14 of the best places for a light lunch in London
Published 07 January 2026

Nestled next door to its elder sibling, the 10 Cases, this all-day venue has all the trappings of a petit grand café: marble-topped tables, framed monochrome photos, half-mast curtains, tightly packed but comfortable for all that. Freshly baked goods are sold from a hatchway on the street, while croques and fully loaded sandwiches form the backbone of the eat-in menu – we enjoyed a chilli-laced crab salad in marie-rose dressing on hacked-up chunks of baby gem. Otherwise, expect anything from gravadlax with rye crisps to beef tagliata, ahead of desserts including a textbook baked Alaska. The coffee is excellent and there's a tiny wine list too.

Anna Tobias works to a formula of doing simple, straightforward dishes with appreciable panache. Menus at her crowd-pleasing Bloomsbury café change weekly, and the food retains the kind of deceptively domestic air that can all too easily fool punters into thinking that they could knock up something similar at home. Start with some nibbly fare, along the lines of charcuterie or mussels in escabeche. After that, salt cod fritters with aïoli bring on a great whack of punchy seasoning and resonating garlic, or you might consider bistro-style stalwarts such as artichoke vinaigrette or tuna, radish and winter tomato salad. Robustly proportioned main dishes aim for unabashed sustenance, ranging from a Spanish-style ranch stew of sausage, morcilla, bacon and beans to baked brill with potato and more aïoli. Come hungry, as they say. As this is nominally a café, there may well be cake to finish – chocolate and walnut, possibly – but also crema catalana or rhubarb ice cream for those who are watching their carbs. The largely European wine list features plenty of enterprising discernment, from a Tarragona Macabeu-Muscat blend to a cherry-ripe Sicilian Frappato.

Corner shops don’t come swankier than this. Part of a bigger project at 180 Strand, this modern day hybrid of supermarket, florist, café, wine bar and restaurant is a cool and confident all-rounder. Stop in for a lunch of rotisserie chicken and Caesar salad, or linger into the evening with wine, spritzes and negronis on tap.

Located on a residential side street in Stoke Newington, this is the most perfect contemporary brunch spot in the Aussie London tradition. It's appealing inside and out with simple, light wood interiors, a counter stocked with expertly baked treats and a busy back garden filled with mismatched tables. Excellent coffee comes from Hasbean while the ever-evolving menu is far more creative than most, featuring top-notch suppliers such as Hodmedods and Flourish Produce. Think braised lamb shoulder with crushed chickpeas, spigarello and pickled cucumber salsa verde or something sweet such as French toast with Mairac apple, toasted hay cream and cobnut buckwheat crunch.

Mayfair is expensive, so it’s good to have an affordable go-to when you need a break from designer stores and swanky galleries. This rus in urbe outpost of Artfarm’s Durslade Farm Shop in Bruton is just the place, although its basement wine bar looks like a page from World of Interiors, with real art on the walls, French antiques and concrete floors. The offering is straightforward but high quality, mainly sharing plates of cheese and artisan charcuterie, supplemented by toasties and rustic dishes ranging from minestrone to pot au feu. The 200-bin wine list is where things get more interesting, opening with by-the-glass options such as Le Grappin's skin-contact Aligoté and Tignanello. 

Famously founded by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1979 (the Hare Krishna Temple is next door), this vegetarian/vegan evergreen is still making friends – thanks to its happy 'karma-free' vibe, low prices and ‘pure’ meat-free cooking. The place is run like a canteen and it’s invariably packed: join the queue, grab an alcohol-free drink (lassi, rose milkshake, mint lemonade), collect a tray and pay at the counter. Thalis are the headline acts, with regularly changing curries, soups, breads and Indian desserts such as shrikhand or gulab jamun. The kitchen even serves up a few international favourites including lasagne, pizza slices, spinach rolls, veggie burgers and cheesecake. Takeaways too.

From knitting classes and supper clubs to ice cream sandwiches and country dancing in the street, this ‘green oasis’ is a genuine community hub – and second home to many of its regulars. At its heart is a deli and café selling all sorts of provisions alongside a short menu of Italian-style sandwiches filled to the brim with seasonal goodness – think mortadella with grilled sweet peppers, pickled fennel and aïoli. They also serve pastries from the Little Bread Pedlar at the weekends and ‘the most amazing panettone’ to go with Monmouth coffee, Kernel beer and other drinks. Tables and chairs are laid out on beautiful Bonnington Square if you fancy alfresco. Check Instagram for opening times.

