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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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
652 Reviews
First Review by craigmc
GiraffeGirl
Points +338
Tasty and big portions - Edit
I had the soup of the day (lentil) with GF toast which was so tasty and didn't taste weird as GF often does. I think they make it in house and it was lush.
Read moreHad a portion of chips too.
Large portions and tasty!
Pros: Friendly staff, Great portions, Average prices
Guest
Amymarsden
Points +39
Delicious - Edit
Lovely intimate cafe/restaurant with great service and food choice.
Read moreI had the Kombucha with BBQ Jackfruit burger which were delicious
Guest
vivsan
Points +801
Best vegan food i ever had!! - Edit
2019-04-17: The best burger and fries in town! We litterly went back to Edinburgh from Aberdeen to eat at Holy cow again. The food is amazing and the cakes are also the best i ever had
Read more2022-04-21 update: have been dreaming for the burgers for 3 long years so i went back to Edinburgh, still the best burger i ever had. Same for the cakes, they are still the best.
2023-04-13 uppdate: still good! The staff is so friendly and helpfull.
2026-03-01
I’ve been coming here for years, everytime I’m in Edinburgh. The years between 2023-2026 the burgers have been a bit up and down. Last times it’s been up again. Had the quarter pounder and it was sooo nice. I would like the fries a bit more fried and I think they are a bit to oily. The bread is fantastic. But the over all it’s still a 5 and a safe place to go if you need nice food.
Now they have also redecorated.
Updated from previous review on 2026-03-02
Pros: Fully vegan meny whit lots of different options , Worth every penny we spent, Cosy atmospere
Cons: That its in Edinburgh and not in sweden
Guest
ramé
Points +6
AI description 👎 - Edit
Not very vegan to use chatgpt for your business
Read moreGuest
DUNS4D
Points +20
Must-Try - Edit
one of the best vegan spots in the city. going back in the summer to try their outdoor seating.
Read morestaff are nice. food is to die for, and you will use your napkin.
atmosphere could be better
Updated from previous review on 2026-02-21
Pros: food, staff, friendly
Cons: needs more vibes
Guest
Vegangelist
Points +1405
Just lovely - Edit
Friendly, prompt service and great food! The Reuben sandwich is to die for, but we found the lentil soup a bit lacking in taste. The cheesecake was very good. Water was placed on the table as soon as we arrived, which I approve of!
Read morePros: Prompt, Friendly, Great sandwiches
Cons: Entrance could be nicer
Guest
SamanthaJadePW
Points +297
Lovely little establishment tucked away from the hustle of the city - Edit
Service was wonderful from the get-go. Super accommodating for our little one - provided us with a spare plate & little spoon for him!
Read moreNice choice on food, and very well presented.
Saving space for one of the desserts is a must!
Pros: Service, Choice
Guest
Jennidaca
Points +1694
Good atmosphere and delicious food - Edit
We tried the Ruben sandwich and loved the vegan pastrami. The cheesecake was also delicious. Good place to have a snack.
Read morePros: All vegan
Guest
RumerBettie
Points +26
Holy wow???? Lmao idk - Edit
I had the Ruben sandwich (seitan pastrami, vegan cheddar, sauerkraut and pickles). The waitress kindly swapped the salad on the plate for fries for a 50p charge which I thought was good of em. Meaty Mum had coconut & cauliflower soup and oregano fries. She said "it was delicious, give them 5 stars - and the service was brilliant!".
Read moreMy sandwich was lovely, lovely, lovely and so much more filling than I expected.
Updated from previous review on 2026-01-29
Guest
thebestveganlife
Points +74
Yummy - Edit
Really nice brunch and atmosphere
Read moreCons: On the expensive side
Guest
JohnKnight
Points +443
There are better cheaper options in Edinburgh - Edit
They forgot our order, and although apologetic there was no mention of recompense. My tofu burger was OK but not great, Edinburgh has better options if not quite so central. Very pricey even for Edinburgh.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-01-17
Pros: All vegan, Nice atmosphere
Cons: Poor vfm
Guest
Caroll
Points +308
Matcha and cake date - Edit
Popped by for a pre hogmanay matcha and cake
Read morePros: Tasty blue matcha, Forest fruit cake, The vibe
Cons: No
Guest
Coeliacsquirrel
Points +653
Good lunch spot near Waverley Station - Edit
Met a friend here for lunch on a flying visit to Edinburgh. Handily located for the station & city centre. I had the gluten free beetroot carpaccio open sandwich & my companions both went for the Reuben. We all really enjoyed the food and, with a side order of chips, we were all stuffed so sadly had no room for one of the delicious looking cakes.
Read morePlan to return when next in Edinburgh to try their GF vegan breakfast with homemade haggis.
