Common in Lambeth

Could be a wonderful cafe as the food is excellent and the cafe itself wonderfully decorated. The staff however seem more interested in gossiping and scrolling on their phones than acknowledging or serving their customers. Such a let down.

Lovely café with nice atmosphere, coffee was good and customer service was friendly.

Really awful experience. Sat outside, ordered orange juice, iced coffee and pastries. After 20 mins told the ice machine was broken, so changed to a takeaway hot coffee. Takes another 10 mins to arrive with cold pastries, not in a take away cup. I take it back inside to explain, we need to leave now and I no longer want the coffee. And the staff apologised, but then became extremely rude stating 'take it'. I ask for the bill and the rest of our order to takeaway. Staff brought us our items, shrugging with a comment about the order only put in 15 mins ago. I ask for the bill again, and I am waved away with a hand gesture and a muttered comment. Again went in to ask for the bill. Will definitely not be coming back. Treated so disrespectfully, I appreciate it's a busy Saturday but does not excuse treating customers like this.

¿Qué está pasando con el personal aquí? Qué lugar tan encantador siendo arrastrado por embotados desagradables. La gerencia necesita hablar. (¡por favor, limpie las mesas antes de que alguien tome asiento! )

Great place if you want to ruin your mood. Wish I could leave 0 stars. Dirty wobbly tables. Staff were so unwelcoming, absolutely pathetic excuse for hospitality. Was made to feel like an inconvenience for even being there. “Our cafe prides itself on quality” …. Obviously not with their staff! Embarrassment Making people feel small creates such a nasty environment. Definitely not worth the service charge which is added automatically.

Excellent coffee shop ! The decoration is superb, the food and drinks are amazing. The service is great as well. It’s the perfect place to go to enjoy delicious bakeries. Plus, there is a small store inside where you can buy cute stuff. I would definitely recommend this place !

Great food and coffee but service was really slow

Very cosy welcoming historic interior, perfect for a gloomy winter afternoon coffee stop

Great setting, a shame about the service. The staff at Common do not deserve to work in this wonderful setting; however, as they all have their heads buried in their phones all the time, they probably don’t notice the environment - an old chemist’s shop full of history. It took 40 minutes for two simple toasties to arrive – far too long. Whilst the table next to us with six ladies had their sandwiches served at random times – they were unable to all enjoy their meal together. The customer next to us was served soup – then the waiter returned and rudely pointed out “as you may have noticed it’s not the soup that you were expecting”. Said as a complete afterthought. No thought for allergies or whether she wanted that soup. On the other side there was a man slumped over his laptop vaping! The staff didn’t say a word – still too buried in their phones. The final straw was when it came to pay. The waiter put his phone aside for long enough to create the bill, and without asking, added 12.5% service charge. I refused to pay this because we had had NO service. A great venue but I will never return nor recommend – it does not deserve to succeed, certainly not with the current staff.

Gran entorno, una pena sobre el servicio. El personal de Common no merece trabajar en este maravilloso entorno; sin embargo, como todos tienen sus cabezas enterradas en sus teléfonos todo el tiempo, probablemente no se dan cuenta del medio ambiente: una antigua tienda de productos químicos llena de historia. Tardaron 40 minutos en llegar dos tostadas sencillas, demasiado tiempo. Mientras que la mesa de al lado con seis damas tenían sus sándwiches servidos al azar, no pudieron disfrutar de su comida todos juntos. Al cliente que estaba a nuestro lado le sirvieron sopa – luego el camarero regresó y groseramente señaló “como habrá notado, no es la sopa que estaba esperando”. Dicho como un pensamiento posterior completo. No pensé en alergias o si quería esa sopa. ¡Al otro lado había un hombre desplomado sobre su portátil vapeando! El personal no dijo ni una palabra, todavía demasiado enterrado en sus teléfonos. La gota que colmó el vaso fue a la hora de pagar. El camarero dejó su teléfono a un lado el tiempo suficiente para crear la cuenta, y sin preguntar, agregó 12. Cargo por servicio del 5 %. Me negué a pagar esto porque NO habíamos tenido servicio. Un gran lugar, pero nunca volveré ni recomendaré – no merece tener éxito, ciertamente no con el personal actual.

food is great so is coffee, staff are friendly and kind, one of the things that's hard to find these days. in really grateful for stumbling upon this place and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is near the area.

Nice place, good drinks, nice staff

Lovely cafe!! Such a great spot on the common with a great, cozy atmosphere. The waiter with the curly hair was wonderful and super friendly, so glad I discovered this place :)

They do not serve food after 6pm and only alcohol thereafter, but we don’t drink alcohol. We were sold green tea £4 per pot however.

