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Vegan
International
Gluten-free
Breakfast
Serves food inspired by the cuisines of the world. Located at the garden level of St John’s Church. Dishes may include baked aubergine, crushed broad beans & peas, and kimbap. Open Thu 12:00-16:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-17:00. Closed Mon-Wed. Hours are subject to holidays - check socials.
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St John's, 1 Lothian Rd, Church Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 2AB
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 22 Oct 2026 by A&M
Update business info -
Added by craigmc on 29 Nov 2022
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161 Reviews
First Review by Jessthetics
KikiMartins
Points +202
Amazing comfort food - Edit
Absolutely loved my visit to Pulse! The food is amazing… fresh, healthy, flavourful and so comforting. Everything was delicious, and the service was equally fantastic. Will definitely be back! 💚
Read moreGuest
VeganBones
Points +316
Beautiful but pricey. - Edit
Pulse is in a beautiful location, and the hosts/staff couldn’t be nicer or more welcoming. The food is really tasty with a good selection (saucy beans particularly good) and the coffee was very nice. That said, I’d say just a bit too expensive especially for portion size. It’s got a casual vibe but the prices aren’t that casual.
Read moreGuest
catefr
Points +100
Incredible food! - Edit
I feel like this place is very underrated in edinburgh! Gorgeous fully vegan wholefood menu with local seasonal dishes. The staff/owners seem verg passionate about what they do, and explained the menu really well and made recommendations. Everything we had was delicious and would 100% recommend! We popped in for lunch but would be a lovely spot for a nice fancy dinner too.
Read morePros: Focus on whole foods, Delicious food
Guest
Mari_Jabi
Points +43
Absolute gem of home-cooked vegan food - Edit
Our visit in this restaurant was absolute bliss. From the super friendly staff, that took care for us in a very warm and personal way, to the general atmosphere of the restaurant. The food itself was absolute perfection. We had a juicy aubergine dish with brown rice, and a savoury vegetable tray bake with an incredibly fresh carrot salad as mains and a warm orange chocolate cake and tiramisu overnight oats as a desert. All ingredients were super fresh and you could taste it (as much as the passion that went into preparing the food). I couldn’t stop smiling throughout the whole dinner and can only hope that you guys will love it as much as we did.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-10-24
Pros: Fresh ingredients , Original and inspired dishes, The most friendly staff
Guest
arrabbiatascozia
Points +16
Fresh and Fantastic - Edit
Ate here 2 days on the trot. Just could not resist coming back. Everything felt so fresh and tasty. Compared to the number of places that just stick on a hyper process vegan burger and call it a day, this place is a wonderful escape.
Read moreGuest
trell021970
Points +172
Lovely cafe, delicious food, great service - Edit
Really colourful and varied menu, delicious food, carefully crafted dishes that are tasty and healthy
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-10-11
Pros: Delicious variety of options, Chilled atmosphere , Very friendly and attentive staff
Guest
the_fat_vegetarian
Points +105
Superb - Edit
Got the French Toast hidden under a blanket of lovely veg. Absolutely delicious. Love the place, love the food. Oh, and coffee in a cafetier, nice.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-10-10
Pros: Packed with flavour, Can eat outside in the graveyard.
Guest
Leya
Points +28
Must visit place to eat - Edit
The staff was so friendly and sweet. The food was well thought out and incredibly delicious.
Read moreCons: Nothing
Guest
Ezis
Points +677
Excellent high quality food - Edit
Amazing high-quality food, home cooked from scratch with mostly locally sourced fresh ingredients.
Read moreMenu rather large for such a small cafe.
Unfortunately open only Thursday to Sunday afternoon.
Updated from previous review on 2026-09-07
Pros: Great high quality food, Very reasonably priced, No automatic service charge
Guest
BrianDove
Points +451
Interesting flavors - Edit
The food was good and very interesting flavor combinations, but a few flavors overpowered each of the dishes.
Read morePros: Flavor combinations, Atmosphere
Guest
MicheleGrahamSelover
Points +183
Saucy Beans amazing - Edit
The menu changes a lot. A nice variety of options.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-08-29
Pros: Amazing taste, Great service, Charming place
Cons: None
Guest
MarkyB
Points +251
Healthy fresh food - Edit
This place is the antidote to the rise of the vegan restaurants that are solely focused on fake meats. Pulse provides a wide variety of options, with both healthy and tasty food. My only disappointment was the lack of fruit juice on the drinks menu.
Read moreGuest
Rachel891
Points +6
Best food we had in Edinburgh - Edit
Healthy fresh and tasty
Read moreGuest
Leadbelly
Points +60
Unique and delicious - Edit
We ate here twice on our trip to Edinburgh and both times were excellent. The owners actually work in the restaurant and you can see the care and dedication that goes into the place. Everyone working there is super friendly. A lot of creative and delicious dishes are served at Pulse, I definitely recommend going and will return next time I’m in Edinburgh.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-07-05
Guest
Alyson
Points +862
Lovely food and atmosphere - Edit
I caught up with 2 friends here and we were glad we're reserved a table. We all choose different dishes and enjoyed them: the savoury traybake + 2 salads (it would have been a bit small without the additional salads), a 3-salad bowl, and rice with veg & tofu.
Read moreMy descriptions don't do it justice! Everything, every sauce etc, is home made. All fresh and lovely.
