Best Cheap Vegan Cafes in London

By Eloise Empleton

So we’ve already written about the best cheap Vegan restaurants, but we thought it’d also be a good idea to look at the best cheap vegan cafes in London. For those more relaxed days, when you may want a long lazy lunch with friends and family or to escape the daily grind and have some me time. A good London cafe is your place to go. Cafes are also great for grabbing a quick bite when you’re in a rush too, making it a pit stop to refuel or chill depending on the type of day you’re having. Most of us live in the fast lane in London but we all need to step out of that sometimes. As always we’ve taken a look at value for money without compromising on the quality. So here are the vegan cafes we have narrowed down to be the best and cheapest which are certainly worth a visit or more.

#1 | Black Cat in Hackney

There is a daily menu here and you can conveniently order through Whatsapp if you wish. There are really decent sized portions served and the menu is reasonably priced. You’ll find a range of flavours found in the homemade recipes produced from scratch, with influences from different cuisines from around the world. Interestingly this cafe also sells books and state they tend to sell them for a cheaper price. You can find anything from a political book to a number of vegan cookbooks. This independent vegan cafe is proud of its values but it opens its doors to everyone. They make it clear that non vegans are also very welcome. Check out their insta page to be tempted, you’ll also notice Black cat cafe won the best vegan brunch in recent years, another reason to pay a visit!

• Mains from £7.50
• Dine in and take away but no delivery.
• Nearest tube station: Hackney central and Hackney Downs.

 

#2 | Bonnington Cafe in Vauxhall

The Bonnington cafe is a vegan and vegetarian community run cafe. If you have a passion for cooking and want to get more involved in your local community then this could be for you as this cafe welcomes new cooks to join their team. Another great money saving aspect about this cafe is it is an unlicensed premise so you’re able to bring your own drink. They simply ask for a donation of 50p for the glass hire. If bringing your own booze is something that you like the sound of then you may also want to check out our top bring your own booze restaurants. Furthermore the Bonnington cafe has also received a mention in Timeout for being one of the best vegan-friendly restaurants in London.

• Mains: £9
• Dine in and take away but no delivery
• Nearest tube station: Vauxhall

 

#3 | The Canvas Cafe in the Brick Lane area

The Canvas Cafe is a cosy and colourful cafe which serves homemade vegan breakfast and lunch options at very reasonable prices. There is a real community feel here and positive vibe. There is also a creative venue and community hub based here and they offer their space at the community hub free of charge to anyone wishing to run free events that will help others, they simply ask for a small donation which will help to provide food and drinks to the homeless in the local area.

• Breakfast from £3.50 and lunch from £6.50
• Dine in or take away.
• Nearest tube station: Liverpool street and Aldgate East.

 

#4 | The Retreat Kitchen in Richmond

The Retreat Kitchen is a cafe with a warm and friendly atmosphere. There are a tempting selection of cakes and pastries as well as healthy breakfast and lunch options being served here. This cafe also has excellent views and holds an outstanding five star Tripadvisor rating. It has got to be worth a visit.

• Breakfast from £8, lunch from £7.50 and take away options from £4. Pastries from £2.50.
• Dine in and take away, no delivery option.
• Nearest tube station: Richmond.

 

#5 | Cafe Van Gogh in Brixton

Cafe Van Gogh is community run and a not for profit cafe. There is a large inside seating area over two floors and they even offer a Sunday roast. You can visit here for a reasonably priced bite to eat and also have the option to use the pay forward scheme in place at Cafe Van Gogh if you wish to, which allows you to discreetly choose to buy a suspended coffee for someone else in need to claim at a later point. A lovely idea and way to give to another person in challenging circumstances. The cafe also strives to be a zero waste venue.

• Prices from £3 for brunch, lunch options from £4 and evening main meals from £13.
• Dine in and take away but no delivery option.
• Nearest tube station: Oval.

 

#6 | What the pitta! In Camden, Croydon and Brick Lane

If you’re looking for a quick and easy place to stop by for a vegan bite to eat then you’ve got to try what the pitta! This eatery welcomes you to indulge in the best vegan doner kebabs, is conveniently situated in three locations across the city and was voted best London take away winner in 2020. The menu is 100% vegan and plant based. They pride themselves on offering great value for money meal deals but you can simply order a main from the menu starting from £4.95 for a chick’n nugget wrap. Worth a visit and definitely a place you can enjoy a range of tempting flavours.

• Mains from £4.95.
• Dine in, curbside pick-up and no-contact delivery.
• Nearest tube station: Camden Town for the Camden restaurant, Shoreditch High Street/Liverpool street or Aldgate East for Brick Lane restaurant. Please note that there is not a tube station in Croydon but instead you can arrive by train, tram or bus to East Croydon station for the Croydon restaurant.

 

Point to remember:

Some cafes will offer a loyalty scheme on drinks purchased. Watch out for this and be sure to ask when you visit as some places aren’t so quick to advertise this. This type of loyalty card typically works in a way that you get a stamp for each hot drink you pay for, then after you have had a certain number of hot drinks you can receive a free one. It’s a great incentive to keep you coming back for more and it always tastes even better when you finally drink your free one!