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There’s a veritable fleet of big red buses serving street food across town. Laura Richards jumps on board the best of the bunch
Just FaB (pictured above)
When you think of Sicily, chances are you’re not imagining a red double decker in an abandoned courtyard, but that’s what you get in Hackney’s Just FaB, a bus doling out eats from the Italian isle. Even more unexpected is that all these meals on wheels are vegan-friendly. So whether you’re after pizza, pasta or polenta, you can have it meat- free, and even cap it off with a ‘vegamisù’. Salty, Sicilian-style panelle – polenta-like fritters – go down particularly well, especially with a squeeze of lemon. Dine on the upper deck or take a seat in the vibrant Yard where neighbouring vehicle ABQ does drinks in a ‘Breaking Bad’-themed meth lab. 455 Hackney Rd, E2 9DY. Bethnal Green or Cambridge Heath rail. Tue-Sun 11.30am-10pm. Dishes £5-£7.50.
The Bloody Oyster
Shucks away at this South Bank bus specialising in two of the greats: rock oysters and bloody mary cocktails. Or ‘rocks and cocks’, as its website charmingly puts it. Parked by the Royal Festival Hall, this red beauty brings oysters to the masses for just £2 apiece (only slightly more than a bus trip using the other kind of Oyster). If you can’t handle raw, try them deep-fried in a po’boy burger or ceviche-style by the half dozen. Our tip? Bag a picnic bench for happy hour (Tue-Fri 4pm-6pm) when oysters cost a quid. That’s one rocking way to spend the end of summer on the South Bank. Royal Festival Hall, SE1 8XX. Waterloo.Tue-Wed4pm-11pm; Thu-Sat noon-11pm; Sun noon-7pm. Until Sep 18. Dishes £2-£14. Oysters from £2.
Wünderlust
The Big Red Bus parked in Deptford is hardly news on the double-decker food scene, but it’s being hijacked “‘Speed’-style” until the end of the year by Austrian street food crew Fleisch Mob, who’ve renamed it ‘Wünderlust’. Space up top and a covered deck means colder climes won’t matter. There’s barbecue fodder on Fridays and Saturdays and Sunday roasts with bottomless bloody marys, but it’s the hotdogs we love: Austrian snags come slathered in oozing sauces. You’re going to make a mess, and Keanu’s not around to save you. 30 Deptford Church St, SE8 4RZ. Deptford Bridge DLR. Wed-Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri 5pm-2am; Sat noon-2am; Sun noon-10pm. Until Dec 31. Dishes £5-£9.
Here's what happened when we went for a ride on London's gin bus
And in actual bus news, Sadiq Khan's one-hour 'hopper' bus ticket launches on Monday