The all-you-can-eat lunchtime buffet, available from midday to 3.30pm, is good value for money: £7.50 to eat-in or £5.50 for a takeaway box. There’s a selection of tasty raw salads and hot dishes to choose from.

The evening à la carte service starts at 6pm, when the small restaurant fills up quickly. With its minimal decor and candlelit tables, 222 Vegan Cuisine has a cosy, unpretentious atmosphere. The menu is equally down to earth. Starters include homemade soup, a bean and tofu pancake, and pitta bread with dips. The hearty mains include a roast, pasta basilico, pumpkin and pine nut risotto, a tofu veggie burger and the customers’ favourite, seitan stroganoff. Simple dishes, but full of flavour. There are also salads and a couple of raw dishes, if you fancy something lighter. Desserts include tofu cheesecake, ice cream and raw chocolate torte. To quench your thirst: hot drinks, fresh juices and smoothies, and wine and beer with affordable organic options.

The wholesome, satisfying food at 222 Vegan Cuisine is no doubt what makes the restaurant so popular among vegans and non-vegans alike. It’s a big hit with families too. Make sure you book ahead for dinner – the word is definitely out.

Outside, the cafe’s colourful stripes call for attention, but inside the atmosphere is relaxed and unpretentious. You’ll find the menu, which changes daily, on a chalkboard behind the counter where you place your order.

There are three or four hearty mains, vegan versions of British ‘favourites’ that often include a tofu burger with chips; a curry; and a hearty, traditional meal such as shepherd’s pie with lentils, ‘chicken’ pot pie or fishless and chips.

There are also tasty pizzas, layered with vegan cheese and topped with soya, that you can buy whole or by the slice. The salad is a fancy, expertly dressed mix of vegetables, slaw and grains. It comes in two sizes and is served with bread (available gluten-free). There are also stacks of vegan sausage rolls and samosas to tempt you at the counter, if you’re after a snack, and a range of decadent desserts (cakes, brownies, meringue, ice cream) if you’re in the mood for something sweet.

Of a weekend, the cafe services brunch. Vegan croissants, pain au chocolat, and a big cooked breakfast of vegan sausage, tofu scramble, mushrooms, tomatoes, homemade beans and toast.

Drinks include delicious, flavoured soya milkshakes and a good selection of hot and soft drinks. Alcohol isn’t served, but you can bring your own for a small corkage fee.

As well as the food from the menu, you can also buy lots of vegan snacks and chocolates, tofu, tempeh, vegan cheese and other fresh food to take home.

Following rapid change in Hackney and an explosion of new bars and restaurants nearby, Black Cat’s popularity is growing. There may be fewer punks and more prams at the tables, but it’s a sign of the cafe’s success that it’s equally loved by both vegans and others alike. With such a range of appetising options, it’s no surprise.

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 restaurant first opened in 1985 under the name Bhelpuri House. Inside, the room is divided, with some tables near the buffet and others set up on a lower level. The finer details might escape you at first as your attention will likely be on the restaurant’s defining characteristic: wall to wall posters, newspaper articles, celebrity photos and pseudo-facts (‘carrots keep you younger!’) about the benefits of living a vegetarian lifestyle. It’s well-intentioned and sincere – done, in their words, to ‘inform, amuse and inspire’.

The buffet changes daily, but you’ll usually find a selection of half a dozen hot dishes (vegetable curries, dhal, rice), fried onion snacks, bread, cold salads (onion, carrot, beetroot, red and white cabbage) and fresh pear and mango sides. Staff can answer any questions about the dishes and their ingredients, and point out what meets different dietary requirements (most of the buffet is vegan). A long refrigerator along the wall has a selection of soft drinks. And there’s a table menu with Indian desserts, and dairy or soy lassis.

While the price of the buffet has risen to £7.95 (half price for a takeaway box), Indian Veg remains a reasonably priced option for great-tasting vegetarian and vegan Indian food in London.

Indian Veg offers free food to anyone who is homeless, during normal opening hours.

Galettes are Maloko’s raison d’être. Made from buckwheat – which is neither a grain nor related to wheat, but a distant relative of rhubarb – the galettes are gluten-free. There’s a range of vegetarian or vegan fillings to choose from, including sweet potato, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, goats cheese, beetroot and jerk tofu. Served with a fresh side salad, the galettes are crispy on the outside and bursting with flavour on the inside. Size-wise, galette can be a substantial lunch or a more-than-adequate dinner.

Also on the menu are traditional crêpes with sweet fillings, and teas, coffees and reasonably priced fresh juices.

If you’re looking for somewhere south of the river that’s informal, friendly and a little bit different, Maloko’s the place.

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.