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Vegan
Organic
Western
Take-out
Bakery
European
Gluten-free
Cafe serving a selection of starters, burgers, sandwiches, all-day breakfast, soups, and Buddha bowls. Emphasis on cooking from scratch and creating healthy dishes. Est. 2016. Open Mon-Thu 12:00-22:00, Fri-Sun 10:00-22:00. Last orders 9pm. Open hours vary.
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- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 29 Aug 2024 by Vegan1957
Update business info -
Added by craigmc on 05 Dec 2016
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Featured Review
Angelina-Sabrina
Points +383
Holy Cow? Holy Grail! 🙏 - Edit
Suuuuuper lecker und total lieber Service 🤩
Read moreGuest
693 Reviews
First Review by craigmc
drusixtynine
Points +54
Bon mais un peu cher - Edit
Le menu était assez varié et très bon, mais pas très bon marché.
Read morePar contre tout est végane et une grande selection de gateaux
Updated from previous review on 2026-07-16
Pros: Joli endroit, Plats copieux
Cons: Personnel peu sympathique
Guest
adel.cara
Points +352
Really delicious food - Edit
I came on a rainy day with a bit of a cold feeling sorry for myself, and Holy Cow cheered me right up. I had a big breakfast, hot chocolate and some cake and it was all excellent. The cafe itself was in such a cool, below street level building and it was such a cosy way to hole up against bad weather for a few hours.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-07-15
Pros: Great food, Cosy atmosphere , Kind staff
Guest
gotashima
Points +234
Too slow service - Edit
I was excited to come here for breakfast but was underwhelmed. The food was ok (I had the full breakfast) but I waited 45 minutes (the place was fairly empty) and it arrived lukewarm.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-07-15
Guest
SusieCulhane
Points +34
Brilliant - Edit
Great food - generous portions. My partner had the Vietnamese Tofu with Asian slaw, and I had the Pulled Jackfruit burger. The Cakes looked delicious but I was too full to try! Must come back
Read morePros: 100% plant-based, Interesting menu, Fabulous looking cakes
Cons: Only one gluten free hot food option
Guest
MegD
Points +539
Wonderful cafe in central Edinburgh. It isn't a huge place but as well as the indoor seating there's an outdoor patio area at the back. - Edit
100° vegan. They make everything fresh and serve generous portions. The food is delicious plus they do lovely coffee and a selection of cakes. Vegans are truly spoiled here!
Read morePros: A very good range of dishes, Good combination of flavours, Great location
Cons: I was too full to order the cake!
Guest
juliancr
Points +21
It was okay - Edit
I ordered the Vietnamese burger. It was dry and tastewise not very interesting
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-07-14
Guest
Minemotte
Points +468
Lovely place, and tasty! - Edit
Loved the burgers, super lovely people, try the pistachio milk with your cappuccino!!!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-07-12
Guest
OskarHenriksson
Points +1329
Cozy and laid-back - Edit
A cute restraint/cafe in a basement that serves delicious burgers as well as cakes.
Read moreGuest
BeeBoy001
Points +62
Little gem in Edinburgh - Edit
I’ve been meaning to try this place for a few years as I have been visiting Edinburgh quite a lot over the last few years. I finally got there!! Faced with a fully vegan menu I was like a child in a sweet shop, but sadly between meals) so I ordered a bowl of chips and a slice of red velvet cake 😆. Very happy and unapologetic about my choices! Both did not disappoint. Friendly staff and such a treat to have a whole menu to choose from! It’s a basement restaurant, so don’t look up for it, look down!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-07-11
Pros: The chips, The cake, The choices
Guest
Bathsheba
Points +326
Good Food - Edit
Revisited in the summer and it was better. A quiet Sunday evening and it was relaxed, and very welcoming so better than previous visits for atmosphere. You feel part of the vegan community here. And the food again was tasty and a bit different. I would even say not bad value now, whereas I had thought it too dear. The food is delicious though and the portions generous. My pea and mint soup was very balanced. The location isn't ideal on a winter night due to steep steps.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-01-31
Pros: Great vegan food, Wide choice
Cons: Location - down steep steps
Guest
Vegtrick
Points +2612
Decent - Edit
Honestly, I found the burger to be a bit underwhelming. It was well prepared, had a good taste and quality ingredients, but the patty (both for the tofu & the oyster mushroom burger) was quite small... like 2-3 strips of tofu in my burger. You're "eating around" the bread until you finally hit the good part. You can see it on the pictures, patties just barely peeking out on one side.
Read moreThe energizer smoothie was great tho!
I saw them cut different cakes that all looked delicious, but we didn't get around to try then yet.
Service was fast & friendly. The location is quite central, on basement-level of a typical Edinburgh house. Kitchen closes at 9pm.
They don't take reservations, and reportedly, you can usually expect to get a table as a walk-in. I like that!
Updated from previous review on 2026-07-08
Guest
ana_diplose
Points +153
Rien d'exceptionnel - Edit
Nous nous sommes rendus à Holy Cow après avoir vu les excellents avis, pourtant je me méfie souvent des restaurants de burgers.
Read moreNous avons été assis tout de suite car il y avait peu de clients.
Nous avons attendu plus de 40 minutes avant d'être servis alors que la salle était à moitié vide.
Nous avons prix deux burgers Vietnamiens : 2 gros blocs de tofu fumé marinés dans une sauce peu goutue avec 1 tranche de concombre et de la salade verte. Le pain était délicieux comme la mayo sriracha, mais les deux énormes blocs de tofu avaient peu de goût et étaient un peu étouffants. Les frites étaient bonnes mais la seule sauce proposée était un ketchup qui manquait de goût.
Peut-être que le reste de la carte était meilleur, mais nous avons été très déçus, d'autant que le prix est très élevé.