Tucked away from Highbury Fields, in a pleasant pocket of Corsica Street, this Japanese café has been nourishing in-the-know locals since 2017. A short menu runs from a Japanese breakfast spread – miso soup with a poached egg, multigrain rice ball and homemade granola – to nutritious 'balance bowls' and a selection of excellent onigiri. To drink, there are seasonal juices, fresh cordials and good coffee (from Monmouth) to enjoy with a slice of their burnt Basque cheesecake. Minimalist interiors create a calming retreat, though when the sun shines there are few more pleasant spots to while away a morning than a seat on the leafy terrace. Takeaways too.

Pared-back decor, counter seating, no bookings and regular queues at busy times – you won't be wanting to linger when you visit this utilitarian hangout. People come here to ‘just slurp and go’, lured in by the prospect of some of the best hand-made udon in town. Whether you like your noodles hot or cold, the versions sold here have just the right bite and mouthfeel – smooth, silky and bouncy, with added oomph from the quality of the kake (dashi and mirin broth) and accompanying ingredients.

The noodles are divided up into various categories, ranging from ‘atsu-atsu’ (hot udon in hot broth) to ‘hiya-hiya’ (cold udon with cold dipping sauce) with standout toppings including tenzaru (prawn and vegetable tempura) and niku (tender beef served rare). Small plates of sunomono salad, marinated mushrooms packed with umami or moreish, succulent chicken kara-age are good palate-sharpening openers, and there are donburi rice bowls too.

Koya is open all day, seven days week, with breakfast as one of the highlights: come here for a full-on Japanese spread, an English fry-up or a plate of kedgeree. Service is patient, and staff are more than happy to explain the different types of udon dishes on offer. Drinking options are quite limited – bottles of lager, cups of sake and cans of wine, plus iced barley tea and hot homemade ginger cordial. A sister branch, Koya City, can be found at 10-12 Bloomberg Arcade. 

Patricia Michelson started selling cheese in 1992 with a consignment of Beaufort Chalet d'Alpage; today, her esteemed Marylebone emporium/deli is a turophile’s treasure-trove with some 200 specimens in its temperature-controlled cheese room. But there’s more. Head to the adjoining café ‘at No 6’ for bespoke cheese selections prettily arranged on wooden boards, plus a roll call of daytime treats ranging from breakfast croissants, eggs and suchlike to headlining lunches – artisan charcuterie, pâté en croûte with prunes, wild boar tagliatelle, twice-baked Gruyère soufflé and myriad home-baked sweet things. Drink coffee from Le Piantagioni or something from the European wine list. It’s normally walk-ins only, but on Fridays they open late and take bookings.

Run by the same family since 1900, this deli specialises in fresh soups and beautiful sandwiches made to order. There's often a queue but grab a seat at one of the formica tables to socak up the charming old-school atmosphere.

Housed in Apparel Tasker, a sustainable garment factory in Bow, this Italian café is a cosy corner sealed off by glass so guests can observe the production line while enjoying their coffee and cake. Humble home cooking of Italian and Austrian origin is on offer for weekday lunches and a Friday evening supper club. The simple, affordable menu ranges from soups and sandwiches to pizza and pasta. It changes daily, so don't come expecting anything specific  though you might be rewarded with Sardinian wild fennel soup layered with pane carasau and cheese or fettuccine alla romana with chicken offal.

Opposite Sam's Larder and round the corner from Sam's Riverside, this corner café is Sam Harrison’s updated version of a greasy spoon. Inside, it’s unpretentiously done out with brown leather and pops of colour, while the menu trades in full fry-ups, pancakes, Brixham crab crumpets, lunchtime salads and satisfying platefuls such as peas on toast with bacon on the side. Breakfast tea comes in a pot with a white porcelain cup and saucer and there’s a small menu of cocktails, wine and beer for those looking to kick-start their weekend. No bookings, so expect queues for weekend brunch.

The River Café's wittily named offshoot is considerably closer to the definition of a ‘café’ than the adjacent original. It opens early-ish for coffee, pastries and bruschette – local dogwalkers and joggers now map their routes around it – and stays open until late-ish, serving a scaled-back version of its elder sibling's menu. Dishes such as Parma ham, Amarone wine risotto, smashed chickpeas drenched in excellent olive oil or a slice of the famous chocolate nemesis are typical of the repertoire. For the full works, stick to the River Café, but for an impromptu snack or an aperitivo, this is the one. Sit inside (beneath a vast Damien Hirst) or out on the terrace.