Vegan-friendly
American
Fast food
Beer/Wine
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Cafe bar offering chilled tunes and vegan food like burgers, hotdogs, and doner kebabs. Est. Mar 2020. Previously fully vegan and called The Hempist. Added meat to the menu January 2023. Reported closed February 2024.
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Last update on 08 Feb 2024 by Guest
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Added by craigmc on 07 Mar 2020
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46 Reviews
First Review by franarchy
Andrew-Lohmann
Points +625
Very much inproved - Edit
The vegan food choice is much better with less junk food and the owner told me there is consequently less waste. I had vegan Banana blossom Fish and Chips, which I am told is their most popular vegan dish. The knives and forks were brought before the meal arrived. Other customers were warned of the waiting time. On a second visit, I had a nice vegan Indian meal.
Read moreAll around, the little Restaurant has a lovely atmosphere, and it does what it does much better now. The same owner as before, when it was called Hempish.
Pros: The atmospher is nice, The service is greatly improved and is good, The amount of waste is reduced it is claimed.
Guest
sal_salamander
Points +173
Good food & range of options - Edit
I had the vegan macaroni cheese and it was good, although it had grated vegan cheese on the top that wasn't melted so it initially didn't look too appetising (however it was still good). My mum had the spinach and aubergine curry and really enjoyed it!
Read moreStaff were friendly too.
Pros: Lots of options, Not too expensive, Good location
Guest
cdrk
Points +837
Good Indian food - Edit
I didn't try any of the Western-style fastfood there, so my review is only about the Indian one and a cake. Apart from the dosas, they also offer dahl, thali, curry, etc.
Read moreI tried the masala dosa and it was a pretty good one, I also ate a veggie dosa, it was fine, nothing outstanding. The dosas are not the thin paper one, they are thicker and served with coconut chutney and dahl (which is very good).
Nice portions.
I also had once a vanilla cheese cake, good one too.
On Sunday, they also offer vegan roast
Very friendly staff.
Pros: Good food, Friendly staff, Cheap prices
Guest
ACulff
Points +84
Dissatisfied - Edit
Excited to find a vegan place in Hastings but unfortunately left quite disappointed. Chips were overcooked. Tiny portion of mushy peas with the fish and chips, plus there was a lack of info on the menu regarding what the meat replacements used were. Staff were polite but somewhat inexperienced. Chef lingered around whilst we ate. Hope its better if we go again.
Read morePros: Menu was vegan, Free tea
Guest
Flamingben
Points +49
Charming little diner.. - Edit
Pleasant if overstretched staff., though they made our dog feel very welcome. We had the ‘Thali’ which was lovely.
Read moreWell worth a visit, will return..👍
Pros: Dog Friendly, Pleasant staff, Quirky styling
Cons: Smells a little of frying oil,
Guest
tadpolerecords
Points +181
Was just OK - Edit
I had the "Chicken" kebab, and it was OK, but more coleslaw than anything. Staff were nice and friendly & the place looks fun, but the food didn't blow me away.
Read moreGuest
nicolathomas
Points +754
Very Disapointing - Edit
Staff were friendly and the place is quirky and colourful.
Read moreSmoothies were OK but quite expensive for what they were.
The salad of the day was just shredded lettuce with some sort of meat replacement/cut up patty on it that was not flavourful and nobody on the table wanted to eat it.
The banana blossom fish and chips was very disappointing- the chips and tartare sauce were nice! But the banana blossom was oily, slimy inside, a little burned in places and no effort was made to make it tasty in any way! (I've had fantastic banana blossom fish before so I know it can be done a lot better).
The mushy peas was bought out about 15mins after the main meal, were watery and not very tasty.
One meal wasn't brought out because of things not being prepared the night before (apparently) so the chef was making things from scratch.
Has potential to be fab, but management needs to take more responsibility for the running and organisation of the place.
Pros: Friendly staff, Quirky building
Cons: Unorganised management, Food was disappointing
Guest
JanineGerhard
Points +28
Delicious vegan food in chilled space - Edit
Sat by first-floor open window looking out to the sea. We shared Indian options which were absolutely delicious, as were the cocktails (going back to try their award-winning vegan fish’n chips!) Don’t be turned off by the hippy-vibe-overloaded facade: food and service are great!
Read morePros: Delicious Indian food and cocktails , Peaceful, laid-back environment, Great service
Cons: Had run out of several options by 7.30
Guest
Tofu123456
Points +53
Yum - Edit
Really good vegan food. We had a kebab and battered sausage, both very good. They happily made a kids size version of the fish and chips for our daughter. Will definitely be returning next time we are in the area.
