Vegan
Pizza
Take-out
British
Fusion
Breakfast
A social enterprise of St. Margaret's House. The cafe's menu became all-vegan in 2017, offering breakfast plates, coffee and juices, burgers, sandwiches, pancakes, and pizza. Hosts a range of programs and live events. Confirmed fully vegan March 2022. Open Mon-Sun 08:30-18:00. Last orders 4pm. Hours may vary on evenings events are hosted - check website.
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21 Old Ford Rd, Bethnal Green, East London, England, E2 9PL
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 29 Feb 2024 by CommsSMH
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127 Reviews
First Review by Jemima
abarai
Points +50
Great burgers, cheap prices - Edit
Went here with my vegan partner. Vegan burgers were fantastic, and at less than £8 were the most expensive thing on the menu. They also have some themed nights - american diner night every tuesday (vegan chilli dogs etc), and tofish and chips on the last thursday of every month. Would highly recommend!
Read morePros: Great food, Relaxed atmosphere, Cheap
Cons: Slightly grumpy staff, Could be comfier
Guest
Dana2107
Points +46
Happy to visit again - Edit
Ran into this place on my app and loved it! a lot of variety, nice portions and delicious!
Read morePros: Nice vibe, Reasonable prices, Good service
Cons: not 100% vegan I guess
Guest
Pagan_Child
Points +39
An absolute must! - Edit
I must confess that I eat here on average three times a week. The food is always very well presented and tastes great. It caters for the full spectrum of tastes from fast food to soups and salads and from western dishes to middle eastern. The traditional English/American/Italian dishes are my favourite, especially the Sausage & Mash every friday! Staff are beyond lovely and the prices are very reasonable, especially for the portion sizes.
Read moreThere is always a great selection of cakes and sweet treats too.
The atmosphere is very relax and the decor [as the name suggests] is arty!
Pros: Variety of v.good dishes, Generous portions, Great service
Cons: Breakfast finishes at 12 on weekdays, They offer dairy cheese/milk too
Guest
lealarousse
Points +25
one of my fav places in east london - Edit
I have been to the gallery café several times now and it was always a lovely experience. I manly went there to work on my portfolio and the atmosphere was always super friendly and cosy. they offer free wifi which is great and the staff is super friendly too. I tried their burger and a vegan pizza both were delicious and their cupcakes are all vegan which is great. I would come back here anytime again!
Read morePros: lots of vegan food, prices, friendly atmosphere
Cons: can be a little chilly inside during winter due to
Guest
stobbson
Points +38
lovely place - Edit
Had a full English breakfast, I really enjoyed it the sausages were delicious. Freshly squeezed orange juice was lovely too.
Read moreI really liked the atmosphere in here and the staff were friendly. Will hopefully go back and try the pizza at some point.
Guest
TMcC
Points +65
Nice space, rude staff - Edit
The cafe itself is very cute, with lots of outdoor space. However, the waitress was rude and the food bland.
Read morePros: Nice space
Cons: Rude staff, Tastleless food
Guest
jon active
Points +2754
Great when its great but..... - Edit
The Gallery cafe is a bit of a hit and miss affair. Firstly you must check the calender to see if the are serving food or have an event on instead, Secondly I have often found the menu to be severely reduced and the options very limited due to stock running out. For instance they do good pizza's but twice in a row when I visited they had no fake meat (ham usually) topping option as it had sold out, that's just incompetent!
Read moreOtherwise the place is a nice friendly light space. If the weather allows there is a garden to use out back and there are plenty of big tables for large groups. Nothing really stands out from the menu which is 70% vegan besides the pizzas which when done right are great!
Pros: Vegan pizza's, Close to tube stop, Fair price
Cons: Unreliable kitchen supply, Often closed for events
Guest
anianadia
Points +52
great breakfast place - Edit
Love this place, I've been here twice now and I find it great. Have recommended friends to go here and they were also very happy. Good for breakfast, I haven't tried the lunch.
Read morePros: pancakes
Cons: not everything is vegan :(
Guest
Conor.harrington
Points +40
Beautiful space/Average food - Edit
I am local to this café so have been there regularly. Each time I say to myself "I don't think I will eat there again". The café space is really open and lively and inviting - a perfect place to hang out.
Read moreIn the evenings I have been there three times to find that they have run out of everything but one or two things. The Vegan burger and chips is average. A little dry and spongey. The falafel is similar. The specials have mostly been plain and unimaginative and the breakfast was really under seasoned and bland. Agree with the comments about the scrambled tofu seriously lacking. I have been told one evening I was there that the kitchen closes at 8pm on weeknights which feels really early.
They do put on lots of really affordable and accessible community events - such as film screenings, poetry nights, live music - and I believe they are not for profit (connected to St Margaret's house charity) which is really special.
