The sweet and the savoury: London cafes

Those who know me well, know that I love cafes. Like most big cities, London is full of interesting cafes and I love exploring them. In my blog post to bring in the New Year, I profile some of my firm favourites on the independent cafe scene.

Balance

42-43 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, London SE1 7RG

One of the relatively newer cafes on Lower Marsh, it does very interesting and tasty salads, and there's a range of great sandwiches and cakes too. My photo features the tuna and cucumber bloomer.

Bankside Cafe

4 Benson House, Hatfields, Waterloo, London SE1 8DQ

A proper "caff": big portions, piping hot, hearty breakfasts and a whole range of other dishes. My personal favourite: chips, beans and mushrooms!

Delicious chips, beans and mushrooms at Bankside Cafe

Bar Italia

22 Frith Street, Soho, London W1D 4RF

Well, what can I say? Without doubt Soho's most famous Italian cafe, opened in 1949 by the Polledri family and still going strong today, retro in feel and untouched on the interior. It's located almost directly opposite the legendary Ronnie Scott's nightclub and has a scooter club, so if you're lucky you might be there on a day when all the shiny mopeds turn up! My favourite sandwich is the toasted mozzerella, tomato and basil panini (pictured). They sprinkle a touch of sea salt on the outside of the bread and it's just delicious. And their hot chocolate is by far the best I've ever tasted anywhere. Bar Italia website.

EV

The Arches, 97-99 Isabella Street, Waterloo, London SE1 8DD

EV is owned by Tas Restaurants. It's my cafe of choice for meeting up with friends who haven't been there before because I just know that, like me, they will fall in love with it. It's big and spacious, with a beautiful seated area outside. Tucked away from the main roads, it enjoys an unusually quiet location surrounded by beautiful flowering trees and shrubs planted and maintained by EV. Baking is done on the premises and the Turkish flatbread is delicious, as are the range of quiches. There's a wide choice of salads and at lunchtime on weekdays there's a selection of hot dishes from the self-serve counter. My favourite meal is the homemade red lentil soup with flatbread. EV website.

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Foodillic

I stumbled across this lovely little cafe in King's Cross while working in an office there for a while in 2018. Sadly, this particular branch seems to have gone but I wanted to mention it because of the great food (raw, vegetarian, vegan and organic) and the beautiful furniture (pictured), which fascinated me. There's a branch at 85 Putney High St, Putney, London SW15 1SR, and two branches in Brighton. Foodillic website.

Four Corners Cafe

12 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, London SE1 7RJ

A very popular, friendly cafe with travel memorabilia and a tasty range of sandwiches, soups and cakes. There's a large mosaic-style coffee table, which is great if you're with a group of people. My favourites are the homemade soup with bread, and the delicious hot chocolate. Four Corners

website.

Greensmiths

27 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, London SE1 7RG

Greensmiths has a lovely cafe on the upper floor, with a domed glass roof. While there, it's worth exploring the store and its wide range of foods: fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs, artisan bread, honey, jams, dairy produce, nuts, seeds, cereals, teas, juices, and more. Greensmiths website.

Love & Scandal

43 York Road, Waterloo, London SE1 7NJ

Run by my dear friend Erbay, this cafe used to be on Lower Marsh but relocated to York Road, just a couple of minutes from Waterloo Station. Erbay is so knowledgeable about nutrition, and I love popping in to see him for a cuppa, a catch-up and some delicious food. Love & Scandal Facebook page.

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Over The Road Cafe

229 Union Street, London SE1 0LR

I absolutely love this cafe. I've been going there regularly throughout 2019 and it's such a welcoming, friendly place - the staff are fantastic and I can literally spend hours in there. It's on the site of the Union Street Theatre and there's a really nice vibe, with theatre-goers milling around before and after the plays that are performed there. The breakfasts are delicious and there's a varied menu, including vegetarian and vegan options. OTR Cafe website.

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Pret A Manger

Not a small independent cafe, of course. But I'm including it here because I love their soya latte, which is made with organic milk and is consistently excellent whichever branch I go to. And they have the most generous incentive I've seen for customers bringing their own reusable cups, offering 50p off each hot drink. This sits well with my commitment to taking a recycle/re-use/re-purpose approach to life whenever I can.

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The Community Bookshop

Willesden Lane, Kilburn, London NW6 7TA

I found this bookshop and cafe by chance after I went to a Senegalese drumming workshop in Kilburn. It has a great community ethic. I sat outside in the evening sun with a friend, enjoying a coffee and admiring the lovely window display of second-hand books. The collection covers fiction, history, travel, art, gardening, cooking, languages and children's books as well as a range of gift items. The Community Bookshop Twitter page.

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Travelling Through Bookshop and Cafe

This bookshop and cafe used to be in Lower Marsh, London SE1 but, sadly for its fans, it closed down in 2019. I wanted to include it here because I have such fond memories of its fantastic collection of books, the cosy basement cafe, and the seated area in a little walled garden outside. Happily, their work goes on in different but just as exciting ways - check out owner Emma Carmichael's fab new book, Driving Tito : Through the Balkan Backroads with a Celebrity, and follow Travelling Through's Facebook page for news of their latest adventures!

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Woody Grill

211-213 Kilburn High Road, Kilburn, London NW6 7JG

A restaurant with the informal atmosphere of a cafe. We used to go there as a group during our Senegalese drumming workshops nearby, My favourite dish is halloumi and falafel with salad. Woody Grill website.

Halloumi, houmous, salad and flatbreat at Woody Grill, Kilburn

Do you have a favourite independent cafe in London? If so, please feel free to share with others by posting on my Sunflowerbee Facebook page.

For more photos of yummy foods, head to my Food gallery.

Blog copyright Barbara Grehs

Published on 31 December 2019

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