Updated from previous review on 2026-01-03
Pros: Handy location , Fresh food , Friendly staff
Cons: Expensive (but it is Edinburgh)
Guest
gabriellasnargles
Points +589
yummy vegan cakes - Edit
great flavors and super cute café; a little bit dry but we came at the end of the day so that might be why
Read moreGuest
catefr
Points +77
Tasty food - Edit
We both had the full vegan breakfast which was really tasty and generous portions too! It is pretty expensive, probably the most I’ve paid for a breakfast, but it was good food. We came on a busy day so service was very slow, took almost an hour to get our food but maybe we just caught them on an understaffed day! I also had a smoothie which was delicious. Coffee was okay. Overall it has a classic cafe feel which is nice. Obviously love that everything is vegan, and they have a great looking cake selection too, though we didn’t try any.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-12-30
Pros: Delicious food, Big portions
Cons: Expensive, Slow service
Guest
JuliaTwiston-Davies
Points +1182
Nice place - Edit
Cute little place with nice staff. The Reuben I had and the quarter pounder burger boyfriend had were both pretty tasty. I like that they use organic ingredients. There was no one else in there - I hope they get more customers usually. ☺️
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-12-29
Guest
jessclifford5
Points +86
Yummy Cake - Edit
Got the red velvet cake and the double chocolate cake. Both were yum but the double chocolate was my favourite! Cute cafe and good central location
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-12-28
Guest
Universe77
Points +138
Great food - Edit
This all-vegan place offers a selection of mains and cakes. As always, the food was superb, especially the Wellington, which is a Christmas-Special. We will be back for sure when we return to Edinburgh. Sry for the bad quality of the pictures
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-12-23
Guest
RSweet
Points +336
The place to visit - Edit
I come here every year on my annual Edinburgh conference trip. This place is so good even my omni friends want to visit here.
Read moreI always go for the rueben sandwich and it never disappoints.
Pros: Fully vegan
Cons: Smalll venue
Guest
phil0s0phiert
Points +217
Amazing Vegan Soup! - Edit
We were in Edinburgh for just 3 days, and we went there twice because the soup was so incredibly good and filling, because you get a lot of bread with it. Also the fries are very crispy and tasty! Can only recommend 🥰
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-12-10
Guest
Mrs.Kamelin
Points +2276
Holy nom - Edit
Perfect place to go to eat after a whole day walking around the city. Amazing food, very kind staff and the cakes are crazy good. Loooved the full breakfast plate.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-12-08
Guest
Alessandra1970
Points +188
Love - Edit
Love for animals just declared at the entrance
Read moreGuest
vasilys
Points +49
Definitely made with love - Edit
What a lovely spot! The place has such a cute vibe, and the food was absolutely delicious. But what really made a lasting impression on me was the atmosphere behind the scenes. On my way to the restroom, I could hear happy voices and laughter coming from the kitchen. It’s so refreshing to know the food is being made by a team that is actually having fun. You can really taste that positive energy in the dishes. Highly recommended!
Read moreGuest
ilexx
Points +46
very good!! - Edit
really nice place and really good burgers!!
Read moreGuest
chrisvegannn
Points +32
Great spot! - Edit
Came here for lunch. Quickly shown a table and menu bought over. We got the Ruben and the tofu pad Thai. Both lovely and portions very generous. I had a pot of spiced apple tea and my sister had a soy cappuccino as well. Although the sever was running FOH alone, everything was done promptly with no long wait even though the place was full. Would recommend 💚
Read moreGuest
liesj
Points +199
Fairly nice place but too chaotic. - Edit
Spending just a few nights in Edinburgh we specially looked for fully vegan restaurants and so we came to visit Holy Cow. I am very reluctant to give a not so nice review for a fully vegan restaurant but this just wasn't good. The floor was not particularly clean and the lady ,who was alone ,clearly had problems organizing everything -showing people their tables, cleaning tables, taking orders en following up orders- and we waited for so lang that we had, like someone else before us, just decided to leave when she came to our table and took our order. I took the beetroot carpaccio and my partner the Vietnamese tofu burger. Carpaccio should not come in thick heavy peaces and tofu should be prepared much more tasty than it was. The crispy fries were just not crispy. We were surely disappointed. For what it was it was definitely overpriced.
Read morePros: fully vegan, nice location
Cons: smell in the restaurant. , not original or very tasty.
Guest
Clara_D_M
Points +23029
Bad. - Edit
I hate giving bad reviews to fully vegan businesses. But honestly they don’t deserve a better rating, the golden rule is that the customer is the king. Their coffee machine was broken, which is fine, not their fault and their are worst things in life. I just wish they had told me instead of having me waiting 15min while the lady was on the phone with the coffee machine company or whatever
Read moreGuest
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