It is a nice place - the staff are friendly enough and it is a really amazing part of London. But they really need to improve their food. Prices are pretty standard for London it's not super expensive. If someone can find me a Vegan burger and chips for less than £7.50 then please do!
Updated from previous review on Monday December 09, 2013
Pros: Beautiful atmosphere, Great part of town, Not for profit charity
Cons: average food , run out of options, kitchen closes too early
Guest
rosie
Points +490
Handy little cafe if you're in the area - Edit
Nice little cafe - gets busy so you have to share tables generally. The bulk of the food is vegan - we had a vegan burger and a breakfast. Friendly staff, freshly prepared food and good range of vegan options. Vegan brownies were amazing. Not the most exciting range - sandwiches, burgers, baked potatoes etc but nicely done and freshly prepared and a handy little spot if you're in East London.
Read morePros: Friendly staff , Good vegan range , Freshly prepared food
Cons: Fairly small , Could clear away tables more
Guest
bridget_claire
Points +70
Amazing Food - Edit
I love the burgers and pizza at this place! Makes me hungry just thinking about them. The cafe itself is relaxing, open and bright.
Read moreOne thing that annoys me is the rules. WHY can't I have a pizza until 2pm? I want it NOW! And maybe I want breakfast at 12pm!
Other than that, great. Great!
Pros: Food, oh it's so good, lovely atmosphere
Cons: The rules.
Guest
J-Veg
Points +2061
I'm in love with this place - Edit
Every time I visit London, I always visit this place. It's a combination of the following things that makes it one of my favourite places:
Read more- There are lots of different dishes for all moods and times of day and it is all delicious
- They have a great range of sweets which are all vegan excluding the muffins, including various cakes, cupcakes, brownies and flapjacks. Some are also gluten free
- The atmosphere is very homely
- It is in a part of London I like
- All profits go to the charity which runs the cafe, which gets invested into community projects
I would even go as far as to say that this place is a must if you are visiting London!
Pros: Delicious food at fair prices, Homely atmosphere, Wide variety of choice
Guest
floopylou
Points +163
tasty vegan margherita - Edit
Came here with my friend. I ordered a vegan pizza which (apart from what looked suspiciously like a fingerprint!) was nice. My friend had burger and chips which she enjoyed. I robbed some of her chips which were tasty. I'd go again if I was in the area.
Read morePros: tasty vegan pizza
Guest
OneNightStanzas
Points +127
OK sure, why not - Edit
This is a cute little place that I came across by accident while staying with some friends. We all ordered the vegan breakfast, which was a big plate of food with all the usual breakfast stuff. Hooray, except the scrambled tofu was really rather nauseating :( Kinda wet and... resembling vomit, if I'm honest! The taste was fine but the look/consistency rather offputting. Fingers crossed we just caught them on a bad tofu day?
Read moreBy the time we'd eaten our breakfasts, we were too full to try anything else, sadly -- the cakes looked delicious! They have a really cool space, though -- we sat out on the little terrace at the front, but inside also looked really cool. The place was busy but we were served really fast, which is great -- there seemed to be lots of staff around and they're obviously pretty efficient!
I guess I'd agree with other reviewers that it also seemed a little pricey. However, I may not be the best judge, as I am not a London native and therefore EVERYTHING seems mega expensive...
Overall, I was happy to have chanced upon this place and would probably go back as I often stay with friends in the area. However, if I were elsewhere in London I might not necessarily make the effort to take the tube all the way here. Nice if you're passing, but not the most special vegan spot in London.
Pros: Fast service, Cool space, Big portions
Cons: Icky tofu, sorry guys!, Maybe a bit £££?
Guest
bencamps
Points +581
Could be better - Edit
I went here for lunch with some friends this last Tuesday. The space itself is really nice and they have an interesting events calendar with loads going on (film, live music, book launches etc.) The menu is almost totally vegan which makes you wonder why they don't just take the plunge? We all had the vegan burger with vegan cheese which was ok but nothing special really. I have to agree with an earlier review that for East London it's a bit on the pricey side (maybe 2 carrots would be more accurate). With a little more effort this place could be really something special and is worth the visit if in the area.
Read moreGuest
Caryne
Points +301
Decent food, good vegan mains but not cheap - Edit
We went here for lunch and was impressed with how popular the place seems to be. There was a good choice of mains, most which seemed to be vegan and also a good selection of takeaway sandwiches/bagels which were also mostly labelled 'vegan'. We had a vegan burger with chips (you get the option of having vegan or veggie cheese on it) and it was very tasty and a good size. It did, however, cost very nearly £20 for two burgers and chips and a couple of soft drinks so, considering this was Bethnal Green not the 'West End', we did think this quite expensive. However, like I said, the place was very busy so obviously people are quite happy to pay it. We didn't have any dessert and though there were a good selection of cakes on the counter none were labelled vegan and, to be honest, I was a little concerned that they were all uncovered which seemed rather unhygenic to me so I didn't bother to find out. I must also say the toilets were a little scruffy and smelly too. Overall, despite the food being good I don't think I would go back here again unless I was in the area, not worth making a special trip for.
