Lacto
Ovo
Western
Take-out
Bakery
British
Breakfast
Vegetarian café serving big plates, bowls, burgers, toasts & flatbreads, pancakes and sides. Vegan options are clearly marked. Previously known as The Herbarium. Reported to be vegetarian October 2025, despite being fully vegan before. Open Mon-Wed 09:00-16:00, Thu-Fri 09:30-21:00, Sat 09:00-16:00, Sun 10:00-16:00. Also has an evening menu on Thursdays and Fridays from 4-8:30pm, booking recommended.
113 Reviews
First Review by JanMaskell
gracewainwright
Points +383
So nice to have so many options - Edit
Really nice atmosphere.
Read moreLots of places to sit.
Food was tasty however the pancakes were a bit on the stale side. Which is a shame because everything else seemed so fresh.
Updated from previous review on 2026-02-14
Pros: Lots of choice , Nice atmosphere
Cons: Food could have been fresher
Guest
MickaelSimo
Points +73
New name and good food - Edit
The place is now called “The Old Gun Shop”.
Read moreThey have a great menu of food and drinks that are all vegetarian/vegan.
The food was good and the place is quite nice.
Pros: Menu variety , Cosy, Good service
Cons: Location (no free parking around)
Guest
Mrsampslave
Points +32
Ok - Edit
Fairly decent food, service is ok. Been a few times, service was quicker this time than the previous when it was incredibly slow but felt a little abrupt. I'm not sure what it is but I just find the experience of coming here a bit lacking in something.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-08-04
Pros: Food was fairly decent, Good choice of drinks
Cons: Service seems a little off, Atmosphere
Guest
NessieTheVeggie05
Points +47
Incredible atmosphere but not for me - Edit
The place is steeped in atmosphere and the coffee is wonderful, where it falls short for me is the food, the quality is incredible and well made. But not for me.
Read moreThere were sticks i think in my food I have to assume they're supposed to be there but I did not enjoy picking them out. Nor did I enjoy the soggy oily bread.
Edit: I came back to give The herbarium another shot and I'll be honest I am much happier. Although the food took absolutely forever to arrive (about an hour)
the food this time was much more up my alley. I got the Mushroom Melt and although there are still twigs in my food There are a lot less and the stuff was very well made. It still remains 4 stars due to the wait time but Incredible food.
Updated from previous review on 2025-07-10
Pros: Atmosphere, Coffee
Cons: Style of food is not for me
Guest
e.percival
Points +842
My favourite vegan restaurant - Edit
A special place that has always been my favourite. Quirky and plenty of options from brunch to dinner, in addition to changing specials. My particular favourite is their savoury pancakes, Eggy Big Boy pancakes, with tofu scramble, fake bacon, veggie sausages, and ketchup - I've had this many times and would highly recommend it! Their Buddha bowl was refreshing and felt healthy. The French toast had a lovely cinnamon flavour and was crunchy. The breakfast burrito was delicious too, lovely and warm, and had an amazing flavour, despite only a few crisps accompanying it.
Read moreIt has a nice vibe and the staff are always super friendly. A must-visit if in Lancaster for vegan food!
Updated from previous review on 2025-07-06
Pros: Fully vegan, Quirky vibe, Super friendly staff
Guest
williamson01
Points +44
Great choice - Edit
The range on the menu here is great. Main plates, small bites, snacks. Menu has it all covered. Food was tasty and the portions are good. We had the herb Buddha bowl and the mushroom melt sandwich. Quality and flavour were excellent. Seating is good. We didn't try the cakes but they looked tempting.
Read moreThey only lost one star for me because our table still had rice on it from the last customer and the breakfast tea tasted of mint. I'm assuming from what was in the pot last time?
Pros: Great choice on the menu, Good food quality, Nice atmosphere
Cons: Could do better on the service details
Guest
J-E-D
Points +56
Mixed quality - Edit
Disappointing and inconsistent…..Sometimes good delicious food, sometimes the food arrives cold or just warm…..
Read morewe waits once for 30 mins for our drinks to arrive, then the food arrived wrong.
The space is great, the service and food quality needs to improve
Updated from previous review on 2025-06-14
Pros: Space, Purely vegan - fantastic
Cons: Service can be slow, Food arrives warm and not hot
Guest
ktrott88
Points +246
Great cafe! - Edit
Really good options! Loved the set-up!
Read morePros: Great cake options, Great drink options, Toilets
Guest
ellab0nk
Points +568
Such good range! - Edit
Amazing cooked breakfast, all the vegetables were flavoured really nicely. Tried the berry pancakes which were so good. Fair prices for big portions and nice atmosphere
Read moreGuest
veganevolutionist
Points +3195
Fabulous - Edit
Love this place from the space, ambience, the food and the service, it is just fabulous. We popped in at 8pm on Friday for dinner on our way North. I had the Middle Eastern Avo Board which was amazing. So many flavours and textures. Loved it. B had the Korean BBQ Balls which were very nice. (Friday 02.05.2025 evening meal)
Read moreWe’re already planning another visit 💚
Do be careful of opening times as all platforms have different times to the blackboard inside. I have mentioned this to the venue.
Updated from previous review on 2025-05-03
Guest
Loupy
Points +423
Tasty brunch - Edit
We had the big breakfast, breakfast burrito and huevos a la Mexicana.
