Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Organic
Western
Beer/Wine
Catering
Scottish
The Henderson's business includes vegetarian restaurants, a shop and deli, and art gallery. This location serves contemporary vegetarian cuisine, wherever possible using local, seasonal, and organic ingredients. Juices, beer and wine, snacks, meals, and desserts. Short walk from main train station, north of Princes St. Reported its bistro on Thistle St switched to being all-vegan in 2015. Reported closed, Jul 2020.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
-
Loading...
-
-
Last update on 03 Aug 2020 by Pluviophilia
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business
-
-
90 Reviews
First Review by onejamie
PaulRobertCalder
Points +83
HappyCow 🌟🌟🌟🌟 - Edit
Super Busy! And a little rushed! But food is nice 😎🏴
Read moreGuest
MhairiCampbell
Points +141
Great food - Edit
Been here a couple of times now for lunch and never disappointed. Food tastes amazing with lots to choose from. Cosy inside with a relaxed atmosphere.
Read morePros: All vegan
Guest
YvonneB
Points +49
Great food! - Edit
Fabulous food and friendly, helpful staff. I had the nut loaf which was soooo tasty, i was very happy also that there was live music (Friday night) which gave a great atmosphere. I’ll certainly visit again next time i’m in Edinburgh - i’m happy that a friend recommended it.
Read morePros: Great food, Helpful staff
Guest
HannahSharratt
Points +50
Really good casual lunch - Edit
Lots of room in this massive but cosy basement cafe. You order from a cafeteria style counter which makes things nice and quick. I went in at lunch time on a weekday and there were lots of tables free which is nice- I had tried to go to Holy Cow but as it’s so tiny is was full. Vegan haggis, neeps and gravy was good, the haggis wasn’t quite what I was expecting but tasty all the same. I then had vegan pumpkin cheesecake which was really yummy.
Read morePros: Loads of space- no worrying about finding a table, Clear but limited lunch menu , Lots of vegan options
Cons: £1 or £2 over what I would have liked to pay, I went to the loo and they cleared my water away
Guest
craigmc
Points +35539
lots of good healthy options - Edit
i decided up upgrade the restaurant to five cows after my most recent visit.
Read moreA group of six stuffed ourselves with salads and cake. i visited at lunch three adults and three kids, and generally anytone wity kids knows how hard it can be sometimes. the advantage here is there is a big selection of salads, as well as a variety of hot dishes, if kids are fussy they should find something they will like easily. The children with us aged from six to fifteen finished all their food and it was great knowing how much veg they ate compared to other places you can go to.
the salads availabe were about 80% vegan and there was a decent selection, offering varied veg and pulses with a good variety of flavours. we follwed up with deserts all of which were tasty and fresh.
as the only vegan in the group i have to say my group was a mixture of veggies and carnivores and none of them realised the majority of their food was vegan. A visit to the bigger Henderson is worth it but i know most vegans would go to the bistro as it's totally vegan. i really think this is a fantastic lunch option where you can leave stuffed, but in a healthy way. there really isn't enough places offering as healthy an option as Hendersons.
i know in previous reviews a lot of people talk about it as expensive, it isn't really cheap. I do know that there is an emphasis of organic food where possible and this really isnt cheap, but you get what you pay for and i think although the food can be a little pricey, i think it offers good value.
Henderson is an institution in Edinburgh and even though it's a good size, sometimes its hard to get a seat at lunchtime, so it is doing something right.
Visited for a film night. Good to see it so busy. Had a mushroom and chickpea curry with a tofu noodle side. Delish.
Had lunch. Great as always. Gyoza.
Pros: healthy, staff & location, child friendly
Guest
MartynaKonecka
Points +48
Just ok - Edit
It was ok, wouldn’t rush to go back
Read morePros: Close to where we stayed
Cons: Expensive , Mediocre
Guest
LeFunks
Points +8929
Excellent - Edit
Lovely vibe of traditional vegetarian restaurants, warm and welcoming. Food is awesome (vegan haggis is a must, the vegan gravy sauce is amazing), service is quick and staff is really helpful.
Read morePros: lots of vegan choices, tasty food, many tables
Cons: not 100% vegan
Guest
Rosie108
Points +199
Great breakfast and vegan comedy too - Edit
I had a really great tofu scramble on gluten free toast. Highly recommend coming for breakfast!
Read morePlus (as I was here during the fringe festival) they had free vegan comedy to enjoy alongside breakfast. You can’t really ask for more than that, can you?!
