So you’re trying Veganuary and already you’re missing those big fry ups/Sunday brunch pancake stacks/ simple fruit and yoghurt! Switching to a vegan diet can be tough … think of it the same way as being on a weight loss diet, you are trying to change habits of a lifetime. Breakfast out of the house used to be a pretty boring affair for vegans; beans on toast (no margarine, of course) was a tiresome staple. However, times are changing.
Here’s my list of where to get the best vegan breakfasts in Edinburgh to help you through Veganuary 2025 (updated December 2024) …
The Sly Fox
Starting off with my favourite of all the vegan breakfast spots in Edinburgh, The Sly Fox (located in Leith) is completely plant-based – but that doesn’t stop me taking my non-vegan friends! As well as a lunch offering, they have a dedicated vegan breakfast menu bursting with interesting plates: pancakes, French toast (yes, vegan French toast!, cooked breakfasts, and more.
Getting here has become even easier since Edinburgh’s tramlines were installed, and I truly recommend that you come back again to try their lunch menu too (especially the spicy goulash and potato fritters.)
Rabbit Food
Another completely vegan restaurant in Edinburgh, will you forgive me for the fact that I always forget to take a photo of their big Sunday roast/breakfast because I’m just too excited for vegan Yorkshire puddings?
Located in The Meadows Tap Bar (opposite Considerat, also on the list), they specialise in burgers, dirty fries, and shakes – but on a Sunday, you can pick up a spectacular plate of roast ‘meat’, veg, gravy and puds. With the team running a special ‘burger of the month’ every month, there’s always a reason to go back for more – the below vegan chicken, bacon waffle burger with maple syrup was a personal favourite.
Seventy One Steps Edinburgh
The sister cafe to The Bearded Baker, 71 Steps is the newest addition to my Edinburgh vegan breakfast list, located on Rodney Street (just across the road from Hata – later in the recommendations.) While not fully vegan, they offer great coffee, a selection of baked treats (vegan iced buns!) and bagels full of exciting fillings like vegan pastrami.
Black Rabbit – Vegan Deli and Coffee Shop
It’s takeaway only for those visiting sweet and savoury baked goods specialist, Black Rabbit. But when the food is THIS good, who cares? I don’t think I was quite ready for the number of options that Black Rabbit provide each day; their window is a delectable dream of cake stands bursting with cruffins (croissant/muffins), sweet pastries, and savoury snacks (I’ve recently tucked into 3 cheese and chutney pasties and ‘nae egg’ rolls).
The Black Rabbit menu also has a daily selection of hot toasties (good god, try the cheese and bacon one!), lunchtime baguettes, and vegan sandwiches.
Finally, if the supermarket offering of plastic-like vegan cheeses have you teetering on self-destruction, take a moment to purchase a few of Black Rabbit’s deli cheeses. My favourite – The Gorgonzola and spreadable ‘Cheddar’.
Considerat
Is there anything better than vegan donuts? How about vegan donuts jammed full of plant-based bacon and sausages, smothered in lashings of sauce?
You’d be a fool to think I head all the way up to Considerat in Newington for only one donut. As well as their savoury offerings, this all-vegan donut house mixes up its flavour selection every week – so there’s always an excuse to go back for more.
Holy Cow Lounge, Fountain Bridge
The pancakes that Edinburgh has waited an eternity for! It’s not often I can finish off an entire stack, but Holy Cow’s Biscoff light and fluffy pancakes are absolutely delicious. Plated up with plant-based skooshy cream and lashings of Biscoff sauce, they’ve fast become my favourite pancakes in the city.
Hata Canon Mills
Not exclusively vegan, but Hata always has a variety of imaginative plant-based cakes, alongside their most notable breakfast staple – enormous veggie-friendly porridge bowls (these have since changed in presentation from when I took the below photo, but they still taste incredible). The porridge batches are made with plant-based milk as standard, so nobody is left behind, and they regularly change up the topping options to keep things interesting.
On the day I captured this photo, they had ladened mine with sweet stewed apples, cocoa nibs, mint and sugary crumble biscuit.
Loudons vegan pancakes
Loudons used to be one of my favourite places for vegan breakfast in Edinburgh city! With 2 venues (one between Tollcross and Fountain Bridge, and one just down from Waverley Train Station), they had both east and west Edinburgh covered.
When I first worked on this post back in 2019, their menu was bursting with vegan options. However, they’ve cut back their offering a lot and their days of vegan eggs are long gone, replaced by a standard breakfast and vegan bramble pancakes. Sad times. Check out Loudon’s vegan menu offering – good for those near the train station that don’t want to stray too far from the center.
Heavenly Desserts
Heavenly Desserts is located right in the centre of Fountain Park, Edinburgh’s West End entertainment and food hub. Their pastel palette booths are the perfect place to nurse a hangover or meet your squad for a sweet Sunday brunch. If you need an excuse to pause the calorie count, this is it! Unfortunately, since my last visit, their website has changed and they no longer list their vegan options as standard on the site (it’s been replaced with a note to ask the team in house.)
They offer up a strong vegan menu of Biscoff waffles, tarts, milkshakes, puddings, and cocktails and I’m always impressed by how creative their menu team are with flavours – I love the iced rose and lychee latte! And don’t forget to pack your camera – the Instagram game is strong in this one.
OQO Elm Row Coffee shop with creative vegan options
Nestled neatly in the blocks of Elm row, bridging the gap between Leith and Edinburgh city centre, is pretty little coffee shop OQO. Whilst their vegan offering isn’t huge, I appreciate their Chef’s recent attempt to introduce a lot more dairy (and egg) free cakes into the mix. On well-stocked days, they’ve had 3-4 cake options, alongside plump breakfast muffins.
Dune Bakery
An honourable mention for Dune Bakery (technically not in Edinburgh, but South Queensferry.) Dune is the newest venture by the team who brought us Plant Bae (once on this list, but now closed) – serving uninterrupted views of The Forth Bridges, alongside the best vegan croissants and pain au chocolates I’ve ever tasted. And they’re huge!
Hungry for more vegan-friendly places to visit in Edinburgh? You might like this:
