Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Western
Take-out
Bakery

Small cafe along Deptford High St offering coffee, cakes (has vegan, wheat-free), in addition to sandwiches and brunch food like falafel, bagels and hot dogs. Previously at 142 Deptford High St. Food is all vegan but reported to serve drinks with dairy. Open Mon-Wed 08:00-15:00, Thu-Fri 08:00-22:00, Sat 09:00-22:00, Sun 10:00-16:00.


Venue map for The Waiting Room
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41 Reviews

First Review by FloGraceB

princessvegan

Points +58

Vegan
20 Jul 2022

Favourite place!

The best atmosphere, vegan pastries, subs, tacos & margaritas! LOVE ❤️

Pros: The best atmosphere, The best menu, Honestly, the best margaritas I've ever had

Cons: NO CONS, only love

bronczas

Points +420

Vegan
21 Mar 2024

Favourite spot in SE London

Great food, great coffee and atmoshpete. Still very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get, especially since Deptford became hipster central in SE London. Apart from regular burger and bagel menu, they do sometimes specials during the weekend. All vegan, apart from dairy in the coffee.

Pros: Good food, Reasonably priced, Atmosphere

Kveganris

Points +34

Vegan
18 Feb 2024

Loved this spot

Went for breakfast/brunch and was not disappointed. Had a latte and a pastry, which was divine!!! My partner had a savoury bagel. Both of us left happy and looking forward to returning!

Pros: Relaxed atmosphere, Can see in the kitchen, All vegan food

Cons: Small so you may not get a table, No mirror in the bathroom

starcide

Points +484

Vegan
13 Jan 2024

Great Food

We had a SoCal chicken burger, Sith Beef Burger , loaded fries and a corndog. We really enjoyed the food here. Of particular note were the patties to the burgers which I believe they make themselves (or buy in from a bespoke place) and were a fantastic texture, the beef burger was probably one of the best textured vegan burgers I've ever had. The flavors used in the burgers were also particularly great. We wil certainly be back if we are in the area.

KCadventure

Points +1066

Vegan
11 Nov 2023

Excellent punky diner

This is one of those places where everything's vegan but you can have dairy milk in the coffee, so happycow lists it as vegetarian but when it comes to the menu - it's all vegan.
Decent price, very tasty American diner style food. Burgers, loaded fries, etc. I had a chicken burger and chili loaded fries and they were both delicious. I also had the first ever "corn dog" of my life - only heard about these through American TV and never found a vegan one so had to try it. It's good! But it came preslathered in sauces when it should have been bare with sauces for dipping really.
Still, lots of food for £20 and all really tasty, and the place has a kind of punky vibe. I'd definitely go back here.

KeirOvington

Points +63

Vegan
23 Sep 2023

Banging breakfast baps

All vegan punky cafe.

Updated from previous review on 2023-09-23

jcjames

24 Sep 2023

xskate-edgex

Points +899

Vegan
16 Jun 2023

Yummy stuff

Pleasantly surprised with the quality, taste and standard of this place despite it appearing to be another “fast food” menu. It’s the little details in flavour and ingredients that help set it apart from others. Definite care and attention is a part of the ethos here and the casual atmosphere and friendly staff helped make for an enjoyable experience. Probably one of the better “junk food” places I’ve been to in all my years. Would return if in the neighbourhood.

Pros: Interesting take on common themed menu, Care and attention to quality and taste, Laid back friendly atmosphere

Cons: London prices, No table service so listen out for your number

Keeyan

Points +223

Vegan
16 May 2023

Good snacks and nice atmosphere

It's a nice place which is almost fully vegan except for the drinks.

Pros: Nice atmosphere, Good place to sit down and work, No non-vegan food

Cons: Not fully vegan despite listed as vegan here, Not a lot of options, Great prices for London

tampopo

Points +470

Vegetarian
05 May 2023

Loaded with flavour

Very relaxed, easy place to be with vegan comfort food. I got the loaded fries and they have heaps of stuff on them and delicious.

kagcool

Points +174

Vegan
02 Apr 2023

Expanded menu!

