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, you’ll find a room of high contrast: a Scandinavian-esque decor of sharp blacks and white brick, marble tabletops and leather seats. Among the booths and tables stand a dozen birch trees – a surprising and striking addition that creates the atmosphere of an upmarket outdoor cafe. It’s a carefully crafted aesthetic that’s contemporary and minimal, with just enough low lighting and colour for warmth.

The food at Ethos is served buffet style. In the evenings, a table service is offered; a server will seat you and bring a menu with additional starters, drinks and desserts. Otherwise, the buffet is spread across three serving areas: cold salads, hot food and desserts. You help yourself and pay at the till; the weight of your plate will determine the cost.

All of the buffet dishes are made on the day and refilled until they run out (sometimes earlier than may be expected). The last top-up is 30 minutes before closing time. As with most buffets, the selections change depending on the time of day. In the evening, you might find Middle Eastern cuisine (baba ganoush, falafel, pitta), Italian (gnocchi, ricotta marinara, arancini), Asian stirfry, Thai corn fritters, sweet potato shepherd’s pie, and an impressive array of spinach dishes. And each week there’s a new ‘chef’s special’.

Breakfast is served on weekdays, brunch on Sunday, and takeaway is available daily. There’s even afternoon tea, with a changing selection of sandwiches, cakes, scones and clotted cream.

Ethos’s particular offering – a variety of healthy, tasty food and sophisticated presentation – has proven to be a popular combination. There’s often a queue, so get in early. It’s worth the wait.

Food at Govinda’s is served canteen-style: you get to see the options, order and pay at the counter, and dine wherever there’s a free seat. At peak lunch and dinner times, the restaurant fills up with people from all walks of life, and there’s an informal, friendly atmosphere.

There’s a wide selection of Indian and non-Indian food. All dishes are vegetarian, and many are suitable for vegans. In line with Hare Krishna beliefs, all of Govinda’s food is free from onion, garlic and mushrooms – you may expect this to impact upon the taste of the Indian dishes, but it doesn’t, they are expertly flavoured.

The restaurant’s signature dish is the all-you-can-eat thali: two vegetable curries, rice, chapattis and a side salad, all served on a large silver plate with the invitation to come back for more. If you’re not feeling quite so hungry, you can choose a smaller thali, or any of the curries as a main.

If you’re not in the mood for Indian cuisine, you can try a veggie burger, pizza, lasagne, egg-free quiche or spinach roll instead, all of which can be served with salad. There are at least 10 different fresh salads available, from simple greens to more adventurous combinations like mango, celery and walnut. All of the menu items are available to take away too.

For dessert, if you can fit it in, there’s homemade ice cream, cheesecake and traditional Indian sweets. So, again, you’re spoilt for choice.

Govinda’s is definitely one of a kind – and one not to be missed.

The vegan market is a collaboration between Fat Gay Vegan (​vegan blogger Sean​ ​O’Callaghan) and EAT WORK ART, which runs Hackney Downs Studios. The stalls change each week – with the exception of a few regulars – but there’s always a good mix providing a range of tasty options. See Fat Gay Vegan’s website for details of who’ll be there next time.

You’ll find a good amount of ‘guilty pleasures’ among the healthier food options – and they really draw the crowds. There are cakes, donuts, cupcakes, ice cream and biscuits (Dough Society, Vegan Delice, Sourdough Mess, The Vegan Treaterie, The Sunny Spoon); gourmet burgers (Café SoVegan, Big V London); tacos and burritos (Club Mexicana); pie and mash (Young Vegans); Scotch eggless, sausage rolls (Food! By Lizzi); fried ‘chicken’ and ‘bacon’ (Temple of Seitan); and fishless and chips (Battered). Plus other stalls offering Vietnamese food, curries, waffles, mac ‘no’ cheese, salads and even a döner kebab.

The market is on from 11am to 5pm, but get there early as the most popular food can sell out in the first couple of hours when it’s busy.

And, don’t forget, it’s not all about the food: you’ll also find a vegan beer bar, refreshing gin cocktails, pop-up shops offering handmade vegan goods (such as soap and up-cycled clothing), and artists showcasing their work. The market is a brilliant addition to a new wave of vegan places in London and, hopefully, it’ll be the first of many.

Market stalls curated by Fat Gay Vegan are selected under an inclusive policy.

A change in post-war living and the counter-movements of the 1960s led many people to adopt vegetarianism. Manna is credited as leading the way from early on by promoting healthy and sustainable eating through a vegetarian diet. Today, the restaurant follows an animal product-free philosophy, providing a menu that is entirely vegan.

The food at Manna is international and varied with lots of interesting starters and sides. Menu items are often seasonal and there are daily specials, but on the starters list you might come across a cannelloni bean slider, cashew cheese croquettes or vegetable tempura. There’s also a mixed mezze (a choice of three starters), salads and sharing plates.

For mains, you might find fennel and pumpkin seed bangers and mash, Thai curry, an enchilada bake and a pasta dish, to name a few. The pasta is served with Manna’s signature ‘veatballs’. Chef’s specials are available, as well as a ‘build your own meal’ – a selection of four sides served as a main. To follow, there’s a selection of decadent desserts made with cashew cheese and ‘vice’ cream. There’s a good selection of organic and vegan wines and beer in-house, as well soft drinks and spirits.

The restaurant is cosy but not crowded, with a comfortable number of tables and a small conservatory at the front. The dark wooden furniture is contrasted by the white walls and accentuated by candles and decorative ceiling lights. As the acoustics are good, it’s easy to keep conversation.

After half a century in business, Manna still has a unique offering and is as popular as ever – something that many of London’s new veggie and vegan places will aspire to.