Read moreGuest
amit108
Points +22
Not bad… - Edit
Had the vegan fish and chips - not bad at all! Will definitely visit again and try more. Great location for any vegans visiting!
Read moreGuest
CynthiaRoyer
Points +140
Very underwhelming… - Edit
Initially I was delighted to see the sign that read ‘award winning vegan fish and chips’. In hindsight, I would not have wasted my money. Although the chips were good, as others have stated, with the fish there was no attempt to replicate any flavour. Instead what we received was a deep fried, stringy piece of unseasoned banana blossom. Perhaps the other options would’ve left a better impression. Still, there are a lot of options so try and support the business if you can and hopefully the quality will improve in time.
Read morePros: staff friendly
Cons: bit dirty , not great vegan fish and chips
Guest
sparky_vegan269
Points +243
100% Vegan - Edit
The hempist is my go to place when I'm visiting in Hastings.
Read moreThey have wide variety of food available.
I have never had a problem with this place.
It unique and quirky. But can very crowded when busy.
Updated from previous review on 2022-04-24
Guest
CassieEvans
Points +13
Really good vibes, absolutely delicious indian food. - Edit
Spent a beautiful summers evening relaxing on the big table by the big shop front window. My dog loved lying on the windowsill and watching all the people pass by.
Read moreThe cocktails are lush, the indian food is delicious - get the dosa! We also had the fish and chips - it's made with banana blossom which gave it a really interesting texture. I've only ever had tofu fish and chips before so it was a nice to mix it up a bit.
I would definitely come back again.
Pros: friendly staff, relaxed vibe, lovely views
Guest
Skyzieboo
Points +3507
Really disappointed - Edit
I hate giving low reviews, especially to all vegan places😒
Read moreI ordered cheesy garlic nachos and cauliflower wings - my two go tos a) because i love them but also b) i feel like you can tell a lot about a vegan place on these two options. I ordered and went to sit upstairs as the space downstairs is a bit cramped. My food took a little time but its okay as I think they were sorting out an error on someone elses order.
I have attached a picture so you can already see, but it was a plate of tortilla chips in a pile, with various tiny pieces of salad dotted around the outside, with shredded unmelted cheese and houmous. I understand maybe it was garlic houmous but it didnt taste like it at all and also I guess I was expecting a sauce of some kind - and that the cheese would be melted. The portion was absolutely massive but I guess it makes it value for money where it otherwise wouldnt be. My cauliflower bites were yummy but so difficult to eat bc they were too big and fell apart, and there was so much sauce at the bottom of the bowl I actually poured some onto my nachos (made them less dry!). I also asked for tap water but wasnt given any. As I was leaving, a staff member asked me if I had paid which is fair enough to ask but the way she said it was almost rude, especially since she was stood right there when I ordered.
Here.To.Travel_Jade
Had a bad time at this place too!
Read moreSkyzieboo
Yess, I noticed there were definitely mixed reviews on here! I wanted to give it a try anyway but I was left disappointed. Perhaps it would have been better if I had gotten something else, I’m not sure.
Read moreGuest
Here.To.Travel_Jade
Points +9986
Really poor - Edit
I usually always root for the vegan businesses and really wanted them to do well but the truth is that I’d rate this lower if I could. We went there having read the mixed reviews but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Despite being the only paying customers (the waitress’ friends hung around down stairs) we waited 40 mins for our food. The kebab was stone cold (how?) and had to be sent back. They put it in the microwave, lettuce and all. It arrived without the fries and we had to point out it was part of the meal as specified on the menu. The vegan meats were ok, not great and no effort to make it like a kebab. The vegan fish and chips- the banana blossom was small, but soggy and flavourless. They’d made no effort to flavour it or add seaweed or anything to create a fish like product. The mushy peas were dry and the tartare sauce was not homemade. The chips and fries were good. The inside seating area was covered in cobwebs & the tables were unclean with sugar, crumbs & wrappers over and stuck in the cracks in the table. I would avoid. It’s not worth the wait or the money.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-04-04
Guest
LauraSeaman
Points +202
Lovely food - Edit
Had a lovely lunch here if topped nachos with chilli and cheese. Food was lovely but service was a little hit and miss. Took a very long time for all the drinks to come with someone in the group having to ask twice for theirs. We were a large group so normally expect a little wait but there was a long gap for the last few. Food was prompt and everyone enjoyed their meals.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-03-20
Pros: Tasty food
Cons: Service a little hit or miss
Guest
MarcusAHarris
Points +60
Great food at the Hempest - Edit
Cauliflower wings are amazing along with the best kebab ever.
Read morePros: Cauliflower wings a must, Kebabs are so much better then any meat version.
