Pulse PlantBased HomeCooking in Edinburgh, City of

What an amazing restaurant. My top favourite food experience in Edinburgh, wish i knew about it in my first day. Mark was such an amazing person who was kind in help us to choose the right food. Definitely will visit it again whenever i come to Edinburgh.

We love this cafe! It’s in a great location, the service is great and the food is both delicious and healthy. You can tell that so much thought goes in to the menu, and we’ve always enjoyed the food here! On a nice day, the outdoor seating is a lovely oasis just a stones throw from princes street.

Amazing. Couldn’t fault a thing. The welcome, service, food - all amazing. Will definitely be back again. Such a fantastic small business.

Best restaurant far and wide. Fresh, nourishing home cooked meals that replenish you and are super tasty

This is one of my absolute favourite spots in Edinburgh. Location is unbeatable, nice outdoor seating under a huge beautiful flowered tree, views to the castle. The main eatery is an intimate dim lighted space, lovely stone arch and little lights. The food is absolutely fresh and real, all local products, beautifully blended savoury salads, all with a very personal taste. They have an interest in sustainability and the delicacy and care with which things are done here, this is something that you can taste and feel throughout your meal here. Thank you for this experience, will definitely recommend!

Everything excellent, food, service and environment.

Really lovely plant based, non ultra processed food. Mix of salads, soup, spiced dishes, puddings - real care and some proper cooking. Cosy atmosphere and an impassioned staff team. Highly recommended

Excellent veg food, wonderful location (we had lunch outside on a splendid sunny day, the environment was wonderful), really friendly staff. 100% recommended

Top service, top food, nice place!

If you’re for a super healthy food, it’s your first choice. All 3 salads were lovely. Staff is super friendly and nice. It was a bit hard for us to find it, it’s on a back of a big church building.

Thank you so much, everything was perfect, love this place! 10/10 ❤️

Lovely location, great healthy vegan food and the staff are super friendly

Really truly very delicious food, the salads were absolutely great. Akin to what many would have found at Hendersons, Earthy or Beetroot Sauvage before they closed down. Only thing I'd say is there could be some kid friendly food on the menu, something basic like just chopped veggies and hummus and breadsticks, or vegan pancakes. That would swing whether we go back as a family.

The small restaurant is easy to find. A warm host, excellent food, good coffee - perfect

First trip to Pulse and we will be back to work our way through the menu! We had the tray bake with beluga lentil salad and the tofu scramble. Both full of amazing flavours. And tiramisu oats after - totally delicious. We were lucky enough to have a sunny day to sit on the colourful terrace. But inside looks lovely too. Finally, excellent and welcoming service. The owner is clearly genuinely enthusiastic about the food and about the diners enjoyment of this.

Fantastic hidden wee gem! I've been a few times and can't wait to go back. Amazingly flavoursome food, served by super friendly staff in a lovely setting...what more could you ask for 👌

Fabulous food and service x Absolutely delicious couldn’t choose all dishes sound amazing. Proper well cooked food healthy ingredients put together so well highly recommended

The true definition of home cooking! Lovely food and even greater staff.

Amazing food in beautiful surroundings. Great service.

Absolutely charming experience, will definitely be back.

The food has inspired me to try some new meals at home. I had the quince cake which was delicious and also for my main I had herbie rice balls in delicious ragu. The hosts were lovely and welcoming. The location and atmosphere was good too.

Lovely plant based food! Offering much more creative dishes, I'm so used to plant based meals being falafels and not much else. Beautiful unusual venue and very welcoming, thank you!

It was so good to find good quality plant-based food in the heart of the city, in fact it could be a better location. We really enjoyed all the dishes including the dessert. My wife, especially enjoyed the quince pudding! All in all a lovely place to eat, and we hope the Edinburgh people will enjoy this, as well as the tourists!

First time visiting here. So difficult to get anywhere that caters for vegetarians, vegans, plant based …. Other than a town vegan burger or pasta. This place hits the nail on the head. Fresh, quality ingredients with super tasty unique dishes. The setting is intimate and the staff are so friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable. Can’t wait to visit again!!

This restaurant has absolutely delicious food- very high quality and organic too. My family and I loved what we ordered, everything was so delicious!! The decor was lovely and the music was very relaxing and not too loud. The staff were really lovely and asked us if we liked the food. Overall, a wonderful meal out!

Beautiful wholesome food with a Mediterranean touch and spot on flavours! Just lovely all around.

