Neighbourhood knowhow: Kennington Park

Firmly in-the-heart of the action, our Workspace office is surrounded by top-notch neighbourhood spots for eating, drinking and socialising. Whether it’s community-focused fare, a caffeine hit, culture or a workout you’re after, our insider guide has it covered.

Quick bites

Malinka Continental Delicatessen

Long part of Brixton Road’s fabric, Beata Lutkiewicz’s deli, just opposite the Workspace offices in Kennington, has been a local favourite for over a decade. Enjoy a bowl of their Great Taste awarded pierogi - Polish dumplings stuffed with meat or veg - served drizzled with herbs and fried onions.

58 Brixton Road, 10-5 Mon-Sat

Conuco Venuzuelan Kitchen

Moments from Workspace Kennington Park, this laid-back cafe has brightly-striped clapboard-backed seating and a menu packed with authentic Venezuelan fare. Think flavourful arepas - cornbreads stuffed with pulled chicken, beef or black beans - and slabs of tres leche condensed milk sponge cake.

14 Brixton Road, 11-6 Mon-Sat, https://www.instagram.com/conuco.london/

Sally White

Announced by a smart red-and-white striped awning, cafe and bakery Sally White, ten minutes from Kennington Park Workspace, is a local institution. Stop by for plum compote with yoghurt, sausage rolls, sourdough sandwiches or a coffee and pitch-perfect sour cherry cheesecake brownie.

353 Kennington Road, https://www.sallywhite.co.uk/, 8-4 weekdays, 8.30-5 Sat, 9-4 Sun

Cable Cafe

A family run intimate cafe and bakery by day, serving up coffees and delicious cheese toasties in a vintage chic setting, but also a cocktail bar by night. Don't miss the live jazz music playing weekly too.

8 Brixton Road, 8:30-11:30 Mon, Weds, Thurs and Sun, 8:30-12:30 Tues, Fri, Sat

Leisurely lunches

Taro

A firm favourite of Workspace, Taro is a small lunchspot, but big on flavour. This cool but cosy Japenese restaurant offers up delicious sushi and sashimi, big bowls of ramen and tasty bento boxes. Dine in our take-out, but make sure to try the spicy edamame and the Balham rolls. 

412 Kennington Road, https://tarorestaurants.uk/, 12pm - 10pm Mon-Sat, 12pm - 9:30pm, Sun

Cafe Van Gogh

For plant-based lunches close to our contemporary office space, this relaxed vegan cafe ticks the box. Dine on seasonal salads and tofu banh mi whilst admiring a Starry-Sky-inspired ceiling mural on the top floor. A social enterprise which offers training for people with learning disabilities, it has a zero-waste ethos and compostable takeaway containers.

88 Brixton Road, https://www.cafevangogh.co.uk/, 12-4 & 6-9pm Tues-Fri, 10-3.30, 5-9pm Sat, 12-4.30 Sun

Vanilla Black Coffee & Books

An independent coffee-meets-bookshop, Diana Mariño has created a calm, Nordic-style haven on Kennington Road with all-white furnishing and shoppable shelves lined with lifestyle books. Highlights on the brunch-feel menu including poached eggs and smoked salmon on sourdough and truffle mushroom toasties. Don’t miss the small garden courtyard out back.

https://vbkennington.wordpress.com/, open 8-4 weekdays , 9-4 weekends

Collective

Sat in the middle of Kennington Park, Collective is a community culture with sustainability at it's heart. Serving up incredible organic sourdough pizzas from the classics of Magaritas and Napolitanas to The Spicy Boy, drizzled with Kennington Park 'Bee Urban' wild honey, all sourced from and to support local suppliers and sustainable farms. 

Kennington Park, SE11 4BE, https://www.collective-kennington.co.uk/ 8am-5pm, Mon, 8am-8:30pm, Tues - Sat, 9am-5pm, Sun

Coffeeshops

Bouquets & Beans

For an on-the-go caffeine hit in Kennington, stop by Abraham Michael’s much-loved stall outside St Anselm’s Church for freshly-brewed Monmouth coffee, Kokoa Collection hot chocolate and floral bunches.

https://www.bouquetsandbeans.com/, 285 Kennington Road, 7-5 Mon-Fri, 8-5 Sat

Black Salt

All about ‘vegan, vinyl, Vauxhall, and bisexual representation,’ New Zealander Anto West’s dinky zero-waste cafe and coffeeshop on Vauxhall Street doubles up as a micro-curio shop stocking vinyl and vintage wares. Come for the Dark Arts coffee and kimchi rarebit, leave with a box of Meccano or a new commute read.

