Cherished Memories

During my childhood and early teen years, I visited Edinbugh regularly with my family and I grew to love the place. As I moved into my late teens and early twenties I took a series of short holidays in the city with a relative and we thoroughly enjoyed our exploration of cafes and restaurants. We considered ourselves rather more adventurous than our parents had been!

One restaurant we returned to frequently was Hendersons. Famous for its vegetarian menu and whole-food ethos, Hendersons was something of an institution. We used to meet there with larger groups of friends and many enduring memories were created. Hendersons also provided my introduction to meat-free restaurant dining.

A Sad Sight

My first post-pandemic visit to an Edinburgh restaurant took me to the city’s New Town. There, on the corner of Hanover Street and Thistle Street, the sight which greeted me left me dismayed and saddened. Hendersons was closed; the building empty and seemingly abandoned. The venue, part of the story of my youth, could not be re-visited. Memories of those convivial, wholesome evenings would not be re-lived within those walls.

The next day, my online research revealed that Hendersons had closed in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was not all bad news, however. The restaurant re-opened in the autumn of 2021 and was now located in the Bruntsfield area of the city. I resolved to eat there at the earliest opportunity.

I was due to travel to Edinburgh in February this year to attend a business meeting. As usual, I searched for news of temporary exhibitions in the city’s museums and art galleries with the intention of packing some leisure time into my workday. The exhibition which caught my eye was being staged at Dovecot Studios (“The Scottish Colourists – Radical Perspectives“, if you’re wondering!). To make best use of my time, I researched restaurants as close as possible to that gallery. Sadly, Hendersons would have to wait until another time. 

Rectifying an Omission!

So, this blog will now add the categories of vegetarian and vegan dining. The next report will describe my experience at David Bann Restaurant and before the year is out, there be will a long, overdue review of Hendersons. Look out for a step-by-step exploration of Edinburgh’s vegetarian dining scene!

A.P.

Photo Credits: © AP