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
Veganolive1
Points +5156
Very Disappointed - Edit
Herbarium opens for dinner in the evening and so I booked a table. I was hoping to love it but sadly I would not go back for dinner. It was very quiet and so you would expect the table we were sitting at to be clean. It was sticky so the waitress offered to clean it. It was also a little chilly in the room too. The service was so slow and we waited ages for our starters. The same with our mains and we put this down to me having allergies and maybe the kitchen was being precautious. We never got asked if we wanted dessert as our waitress seemed uninterested and was counting money out of the till at the counter. The food I was expecting to love but it was just okay, in fact it was bland. The pear on my salad was still slightly hard and they forgot the chips I ordered with the aubergine dish and with the long waits I decided not to chase them up. The chips on the burger were dry and hard not freshly cooked. Sadly I would not go back.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-12-14
Pros: 100% vegan
Guest
TrudiAndrew
Points +15
Buena comida!! - Edit
Pide la hamburguesa:)
Read morePros: Muchas opciones vegetarianos y veganos , Me gusta el ambiente
Guest
N0meatz
Points +309
Always love this place for breakfast brunch or lunch - Edit
Really tasty vegan food, love the pancakes and mushroom dishes. Great tea selection and tasty cakes
Read moreGuest
vegboy1973
Points +74
Lovely Cafe. Great food and quick service - Edit
Stopped in during a walk from Glasson Dock and found very friendly staff who welcomed us with a mucky dog with a warm smile.
Read moreThe menu has a good selection of pancakes, toastier and other brunch type items and we shared a Mexican Scrambled Egg followed by Sticky Toffee cake. Both of them were delicious and we will definitely return to try more off the menu. #Veganuary
Pros: Friendly staff, Cosy atmosphere
Guest
glyoung66
Points +390
Excellent food - Edit
The service wasn’t the fastest but the food more than made up for it! Every person was very impressed with their meal
Read moreEdit: I returned, and instead of having my usual french toast I had the berry pancakes - this has always felt slightly controversial to me because ice cream for brunch is not typical, but they were sooo good, I think I’m obsessed with them now
Updated from previous review on 2022-10-09
Pros: Lots of options , Entirely vegan
Cons: slower service
Guest
banananna
Points +394
Well worth a visit - Edit
Highly recommended! Had an amazing and very filling salad bowl and tried some of the bakes on offer too! All absolutely perfect!
Read moreGuest
SandraSeng
Points +106
Best vegan spot in town - Edit
Always love to go to the herbarium. Every choice is a right one and the atmosphere in there is lovely.
Read moreGuest
TracyJC
Points +36
Best Vegan Food - Edit
Alway delicious, clean, quirky and great atmosphere
Read morePros: Great range of food and drink options, Home cooked and fresh, Friendly and helpful staff
Guest
prez
Points +874
Delicious food & quirky cafe - Edit
Lovely atmosphere, had the eggy big boy pancakes which were a really solid choice. Only small let down was the wait time we weren’t warned about - 45 minutes, and the pancakes were already getting cold when they arrived.
Read morePros: All vegan
Guest
·X·
Points +28381
The Herbarium - 4.5 Stars - Edit
The Herbarium was a lifesaver on our way back from the Lake District, as we were looking to have a reasonably healthy meal before our road trip back to London.
Read moreThe kale and spinach soup was extra delicious, but needed a little bit of salt added to it.
The African stew had a lot of cumin in it and, as such, my significant other was unable to eat it. This resulted in us needing to swap dishes, which was not a huge problem for me since I can tolerate cumin better. Nevertheless, I also thought the flavor of this dish could have been a little bit better but it was fine. But… The bread that came with this dish was so delicious, it had the right amount of crunch and was covered in delicious vegan butter!
Updated from previous review on 2022-09-26
Guest
AlanAbbott
Points +28
Really nice food Friendly staff. - Edit
Great place If disabled. Get staff attention and you can get in via the back with wheelchair .
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-09-22
Pros: A good selection of food, Best vegan 'big breakfast' I have ever had!
Cons: Not cheap but quality, If disabled, not easy but ask go around the back
Guest
NellTempleman
Points +150
So many options! - Edit
Extensive and inventive menu with so many delicious options of food and drinks and board games while you wait
Read morePros: Great flavours, Lovely setting
Guest
rebby6000
Points +52
Great hippie vibez and food - Edit
Great service, delicious savory pancakes, wonderful cake selection
Read moreGuest
AlexDilnot-Smith
Points +181
Wonderful - Edit
We had a great brunch and tea here!
