Vanilla Black Coffee & Books
About Vanilla Black Coffee & Books
On Kennington Rd, Vanilla Black Coffee & Books is a coffee shop that doubles as a small bookshop, with cookbooks, cards and stationery for sale alongside the coffee counter. Coffee comes from Assembly, and the food covers breakfast and baked goods, with toasted banana bread served with Biscoff, ricotta and jam, or yogurt and pistachio, and a full English breakfast on the menu. Ordering is done at the till rather than at the table. Seating is communal, at shared tables inside, with a courtyard out back for outdoor dining. It opens daily through the daytime, and it takes walk-ins rather than reservations. The room is laptop-friendly, drawing students and remote workers who settle in to work. Dogs are welcome on site.
Good to know
- Good for kidsGood for kids · High chairs
- DietaryOrganic dishes · Vegan options · Vegetarian options
Menu & Prices
44 dishes · mains £3–8- Espresso£3.30
- Breakfast Tea£3.80
- Original£4.00
- Long Black£3.50
- Seasonal Pour Over Single Origin£6.00
- White Americano£3.60
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention toasted banana bread, Assembly coffee, back courtyard and full house breakfast.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention toasted banana bread, Assembly coffee, back courtyard and full house breakfast.
Customer Review Summary
The recurring complaint is portion size against price. One reviewer found a full English at £16.50 had a single slice of toast and half a sausage, and another called a protein bowl tiny. One felt the staff were not warm and was sold a small decaf shortly before closing, though a refund was offered. Service is called slow for takeaway by one, while others find it speedy. One diner had a ruined meal replaced at no charge and was given a pot of tea.
Customer Review Summary
The recurring complaint is portion size against price. One reviewer found a full English at £16.50 had a single slice of toast and half a sausage, and another called a protein bowl tiny. One felt the staff were not warm and was sold a small decaf shortly before closing, though a refund was offered. Service is called slow for takeaway by one, while others find it speedy. One diner had a ruined meal replaced at no charge and was given a pot of tea.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“First. Coffee was great. Always good in a coffee shop! Food. Also good. Fresh ingredients, no messing about. Food and drinks came in a timely fashion. The best bit about this though is the garden/patio out back. A bunch of small places open onto a shared courtyard and share the table space. It was a very lovely laid back vibe.”
- Google user
“This is a real little hidden gem of a cafe in south london. The owner is so lovely and really looks after his customers, attentive and polite. Food is great and made fresh to order and caters for all dietary requirements. Really is a lovely place”
- Faz K
“Service and atmosphere was great! Got a heated up pain au chocolate croissant. It had a bit too much dough, and too little chocolate in it. The dough wasn't fluffy either.”
- Admin MWLtd
“Looked interesting. But access difficult especially with youngsters. Food bland and overpriced. Very concerned at the attitude of one worker to an older member of the LGBTQIA community. Very aggressive in fact threatening. Overall a BAD …”
- Google user
“What a great place. On this rainy day, all I wanted was a roof and a coffee to take a break and read. Great service, quality brew and a chilled atmosphere. I’ll be back for sure.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
“Casual, charming outpost serving breakfast, baked goods, coffee drinks & sandwiches.”
- Great coffee
- Great dessert
- Great tea selection
- Popular for breakfast
- Popular for lunch
- Popular for solo dining
Amenities
- Outdoor seating
- Dogs allowed inside
- Takeout
- Dine-in
- Good for kids
- Vegan options
Show more amenities
- Cozy
- Onsite services
- Coffee
- Quick bite
- Dessert
- Solo dining
- Dining options· 4
- Breakfast
- Brunch
- Lunch
- Seating
- Crowd· 1
- College students
- Offerings· 3
- Healthy options
- Organic dishes
- Vegetarian options
- Popular for· 1
- Good for working on laptop
- Family-friendly· 1
- High chairs
- Highlights· 1
- Great tea selection
- Facilities· 1
- Restroom
- Atmosphere· 2
- Casual
- Trendy
- Pet-friendly· 1
- Dogs allowed outside
Location
Coffee shops near Vanilla Black Coffee & Books
- Zona Rossa Cafe4.9620.6 mi£10–20
avocado and halloumi sourdough toast, full english breakfast, halal english breakfast
- 0.7 mi
matcha, profits fund homelessness charity, laptop-friendly seating with sockets
- 0.7 miOutdoor seating
big ben view, cookies, coffee
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla Black Coffee & BooksOutdoor seating · Vegan options | 4.4550 | — | £10–20 | toasted banana bread, Assembly coffee, back courtyard |
| Zona Rossa Cafe | 4.962 | 0.6 mi | £10–20 | avocado and halloumi sourdough toast, full english breakfast, halal english breakfast |
| Change Please Coffee Elephant Park | 4.4204 | 0.7 mi | — | matcha, profits fund homelessness charity, laptop-friendly seating with sockets |
| 2 Love Tea and Coffee HouseOutdoor seating | 4.8486 | 0.7 mi | — | big ben view, cookies, coffee |
The 3 nearest coffee shops by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
Similar Coffee shops nearby
More to explore in London
76 places
Coffee shops in London
Photo: Monmouth Coffee Company · 4.5 · 2,950 Google reviews
See all 76 coffee shops in London
4.6 · L'ETO Wardour StreetCafes
179 places
4.7 · Royal Nawaab PerivaleRestaurants
701 places
4.6 · The Marquis CornwallisBars
231 places
4.6 · Nails&SpaBeauty
47 places