The cafe isn’t run by a single person but a collective of member cooks who also maintain the space. While some of the cooks do have recurring shifts, the arrangement means no two days are the same and what’s on offer is truly international.

There’s always a starter (£3), a main (£8) and a dessert (£3). Each usually has two options to choose between, and will likely include a vegan and gluten-free dish. At least one night a week, the menu is entirely vegan. The cafe is unlicensed, but you’re encouraged to bring your own alcohol. There’s no corkage fee, but there is a 50p charge for a glass.

The bohemian spirit of the cafe is squarely linked to the history of Bonnington Square, in which it sits. In the 1980s, the square was left vacant. Houses were scheduled for demolition, but squatters moved in, occupied the buildings and, over time, came to own them. The squatters formed a housing collective and established a community garden. They set up Bonnington Centre and, inside, a vegetarian cafe providing a good, cheap meal for the community.

Today, the centre offers yoga and pilates classes, provides counselling and hosts film nights and community events. And, after more than 30 years, Bonnington Café remains one of south London’s unique treasures. It’s popular and busy, so book a table in advance by contacting the chef through the cafe’s website.

Don’t forget to bring cash — cards aren’t accepted.

The lunch and dinner menus change every week, but you’ll find creative dishes such as a beetroot burger served with beetroot chips and slaw; jackfruit and aubergine shawarma; vegan mac ‘n’ cheese; lentil bolognese on penne; and jerk plantain with mango salsa and turmeric cous cous.

On the tantalising Saturday brunch menu: huevos rancheros with homefries and smoky black beans; jerk plantain with scrambled tofu; a full vegan ‘traditional’ cooked breakfast, and more. The Sunday menu holds its own too, with a nut roast wellington served with roast vegetables and gravy. The food is always tasty and the portions generous.

When you enter the cafe, vibrant Van Gogh prints and impressionist murals welcome you into an airy room that opens up onto a large courtyard with seating. Colourful fairy lights lead the way up a spiral staircase to a charming room with many angles, many small windows and ‘The Starry Night’ painted on the ceiling.

There’s nothing pretentious about Café Van Gogh – with its chequered tablecloths and bric-a-brac on the shelves – and that’s probably why it attracts a good mix of people. It’s the type of relaxed place you can enjoy with a group or on your own. It’s the norm to see people reading the weekend papers or working with a coffee. So, if you’re looking for a quirky, arty cafe with great food and friendly staff, you’ve found it.

Inside Ms Cupcake, you’ll find freshly baked cupcakes, layer cakes, cookies, muffins, squares, sandwiches, savoury treats, milkshakes and ice-cream sodas. Everything is 100% vegan and a fair share of the baked goods are free from wheat and gluten. Most customers probably don’t even realise this, which is a testament to the texture and flavour of the cakes.

The bakery has an open-plan layout, which means everything is baked and decorated on the premises in front of customers. The friendly staff are more than happy to talk you through their wide range of mouth-watering cupcakes (including lemon, banoffee, strawberry champagne, black forest, raspberry cheesecake, rose and red velvet); brownies (including Oreo and walnut); and many other decadent treats.

Most of the cupcakes are priced at £2.60, and the other sweet treats at around £3. Thankfully, being naughty won’t break the bank.

The sweet treats are popular, so it’s a good thing that the stall is well stocked. You’ll find cakes such as blueberry and lavender, lemon and rosemary, carrot and date, and zebra marble; and tarts like chocolate and pear, berry jam, chocolate frangipane and almond frangipane. There are a few more unusual flavour combinations to choose from, like black pepper and strawberry, if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous. And there’s usually a selection of biscuits and muffins on offer, too.

The savoury offerings include delicious pastries, Italian breads such as focaccia, pizza and quiche (for example, spinach, leek, pea and kale), which can be served with a side salad.

Giancarlo is full of passion for vegan baking, and this shines through when you talk to him at the stall. His friendliness and great flavours will no doubt keep you, like many others, going back for more.

To find out where the stall will be popping up next, see Vegan Sweet Tooth’s Facebook page.