A lovely cafe with a wide variety of items, it even turns into a cocktail bar on the weekend! The staff were very kind and great at latte art, will be coming back

Mi hija y yo fuimos esta mañana cuando mi hija pasa por delante con frecuencia y pensamos que se veía bien. Entré y vi que también tenían una variedad de productos para comprar, y íbamos a echarles un vistazo antes de irnos. Había dos empleados charlando entre sí, que nunca se detuvieron a darnos la bienvenida o preguntar dónde nos gustaría sentarnos, y cómo ordenar. Nos sentamos y esperamos. El personal continuó charlando. Entonces decidimos irnos sin ordenar, y no hubo atención del personal para preguntar si estábamos bien y podrían ayudarnos. Horrible!

Really nice coffee, but really rude waiter!!

Really amazing place, so cute and cosy. The cocktails here are amazing and easily better than any chain place. I think I was served by the GM, with glasses. Amazing service and incredibly friendly staff.

Food is great and the cafe is super cute but the service has become terrible over the past months. You’re sitting at a table, nobody comes to take your order or at least tell you if you need to order at the till whilst the stuff is laughing and doing nothing around. Such a shame as it’s quite a cute Place to be.

The food here is good, and the ambience is cool, making it a potentially fantastic spot. However, the service leaves much to be desired. Overrated and overpriced with staff who have illusions of grandeur. Won't be coming back

En los últimos años he aparecido en Común en varias ocasiones. A veces ha sido una buena experiencia, otras ha sido terrible, como lo fue esta noche. La transición de cafetería a bar parecía imposible para algunos empleados de navegar. La puerta de entrada está funcionando mal, por lo que no se cerró correctamente, lo que significa que cada vez que alguien se fue o llegó se mantuvo abierta y dejó entrar una corriente de aire. Horrible cuando es una de las noches más tormentosas del año hasta ahora. Otra molestia... si una mesa/área está reservada a cierta hora, hazlo evidente a través de un cartelito como la mayoría de los lugares lo hacen los clientes, en lugar de venir y decirles repetidamente que necesitas la mesa de vuelta en X no de minutos. Este lugar podría ser encantador, ya que los alrededores, etc. son geniales, pero el personal es tan golpeado y extrañado. Hay demasiados otros buenos lugares cerca, así que no frecuentar aquí de nuevo en un apuro!

For the love of God, please fix your door, chilling draft everytime someone forgets to pull it shut in the winter. Be more organized when it comes to large booking and asking people who are already seated (and paying for service) to shift around to accommodate

Lazy service, disorganised, tables do not get cleaned. Half of the outside chairs have rust on them. Plus health and safety rules do not seem to be observed - one of the chairs was broken and when sat on it almost broke my hand to prevent me from falling over. Easy money as opposite the Common - a shame as so much more could be done with a place like that if the owner only cared about customers too.

Such a beautiful coffee shop, but unfortunately, it's let down by poor management/staff decisions. One main table is often occupied themselves throughout the whole day, leaving it unavailable for customers. Most of the time, the table is left empty (sometimes for hours) cluttered with paperwork and a laptop. On multiple occasions, I’ve had to leave, and I’ve seen others leave as well and turned away simply because there’s no available seating. When we have asked if we can use the empty table we are told no! The coffee shop also has limited charging points and one of them is under this particular table. Dear Owner/Managers/staff members Please reconsider this practice. Use the display table at the back or another less prominent space, and let your customers use the tables to work, enjoy their coffee, food and support your business! imagine how much business you lose because of the above. No customer should have to leave because you’ve decided to use a table for bits of admin work throughout the day. It feels very unwelcoming. I love your shop but can never find a space, a leave knowing a table is empty and you wont allow me or other to use is very sad - not just for me but all the other locals you turn away.

I absolutely adore this cafe for its atmosphere, its spicy chai, vegan pastries and laptop friendly setting. I think it’s great that people feel welcome to come and work from here for an hour or two. I myself, have done so a few times. I also appreciate there is a sign asking people with laptops to be mindful about how long they stay. I think this sign should be amended to include ‘no teams / zoom / whatever calls’. This next part of my review goes out to the blonde woman with the messy hair, in the fraying green jacket and blue jeans who started her call on loudspeaker, and then proceeded to chair her 30+ minute call discussing a logo and her Christmas hours. Other cafe goers who are quietly focussed don’t want to hear you. Thank you.

