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CLOSED: The Forest
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Closed
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Vegetarian
Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Western
Fast food
Beer/Wine
A volunteer run, not-for-profit arts, social, and events space also operating as a veggie café in the heart of Edinburgh. Menu includes salad, soup, potatoes, burrito, falafel, snacks, organic coffee, teas, and drinks. Sunday vegan brunch 12-2pm. All events are free. Reported closed to HappyCow.
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Last update on 01 Feb 2012 by Guest
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6 Reviews
First Review by Karla
TRaeCH
Points +384
One of Edinburgh's many gems - Edit
To begin, contrary to the review just below, I can confirm that The Forest is still open and running while being just as lively as described below.
Read moreMore importantly, the food still comes in huge servings and is very good. I tried the burrito and the falafel burger (known as the "Balls of Glory"). The burrito I found to be delicious - nicely warmed, bursting at the seams with beans and rice. Each bite was great (and a big burrito like that, we're talking many bites)! The falafel balls were okay. A bit too dry and lacking taste. Even the helping of hummus didn't improve it much.
Both dishes came with potatoes, cucumbers and spinach amongst a thick, tasty, slightly-more-watery-than-hummus sauce. There was also a heavily peppered salad and small helping of pasta.
While the food was generally good, The Forest scores bonus points for their organizational style and atmosphere. It is a great place to hang out among friends or even meet new people. I did not find the staff standoffish in the least bit, as opposed to a reviewer below. Another important factor, cost, is not a concern - the place is not for profit after all. No restaurant can turn a profit selling food this cheap!
Check out The Forest. It is good food and they are doing something pretty special.
Pros: Cheap, Atmosphere, Volunteer and non-profit
Cons: Food could be better, Serving sizes possibly 'too big'
Guest
Stevie
Points +11765
The Forest, Edinburgh - Edit
I have just tried to go to this place 10 mins ago. Looks like its closed to me. It wasn't easy to find and the only I did was that it is between numbers 1 & 7 in the street. There were signs to say that this is the actual venue. Also the doors were big, firm and very solidly locked.
Read moreThe website sems to be very up to date says this place is open 7 days from 10 am. That doesn't though seems to be the case to me and that was a wasted journey. C'est la vie, the price of wisdom.
Pros: Not open when the website says it is, Is it still open at all?
Guest
gr8vegan
Points +2357
Cool place, loads of young people & CHEAP - Edit
We ordered practically everything on the menu for 9lbs so that tells you how inexpensive it all is! The Vegan Sushi was really good, but overkill on beets. The beans on toast (custom request) was great, but the vegan wrap was too oily to eat, which was sad since it had some great veggies murdered inside it! The place is all run by volunteers who work 4 hours a week each in exchange for using the space to play music, display art, hang out, etc. I really like the concept and everything was great, food came up quick, quality ingredients lots of people drinking coffee playing on their computers and we had a live string quartet entertaining us during lunch!
Read morePros: inexpensive!, fun!
Guest
feorag
Points +568
Loads of cheap, solid food - Edit
Part of an anarchist/punk arts collective, the Forest Café is run entirely by volunteers some of whom are doing it to improve their English. Most of the food is vegan or has vegan options, and includes burritos, falafel, burgers and various wraps and salads. Like everywhere else, they claim their nachos (no vegan version, alas) are the biggest in town; unlike everywhere else, they are probably telling the truth. Don't worry - when you can't finish them, the local freegans will gladly stop the food being wasted! All the portions are large, and come with lashings of healthy salad. Be warned - the main ingredient in the hummus appears to be garlic.
Read moreThe Forest is not licensed, except during the Festival and Fringe in August, and a small corkage is charged should you bring your own. Free WiFi is available.
If you're looking for expensive haute cuisine in luxury environs, then The Forest Café is not for you. If, on the other hand, you are happy to put up with a bit of grunge (albeit clean tattiness), and spend very little money on enormous servings of basic, but tasty healthy food, then this is a good choice.
Pros: cheap, enormous portions, free wifi
Cons: a bit tatty for some, byob
Guest
khb
Points +141
low prices - Edit
I came here for a late lunch on a quiet afternoon. There were no other customers at the counter when I went to order, so I did not encounter the previous reviewer's problem. The menu has plenty for vegans, including cakes. The food was OK - nothing to write home about, but not at all bad. Prices are very, very low for the UK - for that reason alone, I would be happy to go back if I ever find myself in Edinburgh again.
Read morePros: low prices, vegan cakes
Cons: it's nothing fancy
Guest
Karla
Points +29
Didn't get to try the food... - Edit
I went here when I visited Edinburgh in January 2008. People sort of stared when my friend and I walked in. It seemed to be a community kind of place where everyone knows everyone else - almost like we were walking into someone's house where about 30-40 people were relaxing, chatting and working on their laptops. I didn't see anyone eating. It was very dimly lit in the cafe. I didn't see where we could get to any "music space" or "art gallery".
Read moreI didn't get to try the food because I stood at the counter for 10 minutes while the cashier ignored me and helped other people who were clearly behind me in line. I started talking to cashier at one point when it was my turn and he turned away from me to help the next person in line. The other customers noticed this happening and gave me sincere looks of confusion and apology but I got none of that from the staff. I have no idea what was going on there. I couldn't try their cider either because their license only allows them to serve alcohol until 8 p.m. My friend (who also tried to get service with similar results) and I sat down to figure out what we wanted to do instead when one of the friendlier-seeming staff members announced they were going to show a Bollywood movie... We obviously decided to stay and nobody bothered us so we at least got to see a free (and amazing) movie.
It is a little out of the way of the city center. I would probably try The Forest again just to see if my experience was a fluke but I would not go with high expectations.
Pros: free movie nights
Cons: stuck-up, unfriendly staff, very dimly lit inside, bit of a walk to get to it
Guest
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