Extensive menu.
We didn't have cake as we'd had some in a different vegan cafe in the morning!
Slightly pricey, but it is handmade, fresh, central Edinburgh.
CARD ONLY, bit disappointing as I think that's excluding people.
Updated from previous review on 2026-07-05
Pros: Fresh and handmade, Flavours, Relaxed atmosphere
Cons: Card only
Guest
michael123
Points +8
Amazing experience! - Edit
If you are into real food, vivid flavours and creative cooking, this is the real deal. You will love it. And yes, everything is vegan.
Read moreI had the pleasure of eating several times already at Mark & Ayse's small restaurant, and every time the menu was imaginative, the food delicious and utterly satisfying. Even their coffee is absolutely great!😄Fresh tastes and flavours that seem to be emerging from a flavour artist, bringing lemon zest, chia seeds or ginger together to new heights.
Service and staff are wonderful as well, warm, friendly and helpful.
Try for yourself, it will be a great experience.
Pros: Utterly delicious and imaginative food., Fresh and wholesome.
Cons: None
Guest
LeighB
Points +783
Wonderful, fresh, quality food - Edit
Set in a beautiful location in the church grounds and serving equally beautiful food. All high quality fresh and vibrant ingredients with great presentation. Fine dining without the price tag. Staff particularly welcoming and friendly.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-06-07
Guest
andreasf
Points +164
Healthy home made food - Edit
Delicious and healthy home made food. Right next to a church on Princess Street. The crew was very friendly and accomodating. Nice and quiet seating in the garden. We had the sweet potatoe seitan and Bean stew as mains and the lentil salad and sourdough bread as starters. Very good and fresh taste. Absolute recommendation.
Read moreGuest
SusanPlowman
Points +262
Lovely cafe with great food - Edit
This is the first time we have visited Pulse and it will not be the last. The setting is lovely, the food is freshly cooked and prepared from locally sourced ingredients. We had the chickpea curry with rice, bean stew with rice and hot fruit cake with cream. It was so nice to have lovingly prepared, home cooked, real food. Places like this are hard to find.
Read moreThe extra bonus was their leaf tea !
Updated from previous review on 2026-05-29
Pros: The food , The setting , The friendly staff
Guest
kwekmeijer
Points +32
Just good - Edit
Unique vegan recipes. Not much else to say! Just good!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-05-14
Pros: Unique recipes
Guest
Be_kindness
Points +472
Outstanding and delicious experience! - Edit
As soon as you turn off the main road down a few steps just below a church, you find yourself in a peaceful, very pretty space with trees.
Read moreThere you find Pulse, that has some gorgeous outdoor seating under big trees, and some cosy, artful seating inside.
We were met by Mark, the owner, the nicest, kindest, most engaging person ever.
He explained the menu and all its ingredients with such care and passion, it was infectious.
We basically wanted to order the entire menu.
The food exceeded expectations. The flavours, the freshness and you could taste the care in every mouthful.
We had the soup with sourdough and house made miso butter, the eggplant dish (supreme!), 2 of the salads on offer that day, and 3 desserts. The upside down pineapple cake, and the dark chocolate walnut/date with citrus salt.....Mmmmm 😋
Pros: Absolutely delish food, Kind, caring and quietly passionate service, Lovely venue
Cons: None
Guest
brookie457
Points +2697
Fresh and delicious - Edit
Fantastic experience at this plant based restaurant. You can really taste the pride in every bite. Mark is an exceptional owner and one of the most kind and generous people I've ever met. Highly recommended. Seating available inside and out. They only accept credit card payment. They share a toilet that's outside to the left, with a neighboring restaurant. 🏴❤️
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-04-28
Guest
KitKatKathyKat
Points +754
Flavourful healthy deliciousness - Edit
I visited today for lunch and it was a great experience. Service was great, they were very kind and explained the menu and made recommendations. Had the aubergine with a salad and a lemon ginger hot drink. Delicious, filling, healthy real plant-based food everyone should try.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-03-28
Pros: Nice service, Healthy plant-based food, Flavourful
Guest
christopherjboyce
Points +1026
Excellent - Edit
I've been here several times and its excellent quality food and they always have interesting options. Staff friendly and great location in an otherwise not vegany part of town. Would recommend.
Read moreGuest
Go_vegan_XD
Points +41
Very good :) - Edit
Nice salads, local vegs, and a peaceful atmosphere!
Read moreRecommend if you like not baked food without oil X)
Pros: Mood, Quality of food
Cons: Only open 4 days per week :)
Guest
Kell0ee
Points +75
Nom nom - Edit
Lovely venue under a church, small and intimate. Menu full of whole foods. Small plates enough to share, desserts could have been richer but overall tastey and left feeling comfortably full.
Read morePros: Bulgar Wheat Salad, Miso butter and Foccacia, Service was lovely
Cons: Pudding a little muted for our tatstes
Guest
aglioeolio
Points +143
Fresh and delicious - Edit
We have been trying to go here for ages and finally visited for lunch. It is a very special place. The menu was very creative and full of plant foods. The staff were lovely and gave really good introductions to the menu. We ordered two of the smaller plates and two salads. It was very flavourful, you can tell they care about the ingredients. I can’t wait to go back and try more. My new favourite restaurant in Edinburgh!
Read morePros: Menu, Ingredients, Staff
Guest
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