https://www.instagram.com/blacksaltldn/ 26 Vauxhall St, 10 - 9.30 Thu - Sat, 10-4.30 Sun

Urban Botanica

Coffee aficionado Stephen Wood has transformed a former newsagent on Kennington’s Windmill Row into a leafy haven licked in shades of pink and bottle green. As well as Horsham Coffee Roaster brews, there’s a rotating wall of houseplants for sale. 

https://urbanbotanica.co.uk/, 14 Windmill Row, 8.30-3 Mon - Friday, 9-3 weekends

Pubs & bars

The Fentiman Arms

With a burger shack in its beer garden, and a roaring fire inside in winter this gastropub a ten minute stroll from our Kennington Park business centre is ideal for a casual pint.

https://www.thefentimanarms.co.uk/,  64 Fentiman Road, 11.30-11 Mon - Sat, 12 - 10.30 Sun

The Tommyfield 

Great for proper British grub - think homemade pies and fish’n’chips - there are long tables to suit group lunches, as well as booths for more privacy. Plus, upstairs there’s a regular comedy night where top-name comedians serve up after work laughs.

https://www.thetommyfield.com/ , 11-11 Mon-Thu, Fri 11am -12am, 8.30-12am Sat, 8.30 - 10.30pm Sun

The Jolly Gardeners 

Packing contemporary verve, this handsomely refurbished 200-year-old pub fuses marble Victorian fireplaces and an original arts-and-crafts style timber bar with a fauxliage wall and cabin-feel outdoor space. As well as a concise, seasonally-shifting menu - hello BBQ cauliflower wings with herb aioli - there’s a strong list of South London brewed beers.

http://thejollygardeners.co.uk/, Tues-Sun, 12pm -late

The Kennington

For a post-work pint, we love The Kennington. As well as serving up traditional British dishes, there are starters and sharers and a light lunch on Thursdays and Fridays for those of us ready for the weekend. 

https://www.thekennington.com/, 5-10:30pm Mon-Weds, 12-11pm Thurs-Sat, 12-10:30pm Sun

Green spaces

Kennington Park

Home to mature plane trees and grassy lawns where green parakeets squawk, on the doorstep of the Workspace offices KP’s a must for lunchtime strolls and picnics. Peek at the on-site beehives at Bee Urban, then head to central cafe Collective, a bohemian space where Streatham-roasted Perception coffee, salads, smoothies and fresh-from-the-oven sourdough pizzas are served from a flamingo-hued tiled bar.

https://beeurban.org.uk/the-bee-barn/, Keeper’s Lodge, Kennington Park

https://www.collective-kennington.co.uk/, open 8am-dusk/park closing, daily 

Vauxhall Park

While it’s peaceful year-round, petite Vauxhall Park - which has its own model village - is particularly lovely during summer when its aromatic lavender patch is in full bloom. Explore it with a pastel de nata from nearby Madeira Deli; Vauxhall’s known as Little Portugal for good reason.

https://madeiralondon.co.uk/location/casa-madeira/, 46C Albert Embankment, 6am-9pm daily

Culture & sport

Tea House Theatre

Vintage armchairs, proper rugs, an encyclopedia of loose leaf teas and two resident cats - Maggie and Greystone - give The Tea House Theatre, in Vauxhall’s Pleasure Gardens the feel of a genteel drawing room. As good for full English breakfasts and laid-back lunches as it is pots of tea (kept warm by punter-knitted cosies) and carrot cake, its events roster includes theatrical performances, fireside readings and debates.

https://www.teahousetheatre.co.uk/

VauxWest

For a workout with a difference, VauxWest, moments from Vauxhall station, and fifteen minutes from Workspace Kennington specialises in bouldering. It’s climbing stripped to the basics - no ropes or harnesses, just short climbs on low-height walls. As bouldering can be done independently, new climbers just need to pre-register online, then can simply show up and give it a go.

www.londonclimbingcentres.co.uk, Arch 45b-47c, South Lambeth Road, 6am - 11pm

Orion Cycles

As well as running this one-stop-shop for bicycle repairs and riding chats, affable owner and cycle enthusiast Leo Paesano leads Friday night cross-London rides, with pub stops along the way. Keen to join in? Stop in for a chat, as, in his words, ‘whether you’ve got your granny’s bike or all the gear, everyone is welcome.’

232 Kennington Park Rd, 9-7 Mon- Fri, 9.30 - 5 Sat