Splendid and above all not noisy place where I had an excellent breakfast. Banana bread and cappuccino. Nice that they also have a small shop space

Adorable cafe facing Clapham common. Me and my friend thoroughly enjoyed everything we ate and had to drink. The toastie I had was exceptional. We came on Saturday morning it was busy so I would keep that in mind.

If I could give the service zero stars I would

The worst and most expensive coffee in the area, unremarkably served despite £0.95 service charge taken when ordering. Shocking.

Fantastic brunch spot, the staff were so friendly and hospitable, and the vegan toastie was so good I ordered it twice. They all deserve a raise 🤍

Great place to do your work when you dont have anywhere else's closes 7pm. The prices are reasonable. And nice food.

Very popular, so busy, be prepared to wait. Great place to relax and meet people on the Clapham Common.

Cold salad from the fridge took 1 hour to arrive

Parece que el servicio no es el mismo para diferentes clientes. Solía ir todas las semanas, y el tipo que parece ser el propietario, nunca ha murmurado una sonrisa tan amable cuando saludé, o dije gracias cuando traje mi bebida - en taza de nuevo al mostrador, me miró como si fuera una molestia. En otra ocasión lo vi ser súper amable con los clientes. Este comportamiento me ha pasado un par de veces, pero también a mi pareja y a otros amigos. Dejé de ir allí, lo que es una pena, ya que me encanta el ambiente de la cafetería, los productos que venden y la ubicación en el común. Si trabajas en la industria de alimentos y bebidas, como lo hice durante años, lo menos que puedes hacer es hacer que tus clientes se sientan bienvenidos. De lo contrario, quizás no deberías trabajar en contacto con la gente.

I am new to the area and have found the PERFECT coffee spot. I was served by the lovely Shaina! She made me the BEST Oat Flat white and my day is sorted. I will be coming back again soon ☺️

Muy promedio de café y comida, pero mal servicio, y no justifica los precios premium. No volveré a menos que se hagan grandes cambios.

Amazing staff, excellent food, latte art on point! Overall a lovely experience at Common. The staff are so welcoming and helpful. Will be coming back!!

RUDE staff. Waited ages for the coffee. Won’t be back

I've visited The Common in Clapham twice, hoping to give it a fair chance after my initial experience. The food here is undeniably great, and the ambiance is quite cool, making it a potentially fantastic spot. However, the service leaves much to be desired. During my first visit, the manager approached our table in a very rude and aggressive manner, insisting that we go order at the till. This set a negative tone for the rest of our visit. I decided to give it another try, hoping the first experience was a one-off. Unfortunately, the second visit wasn't any better. I stood waiting for a minute while the staff were busy laughing and chatting, only to be dismissed with an excuse that there were no available tables as everyone had just ordered. Ironically, just as the staff member finished telling me this, another customer was asking for their bill. I decided to leave due to the poor handling of the situation. In summary, if you're after delicious food and a cool space but can tolerate disappointing service, The Common might be worth a visit. Otherwise, you might want to look elsewhere for a more pleasant dining experience.

It is a good place to work and have coffee. The big downside is however they have a lot of flies on the wall and inside the pastry shelves. Therefore the hygiene is worrying. There were literally over 20 flies on the wall next to my table all afternoon I was working there.

Lugar encantador para el café y el brunch, la masa agria utilizada para mis huevos era ligeramente viejo y era extremadamente duro cuando se tuesta, lo que hizo que la experiencia de comer ligeramente decepcionante. Sin embargo, el servicio y el ambiente general es de primera categoría!

The chai latte, carrot cake and lemonade were absolutely delicious. Very nice spot.

The staff don't acknowledge customers. The food is OK. I placed my order at the counter before I could see the payment the server added a tip on for me. Not sure why I was forced to tip the staff who didn't really do anything. Someone rings a bell the food is ready to.collect. I would happily have collected myself. The food is also pretty expensive for what it is. A real shame as its a lovely place in a great location just not great food or staff

£4.30 for a coffee kmt. get me out of clapham

It was busy on a Saturday morning, however they were quick to serve and find a table outside for us.

Such a lovely place for a coffee or brunch especially if the weather is nice. The food is lovely and the coffee is actually quite good (that coming from a person who loves coffee and struggles to find good coffee in London). The only negative thing was that the staff although kind, just seemed a bit bored. They saw us sitting but after waiting for a while we had to go in and ask for menus and then go in and order. Didn’t seem like it was a self service place as later they started going around at the tables. Despite that will visit again

It is rare in London to go somewhere where the coffee is so consistently terrible. Staff are friendly enough and it’s a lovely setting but the coffee massively lets it down.

