A local’s guide to the best cafes in Brixton, South London, breakfast spots and bakeries to get a fix of croissants, pains au chocolat, coffee and pastries!
I like Brixton a lot, and while I don’t have much time lately to go down South from Tottenham, where I currently live, I’ve had many opportunities to find the best cafes in Brixton in the past.
You know what I’m like, if you’ve been to The Working Line before; as a full-time blogger, what I look for mostly in town are the best cafes to work in London, because I rarely travel without my laptop and my three hundred chargers.
Today, I felt like sharing some of the best cafes in Brixton, from San Marino cafe – one of the best Italian cafes in London probably – to Cafe Van Gogh, perfect if you’re looking for vegan cafes in Brixton for anything from coffee to breakfast.
London’s 10 Best Cafes in Brixton and Breakfast Spots
If you ask me what I was doing in Brixton, I’ll almost always answer the same thing: Brixton Village, of course.
Being half Moroccan, my hair is such that I need to feed the curls as much as I can, and in Brixton Village, a few shops sell some of the best shea butter you can ever find in London.
The trips to buy just a few packs of raw shea butter would cost a lot if I only traveled to South London for shea butter, and that’s how I’ve come to know about the best cafes in Brixton; a lot of these I’ll mention here today.
Whether you’re looking for the best brunch in Brixton or simply the best coffee, you’ll find everything you need here today!
Best Cafes in Brixton: San Marino Cafe
If you’re ever looking for proper Italian coffee in London, then you’ll need to spend some time at San Marino Cafe in Brixton.
Sicilian-inspired and a family-run business, San Marino Cafe is a very welcoming coffee shop right in the heart of Brixton Road, which offers not only lots of Italian pastries and breakfast bites, but English breakfast as well.
You must know by now that after living in Rome, Italy for a year, and planning to move back there as soon as possible, I am always on the lookout to have a proper Italian breakfast or coffee.
And San Marino Cafe, you’ll find some of the strongest Italian Arabica coffee and, all inclusive that it is, also offers lots of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu, perfected to cater to all.
Best Vegan Cafe in Brixton: Cafe Van Gogh
You would never think that you can find almost the same Jewish-style artichokes at Cafe Van Gogh as the ones in the Jewish Ghetto restaurants in Rome, and yet, the small non-profit cafe restaurant in Brixton has done it.
The menu is eclectic and tasty, and if you’re looking for a completely vegan cafe in Brixton, then Cafe Van Gogh is your guy.
On the menu, lots of faux-cheese, cashew and leek carbonara, vegan burgers, of course, and vegan curry dishes are offered to diners happy to have found a proper homely coffee shop that really caters to greedy stomachs.
If you’re looking for the best cafes in Brixton for coffee and a hearty breakie, Cafe Van Gogh is also open for brunch, lunch, and Sunday Roast.
Best Cafes in Brixton: Balance Coffee
Balance Coffee is one of the smallest cafes in Brixton I’ll mention today, and it’s also one of the most inviting.
I love the atmosphere you can find in independent coffee shops, and at Balance Coffee, you’ll find only a few seats – the highlight of the cafe is the warm welcome you’ll have upon setting foot inside.
On the menu, fresh pastries, croissants, brownies, along with sandwiches, wraps, and freshly-pressed juices.
If you’re looking for the best coffee in Brixton, their single-origin coffee cups are strong and will wake you up in no time.
Really one of the most unassuming – yet best cafes in Brixton, with just a few seats here and there but the warmest welcome you’ll find in London.
Best Cafes To Study in Brixton: Caya
Caya is best known for being one of the best study cafes to work in London, since at the back of the coffee shop, you will find a stunningly quiet coworking space filled with students and digital nomads focused on making it happen.
It’s also one of the cheapest, almost free coworking spaces in London, with a fee fixed at £2 per hour, during which you can also enjoy unlimited free coffee and tea.
However, if you are just looking for the best cafes in Brixton to hang out and have some coffee, you’ll find on the Caya menu lots of pastries, cakes, and sandwiches that are all delicious, in addition to vegan cakes as well.
One of the quietest cafes in Brixton, and one of the best places to write in London, read, or really just have some of the best coffee in Brixton before discovering the area.
Best Cafes in Brixton: Stir Coffee
If you like the coffee shop vibe as we understand it; cute, with a nice decor and fresh pastries, then you’ll love Stir Coffee.
One of the most famous and best cafes in Brixton in my opinion, since it is one of the coffee shops where you can get the best coffee in Brixton, strong and sweet, from Mission Coffee Works and Man vs. Machine coffee roasters.
And one of the best bookshop cafes in London too!
The wooden benches are perfect if you’d like to come with your other half, but beyond that, Stir Coffee probably is one of the best cafes to study in Brixton as well.