Guest
Veganforthewin
Points +3273
Fish and chips - Edit
Also do fish and chips
Read moreGuest
Simphl
Points +101
Curious fast food - Edit
We had the nachos and a burger, both were tasty though we missed having fries with the burger. Interesting selection of drinks that you don't get everywhere. Nice chilled vibe, and would love to try out their bottomless brunch!
Read morePros: Tasty, Good vibe
Guest
TrevorWeeks
Points +649
Overall not bad at all. - Edit
I liked the decor although probably not to everyone's liking. Lady working there was very friendly, very polite, a bit slow to serve but then she seemed to be on her own doing everything. She didn't know what was out of stock twice having to let us down. Coffee was great. Brownie and ice cream was great. We took away a cauliflower cheese and a macaroni cheese pie which were OK reheated and tasted good. We saw others being served burger and chips which looked well presented and good quality.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-10-14
Pros: Lots of options
Cons: Slow service. , Expensive.
Guest
CuriousWendy
Points +40
Tasty but slightly weird fish - Edit
Had the fish and chips to takeaway. Staff were super helpful, mushy peas and tartar sauce were great. Chips were decent but the fake fish had a very stringy texture. Would go again but try something different.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-09-27
Guest
wilsonschneidg
Points +2919
Missed the mark - Edit
Have waited to try food here for a while, basically the only reason I wanted to visit Hastings. The food was okay but there were a lot of mistakes! So many components were missing, including the bread for the doner kebab, so it was essentially a weird salad for £11. We ordered takeaway and drove away to eat so we didn’t have much of a choice but to eat it. We paid almost £30 for 3 items and so many crucial parts of the meals were missing or over cooked, it was actually surprising that someone had served it. Genuinely hope they pick up their game as the staff were really lovely and the menu has potential. I do wish I had ordered the fish and chips as they looked so good!
Read moreGuest
milady
Points +77
Fantastic, tasty and welcoming - Edit
I visited on a Monday and a Tuesday and as a soy-free gluten-free vegan I was pretty hungry and new to Hastings so thought this was a good bet. I was overwhelmed with how hospitable, tasty and filling the food was (I had the fries and beans (can't remember the name now!) and a jerk slaw. All perfectly tasty, hot and satisfying. Came back the next day to get some nachos and cheese and beans for takeaway, more slaw, plus some brownie and truffles (just in case, you know how it is!!). All great. Lovely people here and of course the visitors are great too. So appreciate a section of the menu just for gluten-free.
Read moreGuest
GhostyEm
Points +215
Moving in the right direction - Edit
I want to adore this place... But they never quite seem to get it right. I've gone every time I'm in Hastings and there's always something missing off the plate, or an excessive wait, or one flavour on the plate completely dominates.
Read moreBut the menu has been expanding and developing, and I like that they keep trying things, and just that they really exist at all, amongst a seafront of fish and chip shops! So I will keep supporting and have faith that it will move from ok to really good in time😄
Guest
Kimbo
Points +181
Great place to stop for lunch near the beach - Edit
The food was great. We had the Chilli Non Carne Loaded Nachos, Cajun Fries and Potato Salad. All very tasty. Also had a White Russian cocktail which went down very well. Good portion sizes and a great location.
Read morePros: Excellent food and drinks.
Guest
Rosa and Joe
Points +570
wildly inconsistent - Edit
for some reason we've been here three or four times - it's entirely vegan and in a really great location by the beach, and the menu looks like it will be great
Read moreWe have had some nice dishes, and the cheesecake (made elsewhere) is incredible, really superb. However, there's been some food that's been almost inedible, and things normally come with key ingredients missing, or some component of the meal burnt, totally dry, soggy or just really badly cooked in some way. I guess the name of the place gives a pretty clear indication what's causing the inconsistencies.... We have had a really tasty burger there at least once
If you're not too fussy and into burgers etc, and especially if you're a bit of a stoner, it might be worth the risk! And worth popping in for a cheesecake even if the rest doesn't appeal...
Pros: fantastic cheesecake, pretty good on a good day, entirely vegan
Cons: very inconsistent food, soggy, terrible bread, rolls and wraps, normally things mentioned on the menu but missing
Guest
LauraPorto
Points +44
Best burger place in the uk - Edit
I had the Righteous burger and I have to say that I now fear I can never eat a burger anywhere else as I believe it could only taste of disappointment. This place is amazing. The burgers and chips are out of this world. I also had a fabulous cocktail. Wherever you are in the UK, make sure you get to Hastings and eat here.
Read morePros: Lots of incredibly tasty options, Beat burgers and chips ever, Great service
Guest
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