It is not very often that you find a little gem like this one. You would almost like to keep it for yourself but that would not be fair. The food is delicious, the service is very good and if you are lucky you might be able to eat outside. The cakes are so nice that you can really tell they are made by people who like what they are doing. Congratulation to the whole team. we will be back very soon

staff were obviously passionate about this place and I can see why! the food was absolutely delicious and well worth the money. if I lived nearer I would be coming here all the time!

Food was yummy, although on a smaller side (dinner). Customer service great, but male owner a bit OTT with explanations of plant based foods lol. Place was on a chillier side too. This is our 2nd visit and would definitely visit again if in the area as little minuses don’t overpower the pluses :)

Great vegan restaurant in centre of Edinburgh

We had an absolutely impeccable experience at Pulse. The food was divine—bursting with vibrant flavours that showcased true culinary expertise. The chef clearly has a deep understanding of their craft, creating dishes that are both delicious and thoughtfully prepared. I also love the commitment to real, wholesome ingredients, avoiding refined sugars and other additives that do more harm than good. Beyond the food, the atmosphere was simply charming. The décor and ambiance exude warmth and personality, making it a delightful place to dine. What truly set our experience apart, though, was the hospitality—the team was incredibly attentive and made us feel genuinely welcome. Our visit was nothing short of memorable. Thank you, Pulse!

A wonderful little vegan spot with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and a focus on healthy, low-fat cooking. We had two delicious salads with amazing dressings, along with a tofu and brown rice dish and a flavourful aubergine plate. The owner is a lovely, chatty person who makes the experience even more enjoyable! PULSE was recommended for us by a friend of ours. Definitely a must try in Edinburgh

Nice little gem at the heart of Edinburgh. The owner was lovely to fulfil my request :), times when you need to seat and think about nothing other than the ‘now’, looks like he knew I was needing that coffee. Welcoming atmosphere and enjoyed my drink peacefully at the garden outside looking towards Edinburgh castle’s sunset 🌅 Will definitely come back for some food ❤️

One of the best vegan food I've ever had. Very friendly staff, beautiful location, fast service and Overall great atmosphere. Definitely recommend coming here.

Nice little gem at the heart of Edinburgh. The owner was lovely to fulfil my request :), times when you need to seat and think about nothing other than the ‘now’, looks like he knew I was needing that coffee. Welcoming atmosphere and enjoyed my drink peacefully at the garden outside looking towards Edinburgh castle’s sunset 🌅 Will definitely come back for some food ❤️

If you don’t pop in here for lunch or dinner soon, you’re really missing out! The food this evening was delicious, the service was fabulous and the people are wonderful. I went in feeling low and came out feeling warm and cared for inside and out .

Oh I so wanted to give this five stars! The concept is great, the place could be absolutely amazing but sadly our experience was a little underwhelming. First off the ladies who served us were super friendly and attentive and deserve so much credit for keeping the energy of the place up. Sadly the sweet, and friendly man whose wife does the cooking, was buzzing around looking quite stressed most of our visit and this brought the positive energy down a fair bit. Added to which, what I really wanted to eat was tofu scramble but the menu had this down as being served on sourdough which sadly wasn't an option for my gluten-intolerant self. When I asked if there were gluten-free alternatives, I was told that yes, there were oatcakes but they couldn't serve these with the tofu as the texture would be all wrong. I TOTALLY get that as a chef, the person who created the dish didn't want to deviate from what it SHOULD taste like. However, as a customer, I would like the option to have a potentially sub-par version of the meal I REALLY wanted, rather than having to settle for something else. It's a real shame as I can see from other reviews that it's a beloved spot for so many.

Had the most delicious lunch here! What a great spot right in the center. Definitely a must-go-to when in Edinburgh! The tray bake was fantastic with the lentil salad.

This afternoon we had a great experience at PULSE. The food was very very tasteful. Equally good was the friendly staff. We felt more than welcome. You’re on top of our list!!

The veggie tray bake and salad was so wholesome and hearty! Absolutely delicious 😍

Fantastic food and service. Recommended.

Delicious, hearty and healthy plant based food and great service. will be back

Pulse plant-based home cooking. Great location in a green area (cemetery) below Edinburgh Castle. I was there with my daughter. Super-duper. Food offerings were shown and explained to us with photos. Very cozy, good music, jazzy; small, but not too small card. We take Organic wholewheat with wild oregano OR house butter, The soup of the day: minestrone with black eyed beans + cavolo nero Chick peas with chickpeas and Koreander. And whole grain rice. For dessert there is tiramisu. Before that, two homemade pralines with hazelnuts (sooooo good) We went back two days later! And awesome again!!! The bread with house butter and the tiramisu didn't let us go!!!! Thank you!

