Named one of the best places in the UK to be a vegan, our city is home to a wealth of eateries offering you plant-based delights morning, noon and night. Whether you're strictly off the meat or just fancy cutting down on it, these bars and restaurants are serving up cruelty-free and sustainable eats for your chowing pleasure. Check out our top picks for vegan food in Edinburgh.
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While Slug and Lettuce is renowned for its killer cocktails and epic brunches, it's also a fantastic find for Edinburgh vegan food. Find everything from sharing boards and smoky soya-topped nachos to towering plant-based burgers.
Get on down to Lady Libertine for a lip-smacking plant-based feast. Not only can you chow down on a fragrant baba ganoush, but also roasted cauliflower accompanied by citrus hummus, roasted cherry tomatoes, hazelnuts and sage, with chocolate brownie to finish.
Boasting beautiful views of the capital from its lofty location on Castle Street, Chaophraya is the Thai hotspot that's making our mouths water. Vegan options include vegetable tacos and summer rolls, as well as a great selection of stir-fries, curries and salads.
If you're on a plant-based diet, Mowgli is a fantastic shout for dinner. These guys aren't sacrificing on flavour as the Indian restaurant slings out excellent vegan eats. The Holy Chow is a dreamy mix of spiced chickpeas, potatoes, spinach, fresh ginger and mango served in a loaf.
Browns Brasserie & Bar has a whole menu devoted to vegetarian and vegan options, offering delights such as fragrant asparagus and butternut curry accompanied by sticky jasmine rice. To finish, tuck into poached pineapple in spiced rum.
One place that is blowing it out of the water with its plant-based offering is BrewDog, found on Lothian Road and in Cowgate. Well-known for its comfort food bites, this eatery rustles up dishes such as Beyond Meat cheeseburgers, as well as buffalo cauliflower and chick'n wings.
With Burger Mama slinging out scrumptious eats from the kitchen, The Lioness of Leith is the place to be for delicious vegan food on a budget. Their gourmet burger range includes many plant-based options, from a panko crispy chicken substitute topped with caramelised onion to battered Buffalo cauliflower burgers - costing just £11.50 each.
There are plenty of local and international drinks to wash it all down. As for the venue itself, which sits on the site of a former derelict pub with a dark past, think rustic wooden furniture, brick walls and quirky, colourful murals.
On the hunt for plant-based goods in Old Town? Here's where Laila Cockburn Street comes in. Whether you're in the mood for pink avocado toast topped with a moreish beetroot hummus or a meat-free breakfast with vegetarian haggis, this venue is sure to impress on the food front.
Not only does DogHouse Edinburgh whip up a mouthwatering array of plant-based options, like seitan wings, but you can get 2-for-1 vegan and vegetarian mains on Mondays. Think burgers made with beetroot brioche buns and stuffed with Beyond Meat patties or Tindle chicken fillets.
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Vegan pizza lovers will feel right at home at Pizza Pilgrims, where plant-based options are just as satisfying as their traditional counterparts. The smoky aubergine is a standout, delivering deep, rich flavours without the need for dairy, while the vegan margherita keeps things classic with a deliciously tangy tomato base. Pair it with an affordable Italian cocktail or craft beer, and you have a fully satisfying plant-based feast.
Royal Durbar brings the authentic taste of India right here to Edinburgh. While not strictly a vegan restaurant, there's plenty on the menu to please plant-based folk.
Take your pick of delicious dishes like methi mushroom with fresh fenugreek, ajwain bhindi with aromatic carom seeds and the classic Punjabi daal that packs in yellow lentils, black lentils and black eyed beans with a ginger-garlic Tarka.
You may know The Alchemist better for its spectacular molecular mixology, but it also boasts a marvellous menu of vegan fare. While in the slinky surrounds of this St James Quarter or George Street hangout, tuck into Korean superfood curries, plant-based bao buns and sharing boards.
With a full vegan menu available, Ting Thai - based just across the road from the iconic McEwan Hall and Edinburgh University Student Association - is a great choice for your next plant-based meal. A street food destination decorated in exposed brick walls, canteen-style furniture and industrial pipes, it's as cool as they come and was awarded Scotland's best Thai by Deliveroo in past years.
Tuck into tofu pad Thai and other wok-fried noodles, as well as sweetcorn fritters and sweet potato crispies.
Found in Leith, The Sly Fox is a fantastic vegan cafe in Edinburgh. Chow down on French toast with a side of vegan bacon and maple syrup, or opt for the famous faux gras, which is a pâté made of mushrooms, lentils and walnuts.
Fill your boots with mouthwatering Mexican eats at Wahaca. There's a vast array of plant-based bites to gobble down, from sweet potato burritos and plantain tacos to generous salad bowls and indulgent vegan churros dipped in chocolate.
Located in The Mint Building at The Registers, Tattu is the modern Chinese restaurant that's home to iconic interiors featuring cherry blossom installations that change colour with the seasons. Vegans can tuck into mock chicken in black bean, vegetable tempura, kung po tofu, sesame and truffle-dressed veggies and more.
The only totally vegan Italian restaurant in Edinburgh, Novapizza will have you drooling over its mouthwatering selection of grub. Dine on everything from spaghetti carbonara made with seitan to pizza capricciosa, followed by tiramisu or affogato - all of which is plant-based.
Civerinos is hands down one of the best vegan restaurants in Edinburgh's city centre. Alongside its usual cheesy pies, there's a delicious selection of plant-based slices, including the Confit Garlic, which comes topped with red peppers and spinach.
On the hunt for a scrumptious vegan breakfast in Edinburgh to kickstart your day? Over at Dishoom, its kitchen is slinging out mouthwatering mid-morning munch, such as meat-free sausage naan rolls and a Bombay-inspired full breakfast, among curries and indulgent puddings.
Las Iguanas just happens to be one of the best vegan places in the city, serving up plates such as Bahian jackfruit curry and squash, sweet potato and bean chilli tacos. To wash it down? Choose from a fantastic selection of cocktails, beers and wines.
