Vegan
Organic
Western
Take-out
Bakery
European
Gluten-free

Cafe serving a selection of starters, burgers, sandwiches, all-day breakfast, soups, and Buddha bowls. Emphasis on cooking from scratch and creating healthy dishes. Est. 2016. Open Mon-Thu 12:00-22:00, Fri-Sun 10:00-22:00. Last orders 9pm. Open hours vary.


Venue map for Holy Cow
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559 Reviews

First Review by craigmc

AmandaCortés

Points +270

Vegan
06 Sep 2024

Delicious burgers in Edinburgh

We had some really good burgers in Holy Cow. We loved the fact that everything is home made, even the bread buns. The fries are hand cutted and delicious as well.
We tried one with mushrooms and another one made from kidney beans and soy. They were spectacular!
We also had some dessert , the Banoffee cake (really good).
A bit expensive though, but we're talking about Edinburgh.
Well located, near to the city centre, and staff lovely.

Pros: Homemade , Delicious , Well located

LeahThomas

Points +74

Vegan
02 Sep 2024

Unfortunately this is not it.

I hate giving bad reviews to vegan places, but the experience here was pretty bad. Went in and it smelled of bleach, the cleaning stuff they use for the tables is painfully strong. The music was good until the door to the kitchen was open and then we got two soundtracks fighting with eachother which was so distracting and sounded awful. One person doing their best to serve everyone but they were rushed off their feet, I felt stressed just watching them. But, what it comes down to is the food. The quarter pounder was so underwhelming especially after reading reviews here- it's so dry, pretty bland, I've had better burgers from the supermarket. The kind of burger that's so big you can't actually pick it up. Chips were pretty decent though. Made the mistake of asking for mayo, which tasted like plain margarine? Wish I'd chosen somewhere else.

P.s. this might sound harsh but as an autistic person the smells and sounds were a really rough sensory experience for me.

Updated from previous review on 2024-09-02

Sissingwowo

Points +314

Vegan
02 Sep 2024

Don’t bother

Dirty greasy glasses for water, overpriced food, slightly condescending staff

Veganplumber

Points +32

Vegan
01 Sep 2024

Holy F#@£

Amazing, the price was so far below the quality, everything was perfect,

Pros: Tasty , Everything is vegan , Cute and cosy

CherylAnnA

Points +231

Vegan
27 Aug 2024

Pleasant surprise

My expectations were exceeded here! Super fresh, large portions, calm atmosphere. Worth the visit!

Pros: Fresh food, Large portions

dani11inad

Points +511

Vegan
21 Aug 2024

Lovely place

Fully vegan serving a full vegan bfast and good coffee. Good quantity cappuccino for the price. Were also playing very good music while we were there. Expensive for European standards but I guess that’s the case everywhere in Edinburgh. I recommend!

Pros: Fully vegan, Full vegan breakfast , Friendly staff

tiggydickers

Points +288

Vegan
21 Aug 2024

Tasty breakfast

Lovely vegan breakfast - very flavoursome and filling.

soydumplings

Points +1624

Vegan
18 Aug 2024

Holy cow!

Holy cow is a fully vegan cafe in a good central location. They have food ranging from light bites such as soups to mains such as burgers!
We got the soup of the day, which was okay (a little watery) but came with lots of thick sourdough. We also got the Ruben sandwich which was incredible! The pastrami was thick seitan - the flavour was amazing and worked really well with the rest of the sandwich.
We also shared some thick cut chips, they had crispy skin on the outside and were soft on the inside!
The only negative was that a staff member was a little rude to us when we asked a question about the food, however, this could have just been a bad day for this person:)

Pros: Great vegan food, Amazing chips!

Cons: Staff were a little rude on this day!

Cold.Truth

Points +42

Vegan
17 Aug 2024

Super lecker, tolle Auswahl

Von coolen Smoothies, über Burger mit Pommes, englisch Breakfast, bishin zu einer tollen Auswahl an Torten.

Pros: Netter Service , Liebevoll angerichtet , Schnelle Bedienung

msocsci

Points +42

Vegan
17 Aug 2024

The late arseholes

Walked in after a fringe show, they were shutting in 25 mins but they were kind enough to serve us and not hover over us to hurry us up. Staff were lovely and the food was gorgeous. We had the tofu burger and the oyster mushroom steak burger. Both of them were absolutely delicious and the homemade chips were the best I've tasted anywhere. Lucky it was so filling or we might have had a sweet and kept them back longer. Definitely be back next time in Edinburgh.