Read moreWe enjoyed it all although the big breakfast was a little cold.
The food all arrived quickly, I was a bit concerned after reading previous reviews.
Guest
loulouc2019
Points +216
Lovely lovely venue & glorious food - Edit
Tasty menu, amazing coffee, mind blowing sweet treats.
Read morePros: Gluten free options, Worlds best breakfast, Coffee that could make you cry in a good way
Guest
LaraStreffordCaine
Points +121
All vegan, real good food - Edit
I had the Club sandwich, which was really tasty. The flavours were great and the price/portion was good. My husband had the Mexican eggs and it looked like he had a whole block of tofu, so it’s great value for money. Staff were nice, lots of seating options, lots of drinks to choose from
Read morePros: Really broad choice of food! , Great price for the portion sizes
Guest
MichaelVaughton
Points +53
The food looked good - Edit
Arrived here on a Sunday afternoon (open until 4pm) at about 2 o'clock. We were offered a seat upstairs but advised that it was an hour's wait for food
Read moreWe had looked up The Herbarium beforehand and we were more than happy to wait for freshly prepared vegan food
Once we had chosen from the menu (15 minutes max) my wife went downstairs to order and was told they were no longer serving food!
I appreciate that it was busy but there was a free table to seat the five of us so they weren't even at capacity
Pros: Atmosphere was nice. Very welcoming and diverse, Staff seemed pleasant, Other people's food looked great
Cons: Didn't get to eat anything
Guest
Andymakin
Points +30
Great place to eat and drink!!! - Edit
Really great place to chill with a drink ad their food is very good!
Read moreGuest
IanLeaver
Points +470
Superb brunch - Edit
Great, buzzing atmosphere and fantastic food at a reasonable price. I had the big breakfast and Kath had mushroom toast with soup - both excellent #Veganuary
Read morePros: Great atmosphere , Delicious food
Guest
BetchiKettu
Points +334
Brunch or Evening? - Edit
Visited The Herbarium on a recent trip to Lancaster. And ended up going twice.
Read moreThe evening menu had lots of interesting options. Decent portion sizes. I tried the bao and vegan fish.
For brunch the next day, I went for the pancakes.
Pros: Smoothies you can add extra protein, Lots of options and things to add to the food
Cons: Slow service if it's busy, Evening is table service. Brunch is not.
Guest
Travels_in_Reggie
Points +4611
Wanted to love it. - Edit
Cosy, comfortable cafe offering a wide array of dishes for brekkie, lunch and on some days an evening service. It was busy in the evening, but the staff were able to find a table for me. I had the Chish and Fips, but it was really disappointing, sorry. I do generally prefer banana blossom, this one is tofu but it was a very soft tofu and turned into a scrambled tofu texture on cutting, not pleasant. The batter was so thin, barely a covering. The tofu was not marinated or wrapped in nori, but had a small square of something very hard on top of the battered tofu, maybe nori, it was difficult to tell. Neither the chips nor mushy peas wowed either unfortunately. I took away a Bakewell slice for dessert and that at least was delicious.
Read moreGuest
ariejoost
Points +55
Perfect vegan brunch - Edit
We stopped by for second breakfast (aka brunch) today. I have the toast with Mexican style tofu scramble. Spicy and delicious! We would definitely go again anytime, and so would the dogs as they’re definitely dog friendly.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-09-27
Guest
EmilyLongstaff
Points +51
Beautiful - Edit
We were so pleased to stumble across this place. It was such a welcome relief to have so many options! Everything was plant based. We had the protein poke bowl, New Yorker bagel and 4 desserts. Faultless. The staff were really lovely too. Highly recommend.
Read moreGuest
KateRuxton
Points +44
The best place in Lancaster - Edit
And honestly the best vegan pancakes I have ever eaten!! Absolutely love this place 10/10 for everything
Read moreGuest
bendavies_
Points +150
Best place I've eaten in a while - Edit
Amazing place. Food was excellent - we had a bunch of the small plates for dinner and then came back the next day for breakfast. Lovely staff and very relaxed atmosphere.
Read morePros: Brilliant food, All vegan , Great people working there
Guest
CharlotteLeder
Points +307
Lovely Place - Edit
Tasty food and dog-friendly. We had breakfast and it was amazing!
Read moreGuest
jzero
Points +92
Nice surprise in Lancaster - Edit
Found this on Google when visiting the uni.
Read moreFirecracker wings & side salad were just what I needed! Crispy wings and crunchy salad, perfect!
Nice vibe & friendly staff.
Guest
RichardPill
Points +77
Herbarium - Edit
Superb! Highly recommend. If only we lived closer. X
Read morePros: Food , Service , Ethics
Guest
E1izabeth
Points +461
What a great find! - Edit
Was just about to get a travel lunch from costa when I thought to check happycow - great decision! Large menu of breakfasts, mains, cakes and drinks it was vegan heaven. The interior and vibe of the cafe made for comfortable waiting (as we unfortunately had to get a takeaway) and staff were lovely. Really enjoyed the full vegan breakfast and coffee cake and so happy they did takeaway.
Read moreGuest
Rob-BFTI
Points +122
Lovely - Edit
Lovely place with a good menu and gluten-free options. Food was lovely, as was dessert and coffee.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-05-12
Pros: Good menu and lovely food, Gluten free options, Nice staff and good service
Guest
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