A neighbourhood café with its feet firmly on the ground. Next to Vauxhall Park, Parco Café does what good local cafés do best: solid food, fair prices, friendly service. Breakfasts and lunches are straightforward and satisfying, making it a reliable stop whether you’re popping in mid-walk or carving out a proper lunch break.

There’s a strong community backbone here too — money spent supports the park and local green spaces — which gives this place a quiet sense of purpose that feels very Vauxhall.

Good for: park-side lunches and spending locally.

Give them a follow here 

The sandwich place that Vauxhall locals actually queue for! Simply Bread has no need to shout about itself. The sandwiches do that job. Built on excellent bread and confident flavour combinations, this is one of Vauxhall’s strongest lunchtime options — especially when you want something fast that still feels considered.

Menus rotate, regulars move quickly, and selling out is part of the routine. It’s not flashy, just consistently good.

Good for: quick lunches that don’t feel like a downgrade.

See the daily specials here 

All-day café culture, South London style. Kennington Lane Café is one of those places that never tries to be more than it is — and that’s why it works. Open early, open late, and always ready with breakfasts, hot plates and strong tea, it’s a proper all-day café with prices that stay reassuringly sensible.

It’s been feeding locals for years, and it shows.

Good for: everyday lunches and reliable comfort food.

Full menu here 

Bonnington Square’s low-key Italian favourite. Tucked away in Bonnington Square, Italo feels like a pause button. Pasta, panini and simple Italian dishes are served without fuss, in a space that invites you to sit and stay a while.

Prices stay grounded, portions are generous, and the atmosphere is unmistakably neighbourhood-first.

Good for: slow lunches and midweek breathing space.

See their Tuesday menus here 

Big plates, honest pricing. Casa Madeira is all about comfort. Hearty Portuguese dishes arrive in generous portions, making this a strong option when hunger levels are high and budgets are not.

It’s straightforward, filling food — exactly what you want when winter’s dragging and payday’s still a way off.

Good for: warming lunches and serious value.

More info via this link

A local café with a long memory. By day, The Queen’s Head runs as a proper South London café serving simple, affordable food in a space packed with local history. Charlie Chaplin’s family once ran the pub, and while the atmosphere is calmer these days, it still feels deeply rooted in Vauhxall.

No theatrics, no inflated prices — just a friendly place to eat lunch.

Good for: low-key meals and local character.

See their menus here 

Lunch with alpacas, because this is Vauxhall. There aren’t many places in London where you can eat lunch next to farm animals, but Vauxhall has always done things differently. The Old Dairy Café serves simple, affordable food in one of the area’s most calming settings.

It’s ideal for families, solo lunches, or anyone who needs a breather from the city — all while supporting a much-loved community institution.

Good for: daytime escapes and feel-good lunches.

See the full menu here 

Tea, cake and unpretentious comfort. The Tea House Theatre has long been a refuge for Vauxhall locals in need of warmth, caffeine and something homemade. Hot food, generous slices of cake and endless pots of tea keep prices manageable and spirits high.

It’s informal, welcoming and refreshingly unchanged.

Good for: quiet lunches, solo visits and cake-based coping strategies.

More info can be found here 

Pay-what-you-can, no questions asked. Bonnington Café’s Community Tuesday Lunch is one of Vauxhall’s quiet treasures. Run by volunteers, serving vegetarian food, and operating on a pay-what-you-can basis, it’s built around generosity rather than profit.

Shared tables, good food and a strong sense of care make this one of the most human ways to eat lunch in the area.

Good for: affordable food with genuine community spirit.

See their menus here 

Eating well while doing good. The Black Prince Trust Community Kitchen offers affordable food alongside vital local programmes supporting health, wellbeing and opportunity. It’s welcoming, inclusive and rooted in the real needs of the neighbourhood.

A reminder that food doesn’t just fill stomachs — it can strengthen communities too.

Good for: meaningful meals and supporting local change.

More info via their app