There’s no shortage of excellent vegan scran in Edinburgh, and with more people than ever trying to eat less meat, we’ve rounded up the best of the bunch for the vegan or the veg-curious.
Sen Viet
A new addition to the local restaurant scene, Sen Viet follows the original site on London’s Kingsland Road, bringing plant-based takes on Vietnamese classics to Edinburgh. Of course there’s pho and summer rolls, but you’d be amiss to bypass the lemongrass and chilli tofu and the caramelised vegetable clay pot. Or better still, bring a group and order it all.
Hendersons
Having opened sixty years ago, Henderson’s is an Edinburgh institution and a trailblazer when it comes to vegetarian dining in the city. It’s not all vegan but there’s lots of vegan dishes on the seasonally-changing menu, many using locally-sourced ingredients. Go for the homemade haggis with root mash, whisky tarragon cream and caramelised red onion - it’s guaranteed to convert haggis-haters across the board.
Harmonium
Open since 2017 from the team behind Glasgow’s cult spots Mono and Stereo, Harmonium offers elevated, 100% plant-based comfort food. Not one for a light meal, dishes span mac and cheese-topped pizzas and loaded burgers to the ‘Irn Brunie’ - a characteristically tongue-in-cheek pud dousing a vegan brownie with Irn Bru syrup.
Ka Pao
It’s no secret that we love Ka Pao, but plant-based dieters will be pleased to know that they’ve mastered the art of veg-focused, southeast Asian cooking without compromising on flavour. Start with corn ribs with salted coconut, soy and lime and move on to charcoal-grilled celeriac with almond and turmeric curry and crispy kale - but save room for the mango and calamansi soft serve, which delights year-round.
Matto Pizza
There’s no shortage of excellent pizza in the city, but our favourite is Matto, which serves up wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizzas in Morningside and Meadowbank. There’s plenty of veggie pizzas on the menu, with vegan mozzarella swapped in free of charge. Our pick is the imaginatively named no.5, generously topped with aubergine, grilled artichoke and garlic olive oil.
Butta Burger
One for fans of plant-based meat alternatives - or the vegan-sceptics - lockdown success story Butta Burger’s menu offers plant-based chicken tenders and 6 vegan burgers, ranging from the fiery Korean Vegan with kimchi and scotch bonnet sauce, to the Vegan Truffle Chick with truffle dip. Whatever you order, a side of togarashi fries are a must.
Considerit
For something sweet, head to Sciennes for plant-based treats at Considerit. Hand crafted on a daily basis, the doughnuts are some of the best on the market (trust us on this, we’ve done the legwork), with flavours including blackcurrant cheesecake, raspberry bakewell and carrot cake. And although Christmas may have just passed, bookmark Considerit’s chocolate tins for 2023 - they make an excellent gift for vegan pals.