The menu is similar to Mildreds Soho’s, and most of the options are vegan. Some of the dishes have been tried and tested over the years, like the mushroom and ale pie with mushy peas and the smoked tofu burger. But there are plenty of new dishes to try as well, like the Vietnamese mock duck and rice noodle bowl, or the deep-fried buttermilk and polenta mock chicken. The tempting starters or small plates include hoummus with rose harissa and chargrilled flatbread, gyoza dumplings, and roasted miso aubergine. There’s a good selection of mouth-watering puddings, cakes and truffles that are mostly vegan. Cocktails, mocktails, organic wine, beer, cider, coffee and soft drinks are all available.

There’s a large bar area at the entrance, which, like in Mildreds Soho, is the best place to wait for a table when it’s busy. The bar also doubles as a serving table at lunchtime when salads, soup, quiche and daily specials are served. Bookings are only accepted for large groups, but the waiting times are reasonable. Staff are friendly and accommodating.

With a name and reputation firmly established, Mildreds Camden has had a lot to live up to; judging by the great food and full tables, things are going well. Good news, as a third restaurant followed in King’s Cross.

Housed in a boxy modern space with windows on three sides, the interior of Mildreds Kings Cross is a mix of modern retro and industrial chic. Canteen benches that comfortably seat 18 run down the middle, with smaller tables along the sides. It’s stylish and colourful with its posters, and its retro pink, plastic lampshades. Given the wooden surfaces and lively crowd, you might expect more noise, but the acoustics are good and it’s easy to have a conversation.

The menu offers a variety of cuisines and includes both healthy, creative dishes and more traditional comfort food. Nearly all the dishes are vegan or can be made vegan on request.

There’s a range of starters and small plates that are perfect for sharing, including watermelon, mint and tomato salad; hoummus with rose harissa and chargrilled flatbread; and roasted miso aubergine with ginger and spring onions. Of the mains you might enjoy a smoked tofu burger with cheese, a Tokyo bowl, a mushroom and ale pie or a Sri Lankan sweet potato curry, to name a few. If you have room for pudding, there’s plenty to tempt you, including a chocolate and hazelnut brownie, and a peach, strawberry and apple polenta crumble.

Bookings are only accepted for parties of 10–14, but there’s room to stand at the bar while you wait for a table. There’s a good selection of organic wines and beer, and an inventive cocktail menu. At busy times, the queue tends to weave around the tables and you can expect to wait 20 minutes or more, but it’s a testament to the quality of the food and the restaurant’s popularity. A high turnover of tables means staff are attentive and food is served quickly.

It’s hard not to compare Mildreds Kings Cross to its Soho sibling, but with the same reliable choices and welcoming attitude that has kept the original running for over 25 years, it’s doing well to live up to the well-deserved reputation.

The restaurant is housed in an 18th-century townhouse on Lexington Street: a small building, but one filled with character. The owners have always had a ‘no bookings’ policy, which means a healthy crowd inside and out. Tables, mostly set for two, are placed closely together. With a bar at the front (the best place to bide your time before being seated), the narrow space is lively and full of chatter, but not uncomfortable or too loud.

The daily specials chalkboard has been replaced in a recent refurbishment, but the menu continues to offer reliable, hearty mains like a mushroom and ale pie, Sri Lankan sweet potato and green bean curry, and smoked tofu burger. Most of the dishes are vegan or a vegan option is offered. The starters take inspiration from different cuisines; you’ll find small plates such as gyoza dumplings, pan-fried manouri cheese, artichoke crostini and pizzetta. There are also ‘superfood’ salads, and plenty of sides and desserts to choose from. A few options on the menu change seasonally.

The bar serves organic wines, beers and ciders alongside cocktails and mocktails. Most alcoholic drinks are suitable for vegans. There are fresh juices and soft drinks as well. At lunchtime, a takeaway bar offers salads, soups and quiches.

Mildreds is often said to be as popular with those who aren’t vegetarian or vegan as those who are, and it shows at the door. It’s always warm and friendly, with a busy cafe ambiance. The owners are now applying their winning formula elsewhere: a second Mildreds opened in Camden, and a third in King’s Cross.

The restaurant’s setting perfectly complements its raw-food menu: the abundance of light, plants and wooden furnishings effectively brings the outside in. It’s a stylish, comfortable place that’s perfect for intimate catch-ups with friends and family.

If you’ve never tried raw cuisine before, it’s likely that Tanya’s will convince you of its merits. The dishes are original and elegant, designed both to nourish and energise. Brunch is served from 11am to 3pm, with options including ‘avo un-toast’ (soft, dehydrated onion bread with squashed avocado and chili flakes) and cinnamon chia (chia seeds in homemade almond milk with cinnamon, vanilla and seasonal fruits). There’s a variety of cold-pressed juices and nut-milk coffees to quench your thirst.

After midday, the menu widens. You can choose from a range of salads, inspired by different cuisines, and ‘living mains’ including Thai curry kelp noodles, a nori wrap and lasagna (layers of herbed almond and cashew ricotta, sundried tomato marinara, walnut mushroom meat and basil pesto, between sheets of courgette pasta). There’s also a good selection of tasty sides and dips. The treats – ‘cheezecakes’, mini slices and raw chocolates – are just as delicious as their traditional baked counterparts. And then there’s the cafe’s speciality cocktails made with ethically sourced alcohol, fresh fruits and so-called ‘superfoods’. The combinations include hazelnut-infused vodka, cacao, acai berry, fresh raspberries and maple syrup – a cocktail aptly named ‘Filthy Rich’.

The popularity of raw-food eateries is growing in London, and Tanya’s, with its fine food and excellent service, demonstrates why.