Tried some of the fries & seitan from the new expanded menu! Took slightly longer than bagels, but still not a massive wait.

Poutine was very good!

Tasty as always, if you’ve not been then defo try!

There’s only one toilet, it’s gender neutral!

I’ve actually been back a lot, always so good!

Updated from previous review on 2022-12-04

Pros: All vegan :), Lots of options

TBVG2019

Points +481

Vegan
31 Mar 2023

A New Favourite

How have we only heard of this place recently when it's clearly a local institution!? The place is listed as vegetarian but all the food is vegan - they just have the option of dairy milk for coffee customers. The food was DELICIOUS too - homemade 'no beef' burger patties, seriously good value breakfast options, two excellent beers on tap, unbelievably tasty brownies, cakes and pastries and POUTINE! Granted, the poutine wasn't quite as good as the poutine that used to be on offer at The Full Nelson down the road ( which has sadly now closed😢) but it was still scrumptious - it maybe just needed some more 'curd-like' cheese rather than blocks of vegan cheddar to really hit the spot. Nevertheless, the all round atmosphere, food and beer offerings and friendly and helpful staff make this a great place to whittle the day away, we loved it - it's also dog friendly, an added bonus. Well worth a trip to Deptford to sample :)

CLRtraveller

Points +8123

Vegan
10 Feb 2023

Popular vegan eatery/coffee shop

Comfort food, such as burgers, fries, chili cheese fries, poutine, seitan wings, battered cauli “bombs” and onion rings. Diners pick up their food when their number is called. Some sweets available, including a warm brownie. Coffees and cold drinks available. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Eatery can get busy, with longer waits for cooked meals.
Brunch menu until 3 pm, including bagels, sausage rolls and loaded hash-browns. Main menu from 12 noon. Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7 pm.
I’ve had the Big Poppa, the chili cheese fries and the breakfast bagel, and they’re all pretty good.

Pros: all vegan

EllaStreet

Points +356

Vegan
22 Oct 2022

Breakfast bagels worth going back for

If I'm ever in the area I have to go back to The Waiting Room! Still haven't made it for dinner but their breakfasts are incredible. I've had the chicken and classic ones, both delicious and always make me think I should order a second! Lovely coffee and great service too.

Pros: Lots of vegan options , Cool vibes, Great coffee

HenryBlane

22 Oct 2022

Looks amazing, added this to my list to go try those bagels, thanks for the review!

drlj

Points +610

Vegan
25 Sep 2022

Now even better, serving tacos in evenings!

We used to go to The Waiting Room when it was just a cafe and loved the coffees and bagels. But now it has an evening taco menu too! We had margaritas, chilli nachos and several tacos, including the special. They were really good! The margaritas were cheap and too delicious - maybe stronger than they seemed! Sit outside in the garden if you can.
Addendum: we had lunch here again, and I just had to add a note about the great Bloody Mary, great coffee & great subs. Have anything with Deptford Death Sauce - it’s the best.

Updated from previous review on 2021-06-13

Pros: All vegan, Everything is delicious , Lovely chill vibe

Cons: Only open thurs-sat for evening tacos, Cheap margaritas may lead to a hangover

Vegfix

Points +6404

Vegan
23 Jul 2022

OK

Would give 4 stars if The Waiting Room was fully vegan.
It was OK. A bit too grubby-chic tbh. I can see other people love it, but sorry to say - I just thought the food was alright. Friends loved the hard rock/heavy metal music. Couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it had a bit of a manic vibe.

Updated from previous review on 2022-07-23

Cons: Uncomfortable seating

princessvegan

09 Jan 2023

Vegfix

11 Jan 2023

@princessvegan - Good to hear that they are now fully vegan, they used to be a vegetarian cafe with vegan options.

KatieCresser

Points +20

Vegan
05 Jul 2022

My favourite place!

We love the waiting room. Our dog is so used to going inside whenever we pass that he automatically pulls that way. Cheers guys for the amazing coffee and food over the years.