Pulse Plantbased Homecooking. Toll gelegen an einer Grünanlage (Friedhof) unterhalb des Edinburgh Castles. Ich war mit meiner Tochter dort. Super toll. Speisenangebote wurden uns mit Fotos gezeigt und erklärt. Sehr gemütlich, gute Musik, Jazz-angehaucht; kleine, aber nicht zu kleine Karte. Wir nehmen Organiv Wholewheat mit wild Oregano OR House butter, Die Soup of the day: Minestrone mit Black Eyed beans + cavolo nero Chick peas mit Kichererbsen und Koreander. Und Vollkornreis. Zum Nachtisch gibt es Tiramisu. Vorher noch zwei hausgemachte Pralinés mit Haselnüssen (sooooo gut) Wir sind zwei Tage später noch einmal hin! Und wieder der Hammer!!! Das Brot mit House Butter und das Tiramisu hat uns nicht losgelassen!!!! Vielen Dank

Me estoy quedando sin superlativos para describir comer en este fabuloso restaurante basado en plantas. Fui allí más recientemente para el almuerzo del viernes con un amigo, pero soy un cliente habitual. Comimos deliciosa sopa estilo Borscht con su propia masa madre. También tomé una deliciosa ensalada casera de col roja con semillas de granada. Se veía fabuloso y sabía divino. Para el pudín los dos comimos fragmentos de chocolate negro y mi amigo también tuvo membrillo. El propietario aquí - Mark - es muy amable y conocedor, así como su personal encantador. Su esposa es la cocinera muy talentosa. Muy recomendable!

Superb healthy food. This is the future for Scotland. Caring for bodies. Nourishing ourselves by going to eat in places just like these. The staff were very friendly, relaxed and lovely! So happy to have found this place. I was in Edinburgh for a weekend - so went both days for lunch

Lovely little spot. Delicious food. A bit pricey but that's most food places these days unless you go to Greggs.

Great place to eat fresh and balanced products. I recommend with your eyes closed.

Fabulous fresh ingredients, lovely tucked away interesting venue. Mark was very welcoming and couldn't do enough. The mocktails and teas were also lovely. Had a lovely time and when next in Edinburgh would defo come back for lunch or eve meal xx Thankyou

Wholesome and absolutely delicious food, lots of warm and cosy options for winter. very fair prices and relaxing atmosphere. Just what we were looking for on our trip. Great service, so friendly and welcoming. Now one of our favourite restaurants we’ve been to. All of it seemed so thoughtfully made - Upside down cake for dessert was delicious and not too sweet, left feeling full and energised. Thank you Pulse 🙏

Not just for vegans ! Visited pulse with a group of friends and we all thoroughly enjoyed our lunch . The staff were excellent and helped explain some of the unfamiliar items on the menu . Everything I had was delicious and I will definitely be back.

Warm welcome (on a cold day!❄️) and friendly service from Mark and team, delicious food, quirky fun setting. Went for friend’s birthday lunch with six other women. First time there. Looking forward to a return visit.

I loved this place. The food was all excellent. A nice variety of vegan offerings. Soup was amazing. winter stew was really good. The team were super welcoming. It has an intimate - not too formal feel. Update: Second visit was just as great. One of my favourite plant based restaurants. Second update. My third visit confirmed this as my favourite vegan restaurant of all my 40 vegan years!

We stumbled across this fantastic little place recently and have fallen in love with it. Amazingly fresh and delicious food and an interesting menu which changes weekly. The owners and staff are also lovely. It’s a must visit when in Edinburgh, not just for vegans!

Lovely place, the aubergine was incredible! Tiramisu kinda overnight oats was great too!

A hidden gem! Very friendly and welcoming owners and delicious food. There is a very good range of interesting options on the menu to suit everyone. The interior is also beautiful!!

such kind service, delicious food, definitely coming back! ❤️

This is an absolutely lovely cafe with plant based food, made with attention to detail and great flavor combinations. We had the lasagna and it was super satisfying. The cafe is occupying a space that was an ancient tomb, which adds an interesting vibe and atmosphere to the interior.

Very nice food that is also healthy

We went for an early dinner, and it was delicious. I wish we'd gone again the night after, but we had to go to a wedding (boo!) It was all delicious, the menu had plenty of detail so we knew what to expect, and felt really reasonably priced.

