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.


Featured Review

Angelina-Sabrina

Points +383

Vegan
26 Mar 2025

Holy Cow? Holy Grail! 🙏

Suuuuuper lecker und total lieber Service 🤩


699 Reviews

First Review by craigmc

shifacbio

Points +1421

Vegan
29 Jul 2026

Tasty yummy fully vegan heaven

The food was simple but very tasty. Love that they gave a selection of kombuchas in their menu. And a gf tiramisu. Heaven!!! 😇

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-29

ClaudiaViola

Points +43

Vegan
29 Jul 2026

Super nice staff, bur dry burgers

Nice little place with nice staff, but the burgers were really dry. The fries were ok.

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-29

elgiot

Points +16

Vegan
26 Jul 2026

Very nice food

Very nice burgers oyster mushroom burger was excellent

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-26

Pros: Food, Drink, Vibe

LoriBru

Points +170

Vegan
25 Jul 2026

Nice food and people

Good street food, people are nice.
I was a bit disappointed by my Vietnamese burger, too dry and flavorless. Other options looked better. I would go again and make a different choice.

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-25

nattook

Points +125

Herbivore
24 Jul 2026

Nice Little Vegan Spot

Been here a couple of times, and it doesn't disappoint! Cute little cafe, with a nice vibe, friendly staff, and huge portions.

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-24

Pros: Big portions, Friendly staff

gfveganbaddie

Points +150

Vegan
20 Jul 2026

Yummy! Great Gluten free bread

Good food with many clear gluten free options! I had the No-Mackrell open toasty. It was good but too salty and a bit sickely. Still delicious though, but would try something else next time😄

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-20

Pros: Gluten free options , Yummy food

drusixtynine

Points +62

Vegan
16 Jul 2026

Bon mais un peu cher

Le menu était assez varié et très bon, mais pas très bon marché.
Par 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

adel.cara

Points +365

Vegan
15 Jul 2026

Really delicious food

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.

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-15

Pros: Great food, Cosy atmosphere , Kind staff

gotashima

Points +234

Vegan
15 Jul 2026

Too slow service

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.

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-15

SusieCulhane

Points +34

Vegan
15 Jul 2026

Brilliant

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

Pros: 100% plant-based, Interesting menu, Fabulous looking cakes

Cons: Only one gluten free hot food option

MegD

Points +543

Vegan
14 Jul 2026

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.

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!

Pros: A very good range of dishes, Good combination of flavours, Great location

Cons: I was too full to order the cake!

juliancr

Points +21

Vegetarian
14 Jul 2026

It was okay

I ordered the Vietnamese burger. It was dry and tastewise not very interesting

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-14

Minemotte

Points +468

Vegan
12 Jul 2026

Lovely place, and tasty!

Loved the burgers, super lovely people, try the pistachio milk with your cappuccino!!!

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-12

OskarHenriksson

Points +1420

Vegan
11 Jul 2026

Cozy and laid-back

A cute restraint/cafe in a basement that serves delicious burgers as well as cakes.

BeeBoy001

Points +62

Vegan
11 Jul 2026

Little gem in Edinburgh

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!

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-11

Pros: The chips, The cake, The choices

Bathsheba

Points +326

Vegan
08 Jul 2026

Good Food

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.

Updated from previous review on 2023-01-31

Pros: Great vegan food, Wide choice

Cons: Location - down steep steps

Vegtrick

Points +2612

Vegan
08 Jul 2026

Decent

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.

The 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

ana_diplose

Points +153

Vegan
08 Jul 2026

Rien d'exceptionnel

Nous nous sommes rendus à Holy Cow après avoir vu les excellents avis, pourtant je me méfie souvent des restaurants de burgers.
Nous 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

bcomb518

Points +32

Vegan
05 Jul 2026

Wonderful place

Great burgers. They were accommodating to our kids (although no separate menu). Fries were awesome.

Updated from previous review on 2026-07-05

Pros: Burgers, Fries, Ginger Beer

TobiSchönebeck

Points +50

Vegan
01 Jul 2026

Super leckere vegane Auswahl

Coole Location. Preis Leistung absolut okay. Die handgeschnittenen Pommes waren perfekt und die Burger sehr lecker.

MollyHurley

Points +104

Vegan
27 Jun 2026

lovely!

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.

Updated from previous review on 2026-06-27

YacovIshay

Points +16

Vegan
26 Jun 2026

Recommending this restaurant

Good food and good service

Pros: The taste, The presentations, Service

Cons: NA

GreyGardens

Points +409

Vegan
24 Jun 2026

Worth the scavenger hunt to find!

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!

Updated from previous review on 2026-06-24

jollieduck

Points +3596

Vegan
16 Jun 2026

Lovely spot 🥪

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.

Updated from previous review on 2026-06-16

Eltyrer

Points +36

Vegan
11 Jun 2026

Phenomenal

What an amazing find.
We (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

J0Z1

Points +978

Vegetarian
09 Jun 2026

Sacred Cow

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.

Restaurant 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.

LeighB

Points +748

Vegan
05 Jun 2026

Mediocre

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!

Updated from previous review on 2026-06-05




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