Fantastic place with comfortable wooden seating benches, pillows along the windows seating, eclectic posters and decor and buzzy but not overtly loud or obnoxious convo happening. Although £12 for my lentil burger made me blanche, the generous sides of salad and housemade slaw (I asked for no fries nor burger bun) made it all worth it. There's so much on the plate I boxed half for home (I had drank a smoothie before I had arrived here). The slaw in particular is divine: it doesn't have that gross mayo gloppiness I usually despise. It's quite fresh. There's a lovely vinaigrette on the greens and the burger has a moreish artichoke sauce. The staff is friendly as are the customers; dog-friendly too! read more

Black Cat - Vegan Near Me - London, XGL

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I totally go out of my way for a good vegan cafe or restaurant - especially when it is called "Black Cat" (I live with several black cats, so feel a kinship). My friend and I popped in for brunch on a Saturday and staff were very helpful and flexible with our orders. I got the big vegan breakfast (sans beans) and my friend got a gluten-free version that subbed a bunch of salads. Both of our meals were HUGE -- I ended up bringing home enough for breakfast the next morning! The restaurant also has a divine assortment of vegan cakes, cupcakes and desserts with MANY gluten-free options so of course we bought up about 4 items to bring for later. They also sell some packaged grocery items and have a lovely lefty/anarcho/vegan book selection. The t-shirts are 15 GBP and well worth grabbing one as a souvenir since you know the leftovers won't last the whole way home! Cafe is super cute inside with many small tables and lots of art (I especially adore the big cat mural in the bathroom). Keep in mind - they are closed on Tuesdays. :( Totally worth going out of your way -- it's not too bad of a walk from Hackney Central or Hackney Downs (check out Pemberton Pub on your way back if you have the time!). read more

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It's not that this place has flavorful vegan food, it's that this place has some of the most flavorful food I've ever had, in general. I got the tofu scramble and can't think of a better breakfast I've had in recent history. I wish I could go back and try everything on their menu! Their Americano also kicked my butt. I tried a bit of the tuna (chickpea) sandwich, and that was so delicious and comforting. This place is great. read more

Black Cat - Tofu scramble. Fantastic! - Vegan Near Me - London, XGL

Had the breakfast platter, mushrooms were amazing, lots of vegan meats and wonderful spices on the tofu eggs. Get the latte with oat milk, it's delicious! read more

Black Cat - The breakfast plate. - Vegan Near Me - London, XGL

BCC opened this morning, in the place of Pogo cafe. This is much better- good selection of food and a much nicer set up inside. They only had the breakfast today, but will start making more food soon- burgers etc. They had some cake samples on the counter- the carrot cake was awesome! This is my new favourite breakfast. Will return for sure. read more

Black Cat - cooked breakfast- bacon, pancakes and syrup, beans, cashew cheese stuffed mushroom, tofu scramble, sausage, garlic herb potato - Vegan Near Me - London, XGL

If you weren't a fan of Pogo, consider going back to try The Black Cat Cafe. They really aren't comparable at all; the food is actually warm and the atmosphere much more welcoming. We had the fry up and for a pretty standard dish it was a nice take (Vegusto sausage, tasty pancake instead of bread, homemade baked beans, etc...) They still sell a lot of books and other vegan products to take away (Vegusto, Go Max bars, drinks, and more). There were only two menu items the day I visited. I'm not sure if this is standard or not, but just in case it's a variety you're after you might want to ring ahead to see what's on offer. read more

Black Cat - Vegan fry up! - Vegan Near Me - London, XGL

I got a really great salad mix - sliced beetroot, greens, beans and couscous. An overloaded takeaway box was £4.5. I would likely have given even higher scores if I had tried the smoked tofu burger but it was sold out just as I placed an order. I have to negate a star as well for the terrible chocolate coconut round cake. It looks delicious but tastes look most vegan desserts: chalky and just odd. The place is warm and packed with people and conversation yet still comes across as chill and cozy. read more

