosion in our mouths. It was the perfect summer dish that I will try to recreate at home. 

Dessert is where the night really stood out. After three courses, we were beginning to flag but I wasn't going to miss out on pudding. 

The Chargrilled Peach (L) and Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Ganache (R) (Image: Newsquest)

Our first sweet course was a Chargrilled Peach with coconut sorbetto and raspberry puree. The coconut sorbetto was incredible, it was like a cold creamy Bounty. Delicious.

The final course was a rich and luxurious Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Ganache with a chocolate sorbetto and honeycomb. I'm 99 per cent sure you could put this in front of anyone and they wouldn't guess it was vegan. It was deliciously sweet, and the perfect way to end our evening. 

@megan_stanley_ Turns out you don’t need meat and cheese for a good time #vegan #southampton #hampshire #foodtiktok ♬ Theme from "A Summer Place" - Percy Faith And His Orchestra

At Figurati!, the normal menu is quite meat-heavy, so we were impressed with the variety was served up during the Vegan Extravangza.

The best bit about it? There wasn't one mushroom in sight. Excellent. 

Ultimately, the night proved you don't need meat and cheese to enjoy a night out. Figurati! showed off what they could give and we all left full, but not completely stuffed which is impressive considering the five courses. 

We can't wait to return to Figurati! to give the veggie options on the main menu a go.