Pulse was our go-to lunch spot with my mother during our trip to Edinburgh. It’s just so rare nowadays to find a restaurant that makes simple, healthy, comfort food that tastes like home. Pulse filled that void for us in Edinburgh. Everything we tried on the menu - and we tried a lot! - was delicious. Even my brother, who isn’t a huge fan of vegetables or anything vegan, loved it. His face lit up the moment he had his first bite of the aubergine stew. It’s not great vegan food, it’s just great food 😉 Pulse, we will miss you and your oat tiramisus. You’ll be the first place I visit next time I come to Edinburgh.

Absolutely amazing, healthy, friendly staff and owner♥️

Best food I had in Edinburgh, the place it’s pretty well located, atmosphere it’s very cozy and welcoming, and the food, OMG, super flavourful and very good portion size! The staff were lovely and super nice! I would definitely go back, actually I regret not coming back for a second time!

Lovely place with people that care about the quality of food. Would definitely recommend the freshness and taste of the salads!

Really lovely full-flavoured food made with care. Staff were very helpful in showcasing what each dish involved & extremely friendly. A hidden gem of a place!

Nothing bad to say about this place. The owner Mark is so friendly and welcoming and his wife cooks the fantastic food. The guy serving us (Jack i think) was also top notch. If you're looking for great plantbased food and a warm welcome you're in the right place.

Wonderful little eatery within walking distance of Old Town and New Town. We ate really well and also tried desserts (highly recommended: chocolate shards) - everything was excellent. The service staff was nice and courteous. We'd love to come back!

Wow, this was literally the best meal I ever had. Thank You for being wholesome and putting so much love and thought into your dishes. It is really nourishing for both body and the spirit...

Absolutely fantastic food, tasty, well presented, good value. I cannot recommend this place highly enough, just go there.

I’ve found a new favourite vegan spot in Edinburgh!! Lunch @ PULSE Delicious and HEALTHY vegan food Enjoy a tasty guilt-free meal out. Im happy to say it’s my new regular! New menu every week, a lovely alcohol free atmosphere 🌱 and great prices! *^adding to this review, now one of my regular spots, it’s such good food and so nice to have somewhere that makes such delicious wholesome healthy food. Could literally eat out here everyday. Menu changes regularly, never had anything other than superb food and service.

Very warm welcome and friendly staff. Lovely location in the city centre. Exceptional dishes, a must visit if you are looking for vegan food in Edinburgh.

I got a vegan cake with white cream. I can't say I went crazy. In quantity and taste. Terrible service!

Exactly what i wanted to eat after a lot of high carb/sugary food for one week in London. It was the lightest and most amazing meal ever. Definitely coming back for more!!!! This menu is a dream for vegan people. Highly highly recommend going here.

Really comfy little place with healthy yummy food and genuine, excellent service. It’s definitely a place worth eating at and supporting

Arguably the best vegan restaurant in Edinburgh. The food is amazing and very well presented. They have a well-thought small menu that keep rotating but always whole-food and plant based. The service is excellent, the staff is friendly and very helpful. The restaurant is located at an amazing location close to princess street gardens and with a view to the castle. I recommend you to try it at least one even if you are not vegan or vegetarian.

I have been wanting to try Pulse for a while now. Had a hard time choosing what to have for lunch because everything sounded great. I had the mushroom and zucchini french toast and a banana mini muffin. It was delicious. Everything is vegan / plant-based which makes me extremely happy. The service was one of the best I've had in Edinburgh, everyone was so kind. The location is perfect, right off Princes Street but tucked away below, with the church, graveyard and Edinburgh castle in view. Just a heads-up that they're only open Thursday to Sunday (reason why I haven't been able to try it until now). As a plus: the lovely complex where Pulse is also has a Fairtrade shop, another cafe and a bookshop.

The staff are so friendly and genuinely seem like they love working at Pulse. The location is stunning too with views of the church from outside on the patio. I got 2 salads and the bread. The bread is beautiful but both salads are very acidic which made it not as enjoyable, with this being said it’s a very healthy and fresh place to grab a bite

Great restaurant, with delicious vegan food where you can really taste the love and attention, and with incredibly friendly and hospitable service. We would recommend it 100%!

Can’t believe we’ve lived in Edinburgh for 4 years and only discovered Pulse today. Wonderful vegan food, with an emphasis on flavour and they get the balance just spot on. The staff are lovely and enthusiastic about their food and happy to tell you all about it. Highlight was the Quince upside down cake which was a wonderful slice of Christmas. Mark, Diego and Verity made us feel like we’d been in a hundred times, and behind the scenes Mark’s wife worked the magic in the kitchen. Will be back!