Generally I don't go out of my way for vegan cafes, it's a bit of a step too far for me and I don't feel massively better for my health at the end of it all. But Black Cat Cafe is the first time I think I would genuinely come back, for their delicious cakes and pastries, their mind blowingly good milkshakes (with no real milk of course), and their INCREDIBLE looking salads and meals! First up, the actual cafe. It's a medium sized cafe that has large windows that open up, and we were lucky enough to visit while they had them open and letting the fresh air and breeze in - completely relaxing and full of the good ol' summer vibes! They have a bunch of stools and chairs so you can squeeze a bunch of people around the tables, and a large menu stuck on the back wall for people to read. They sell a bunch of vegan ingredients and foodstuffs as well as their own cooked/baked goods. All in all, a really comfortable and relaxing space to sit and read/chat! The coffee? Was good, but just be careful about their coffee as the milk is almond or soy. Not bad, but the taste of it overpowers the actual coffee so it sort of tasted like a strange horlicks to me instead of a coffee. Again, not bad, just not what I expected! And finally, the food! We had a muffin to share which was moreish and so damn good. Would happily eat that instead of a regular muffin! We didn't eat any of the savoury meals but from what I could see and hear from the other customers, looked amazing! BCC is on the hit list for a repeat visit for brunch, and that's from the strength of its milkshakes and cakes. But the best thing is that this is a workers cooperative, which really hammers home the message they're trying to say and backing it up with action! Also helps that it's easy on the wallet! read more

Black Cat - Plum and almond muffin, licked the paper case clean! - Vegan Near Me - London, XGL

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We came here on a Friday afternoon for lunch. Arrived just after lunch time and hence we were able to get a cozy table for the five of us. Ordered at the till and had our food and coffee served to us. Food was impeccable! HIGHLY recommend the vegan lasagna and the curry. The salads were yummy as well for a very affordable price of £4.50. Coffee was not too bad, although not spectacular. Service was efficient and we did not feel as though we were rushed to complete our meal. LOVED the experience, although getting here was kind of a hassle as it is far from central London. Highly recommend this place though! read more

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My favourite cafe, this is the place to be for vegans! 100% vegan menu which changes based on which fresh vegetables they have that day, but which usually includes brunch dishes, salad bowls, cakes and snacks. I have had the fry up here which is a biggggg big big dish, in fact all of the portions are ginormous. (You can ask for a takeaway tub if you don't finish) It was great! The "bacon" was better than I'd had before and the "scrambled eggs" amazing! I also had a cheeky "sausage roll". I had to question "are we sure this is a vegan cafe?!" because I was fooled into thinking these must be the real thing. (I actually asked the waitress just to check...=p) Magical =] Also incredible are the soy/almond milkshakes and the cakes, some of which are also gluten free! Amazing amazing amazing! I've already been back once and I can't wait to go again =] read more

This is a nice spot with a good menu and pleasant service. My last visit was on a Friday night, so seating was tight but there was no wait. I had a salad and shake. The salad had a lot of flavor and the shake was delightful. Everyone minds their business but it's also conducive to conversation if that's your jam. read more

Starving at my friends house who have no vegan food except for oranges I wandered down to Black Cat. Comfortable. Has wifi. Books and magazines available. And everything is 100% vegan. A good start. I ordered a butter bean and spinach curry which came with an onion Bhaji for £7.50. Service was friendly (as expected in a vegan cafe). The food came out within 15 minutes and the portion was huge! I ended up leaving some rice at the end as there was so much which is a welcome change to traditional vegan cafe rules. The Bhaji was the first Bhaji I've had since being vegan and tastes divine. The rice was fluffy and the curry was lightly spicy, well textured with beans of different hardness and the sauce was well balanced. I found the sauce slightly watery, but given the surprising portion size, and the fact that this curry hit a spot that no American attempt at an Indian curry has hit for a long time (I usually live in America) 5 stars is deserved. Thank you Black Cat. (This review was written in December 2016 and remained as a draft until I realized this did not post April 2018.) read more

5 stars, no doubt, and I haven event tried their regular food (that looked amazing btw). Came here for some coffee and cake and all I got was AMAZING customer service, the girl that took my order was super nice, smiling and being an absolute sweetheart. The coffee was great and the vegan poppyseed cake was delicious. Really good prices and the menu is quite amazing, so give it a go!!!!! read more

Without hesitation one of the best restaurants in hackney. The food is healthy and soooo savory. The veggie burger is the best one I had so far in London and they have a selection of curries, veggie omelettes and of course delicious salads - don't be misled the small salad is actually quite filling! They also sell anticapitalist and alternative books, vegan food - but very expensive - and they have organised a veggie box pick up service with food from local farmers. The staff is always lovely and if you want to have a glass of wine with your meal, they will give you glasses but won't ask for any money. Great for lonely dinners after a long day when you feel lazy and don't want to cook but also for a nice lunch with a friend :) the customers are very diverse and usually friendly and they all love the food. read more