Pros: The Staff, The Food, The Atmosphere

Cons: None that I can think of

AdrianaBobîlcă

Points +401

Vegan
14 Aug 2024

Delicious

First stop after arriving in Edinburgh and it could not be more perfect. The indoor space was full, we ate in the very small patio, the food was very good, tasty, plenty of options and when stepping out we noticed the cakes that looked amazing. A must try if you are in town.
LE: went there a second time and it was just as amazing! Had the Ruben sandwich and the New York cheese cake, delicious and very generous portions

Updated from previous review on 2024-08-07

Pros: Delicious food, Nice staff

Timothée

Points +907

Vegan
14 Aug 2024

Great place

Small restaurant with a nice all vegan offering.
First time there I had the vegan English breakfast (really nice).
Second time I had the oyster burger, too dry and not interesting.
But all in all a great experience.

Updated from previous review on 2024-08-14

totally_not_a_robot

Points +24

Vegan
14 Aug 2024

Good waffles

Good food, it was good, very good

Pros: Food

Nvho

Points +293

Vegan
08 Aug 2024

Great

Was great to be able to have some healthy vegan food. Very tasty & a lovely pot of peppermint tea. A little hard to find - it’s below street level- and I walked past it at first!

Pros: Friendly , Extensive choice

DawnBetter

Points +638

Vegan
08 Aug 2024

Delicious!!!

A lovely small spot with delicious options.

Pros: Atmosphere, Food!! , Friendly

VictoriaSmith04

Points +344

Vegan
08 Aug 2024

Nice atmosphere

Food was good, it was not as oily or salty as most vegan places which was so nice. The atmosphere of the place was calm and inviting. Really enjoyed that. The fries were delicious, no salt added, awesome! The soup was kinda flavourless but still really comforting on a windy wet day.

Pros: Good portions, Quiet cozy atmosphere , Friendly staff

jemmasmith12

Points +106

Vegan
03 Aug 2024

One of the best vegan sandwiches I have ever had

The Ruben sandwich was incredible, so much flavour and well worth the cost!

EvaKB

Points +107

Vegan
02 Aug 2024

Nice little place, good food

We had dinner here, on a busy evening. The waitress was very kind but far too busy. Other staff did not seem to pitch in. The food was nice, a bit traditional.

Hollipop

Points +1158

Vegan
31 Jul 2024

Delicious

Cosy little place with great food!

Updated from previous review on 2024-07-31

Pros: Great food

Cons: Small / very busy whenever I've been in

CalEsquiress

Points +75

Mostly Veg
26 Jul 2024

Lovely!

We were in Edinburgh on holiday and decided to give Holy Cow a try. We liked it so much, we came back the next day. A charming locale with great vegan meal options. The desserts were fantastic! And the staff were all very kind. Highly recommend.

Updated from previous review on 2024-07-26

Pros: Charming environment, Many vegan entree options, Delicious variety of vegan desserts

Mantk

Points +78

Vegan
26 Jul 2024

Cozy vegan café and amazing breakfast!

We had the full vegan breakfast and it was super tasty and filling! The café is fully vegan, so there are many options, such as cakes, soup, burgers and bowls. Everything looked delicious, I wish we could’ve tasted them all!

The café is also cute and cozy, and the service was friendly.

Pros: Tasty full vegan breakfast and variety of options, Cute fully vegan café, Friendly service and cozy atmosphere

HelenBevan

Points +86

Vegan
19 Jul 2024

A vegan must!

Food is great, super fresh and delicious! Cute vibe with lovely staff! Def visit!

Hilbia

Points +36

Vegan
19 Jul 2024

super

A real find. We've been here several times and tried different dishes. Everything tasted very good. The fantastic kimchi is particularly recommended. The people are very nice, and the atmosphere is pleasant. Absolutely recommended.

Pros: Gerichte, Ambiente, Leute

MESParis/NYC

Points +505

Vegan
15 Jul 2024

Tasty

Cute place! I had the tofu burger/sandwich, which was quite good. The fries were excellent. The oyster mushroom burger was also delicious. I tried my daughter’s. Friendly service.

Meganimals

Points +414

Vegan
13 Jul 2024

One of the best vegan restaurants I have visited!

So good we went back the next day for lunch! Cute setting, outdoor & indoor seating. The mushroom steak burger is one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten as well as having the best chips we have had in 2 weeks in the UK! Great side salad to get some greens, nice tea & smoothie options and delicious desserts!

Pros: Easy to get to, Super cute, Nice staff

ChunkyWombat

Points +1182

Vegan
13 Jul 2024

Salads fit for a Prince!

Oh the pad Thai salad was amazing! Just a photo of it my girlfriend had her dreaming of a life in Edinburgh! It was very good indeed.

vansquig

Points +337

Vegan
12 Jul 2024

Solid vegan food with friendly service

This small sit-down restaurant near the bus station and shops serves plant-based burgers, open-faced sandwiches, and salads. The service is friendly, and three of the four things we ordered were delicious: the oyster mushroom burger, Asian tofu burger, and a slice of cake. The mackerel sandwich was salty and not our taste, but we’re not familiar with the traditional animal-based version.

Updated from previous review on 2024-07-12

Pros: Tasty burgers, Attentive service , Cute setting

Cons: Small menu




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