I’ve had a look into two of Lewisham’s best known vegan cafes to bring you the second part of my vegan guide to Lewisham…Welcome to the stage The Greenhouse Deptford and The Lighthouse Cafe… Greetings my fellow earthlings, whether you are a carnivore or herbivore I still love you and so does The Greenhouse Deptford as it caters to all dietary needs and requirements.
I have been so busy recently coming to the end of my nursing course and so forth I have been feeling a bit run down due to the stresses of being a student. Thus I was thankful to take a break from the books and hit the vegan streets of South-East London.

My first stop was The Greenhouse located in Deptford. Living up to its name, The Greenhouse café regulates its temperature with their transparent glass walls creating a warm and protective aura welcoming new and regular customers.

From the moment I walked in I felt at home. The layout was spacious yet cosy with delicate homely touches. I placed my order and was pleased to see a range of vegan dishes. I ordered the Vegan Breakfast and Matcha Latte and was given a choice of numerous plant-based milk; this made me smile, as normally the only option in generic cafés is Soya!

I sat down enjoying the sunrays on my back; relaxing to the chilled music they had playing in the background and fell in love even more when I spotted their FREE WIFI code and began to update #Twitter whilst waiting. I don’t know about you but I very much eat with my eyes first and appreciate a colourful meal, so when I was served my breakfast I was speechless (that doesn’t happen very often). The presentation was vibrant and the aroma enhanced the sweetness of the atmosphere.
When I had finished my breakfast, Sarah (waitress) asked me how the food was and informed me that all dishes can be transformed into a vegan choice and that the soup of the day is always vegan and served with sour dough bread; Sarah was kind enough to give me a taste of todays ‘spiced sweet potato and squash soup’ and it was delicious. I was nearly ready to burst but couldn’t help but try the Matcha boost smoothie made for me on the spot and it didn’t disappoint. Not only was this bundle of green goodness bursting with flavour the health benefits are second to none.

My second stop was The Lighthouse Café located in Catford SE6. The Lighthouse vegetarian/vegan café is a beacon of light, spacious and airy welcoming all walks of life. With a choice of outside and inside seating I chose to sit inside and enjoyed watching the rhythm of the local community walking past (being nosy in other words), whilst the chef prepared the ‘Vegan Buffet’. The buffet runs Tuesday- Friday and includes: brown rice, sweet potato and chickpea curry (really recommend), ratatouille, spring greens, carrots, roast potatoes, raw slaw, organic spinach, quinoa, and seaweed salad.

The price ranges from £5.50 – £7.50 and of course includes a 10% discount with the Lewisham card! The buffet starts at 12:30pm and I arrived at 12:15pm; in that time I ordered a Mocha Latte and was given the free WIFI code. The Mocha Latte was made to perfection and as the Lighthouse is not a solely vegan restaurant I ordered mine with plant-based milk (Soya). When the buffet was ready I was made aware and given my plate and cutlery and as I’m such a vegan foodie I tried everything on offer! Considering the vast amount of food choice on the flavours were not over powering and I felt that I had eaten a wholesome meal, which left me full but not sluggish.

After my meal I was craving something sweet so I asked what smoothies were on offer and I was advised to taste ‘Very Berry’ this has to be one of the freshest smoothies to have ever hit my taste buds. My mind, body and soul felt nourished the prepared for the rest of the day.

Whether you are single, with company or have a family The Lighthouse Café is the place for you. It has a choice of single and family tables. A child friendly aura without being overbearing; they have a toy basket for children as well as colouring pencils to occupy the little ones and a selection of magazines and newspapers in the waiting area for us big ones!