You’ll find there is free WiFi at Stir Coffee, in addition to power outlets where you can charge your phone and your laptop and work for some time.
Plus, if you’ve been looking for a vegan cafe in Brixton, the menu also caters to vegetarians and vegans, as much with the drinks as with the food.
Read: Best Cheap Pizza in London: Neapolitan & Roman
Best Cafes in Brixton: Federation Coffee
Located in the Brixton Village Market, close to some of the shops I usually visit to get my raw shea butter and black soap, you’ve got Federation Coffee, perfect to hang out for a bit of time before paying a visit to the food stalls and artisanal shops in Brixton Village.
This is probably one of my favorite coffee shops in Brixton, to be fair, because the vibe at Federation Coffee is cozy and warm, and I always know I’m going to have a great breakfast when visiting the cafe.
Since Federation Coffee is a tiny coffee shop, it’s often very busy, and it’s certainly as popular as the Brixton Village Market.
The quality of the coffee is the highlight of Federation Coffee, which sources its coffee beans from a local coffee roaster, Curve Roasters.
Avocado toasts, grilled cheese sandwiches, croissants, and a very unique espresso-soaked banana bread – Federation Coffee is the perfect spot for a pick-me-up indeed, and the best brunch in Brixton as well.
Best Cafes To Study in Brixton: Brixton Blend
Brixton Blend is one of the trendiest and best cafes in Brixton whether you’re looking for a breakfast spot and a vegan cafe in Brixton, or just a cool coffee shop to study for a while.
There are power outlets throughout the coffee shop, and enough seats that you won’t feel bad for staying a little bit while working on your laptop, especially on the upper floor of the coffee shop.
On the Brixton Blend menu, you’ll find gluten free cakes, vegan goodies and amazing coffee from two of the best coffee roasters in London: Assembly Coffee and Volcano Coffee Works.
One of the best cafes in Brixton overall, from the cool vibe to the delicious coffee and the fact it is one of the best study cafes in Brixton.
Best Cafes in Brixton: F. Mondays
F. Mondays is a very simple and beautiful cafe in Brixton Hill, all wooden and decorated with plants that give it a dreamy feel.
At F. Mondays, you’ll find some of the best brunch in Brixton, crafted from seasonal and local produce from Covent Garden Market and local shops that sell their veggies, vegan cakes, and coffee to F. Mondays.
Since F. Mondays does not offer free WiFi, I wouldn’t recommend this coffee shop if you’re looking for cafes to study in Brixton.
Rather, if you’d like to bring your friends or your partner to have a lowkey romantic breakfast date on a Saturday morning, then the utterly delicious brunch menu, ever-changing according to the seasonal produce F. Mondays finds from local businesses, will have you hooked.
Best Vegan Cafe in Brixton: Blank Brixton
Blank Brixton is perfect if you’re looking for places to have the best brunch in Brixton. It’s also one of the most pet friendly cafes in London overall; if you’d like to bring your well-behaved pup, that is possible.
Blank Brixton focuses on making new friends out of strangers, and everything on the menu is fresh, homemade, tainted with New Zealand, British and Jamaican flavors.
If you’re just looking for the best coffee in Brixton, you can definitely hang out at Blank Coffee for a bit while having some stunning fritters and cake, but if you’re after the best cafes in Brixton for brunch, then you won’t want to leave once you’re there… especially since it’s a completely vegan cafe.
Read: The Best Vegan Bakeries in London
Best Cafes in Brixton: Kata Kata
One of the most colorful coffee shops in Brixton Hill, Kata Kata is a vegetarian and vegan cafe that focuses on fresh, homemade, and organic food.
That is an utterly cute and cozy coffee shop where you can eat for really cheap, with starters priced around £3 and £4.
Kata Kata grows their own vegetables and herbs as much as possible, and if you’re looking for gluten free restaurants in London, then that’s definitely a cafe restaurant you’re going to want to visit.
On the menu, a delicious flat bread sweetly named Farinata, buckwheat galettes French-style and jerk goat cheese – if you’re looking for a vegan cafe in Brixton, then you definitely need to pass by Kata Kata as soon as you’ve got the chance.
It’s fresh and homely, colorful and welcoming – one of the best cafes in Brixton for breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack on a lowkey romantic date.
Read: The Best 24 Hour Places to Study in London
London’s 10 Best Cafes in Brixton and Breakfast Spots
There you have them, all the best cafes in Brixton, South London to chill, really relax and have some of the best brunch and coffee in Brixton.
A lot of these coffee shops are really cute, and offer fresh, homemade food and cakes.
And of course, if you need to find a good vegan cafe in Brixton, then I can only warmly recommend Cafe Van Gogh and Katakata!