Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
International
Mediterranean
Persian
A small cafe (with several tables) within a Persian store offers vegan mezze plates, vegan knickerbocker glory, vegan banana split. Store sells local and organic vegetables, fruits and herbs. Opening time is actually 10:35am. Note: may have instances of animal cruelty around holidays. Open Mon-Sun 10:30-21:00.
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28-30 Peckham High St, South East London, England, SE15 5DT
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Cash only
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Last update on 10 Oct 2017 by Guest
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28 Reviews
First Review by FleurmioneGranger
howddyyellie
Points +196
Delicious vegetarian food - Edit
I’ve been a few times they do a set menu for very decent price and it just brings out loads of amazing stuff it’s great!
Read moreGuest
paulharhen
Points +897
Mix of Vegan and Vegetarian Options - Edit
We had the Mezze consisting of 6 plates, a mix of both vegan and vegetarian dishes. All were delicious and tasty. It did look small at first but once you got started it was more than enough for lunch for two.
Read morePros: Different dishes, Freshly prepared
Guest
vichinol
Points +234
The best in London - Edit
Amazing food and drink options always. Very tasty and consistent always a great choice for fantastic food. Service is always very efficient and staff is nice.
Read morePros: Fantastic food, Great service, Creative drinks (non-alcoholic)
Cons: Drop-in is hard to get a table, Some dishes are very spicy
Guest
GlennFraser
Points +300
Fabulously Farsi - Edit
I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited Iran and my greatest regret of my time there is not having been able to experience its vegan cuisine. I was only vegetarian at the time and we were working long hours, so to now go beyond the ‘grab and go‘ and to savour a real experience was luscious.
Read moreThe dips and the aromatic rice, the immaculate aubergine, the date- and cardamom-infused hot beverages were all wonderfully laid out as sharing platters.
Super tasty and although the place is vegetarian, the staff’s cheery knowledge of the vegan collections was fabulous and educational.
Hidden away in south London’s Peckham, this treat is well worth venturing outside of Soho for.
Updated from previous review on 2023-12-06
Pros: Unique, Tasty, Atmospheric
Guest
angelk4t
Points +285
Delicious and Lovely - Edit
Pleasantly surprised by this place, always pass by but never have visited. Absolutely delicious food, incredible prices and lovely atmosphere.
Read moreThe service was great too ! I only give it 4 stars as I wish it was fully vegan, but they are very accommodating with requests of making food vegan!
Pros: Delicious food, Lovely environment , Great service
Cons: Not fully vegan
kiiida
Definitely will go there soon!
Read moreGuest
katescosmic
Points +156
The absolute best! - Edit
I cannot fault Persepolis! I’ve been coming here for 15 years, since before they even had a deli counter, let alone a cafe. The staff are fantastic, the food is cheap and delicious, and the vibes are unmatched. An iconic establishment and not to be missed!
Read morePros: Delicious food, Relaxed vibe, Lovely staff
Guest
Amywithey
Points +6
Friendly fun and great value - Edit
Lots of courses, variety of food, amazing staff and a chance to shop for treats for the next day…
Read morePros: Vegan feast for £20 including soft drinks, Lots of variety, Really friendly
Guest
EwaMarek
Points +13
Five stars - Edit
Five stars all around - delicious food, low prices, large portions, very nice staff
Read moreGuest
RachelMcCombie
Points +62
Incredible food and even better prices! - Edit
This place is an absolute gem!! A small independent hidden in Peckham that’s flavours are divine had a gorgeous little shop connected to it also, will be back whenever I’m in the area.
Read morePros: Incredible prices , Delicious flavours , Amazing portions
Guest
RebeccaEats
Points +420
Middle Eastern feasting - Edit
Love going here with a large crowd, the £20 a head feasting menu for three courses (loads of dishes, depending on how many it's serving) and two soft drinks is unbeatable value and so so delicious. Everything is vegetarian and they happily cater to vegans even when it's all shared dishes.
Read morePros: Great value, Delicious food, BYO alcohol
Cons: Cash only
Guest
hollyjfarmer
Points +106
Delicious. - Edit
Great authentic food, in the evenings they do a feast menu, where they just keep bringing DELICIOUS food out, including vegan desserts.
Read morePros: A full vegan feats menu, Great dessert , A nice authentic small business feel.
Cons: Could be prettier inside.
Guest
BarbaraG.Baz
Points +1715
Lovely food and friendly staff - Edit
Very nice food and atmosphere
Read moreGuest
franni
Points +26
Persepolis never disappoints - Edit
Lots of choice, super nice staff, food is incredible. I have gone time and time again, and I have never eaten something that wasn't delicious.
