That London is awash with Instagram cafes is no secret, but there's only so many times you can see the latest incarnation of Peggy Porschen's latest display before gram fatigue sets in. Yes the bazillion El&n Cafes that have bombarded London are very photogenic, but also so very overplayed. So I set out to discover some more unique but equally photogenic Instagrammable London cafes. They're a little more of a trek, but you'll be rewarded by hot coffee, tasty food, and hopefully a cute snap that hasn't already been posted countless times over!
Instagrammable London Cafes
Dolci, Earl's Court
London's newest flower wall has found a home at Dolci, a super girly and oh so grammable cafe in Earl's Court that is no doubt going to be all over your feeds as soon as you can say "avocado toast". With velvet blue seating, marble tables, multicoloured drinks and plenty of natural light, it's pretty much an Instagrammer's dream.
The food is okay - the waffles with strawberries and nutella were all kinds of naughty delicious goodness, but the eggs royal muffins had gotten so hard they were almost impossible to cut (this might have been because we spent ages taken photos first, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt!).
Grounds and Grapes, Honor Oak
I know, I know, unless you live in South London Honor Oak is super far. I mean, it's not even on a tube stop, what is up with that?! However, it's 100% worth the epic journey for breakfast at Grounds and Grapes. There's an all day menu of breakfast classics alongside healthy salads and bowls (most of the menu is either vegetarian or vegan), or if you visit on the weekend you can tuck into their brunch specials. I usually go for the avo toast - you can't go wrong!
It's also owned by one half of the team at Early Hours, who design most of the floral displays in London, so you know it's gonna be cute. They have a regularly changing installation which adorns the outside windows, and there's a couple of alfresco tables where you can people watch (and snap away!).
Minnow, Clapham
Again, if you live in South London this one probably isn't that "off the beaten track", but as someone who resides in North East and rarely crosses the river I'm totally counting it! Just off Clapham Common, Minnow is a sweet neighbourhood cafe with a lengthy brunch menu, alongside lunch, dinner and Sunday roast options. I went aaages ago so honestly, I can barely remember the food, but I'm pretty sure it was great.
Like Grounds and Grapes they have a regularly revolving outside floral display with a couple of seats, which alongside an aesthetically pleasing duck egg blue front makes for a very pretty picture.
Linnaean Living, Vauxhall
To my knowledge there's not a huge number of reasons to visit Vauxhall, bar perhaps a drag show, but Linnaean Living is a pretty good reason. Part spa, salon, and restaurant, it's designed as a lifestyle space where you could easily spend a day eating and pampering (sounds great, right?). Designed by the same team behind Annabel's and The Ivy, it's ridiculously picturesque. Bedecked in pastels with blooms hanging from the ceiling, pink bar stools, and marble tabletops, there's plenty a photo op.
The All Day menu is meat-free and most items are vegan and/or gluten free. I went for brunch, and tucked into avocado on charcoal toast with olive tapenade, and the scrambled eggs with truffle oil and tekka. Whilst the tempeh "bacon" and beetroot "sausage" didn't exactly taste like their counterparts, the flavour combinations are so interesting and the ingredients high enough quality that you don't really miss the meat!
The Florist, Watford
This one definitely counts as off the beaten track, I'm not even 100% sure Watford is London... Before this location of The Florist opened you'd have to trek to Bristol or Liverpool to visit one of their super pretty restaurants, but finally there's one a bit closer to home! The new Watford Florist is an expansive space, decked out with faux cherry blossom trees, floral displays hanging from the ceiling, and even a photo-ready bathtub.
The morning brunch menu is fairly straightforward with the usual breakfast fare - I went for the shakshuka which is served not-so traditionally with eggs and bacon. During the day they mix things up with an Asian fusion menu. I've yet to try it, but it looks good!
Price-wise, you can definitely tell you're not in London anymore. It's rare to get change from a tenner for a full English within zone one, and the homemade pancakes came in at £5.75.
Let me know what you think of these Instagrammable London cafes in the comments. If there are any other photo-friendly Instagram spots in London that I've missed, or that you'd like to see more of, just give me a shout!
