This trendy vegetarian venue in Crouch End with bare brick walls may have healthy eating at its heart, but the food is so tasty and skilfully made the health angle is barely discernible. There are several international dishes such as expertly made, ethereal spring onion gyoza; jackfruit in beautifully spiced tomato sauce with coconut rice, black beans, guacamole and grilled plantains; and dense, mealy arepas with a soft crumb. Cakes include three-layered tiramisu sponge; plus there are Latin American breakfasts, Buddha bowls, burgers and cocktails. A real neighbourhood gem.

Hidden away at the very back of Kings Cross’ Granary Square development, past the Coal Drops Yard, Skip Garden, is a beautiful community garden created entirely of fruit, veg, flowers and plants growing in skips. It’s run by Global Generation, an educational charity that helps young people in the area; and this vegetarian café, located by the entrance, is part of the project. Although there’s some indoor seating, it’s best to visit in sunshine when lunch can be eaten on one of the many wooden tables outside, surrounded by greenery. The straightforward menu encompasses a hot dish, a soup, salads and sandwiches, made using some of the ingredients grown in the garden. A quiche of ‘London blue cheese,’ labneh and kale stalks is wonderfully savoury, and salad may include a mix of British-grown spelt grains, roasted fennel, slow-roasted tomatoes, cavolo nero and pickled leeks. Freshly baked cakes and pastries are also a strong point here, especially the plump scones.

Secluded in one of the labyrinthine side streets behind Goodge Street tube station, this chic, cosy vegetarian café has tempting displays of colourful salads, hot dishes, cakes and pastries by the entrance; and a miniscule seating area at the back. Originally set up by a father and son duo, the venue shut down for a few months last year, and has recently reopened with a new owner. It’s notable for currently being the only vegetarian venue in London to showcase cooking with broadly Ottolenghi-esque Middle Eastern influences. Regularly changing dishes may include quinoa, pepper and tomato-stuffed courgettes, and salads such as turmeric-golden cauliflower; mixed peppers with chickpeas, spinach and coriander; wild rice with borlotti beans and pomegranate molasses, and — best of all — roasted aubergine discs topped with tahini sauce, pumpkin seeds and shallots.