Updated from previous review on 2026-07-08
Pros: Bon pain à burger, Bonnes frites, Bon emplacement
Cons: Beaucoup d'attente, Trop cher, Manque de goût
Guest
bcomb518
Points +32
Wonderful place - Edit
Great burgers. They were accommodating to our kids (although no separate menu). Fries were awesome.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-07-05
Pros: Burgers, Fries, Ginger Beer
Guest
TobiSchönebeck
Points +41
Super leckere vegane Auswahl - Edit
Coole Location. Preis Leistung absolut okay. Die handgeschnittenen Pommes waren perfekt und die Burger sehr lecker.
Read moreGuest
MollyHurley
Points +98
lovely! - Edit
had a delicious meal here! small team so service is definitely on the slower side, so just make sure you’re not in a rush! they were lovely. the food was amazing and fresh. I got the reuben & had a bite of the quarter pounder and some fries. fries very crispy! would recommend.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-06-27
Guest
YacovIshay
Points +16
Recommending this restaurant - Edit
Good food and good service
Read morePros: The taste, The presentations, Service
Cons: NA
Guest
GreyGardens
Points +409
Worth the scavenger hunt to find! - Edit
Like many places in Edinburgh, this was a little challenging to find using Google/Apple Maps. Look down! Very small dining area. Very attentive staff. I had the no-mackerel sandwich and loved it. I especially appreciated the accompanying greens, which seems to be rare in Scotland. For dessert I ordered red velvet cake for take away. Very moist, dense, and delicious!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-06-24
Guest
jollieduck
Points +3592
Lovely spot 🥪 - Edit
First meal in Edinburgh and a filling and refreshing pick! Loved the smoothies and Reuben sandwich, the butternut squash soup of the day was over-gingered for my taste and I could not finish it.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-06-16
Guest
Eltyrer
Points +36
Phenomenal - Edit
What an amazing find.
Read moreWe (myself and beautiful Luna the chow) had the best welcome as soon as we arrived. We were offered a nice corner table by the window, perfect for Luna to watch but not get in the way during a busy lunchtime at this popular cafe.
The menu made choosing rather tricky, so many delightful dishes to choose from, while I deliberated for some time, Luna had a fresh bowl of water and about 8 treats from the host.
I chose the mackerel patties- OMG… they were unbelievably good. I mean… spectacular!!
Packed with flavour and freshly made.
If you’re new to Edinburgh or simply passing through, you’d be mad not to visit. 100% the best vegan cafe in the Uk.
Updated from previous review on 2026-06-11
Pros: The choice, The food , The welcome
Cons: Nothing to dislike
Guest
J0Z1
Points +978
Sacred Cow - Edit
Went in before I had to catch a plane. Wanted something quick and checked the menu - most stuff is pricey, so opted for the best of both speed and cost, which was the soup.
Read moreRestaurant was pretty busy and I was by myself so I had to sit in the side in front of the bathroom.
Server was very enthusiastic.
Sadly the soup took ages, despite being quite nice.
It's clear the restaurant was slammed busy. If I didn't have empty pockets or a bit of time pressure I'd have enjoyed it more.
Menu was all organic and looked decent. Also very handy and in quiet side street of Edinburgh.
As it was only OK and I can't really wrap my head around why ladelling out a soup took almost 40 mins, it's a three.
Also someone perfumed the bathroom and I could actually taste the spray, so not that comfy for me.
All in for soup and a 10% tip was just shy of £9.
Guest
LeighB
Points +742
Mediocre - Edit
Sadly the photos of the food here are so much better than the taste. The chips were soggy and oozed oil when you squeezed them, clearly put into cooking oil that wasn’t hot enough (really letting down the Scottish deep frying scene). The burgers were surprisingly flavourless: the hoisin tofu lacked any hoisin flavour, and the panko mushrooms were unseasoned - all very bland. 3 stars because the cake was yum, the only redeeming part of the meal!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-06-05
Guest
vegan_mouse
Points +1557
Delicious, lovely, and busy! - Edit
This tiny little restaurant with delicious breakfast sure was HOPPIN! But, it’s absolutely worth the wait! Loved that they had GF options. And the cappuccino was phenomenal. ☕️ anddd they also have cake slices, so we couldn’t resist taking some carrot cake to-go!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-06-05
Guest
BorisPelakh
Points +21
Amazing food - Edit
Great selection of innovative vegan selections, great drinks too.
Read moreGuest
nbnb
Points +106
Brilliant food, a bit too long of a wait - Edit
I got the full breakfast, and it was brilliant! The portions are generous and filling. The wait however was a bit too long, maybe around 30 min
Read moreGuest
julelikesfood
Points +739
Yum - Edit
A perfect lunch after arriving at Edinburgh Waverley Station. Only small downside is it took a bit longer to get the food but at the same time that means it was all very freshly made.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-05-28
Guest
3ink
Points +159
Leckeres Essen aber maroder Service - Edit
Das Essen war gut.
Read moreLeider haben wir lange gewartet bis überhaupt unsere Bestellung aufgenommen worden ist, dann haben wir 40 Minuten auf unser Essen gewartet (Tagessuppe und Pommes).
Getränke kamen erst gar nicht, erschienen dann aber auf der Rechnung.
Keine Ahnung, ob das eine Ausnahme war, aber es war leider kein schönes Erlebnis.
Pros: Essen, Alles vegan
Cons: Service generell, Lange Wartezeiten, Teile der Bestellung vergessen
Guest
LesleyDargie-walker
Points +929
Tasty sandwiches - Edit
Lovely place! Was a little busy when we went but still got served quickly and food didnt take that long.
Read moreRuben sandwich was so good! Tasty coffee
The cakes all looked delicious, but I was too full will have to go back to try some!
Guest
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