Guest
TravelerLSE
Points +163
Simple, good - Edit
Relaxed atmosphere with good food. Loved the mashed turnip-potatoes with onions. Vegan haggis was a very different recipe than we’ve had before, a new twist on haggis. All good! Cale was ok, a bit dense and dry, but frosting yummy!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Vegan haggis! , Friendly staff
Guest
Summer_Tan
Points +1736
Delicious Vegetarian & Vegan food (and cakes!) - Edit
The restaurant is downstairs, the one on the upper level is more of a deli and grab & go shop. I was here for breakfast and had the Vegan Pancakes [£6.95] with blueberries, bananas & maple syrup. It was more of the thick American style pancakes, but not that fluffy. Still I enjoyed it and it’s really delicious, topped with a nice amount of bananas and blueberries, served with a side of maple syrup. It was a satisfying plate of pancakes for the price. I also had the Vegan Carrot Cake [£4.50] served with a side of plant milk which was really good. It was moist, tender and fluffy with just the right level of sweetness even with the frosting. It was jam packed with flavour and rich with plenty of carrots, nuts and such.
Read moreThe staff were friendly. They could be for more helpful (especially as a first timer) in introducing how the restaurant works and what it has to offer (i.e. menu, food at the counter etc.). The restaurant is eclectic and cosy with a homey décor. There place is spacious too with plenty of tables for even big groups. Fresh and delicious vegetarian and vegan food and even cakes that are done well at affordable prices, I can see why they are so popular and doing well (with several locations)!
Pros: Great selection of Vegan options , Affordable, Cosy and Spacious
Cons: Staff could be more attentive and helpful
Guest
ellaj0n3s
Points +292
Really really nice food - Edit
Enjoyed everything we tried here and the restaurant was really cool inside, staff were also lovely 🤩
Read moreGuest
שיר
Points +21
Really lovely place - Edit
The atmosphere as well as the staff was very nice and friendly. A lot of great options.
Read moreI had the carrot cake as dessert, delicious
Pros: So many options , Comfortable place , Great staff
Cons: A bit confusing entrance at first
Guest
edyson90
Points +202
Lovely lunch - Edit
Great place for lunch, lots of vegan options. Canteen-style service, my husband and I both went for vegan haggis and mash which was lovely (salad on the side!). We weren’t keen on the desserts, both too sweet for us, but definitely worth a visit.
Read moreGuest
NicoleKammersberger
Points +46
Good food,friendly staff - Edit
There is a daily menu, vegan and glutenfree options. The cakes where to die for.....yummi
Read moreGuest
LVienne
Points +223
Beware confusion with vegan restaurant nearby - Edit
We intended to go to Hendersons vegan restaurant, but only after we had eaten here did we realise that this was in fact the Hendersons vegetarian restaurant just, which has an entirely different menu! Very confusing - they should make this distinction clearer and offer all the vegan dishes in both restaurants. Better still, make both restaurants vegan.
Read moreAs for the merits of the vegetarian restaurant, the staff were lovely and some of the choices were very nice. But the mixed vegetables starter was surprisingly just some small vegetables battered (ie tempura), which was disappointing. And the creme brûlée was runny and far too sweet, without the essential hard topping. So a mixed and slightly confusing experience.
Pros: Some good vegan options
Cons: Some dishes substandard and poorly described, bew.
Guest
plantyperipatetic
Points +74
Charming Vegan Fare in Edinburgh - Edit
After finally arriving in Edinburgh I was looking to treat myself to a nice vegan meal. Found this place and swooped in right from the airport and managed to snag a small table for one. I was glad I went right away because as I sat there they must have turned away twenty people due to limited seating. They did seem to take reservations though so I would strongly recommend booking ahead. I had a chestnut soup and—obviously—the vegan haggis. It was delightful, but I would probably have ordered something else if I could do it again (let’s be honest folks—vegan haggis is gonna be a stretcher and I’m okay with that).
Read morePros: Intimate setting, Friendly staff, Great variety of options
Cons: Small
Guest
chrisenpresence
Points +62
Delicious breakfast! - Edit
The big breakfast is delicious! I love the vibes in here. So cosy.
Read moreGuest
TKoch
Points +579
Wonderful food - Edit
We visited in Oct 2018. The vegan haggis was fabulous. The soups and salads were very good. Well worth the trip. Large portions.