Ok, so I'm not vegan or vegetarian so the whole menu was mine! I actually went once in early April for the first time and then enjoyed it so much I went again with more friends. Both were evening visits and it was busy but not crowded. A lively atmosphere. I had an amazing soup, the burger and sweet potato fries on my second visit. The burger came with a delicious fresh salad. Generous portions. On my first visit I also had a "milk shake" smoothie! Super friendly service on both occasions. There's no alcohol served, so don't forget to bring your own wine or beer. My 2 negative points are it'd be better if there were menus on tables rather than the blackboard near the counter and it was really hot on my second visit. But with Summer approaching, I'm sure the front doors will be open to allow some cool air in. I can't wait for my next visit! read more

I love this place. The food is always hearty, delicious and affordable. The safe are kind and super interesting. They support vegan community projects and grassroots activism. If you are ever hungry this is the place to go you will come away happy. read more

Black Cat - Vegan gyro - Vegan Near Me - London, XGL

Nice trendy spot that is big on the communal eating experience. As the name implies it's designed for vegans but even non-vegans will enjoy the food. Great selection of pastries and smoothies. read more

Stellar food and quality for the price. Loved the selection of desserts as well! High recommend the milkshakes!

This is seriously one of the best fry ups i've ever had. Including the meat ones before I went vegetarian. If you are ever in the area (it's a little out of the way) you should check this out. This is so good it makes me want to move to east london just do i'm near. The coffee would also rank among one of the best i've had in london which was surprising! read more

One of the few entirely vegan spaces in East London. It's much better than the previous vegan space in the same location The menu changes regularly and they sell a great array of vegan snacks. The food is genuinely delicious and you will away feeling satisfied. read more

I used to live around the corner before I had to move back to the US, and every day I miss Black Cat so much! Can't wait to come back to visit. Excellent homestyle vegan cooking in an awesome environment. Lots of great literature and merchandise to peruse while you wait for your food. read more

Came for coffee and cake with my mother in law and baby last week, lovely experience. Guy serving was really helpful and the coffee and cinnamon swirl both amazing! Great value for money, would definitely rather come here than somewhere like Costa or Starbucks. I'm a meateater and have to say the menu looked very appealing, will be back for a weekend brunch soon. Plenty of space inside and a truly relaxed atmosphere. Also has wifi. read more

AHHHH VEGAN HEAVEN. Recently turned vegan, and brought my family here to demonstrate that doesnt mean only eating lettuce, and it didnt dissappoint! We arrived about 1pm on a Sunday and it was HUGELY busy, we had to sit on separate tables, but after about ten minutes, someone kindly offered us their table as they were leaving. Table sorted, my apprehensive and carnivorous family ordered the soup of the day- leek and potato, falafel and the vegan fry-up. The food was out quickly, and it was AMAZING, Tasty replacements, fresh locally sources organic veggies- I have never tasted anything quite like it. The flavour of everything tasted magnified- surely a credit to the quality of the food- and my mother, who doesnt eat much of anything, ever, kept eating and said it was the best place we'd eaten! The small vegan shop to the side was reasonably priced, and the product was great. The only small issue was with availability- we were unable to reserve a table in advance, and the menu wasn't available as it changes daily dependent on the food available- but these little niggles were definitely worth it for an amazing experience! ooh and their pastries/cakes were beautiful! read more

I read the glowing reviews and was really keen to try this place. We were really disappointed with the service, however, which was rude and unwelcoming. The staff were playing very loud 'alternative' music and obviously resented my asking if they might turn it down a little (they said they would, but in fact, did not). I could barely hear my companion speaking. The place was busy and the staff seemed to know everyone by name, so I suppose the clientele is largely made up of locals. After about 15 minutes of being aurally assaulted and still having not been served our coffees, we decided to go elsewhere for lunch. read more

this place is a Godsend super tea love the coffee great stuff read more

Black Cat is my number one vegan place in London because it's independent & down to earth, the chef has a good knack for flavours, the dishes are hearty and filling, the servers are friendly, and I can often buy vegan goodies to take away that are not (yet) sold anywhere else in London. Love it! read more