The free publicity comes at a cost. Rowe spent months developing a network of farmers within the reaches of London’s Tube system. His meat comes from a farm at the surprisingly rural end of the Metropolitan Tube line, and wild garlic, thistle, and chickweed are foraged from the city’s public forests. Buying from such a restricted area forces Rowe to only use produce that is in season. That usually means lower prices but can also be quite challenging, especially in April and May, when vegetables are scarce.

Singh, who grew up in a commune, is used to thinking about the origins and delivery route of the food she uses, but that also has its challenges. Her menu changes daily because she’s often unsure of what her suppliers will have on hand. She requires an extra full-time administrative person just to handle the multiple small producers that deliver to her—many of whom group deliveries to save on trips.

Aikens researched the fishing industry for months before opening his restaurant and even went to sea with the fishermen he buys from. He’s put their pictures up in the restaurant, and he quizzes his employees on the fishing industry before he lets them on the floor. “The future of our fish is looking very dim,” Aikens says. “But through our staff, our customers are learning more about the importance of supporting the industry.”

Potts Dawson’s two restaurants were developed with the Shoreditch Trust, a government organization that provided funding and uses profits from the restaurants to invest in the community. When working on Acorn House in 2006, he fired his contractor halfway through the job because he didn’t understand the environmental considerations. It cost him an extra $180,000 to start over with someone new.

Most of the restaurant owners refuse to pass additional costs from eco-initiatives on to their customers—their establishments are no more expensive to dine at than their polluting competitors. Konstam’s roast pork belly, at $29, is a bit of a bargain for London. Even Acorn House’s lamb chops, its most expensive dish, is a competitive $36. The exception is Tom’s Place, which charges $27 for fish-and-chips—more than double what you’d pay at a traditional shop, but still not a bad deal for London’s posh Chelsea neighborhood.

Of course, there are savings too. Water House doesn’t use any natural gas, opting instead for a totally electric kitchen powered by energy from a Scottish hydroelectric plant. As a result, it needs less powerful ventilation in the kitchen, and the restaurant has saved about 20 percent on the kitchen’s mechanicals. By dehydrating and composting all of its kitchen waste and requiring that suppliers eschew packing materials, the restaurant produces only half a bag of garbage a week, compared with dozens of bags a day at a regular eatery, saving on disposal charges.

While they are acutely tuned to the environmental impact of their businesses, none of these chefs are overly concerned with the health of their customers. Most serve plenty of meat, wine, and beer. Aikens fries his fish in beef drippings, though a more heart-friendly option is available.

“If you have too much cream and sugar here, we don’t really care as long as it’s fair trade and the cows are healthy,” Singh says.