Pros: Coffee is amazing, Food is amazing , They are Dog friendly

cocoldn

Points +956

Vegan
02 May 2022

Rad vibe, excellent food, lovely service

The Waiting Room has been on my radar for years now, I was stoked to finally try it! What struck me the most was the variety of people in there, there seemed to be a lot of regulars that the staff knew well and were having a laugh with. The atmosphere is great, I love how it’s decorated and the choice in music was top notch.
I had the chicken sub, I really enjoyed it! The bread was gorgeous, the fake chicken is delicious. I tried a bit of a Philly cheesesteak too, which wasn’t as nice, but still good. I also got an oat flat white and a peanut butter brownie to go - the coffee is great there. I’ll be heading back to try the rest of the menu! Really recommend it!

vegatsu

Points +29

Vegan
28 Mar 2021

Can’t go wrong with the waiting room

Always a friendly welcome and great service from the staff. Delicious vegan food and great coffee. The perfect combo!

Pros: Fully Vegan menu, Great coffee, Good atmosphere

Sambexuk

Points +250

Vegan
22 Aug 2020

Bagel

Best vegan bagels I’ve had. Great community atmosphere . Great food

Pros: Tons of vegan options, Great coffee, Good atmosphere

TinieTempeh

Points +66

Vegan
28 Jan 2020

The best in the biz

You literally can't go wrong with this place - brick lane bagels, amazing hot dogs, trashy sammies - it's all incredible. It's also super fairly priced and the coffee is the best in the area (made with Oatly, of course). I've taken loads of omni pals here who always love it, too. A total winner.

Pros: Delish and well priced.

Cons: Difficult to get a seat.

LukeForest

Points +40

Vegan
13 Oct 2019

The best in South London

Can't go to the big city without stopping here.

Lovley people, right next to the station and the food is too good to describe. Never over priced and never a let down.

A must visit in South London.

X🙏

Pros: Choice, Locaion, Cost

Cons: You want to try everything, You want to try everything, You want to try everything

Daveyoga

Points +26

Vegetarian
14 Sep 2019

Nice looking place but deafening noise

Nice looking place but noise deafening

EvitaA.

Points +28

Vegan
31 Mar 2019

Love this place

The vegan hot dog was delicious and the coffee was excellent! The staff were really lovely. They now take cards.

Pros: Vegan alternative for everything on the menu , Fast service , Great staff

Clare

Points +2321

Vegan
30 Nov 2018

Deptford Delicious

This is definitely my favourite cafe in the world.

It's handily located just over the road from Deptford train station and within easy walking from Deptford High Street bus stop and a little further from Deptford Bridge DLR and bus stop.

Originally opened in 2011, it moved to a dew doors down and is refurbed in Nivember 2018. It has an idiosyncratic style, largely influenced by it's strong links with the tattoo parlour a couple of doors down "Kids Love Ink". It's a focal point for artists and musicians as well as those in need of a cup of the best coffee in Deptford on a break from bargain hunting in the market. Service is always friendly and courteous.

They totally get the concept of vegan (many items can be veganised upon request).

Their standard blend coffee is Union Revelation and they are soon to introduce guest coffees and filter coffees.

It gets busy at breakfast and lunch times particularly on Wednesdays and Saturdays (market days).

The loyalty card gives holders every 7th and 14th hot drink free. Get on down there!!!

Pros: Great food to eat in or take away, Relaxed vibe, Vegan options and cakes

Skyzieboo

Points +3279

Vegan
18 Nov 2018

So busy n for good reason

I got a muffin (the last one left) but there were lots of other options too!! So busy it was difficult to even find a seat despite it being pretty big. Not expensive either - yay !

LiamScott

Points +26

Vegan
30 Jul 2018

Classy, quick, affordable, and delicious.

Came to The Waiting Room on my way out of London and it might just have been the best food I had during my stay.

Catandmouse

Points +39

Vegetarian
23 Mar 2018

quick and friendly service

I got a wrap on my way back to central London. The staff helped me decide and they made it quickly enough that I still got my train. The falafel wrap was good but it included a lot of sauce. Personally I am not that much of a saucy girl.

Pros: lots of good choices, fresh ingredients

Cons: too much sauce in the wraps (for my taste)




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