For the first time, Edinburgh’s renowned vegetarian restaurant Hendersons is expanding outside the capital, with the announcement this week of a new venue being prepared for opening on Glasgow’s Southside.
The restaurant will take over the former Seven21 premises in Strathbungo, at 721 Pollokshaws Road, and will be dedicated to Hendersons’ popular plant-based dishes coordinated at both the Edinburgh and Glasgow venues by executive chef Anna Czapiewska.
The move carries special significance for founder Barrie Henderson, whose Glasgow-born grandmother Janet Henderson opened the family’s original vegetarian restaurant in 1962.
The new opening also marks a major milestone in Hendersons’ more recent journey.
After nearly six decades of trading, Hendersons in Edinburgh closed during the pandemic – but was revived the following year when Barrie, having rebuilt the business from the ground up, opened a new restaurant at Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh, ensuring his grandmother’s legacy continued.
That careful revival, led by a small team and a clear sense of purpose, has now paved the way for expansion to Glasgow.
Barrie said: “My gran started the restaurant originally. She was born and raised in Glasgow. She passed away in the 1970s, but she really set the path we’re still following today. We still use some of her recipes, and a lot of the ethos came directly from her.
“She discovered vegetarianism while travelling and came back focused on healthy eating, salads and local ingredients, really a farm-to-plate approach before people used that term,” explained Barry. “That is still at the core of what we do.”
For Barrie, opening in Glasgow is both a continuation of that legacy and a step into a new chapter: “Coming to Glasgow has been a move we’ve wanted to make for a while, but now the timing is right.
“In some ways this is a totally new venture, but it also feels like returning to our roots by going back to my gran’s home city and where some of the original recipes came from. That connection is really important to us; continuing her legacy.”
Chef Czapiewska commented: “I spend a lot of time in Glasgow’s Southside and I’m genuinely excited that Hendersons is going to be part of such a vibrant food and drink community.
“Stepping into the executive chef role across both venues gives us the chance to develop the menus together, sharing ideas and produce while letting each restaurant keep its own identity.
“The focus will always be on seasonal cooking, strong relationships with suppliers, and food that feels thoughtful and accessible.”
The Southside restaurant will be open from day through to evening, serving coffee, fresh non-alcoholic drinks, and a full food menu alongside cocktails, beer, and wine from the bar.
In the evenings, Hendersons will offer a relaxed dining menu designed to suit everything from casual midweek meals to celebrations.
The aim is to create an ‘approachable gateway’ to vegetarian food, welcoming meat-eaters and vegans alike, with dishes made from scratch using produce sourced from local suppliers.
Barrie added: “People hear the Henderson’s name and often think of our very first restaurant, with my grandmother at the helm and a more rustic, classic style of 1970s vegetarian cooking.
“Our Edinburgh restaurant is already very modern in how it looks and feels, and the Southside venue builds on that – offering contemporary vegetarian and vegan food, table service, and everything made fresh to order.
“It’s a modern dining experience, but one that still has strong links to the past.
“We want Hendersons to be a positive influence – serving healthy, sustainable food, encouraging more omnivores to eat this way, and creating a happy, supportive working environment in hospitality. That’s what really drives us to expand.”
Dishes will be created using produce from small Scottish growers and makers, including Lion’s Mane and oyster mushrooms from independent producers and organic Scottish oats.
Signature favourites will include the famous Hendersons haggis, the salt-baked celeriac, and a plant-based take on Cullen skink made with foraged dulse seaweed and sea leeks, alongside house-made smoked tofu.
A dedicated brunch menu will launch at weekends, with Hendersons’ vegetarian and vegan Sunday roasts also on offer.