Read morePros: Good Vegan Mains, Vegan takeaway, Friendly atmosphere
Cons: Not cheap, Uncovered cakes, Scruffy toilets
Guest
piffelina
Points +3514
ok - but not all that - Edit
it said several signs that everything would be vegan, except for the selections labeled with a "v" (they would only be vegetarian), but i found no vs on the menu at all, and it kind of seems they forgot to write them. i was happy finding that the coleslaw didn't have a v on it, so i ordered that as a side order. i also ordered a breakfast plate and even though i specified "vegan" noone thought to tell me that the coleslaw wasn't vegan, until serving it. also i got my breakfast plate with a small package of dairy butter, which didn't exactly increase my trust.
Read morethe breakfast was not the best i've had - the freshpressed orange juice was great though! and we didn't have to wait long before we got our food, despite the place was full. my boyfriend had the burger option, which was basically a burger made of falafel. there should have been some kind of sauce on it, because it was way too dry.
we both got very full and didn't get a chance to taste the deserts. if we're in the neighbourhood again, we might give the soup and deserts a chance.
Pros: fast service, cozy place, vegan deserts
Cons: not that great food, didn't get info on non-vegan stuff
Guest
Siobhan Watts
Points +22
The best cafe in London! - Edit
The Gallery Cafe is a real gem of a cafe, situated 2 minutes walk from Bethnal Green Station. It serves fantastic veggie and vegan food, and in huge portions at very affordable prices. The staff are extremely friendly and the service is quick, especially considering how busy the cafe can get at lunchtimes and weekends. The food is really tasty, and will appeal to veggies and non-veggies alike. They have a special and a soup which change daily, as well as all day breakfasts served at the weekends.
Read moreThe cafe runs a full program of events, most of which are also free. They have live music every Wednesday and Friday evenings featuring lots of talented up and coming musicians, as well as a regular poetry night and a knitting club. They also have one off events run by external promoters and record labels.
There is a great selection of wines and beers, plus hot drinks are served 'til close during live music nights, making it the perfect place to be on a Friday night if you're not too keen a drinker, as well as being great if you are!
There is free wi-fi, boardgames, a good selection of newspapers, books and magazines and loads of vegan cakes too. There is also the obligatory big sofa as well a lovely bright conservatory area that looks out onto a beautiful garden.
The Gallery Cafe is without a doubt my favourite place in London, as well as being one of the most interesting cafe's I've come across. There's always something going on and everyone is really welcoming and friendly. It's highly recommended as a real community hub and somewhere you can really get involved in.
Pros: Friendly Staff, Vegan Cakes, Great Soup!
Cons: No vegan honey alternative , Not many wheat/bread free options
Guest
Jemima
Points +484
Decent place to chill in Bethnal Green - Edit
From Bethnal Green Station exit get to the side with the park on it and go to Old Ford Rd. This is parallel to Roman Rd which is next to the station exit. It is near the beginning of OF Rd on the left as you go down it.
Read moreThere is some outside seating and to go in you walk down a couple of steps to the inside of the cafe. Got there on a warm day when I had been pounding the pavement, when I went in it was like a moderate oven in there - hotter than outside. The back of the cafe is glass windows looking on to a garden. I really wanted to be able to walk out there and sit in the fresh air and greenery but there was no way out. It is a relaxed vibe with a sofa in the front and wooden tables to sit at. Artwork hangs on the walls.
At four pm on a Saturday there were pairs of people and some singles there. There were a few different newspapers to read.
I was in search of an all day breakfast. There was none to be found including at this place - hello, people, get with the program! I asked them if they could do a fry up for me, but both waitress and kitchen were totally inflexible and I had to stick to the set menu. My stomach was totally shriveled and cramping by this stage so I chose the roast. The weekend menu is different to the weekday menu. It is general cafe fare - some ciabatta, pasta dishes, salads.
The roast was a generous plate of bean/ pulse loaf with gravy (onion/ creamy type) and roast vegetables. The loaf was moist enough and had the right amount of salt in it, gravy was creamy type with onion in it and complimented it well and the vegetables were done well.
Only as I got to the end did I find a hair on one of the potatoes..
Beverages include different teas and a few juices. I had apricot juice which was from a carton. The server added ice-cubes which was good.
Cakes were in a cabinet on the counter however my stomach was too distended from the roast to try any.
Aside from complete inflexibility when it came to altering orders, service was friendly enough.
At well under ten pounds it was good value.
This was a pretty good place except for the inflexible staff and hair in food.. Due to the latter it has to be a three.
Pros: Tasty food, generous portions, good location handy but tucked away, Relaxed place for chilling
Cons: Temperature hot on day I went, Hygiene, maybe it was a one off prob
Guest
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