I'm neither vegetarian nor vegan, but this has hands-down been my best food experience in Edinburgh! I had the traybake (which smelled and tasted equally delicious) with a leafy salad, as well as the aubergine+seitan rice bowl. The seasonings and textures meshed beautifully, and each dish had much depth of flavor - you can definitely tell that a lot of thought and care has been put into the food here. PULSE would make for a wonderful dinner date spot, or just a cute and welcoming place to visit on your own (it's super clean, spacious while also being cozy, and has a fantastic ambience 😊). If I ever come back to Edinburgh, PULSE is absolutely a place I'd revisit! tl;dr - fantastic dining experience, an absolute gem!!

The cutest vegan restaurant ever! This was my favorite meal I had in Edinburgh. I got the autumnal stew and the tofu balls and they were absolutely delicious. Such a nice atmosphere and the staff were so incredibly friendly and welcoming! I loved talking with them and I would highly recommend this place for anyone who wants a fantastic meal!

The best vegan/plant based food I had! The soup of the day ( black bean soup + sourdough bread and herby butter) was exactly what I needed on a cool autumn day. Very comforting and an amazing airy texture. Brilliant soup! Great service too, very welcoming staff. I would strongly recommend 👌

Was a lovely experience! The food was absolutely lovely. We ate at all vegan restaurants/cafes on our city break but this topped it all off! Definitely mine and my partner’s favourite. The owner was so lovely. He was very passionate about the place was so lovely to see and he couldn’t have given us any better service along with his staff. Will definitely be visiting again :)

This is our new favourite restaurant! Absolutely delicious food, and as an added bonus, it's all vegan and healthy! Lovely friendly staff too.

A small and cozy restaurant in the Princess Street area. Few tables, very intimate. Very kind staff. Excellent food! we chose the trio of salads and 2 dishes with rice and various vegetables plus the pear cake. I have to say that everything was a perfect mix of flavors. As also said to the girl who served us at the table, they should make a recipe book. I would buy it immediately. Coming back!!

Spectacular staff and a wonderful, homely feeling. Brilliant food! Highly recommend!

Very discreet place with a warm jazz atmosphere. 100% Vegan dishes with surprising but comforting combinations. The service is attentive

This is a place where incredibly tasty food is served. Whoever thinks healthy vegan food cannot be delicious will be proved wrong. Flavour is intense but layered, with texture, colour and fragrance adding to a very enjoyable experience. I had falafel with salad, some delicious cardamom and date "truffles" and coffee.

A long overdue review from our trip to Edinburgh last year: The absolutely delicious, 100 % plant based and lovingly prepared food offered by Pulse Café beneath St. John's Church was one of the highlights of our trip. The friendly staff takes the time to answer questions about the seasonal menus, sharing their passion for great and planet-friendly tastes. :)

I very much loved this place. As a tourist who was on foot all day I really appreciated the relaxed and cozy atmosphere. The staff were very sweet and helpful with meal suggestions. The music was quite tasteful and at the perfect volume to set the mood. The food was very wholesome while still very tasty. As a big hungry boy I was very satisfied! The staff were very knowledgeable and helpful with the allergens. Which is very comforting! Strongly recommend this spot.

The staff are lovely, welcoming and helpful. The food was fantastic and veggie friendly. And the atmosphere is fantastic.

Delightful fully vegan restaurant in the heart of Edinburgh. Friendly staff, homemade meals made with real food. I recommend the Tofu scramble on toast and the mixed leaf beetroot salad was delicious. The Tiramisu inspired overnight oats are amazing!

Cozy place! Aubergine and rice was savory and warm.

Amazing atmosphere! Great for a date or a chilled afternoon. Not-obvious and delicious coulinary combinations

Delicious tasty superb fabulous gorgeous first class food. Lovely setting. Great staff. Will visit again.

Lovely home cooked style food. Just what I needed! I'd go back regularly if I lived local 🙂

Really lovely and hearty salads, cute spot and kind staff. Quite pricy but feels worth it for a treat

An absolutely faultless place to eat. Impeccable service and a unique, tasty vegan menu. I sat in the charming outdoor seating area and enjoyed the aubergine and pepper dish for a very affordable price (I would have happily paid double!). I will be coming back :)

Amazing food and lovely staff. Thank you :-)

Outstanding food, service and absolutely everything else in-between. Extremely well thought out food with a unique blend of flavours, quite unlike anything we'd ever experienced before and we have tried countless vegan eateries World wide. One visit is not enough, we will definitely return to exhaust the menu... oh, and they allow Woofits, result!