Read morePros: Great food, Nice atmosphere, Pretty much anything can be made vegan
Guest
Tash934
Points +24
Amazing in every way - Edit
Possibly my favourite restaurant ever. I go here all the time. Such a cool, quirky and relaxed setting and really friendly staff. BYOB and plenty of delicious food options. Highly recommend their tasting menu; the food just does not stop coming!! Guarantee you will be more than full by the end and so reasonably priced. Also, whether you are vegan or not, you need to try their vegan hot ‘chocolate’. Such a hidden gem. I had to ask them for their recipe so I can make it myself at home. Everyone I bring here falls in love with this place whether they are veggie/vegan or not. Would recommend to anyone.
Read moreGuest
MaDuDa
Points +44
Lust auf eine kleine Reise nach Persien? - Edit
Ungewöhnliches und sehr charmantes Restaurant im Shop, oder Shop im Restaurant. Wir haben das, uns empfohlene, Menuangebot für 15 Pfund mit Getränk als vegane Version gewählt.
Read moreEs war alles wirklich sehr köstlich und so reichlich, dass wir sogar einen Teil mit nach Hause genommen haben.
Die Mitarbeiter waren sehr freundlich und auf Zack. Auch Sonderwünsche waren kein Problem.
Sehr gute Atmosphäre, wenn auch etwas laut zur Stoßzeit.
Der angeschlossene Shop mit persischen Gewürzen machen richtig Reiselust.
Wir werden auf jeden Fall wieder mal vorbeischauen😄
Pros: Viele vegane Optionen, sehr flexibel.
Cons: Etwas laut zur Stoßzeit und man sollte reserviere.
Guest
xRaeSpecX
Points +22
An amazing experience. - Edit
A lovely warm atmosphere with lovely staff. So many vegan options. We were fed so well and tried so many new things we were full up and smiling still as we left.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options.
Cons: Not much space but it was lovely
Guest
ambm
Points +25
Great - Edit
Great food. Recommended.
Read moreGuest
Cally5765
Points +76
amazing vegetarian food with lots of vegan options - Edit
You have to go through the shop to find the cafe, but the food is some of the best in London. They do breakfast, lunch, dinner and sometimes have speciality dinners. Byo.
Read moreGuest
HappyEE
Points +15
Food that made me smile - Edit
Have been past this place so many times without realising it's even open. So glad to have been there now!
Read moreIt is cosy (a bit cramped) but that adds to the atmosphere. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Our party of 4 had the taster menu and were treated with a succession of dishes that came out pretty quickly. All were tasty and washed down with a lovely pomegranate drink. One of our party has a wheat intolerance and this was factored in to the dishes with ease.
Pros: Tasty food, Friendly service, Atmosphere
Cons: Cramped
Guest
don.banano
Points +210
Highlight of my stay in London - Edit
Eating at Persepolis might be in my top 3 highlights of my 4-day stay in London. The restaurant is behind a Persian shop, which may left some a bit confused, but behind the shop there is some magic. The atmosphere is quite cosy - the place is not too spacious, so there is a big chance that it will be fully crowded if you go there in the afternoon. Apparently we were very lucky to have gotten a table. I had the opportunity to tried a mezze platter and another dish, I unfortunately forgot the name of - apparently a rendition of spicy veganised scrambled eggs, made with tofu and bread. The mezze platter was fantastic, every single element was very enjoyable, and the tofu dish also lived up to the expectations set but the mezze platter. I am not quite used to London prices, but it seemed rather pricy compared to other places I had the opportunity to eat, and the mezze platter for "two mortals" I could totally finish off alone ;-) We were two people having both the mezze platter and the tofu dish and left the restaurant not quite hungry but expecting more for the price. But other than that it is definitely worth a visit.
Read moreGuest
Emmeline
Points +46
Delicious - Edit
It's absolutely great - delicious nice vibe of it's very own my go do Saturday lunch with a friend x
Read moreGuest
TheWorldDigested
Points +53
Welcome to Snackistan! - Edit
Every dish, while authentic at heart, is fantastically adopted or fancifully adapted in form. The hummus, for example, was brilliantly purple from the addition of beets, while the innocuous-looking red dip turned out to be – not the regular red pepper – but a clever blend of plantain and peanuts.
Read moreThen, as the eyes move down the list of dishes, we embark on a cruise on the Mediterranean. First, Captain Butcher takes us over to the coast of the Aegean sea with triple variations on grilled halloumi cheese to choose from – or to chew on. As hard as it was to pick among the enticing offerings of sesame and honey, barberries and pumpkin seeds, it was the last that won the day. “Pan-fried halloumi with oregano, pine nuts and raisins, please” – “That is my favorite,” replied Captain Red Head with a twinkle in the eyes. And, as it turned out, it was to become the favorite of this tour de force of Snakistan. The halloumi was fried to a golden glory, where the salts and the milk proteins in the cheese had been transformed, in the crucible of frying pan, into a supernaturally savory crust. Crispy on the outside, but oozing and gooey inside, the chewy Cypriot cheese was salty and sweet. The dish, however, went much further than a juvenile grilled cheese, as the dusty dried oregano and delicate pine nuts refined the plate to a mature sophistication.
