Review: Plant Bae, a plant-based cafe on Easter Road

Plant Bae is a small and perfectly formed pink cafe in the green sea of Easter Road.

As the name suggests, Plant Bae is green in approach despite its colour choice. Visit here for a lovely coffee or plant-based meals and treats.

It’s a relatively small menu, but that’s a wise logistical decision for any hospitality business and as a punter, I’ve never been disappointed with the food options. I recommend the nachos. I’ll note, though, as I’ve been coming since Plant Bae opened, the menu feels a little smaller than in the early days, more refined and more focused on tasty baked treats suitable for coffee breaks.

The sweet treats are delightful. Watch Plant Bae’s Instagram to see what’s been made for that day. They’ve been baking croissants the size of rugby balls, and I’ve been very tempted!

Plant Bae has experimented with a few late-night openings, but as this review is being written, the corner cafe is open Thursday to Monday, from 8am on weekdays, 9am on the weekends, and closing at 4pm.

The thing is, if you want to get the best possible choice of cakes or baked goodies, don’t get there too late!

Plant Bae’s food

Plant Bae exists because of a love of food (and good coffee) and it’s easy to tell.

I’ve said it once already, but I’ll say it again: watch on Instagram, and you’ll see the pure pleasure and joy the Plant Bae team get from baking. There’s a mission here.

Not only is the food delicious here, I think it’s value for money. This is exactly the sort of wee cafe you should recommend to meet a friend at and impress them with your knowledge of Edinburgh. Of course, to do that, you need to be more sportsball savvy than me and avoid clashing with a home match played at Easter Road Stadium around the corner or your friend will have a very interesting Edinburgh experience.

Right now, croissants are the thing! Plant Bae is playing around with Comme des Croissants. Not as a second brand. Maybe the name reminds you of Comme Des Garcons, the Japanese label based in Paris, but I’m sure the croissants are entirely original.

So, Comme des Croissants are tasty croissants for fun, and I think tasty food for fun is an excellent summary of Plant Bae.

The food options vary each week, but you can expect some sandwiches and some buns. What’s consistent is that they’ll be freshly made, well-proportioned and soft (or crisp) as required.

We’ve nachos in the photograph below, which weren’t on the menu the last time I visited, but you can see how generous the heap of plant-based cheese and toppings are on top of the tortilla chips.

Vibe and staff

I think Plant Bae changes its interior more often than the TARDIS does. I’ve been when tables have been squeezed in. More recently, it’s been made as spacious as possible with some bar space to eat and stools (perhaps with a takeaway focus), and I’ve been when the layout has been a compromise between the two.

It’s never been wrong; it’s just been different. Mind you, Plant Bae is sometimes full to the brim, and I’ve had no choice but to takeaway the food. Given that there’s no shortage of places to get grub on Easter Road, the venue’s popularity is another good sign.

There’s a retro console in the back corner! How marvellous is that? Bring the teens, the kids or your gamer pal (me). At Plant Bae, you can treat friends with pixels and pretzels.

Plant Bae attracts all the best staff, and I’ve noticed that turnover is low; that’s a real sign of a good establishment.

I suppose the only gotcha is the sportsball risk. Sometimes, walking up Easter Road isn’t for the fainthearted, so research the day’s sports fixtures if unsure.

Things to do near Easter Road

Most of the things to do in Leith tips apply for Easter Road, which, I’d argue, is one side of Leith.

The big shape, of course, is Easter Road Stadium, which may be a draw or a concern, but another prominent pull is the Meadowbank Shopping Centre around the corner, Meadowbank Stadium too, or Edinburgh Palette, which often has an art fair or gallery on but hidden in its corridors.

Head down Easter Road for Leith Links or up Easter Road into Abbeyhill and onto the foot of the Royal Mile. That’s right! Amazingly, Easter Road is only a few minutes walk from Holyrood House, and Plant Bae is about halfway down Easter Road.

Overall

I really like Plant Bae, and I trek there at least once a month – and feel welcomed and remembered each time. I don’t always know what to expect regarding tables and chairs, but I’m always confident I’ll have a warm, welcoming and tasty cafe waiting for me.

Plant Bae is an absolute must for plant-based foodies, vegan visitors to the capital or anyone looking for good-looking treats to make friends jealous on Instagram.