Read morePros: Great food, Large portions, Friendly servers
Cons: Tiny seating area
Guest
PlantBasedTraveller
Points +66
Great options and food, expensive - Edit
I love going here when if I'm in their area and I dont know where else I fancy. There are so many vegan options you arent limited to having the same thing every time like lots of other restaurants. The carrot cake is particularly good if you have room for dessert! The setting is a bit dingy, not sure if it adds to the charm or not. I do find it is a tad overpriced for what you get. Portion sizes are pretty generous though.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Good for a quick lunch
Cons: Expensive , Setting needs a bit of sprucing up
Guest
Muuuuu
Points +3230
Convenient location - Edit
But not as cosy as the other Henderson (Holyrood); food is ok
Read moreGuest
beulahspeckledface
Points +160
Underwhelming - Edit
I love the idea of Henderson's, but in my experience the food tends to disappoint and I find the setting a bit dark and dingy.
Read morePros: Lots of options
Cons: Setting dark and dingy, Disappointing food
Guest
caw
Points +2766
Good - Edit
Edit. Recently the quality of meals has been very hit or miss, definitely sometimes a disappointment. Lunch mains often seem like they've been nuked in the microwave before serving.
Read moreMy favourite veggie place in Edinburgh. Portions are smaller than they used to be but still filling and full of great ingredients.
Lunch deal has been my go to for over 15 years now. Soup salads or half portion of any main salads.
Pros: Atmosphere, options, soups, salads,
Cons:
Guest
unmond
Points +769
Nice takeaway slice - Edit
I paid the Henderson's deli a visit today as I was in the city centre craving cake. Was a bit sad when I discovered that not everything on offer is vegan (A girl can dream!), but overall, they had plenty of vegan goodies which all looked very good, making it really hard for me to choose. I went for a chocolate-coated flapjack in the end, and my oh my, it was excellent and didn't last very long (as I devoured it rapidly in the nearby St. Andrew Square).
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2018-05-19
Guest
MrsCooper
Points +66
Enjoyable brunch - Edit
Prices are reasonable for quality of ingredients. Really cool space with lots of posters for events they do. Staff friendly and welcoming. Lots of varied breakfast options. Will definitely be back for the full vegan breakfast.
Read morePros: Lots of options, Nice vibe and decor, Friendly staff
Guest
Kitaah
Points +27
3,5 stars... - Edit
Food was decent. Curious to try some other options. Liked the decor.
Read moreGuest
LaurenHarris
Points +50
Lovely staff but underwhelming food - Edit
We had been turned away from Henderson’s Vegan (our tip: always reserve, guys!) but they said the original Henderson’s was just around the corner. It was dark and cold outside, so we were keen to get warm and fed quickly. The place looked promising (although lots of stairs to negotiate with a baby in a buggy) and was apparently the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the UK, so we were intrigued!
Read moreThe staff were very friendly and gave us toys for our son to play with. The menu looked interesting - about half was vegan and they had a good range of drinks (my partner loves kombucha and they had a Glaswegian one).
Unfortunately the food itself was underwhelming. A starter of lentil, fennel and cabbage soup was OK. It came with a home-made oatcake, which was a nice touch. For my main course, I had the mushroom and leek crepe in a whisky sauce, which came lukewarm and tasted of nothing at all. I thought £12 was a bit steep! My partner’s vegetarian haggis was slightly better but still very expensive for what was basically lentils, oats and mashed vegetables for £12.
Service was also quite slow, and the card machine didn’t work as they’re in a cellar, so I had to pay in cash. We didn’t stay for dessert.
We won’t go back but we’ll give the newer vegan branch a try as it has very good reviews.
Pros: Friendly staff - brought toys for our son, Baby changing facilities, Cosy and atmospheric
Cons: Food is surprisingly bland and quite expensive, Not wheelchair/pram accessible (lots of steps), Decor needs updating, bit shabby
Guest
Viki&Eric
Points +121
Disappointing - Edit
We used to come here a lot three years ago and it was always delicious and staff were friendly!
Read moreRecently, it seems like there has been a lot changing in terms of staff and food. I came here yesterday with a friend and both staff members that served us for lunch were rude and unhelpful. What happened to this place? My friend wanted some salad and asked what one of them was. The staff member took a spoonful of salad and put it close to her face to analyse it. Is this a good service? No, this is just rude! So my friend chose a different salad that she could identify herself. I had a soup that was very watery and too overpriced and the person that served me didn't seem to know much either about hospitality or the food that they sell.
Very sad for a place that has been in Edinburgh for such a long time. Change something or we won't be coming back.
Pros: dinner seems to be better than lunch, vegan choices
Cons: staff that don't know anything about the food, rude staff, food isn't as good as it used to be
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 22611 times.