The fairy godmother of vegetarians then transforms the Greek-Cypriot afelia – a traditional dish made of red wine, pork and coriander seeds – into a sticky fried dish of potato, cauliflower, olives and vegan cheese, not with a magical wand, but in the magical ward behind the walls, where the customers may catch interesting glimpse of the magic in situ on the way down to the equally magical loo. Nevertheless, the magic seemed to have failed on this meat-centric recipe, which regrettably turned out to be the worst concoction at Snakistan. Instead of “sticky,” the sautéed vegetables were just greasy; instead of being spicy with the coriander seeds, the flavor was just a bland curry. Furthermore, the red wine was most notably missing, although whose acidity would have been most welcomed. Perhaps to supplement the P-H balance, sliced tomatoes with a few sorry rings of onions (advertised as an “herby tomato and onion salad” but served minus the herbs) sat at the bottom of the oily vegetables. In effect, the cauliflower and potato afelia was nothing but an imitation of Indian aloo gobi sabzi – and a poor one at that.
Pros: Great atmosphere, All vegetarian/vegan, Inventive flavors
Cons: Inconsistence quality, A bit too greasy
Guest
Vegancucc
Points +598
Sells live gold fish and tiny bowls for Iranian new year! :( - Edit
I used to go to this cafe because I found the atmosphere nice. It is not too clean and the whole place has a tattered vibe to it, but I really liked the grocery, the vegan ice cream and the unique atmosphere. Their coffee was bad, and some of the food is made with far too much oil for my taste, but their cardamon tea is delicious.
Read moreI was super-shocked to see that during the time of Iranian new year, one of the owners brought out gold fishes in plastic bags filled with water from the back of the store and sold it to customers. They also sold tiny, like 0,2 liters volume bowls with paper signs indicating that it was meant for the live gold fish.
During the Iranian new year celebrations , it is a custom to have various things on the table, including live gold fish. There are many animal rights activists who are trying to educate the public and offer alternatives. These fishes are usually disposed of a few days later, and most of them die because of the lack of care and the conditions or because they are released into the wild.
Pros: Nice vegan icecream, Kind waitress , Homey atmosphere
Cons: Sells live fish!, Not the cleanest place...+Chairs falling apart...
Guest
Samgardiner
Points +26
Fantastic vegetarian cafe - Edit
This is despite what the description says vegetarian. Most meals can be made vegan and gluten free. Tasty and good value. Bring you own booze too! Also great cheesy 90's music. Wigfield etc. x
Read morePros: Vegan and gluten free options
Guest
Gabeuk
Points +83
Best food in Peckham - Edit
We've been quite a few times and we used the shop for years before the cafe opened. This is easily the best place for food in Peckham. It is Persian style food, but 100% vegetarian. Hope it stays that way. Excellent place.
Read moreThe menu changes quite often and its worth asking what they recommend.
It's open till about 8ish, I think, so keep that in mind.
Pros: Food, obviously, Friendly people, cool vibes
Cons: Not open later in the evening
Guest
lauraXsynthesis
Points +572
A real treat - Edit
The first thing you notice is the colourful outside of the shop which really shines out in grotty Peckham High Street. Inside you're hit by a lovely spice smell in the shop area of Persepolis. The owner Sally really looks after you and is fully clued up about the vegan options of which there are plenty. I got the mezze so I could try several different things and we shared a few mains including some with tofu. It's all really reasonably priced. Be sure to leave room for the vegan knickerbocker glory.
Read morePros: Great atmosphere, Exciting range of food, Friendly staff
Cons: Very spicy plaintain tofu dish!!, Few tables - book ahead
Guest
MessyCook
Points +329
You'd be crazy to miss their sundaes - Edit
This Persian corner shop is slowly expanding its table space. At the time of writing, the cafe is 100% vegetarian with many items easily made suitable for vegans. The vegan version of the eggy bread is sublime. Three of the sundaes can be made vegan and all are delicious, especially the baklava variation. The folks who run the place ar lovely, fantastic people with a great sense of humour that makes Persepolis feel very welcoming. I would give five stars if the option was available.
Read morePros: Some of the best vegan food in S London, Great people, Inexpensive
Cons: I don't live next door, I don't live next door, I don't live next door
Guest
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