Doesn't take cash, which is racist and discriminatory. Could do with an accousotve panel or too. Coffee is good.

Toasted banana bread is delicious!!

Very slow service for takeaway coffee!

Nice chill place with good coffee and great staff. You ll enjoy best when the weather allows

Miserable service (hopefully the guy was ok) & £4.80 odd for a cup of tea 😫

Absolutely lovely cafe. The carrot cake exceeded my expectation. It was a classic carrot cake with walnuts and cream cheese frosting. No raisins! The sponge was light and it was baked beautifully. Coffee was good. Nice ambience, plenty of seats inside and out. Staff are lovely. Bit annoying having to ask for teaspoons and sugar with the hot drinks.

First time here in the evening. Amazingly attentive staff, super good value and excellent wine. 100% will be back

Amazing ambiance, lovely staff, delicious cocktails, a rare treasure amongst the madness of Clapham, such a good find! I highly recommend a visit

Met my friend here for brunch, we try somewhere different every month and this is up there with our favourites. Great coffee. Great food

Great Saturday night cocktails by candlelight. So nice to have a relaxed night out with friends and to be able to hear the whole conversation. Very civilised and elegant and unpretentious

Great cocktails, chilled atmosphere, knowledgeable staff. Will come back again for a relaxed night out where you can actually hear yourself think!

Great café and great location! Tried some of the best cocktails in London. Will definitely be back ! Thanks again for making our evening special.

Common is an absolute delight, offering not only a cozy atmosphere but also a picturesque view overlooking Clapham Common. It's the perfect spot to unwind and have a coffee and/or a bite to eat. Their brunch/lunch menu is concise but has a good range of options, especially for the veggie/pesci. The staff were friendly, attentive, and always willing to help to ensure a memorable dining experience. Jesse in particular added an extra layer of charm to the cafe with his warm hospitality. Despite its prime location and high-quality offerings, Common remains surprisingly affordable. It's refreshing to find a place that offers such excellent value in this part of London. I can't wait to return and indulge in more of their delightful offerings. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and pay Common a visit!

Love this cafe. Always excellent coffee and delicious breakfasts - great little shop too. It's my go to when we have friends staying.

The food is lovely, but the staff are so rude? Me and my friend came in today and were nothing but polite to the people serving. We we looked up and down, told we couldn’t sit in, to which we said that’s fine we’ll sit outside! Then she couldn’t hear me ( as it was busy) instead of saying excuse me she said WHAT?! We brushed this off and sat outside. Then we’re told the banana bread we ordered was sold out.. that’s fine. We chose something different, when the guy brought this out he went are you table 33? Yes we said.. “would never of known you’ve put your table number completely the wrong way” as he held our food… why the lecture? So I unneeded and cold. We’ve literally just come to enjoy some coffee and food! Genuinely wouldn’t come back as the atmosphere of the staff is so incredibly poor.

Asked for GF toast waited 30mins and got sourdough bread told them not to bother I had waited to long GF options are just 2 lots for vegans they have a choice GF don't shall not be going back

Banana bread is a delicious treat, as is the goats cheese fig jam toastie to go along with a matcha or chai latte… they offer alternative milks with no additional cost, and it’s a cosy setting to have a little break in. Might be slightly more difficult to find a seat during weekdays as there are a lot of people working on laptops—-

Really cosy cafe with delicious treats and great coffee! Favourite spot around Old Town

My friend and I popped in for coffee and cake. Lovely place

Nice and cosy atmosphere, banana cake was really lovely.

Would definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves an atmospheric, candle lit bar for an evening out… the cocktails were delicious and so pretty! The staff were super attentive and the little shop was hard to resist, already know I’ll be back to experience the coffee in the day - thank you!!

We had such a lovely time at Common Late, tasting some great cocktails in a cosy and beautiful space- we will be back! Thank you ☺️

We went for the cocktail night on a Friday and had the most impressive and delicious cocktails I’ve ever had! Such a meticulously thought out menu and such high quality! The candle-lit atmosphere was truly wonderful also! This is definitely our new go-to!

The new cocktail menu at Common is so tasty!! The cocktails are unique and go down a treat. The cafe is the perfect environment to catch up with friends over a drink or two and the staff and inviting and lovely!

We were lucky enough to sample ‘Common Late’ and it was brilliant! Delicious cocktails offered with knowledgeable bar staff. A really good selection of mocktails too which was a nice change- and they look like proper cocktails too, not just juice with a garnish. Nibbles offered and the atmosphere with candles, music and general decorations was really lovely. A great start to an evening and can’t wait to go back. Prices were really reasonable too. Great to have somewhere new to try out and will be becoming my new favourite.

