Looking for vegan cafes in London? We’ve got you covered with a bumper guide to all the best.
Finding vegan food in London is becoming increasingly easy these days. From top-notch restaurants to bountiful brunches and even vegan afternoon teas you’re almost spoilt for choice.
That said, you shouldn’t overlook London’s growing repertoire of vegan cafes – places that serve up mean hunks of cake, delicious plant-based alternatives to your usual cafe fare and do it in environs that you’d be happy to while away whole days chilling in.
We put together a guide of our favourite spots for good vegan cafe vibes. There’s a few total classics and some new kids on the block, as well as a spot or two with some real heart to their business.
Read on for the best vegan cafes London has to offer…
Best Vegan Cafes in London
Cafe Van Gogh
Brixton
If you’re after a good vegan cafe in south London check out Cafe Van Gough. The place was opened by late artist with one ear… just kidding, though the owners of this place are equally heroic in our eyes.
They run this charming cafe as a not-for-profit with the goal of training local young people with learning disabilities so that they can get a job in the future and in turn develop a bit of independence.
As if that’s not enough, the food is great. They change the menu every few months to keep things fresh and so far we’ve not had a bad meal here yet.
Vida Bakery
Shoreditch
Vida’s story begins when one of their founding members realised she was having more trouble than she needed just to find a cafe that met her dietary needs (she’s vegan and coeliac).
After a good bit of research and a touch of professional training she’d managed to turn a heap of traditional recipes into vegan alternatives and Vida was born.
You can try those same recipes in the form of the many colourful cakes you’ll see on display at the cafe – all of which are delicious.
Kin Cafe
Fitzrovia
If you’re looking for a bit of a bigger feed, head over to Kin Cafe. This charming Fitzrovia eatery is one of the best vegan cafes London has to offer.
They’ve got options for heartier feeds with dishes ranging from a very popular chickpea curry to a full vegan breakfast.
You’ll find the atmosphere super relaxed, with as many people stopping by for a quick coffee as there are tucking in to the meals. You can choose either too, but we do suggest saving room for a bite of the food – it’s really pretty good.
Vegan Yes
Shoreditch
Italian-Korean fusion? Yep, it’s a real thing. It’s also the backbone of Vegan Yes, maybe the most popular vegan cafe east London can boast.
The owner is an eccentric florentine who you’ll spot from his equally eccentric moustache. He founded Vegan Yes in 2016 with the help of his wife. She’s got a background in traditional medicine and those philosophies of healthy living got infused into the cooking here.
It’s a super casual place, perfect for a quick meet-up with friends and free of all pretension.
Andu Ethiopian Cafe
Dalston
Andu Ethiopian Cafe is a UK first – the UK’s first vegan Ethiopian restaurant that is – and should be top of your list of places to visit if you’re looking for vegan cafes in London.
The food is unlike anything else you’ll find in this guide. Plates of Ethiopian curry and vegetables that each pack a totally unique flavour. You can try this the traditional way – served on injera – a type of flatbread – or as a sampler, on a plate to share.
We warn you though, there’s a lot of hype around this place. You may want to book ahead. Or at least be prepared to queue.
Avobar
Covent Garden
Looking for a vegan cafe, central London location and a good spread of brunch classics? Look no further than Avobar. This superfood cafe will tick all the boxes.
While they do serve some non-vegan dishes, much of what they do is plant-based, and, as you may have guessed from the name, they do a mean avocado on toast.
As for the interior, the place gets flooded with natural light on a sunny day and is a veritable showroom of sleek wooden furniture, dotted with plants to make you feel as wholesome as the dishes on your table.
Cookies and Scream
Finsbury Park
Frontrunner in the competition for best vegan cafe London offers is Cookies and Scream. They’ve been running since 2010, providing London with a spread of gluten-free, dairy-free, egg- and wheat-free baked goods that pretty much have a cult following in the vegan community.
Why? Well, to put it simply they’re fantastic. Cakes are as light and fluffy as anything your regular milk-n-eggs type caf might be able to knock up and they sit alongside a tantalising display of cookies and brownies that demand eating.
You’ll need something to wash it down with too, so we’ll point you in the direction of the Scream Shakes – thick-as-anything, made from a secret sauce and blended with the aforementioned brownies and cookies.
We Are Vegan Everything
Hackney, Stoke Newington
You may know of We Are Vegan Everything by their moniker WAVE. They’re a Hackney cafe that was born from Cupcakes and Shhht, a mobile cake stand that old-timers might remember seeing at markets around London back in the long-old year of 2012.
Off the back of that success they opened a brick-and-mortar cafe, upgraded their menu to include some bigger bites (but still offer some killer cupcakes) and gave it the name you see today.
It’s since grown to two locations, both of which are charmingly slick in the sort of way that means you’ll have no trouble passing hours chilling here. If we had to choose though, we’d say we prefer the Hackney location for its suntrap back yard.
Gallery Café
Bethnal Green
This great find is the eatery of east-London community hub, St. Margaret’s House. The place mixes spaces to hangout with places to eat, host exhibitions and generally generate a bit of community pride.
And proud they can be of The Gallery Cafe. The food here is all vegan and most importantly, affordable. That’s right, you’re not going to pay fifteen quid for an undersized portion of avocado on toast here.
What you will get is a great meal for breakfast or lunch that’s healthy and a lovely bit of outside seating to enjoy it on.
The Gleaners Cafe
Walthamstow
Another location in our guide that serves the community in more ways than just serving up delicious vegan food is The Gleaners, cafe of the Hornbeam Community Café and Environment Centre. The name’s quite a mouthful, but sums up quite accurately the ethos of the place.
They are all about the protection of the community of Walthamstow Forest – especially when it comes to food insecurity. Because of that all the food on offer is priced at a pay-what-you-feel rate.
It’s also prepared with sustainable ethics in mind, drawing largely from surplus food supply to reduce waste and fill you up.
Essential Vegan Café
Dalston
Essential Vegan Café has been around for a good decade now. They used to have a spot in Shoreditch but now operate out of Dalston, serving up nice bites of light vegan food to the hungry east-London masses.
The food ranges from a great selection of sandwiches to burgers, currys and soups. There’s also a good spread of cakes to go for if you just want something to nibble on alongside a coffee.
The Feelgood Café
Chingford
The Feelgood Cafe takes things one step further by not only being gluten and dairy free, but also removing refined sugars from their cooking too.
The reason you’ll want to try this place out though is for the cakes – straight proof that you don’t need to fill food with crap to make it taste good (and also ideal for a bit of instagram food posting).
It’s all the craft of owner Agnes who believes wholeheartedly that what you put in your body makes a big difference on your health and happiness, and wants to promote a happy diet to all the customers in her cafe. Now that’s a philosophy we can get behind.
Practical Tips for Exploring the Best Vegan Cafes in London
- You’re not going to be able to book at many of these places as the vibe is more chilled than at actual restaurants. That said if you’re a big group it might be worth calling ahead and letting them know.
- If you can only go to one of these spots, make it Cafe Van Gough. We can’t stress enough how much of a great vegan cafe this is and the fact it’s all in the name of a good cause makes that food taste even better.
- If you’re curious about what goes into the food at these places, feel free to ask. It’s usually the case at vegan places that they’re very transparent about what goes into the stuff you’re eating.