Read morePros: Fantastic menu, Great food, Really friendly staff
Guest
Smelly123
Points +125
Must visit in Lancaster - Edit
Very reasonably priced, very tasty food. Nice decor and staff. The mexican salad bowl is highly recommended.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-07-07
Pros: Good food, Latte nice and hot
Guest
paul686
Points +188
A must visit if you are in Lancaster - Edit
Fantastic choice of dishes and really enjoyed being spoilt for choice in a restaurant/café for a change. It's great to know that everything on the menu is vegan.
Read moreMy wife and I dropped in for lunch and she ordered the the mashed edamme beans and pea on sourdough toast with a side of roasted tomatoes with garlic and I had hummus on sourdough toast with a side of mushrooms ( I know some will say hummus is a boring choice but it was homemade and fantastic).
Overall I can't recommend this place highly enough, the food was absolutely superb and the place itself a really nice place to relax. We will definitely be going back soon and I recommend you do too.
Pros: Fantastic menu, Entirely vegan menu , Reasonably priced menu
Cons: None
paul686
It was so good that when we visited Lancaster again the following day we were sure to visit again for lunch. This time I had the Herbarium salad bowl and it was amazing, full of great flavours and textures, just perfect.
Read moreGuest
PhilNuttall
Points +36
Great menu and food. - Edit
Friendly staff, good selection on menu and can’t wait to return for another Hoisin burger.
Read moreGuest
ashem97
Points +123
Delicious - Edit
The Shakshuka was absolutely delicious. My mum loved her hot chocolate too. Our only gripe was the chips needed cooking slightly more. We would definitely come back, I want to try the lemon and blueberry loaf!
Read morePros: Fully vegan, Delicious, Lots of choice
Cons: Chips
Guest
Ampslave
Points +116
Fantastic! - Edit
Had breakfast here this morning. First time at this local gem. Will definitely be back for more!
Read moreGuest
tonk
Points +36
Great place - Edit
Food is great service good take your time just relax #Veganuary
Read morePros: Nice and chilled
Cons: There is none
Guest
SarahClinch
Points +41
Favourite cafe in Lancaster - Edit
A favourite spot for relaxing or getting a bit of work done (WiFi available). A range of spaces means that even on busy days you can usually find a quietish corner. There’s a relaxed cosy atmosphere and staff are always friendly. Children and dogs welcomed.
Read moreGreat range of hot drinks with a choice of plant-based milks, I love the hot chocolate. There’s usually a good choice of cakes, including a very popular lemon and blueberry loaf cake.
The food menu has a good range of staples (hummus, mushrooms on toast, breakfast) with a few dishes that change to keep things interesting. The soups are always great.
The Herb also opens on a Friday and Saturday evening with a menu including burgers and cocktails. Since pretty much all of Lancaster’s good veggie options are closed in the evening, it’s a great option for eating out after dark.
Pros: Great food, all vegan, Child and dog friendly , Relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff
Guest
livingtheveggielife
Points +2022
Cute place with great food - Edit
Such a great place! Took my Omni mum for lunch and she loved it too. The decor is nice and the vibe is relaxing. Food was really tasty and good choice of cakes. Love the crockery too.
Read morePros: 100% vegan, Friendly staff, Tasty food
Cons: Nothing
Guest
k8plantbased
Points +112
just lovely ✨ - Edit
great food, great staff, great vibes - highly recommend 👍
Read moreGuest
AlDickinson
Points +42
Breakfast - Edit
Popped in for breakfast, great chilled vibe going on, cool and casual, very friendly and helpful staff. Super tasty brekkie borito, would of preferred more salad though instead of the poppadom crispy things! Will definitely be back when in Lancaster 🙂
Read moreGuest
MichelleFarnham
Points +24
Evening meal - Edit
Went for a dinner (they are open late Fridays and Saturdays) and it was delicious! The cocktails were really tasty as well. Will definitely be going back
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-08-04
Guest
honoraryidiot
Points +2369
Perfect! Wouldn't change a thing - Edit
Great food, great price, great atmosphere. Really impressed as I'd been wanting to visit for a while and wasn't disappointed. Impressed my omni friend who joined me too. Will definitely be making the effort to come in future.
Read moreGuest
VeganAnnaS
Points +2872
Friday night, burger night - Edit
We visited on a Friday evening back in August when it was burger night. We tried the chick'n wrap and the chick'n burger. Both served with skin on chips and slaw. Both really tasty.
Read moreThe daytime menu was more varied and I'd definitely visit again if I was in Lancaster to try some of those dishes.
(Visited August 2021)
Pros: All vegan, Welcoming atmosphere, Central location
Cons: Less variety on evening menu
Guest
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