Amazing atmosphere, kind staff, delicious food, lovely people! What more can I ask for? 10/10 ☺️

Review not taken down because was innaccurate. It was 100% accurate. I edited review to add more detail. Unfriendly, stand offish, disrespectful staff. Unable to accept or discuss feedback. Lack of accountability or transparency. Didn’t eat or drink here as interaction and response with staff made me spend my money elsewhere. From other reviews, it is cleat owner/manager does not respond well to critique, feedback or skilled in conflict resolution.

Really nice vibe and laptop friendly. I’ve tried toasti and pastries, they were okay. Coffee was good. One thing to note, if you come here during peak lunch time it is almost impossible to get a table.

Lovely little cafe right by the common. Great atmosphere with great staff!

The perfect spot for both brunch and working remotely. Lots of vegan friendly options which taste AMAZING!! The staff are lovely :)

Great coffee served by friendly barista’s! Beautiful store stocked with great gifts.

Inaccurate closing times, they turn off their coffee machines 45 minutes before the time they say they close. Would be useful if they would either update their timings or stick to their word.

Amazing place with a warm welcome! If you haven’t been already… you must visit. Lauren -Dirty Laundry 🧺

Food is overpriced and really mediocre. Took 35 minutes to come.

Cute cafe with vintage furniture for an apothecary vibe. They also sell a few lifestyle items and gifts. I tried the elevated banana bread which was beautifully presented. They have outside seating. On my visit it was frequented by women with their laptops.

Can't really rave enough about this place. Chilled vibes, perfect for working in! Lovely staff, all keen to help but don't hover, always looking busy and cheerful, and often having a laugh, which brightens up the whole cafè🧡 the menu is all "feel good food" and the goats cheese and walnut salad is so good, I literally die and come back to life just to eat it and die again and then repeat the process! Would score it a million stars if I could 🤤🤤🤤🤤 ( Also great for takeaway coffees and food, with the cutest lil shop attached!)

drink and a bagel at over £17 is pretty steep - …but nice ingredients and flavours.

Very slow service, stale sourdough and a hard boiled poached egg 🙄

Very good place in Clapham for brunches or lunches. The toasties were delicious!

Cute cafe between the common park and the high street. Excellent eggs! Thanks to our lovely server Libby.

This place is in a really nice spot, and they sure do serve coffee, but when I went up to order I was greeted by four of the whitest fifteen year olds you've seen, all deplorably mid, all avoiding eye contact as one of them struggled to maneuver slices of banana back into the display while talking about being an only child in the poshest accent you've ever heard. A full ten seconds passed before I got served. Count that time in your head. One of the most surreal coffee shop encounters of my life, and unmistakably Clapham. Someone please tell me these were the ghosts of some gross Victorian kids. I had to shower.

Very cute place with the atmosphere of this cozy district. The interior and exterior are amazing. Some great food was spotted here, so I would guess if it looks good - it tastes good too. Coffee is provided by the Assembly coffee roasters, and we all know - it is a level ;) The pastry is good and goes very fast. A small shop with some stuff is available as well. Lively

Pastry was oily , coffee ok. Nothing remarkable but cool interior

Great that we managed to get a table for 2 at 11:30 on a Saturday. This place has a really nice and open interior and pavement seating too. For £12 we got two coffees and a piece of carrot cake. The cake was delicious, spiced and not dry. The coffees could have been stronger, but otherwise a great place.

Surprisingly average cafe. We've been 4-5 times, really tried to enjoy it. The staff are stand off-ish and the coffee is genuinely terrible - over extracted (burnt) and milk extremely hot.

I love this place! So cozy and lovely. The food and coffee are top and the staff working there are super nice! Especially the manager, I think his name is Jesse!

Had a really great experience at the Common! Tasty food, proper coffee, good vibe and attentive staff especially Jesse who was really helpful!

Really nice café with great selection of food and drinks. Lovely atmosphere and very friendly staff - definitely recommend!

Great, efficient service from a very attentive staff member. Will definitely be back!

Great coffee and delicious food, also the staff was very friendly, I’ll definitely be back for more coffee

Great place, perfect location, relaxing vibes, stuff super friendly, perfect for a Sunday afternoon brunch, we also bought some stuff for the house from their little shop. Jesse, I think the manager, was an absolute lovely person and very helpful. Over all great place great people!

Lovely spot. Lovely service. Food is good and I love the cocktails!

Lovely café - highly recommend!