CAFES
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EDINBURGH
Embo 29 Haddington Place, Leith Walk, Leith See Cafés: Wee Places
Eteaket 41 Frederick Street, New Town (Map 1A: C4, 65) 0131 226 2982, eteaket. co.uk | £14.95 (afternoon tea)
This Frederick Street tea emporium purveys a vast menu of green, white, black, rooibos, flowering, oolong, fruit and herbal teas, complete with tasting notes and chichi names: chillaxin’ chamomile, awesome assam, rock the casbah, life’s a peach, and strawberries and cream. There’s even Victoria Beckham’s slimming pu-erh mini tuo cha, plus tea lattes and cocktails, like an iced tea white Russian, Royal Earl Grey G&T, or lemon and ginger hot toddy. You could have a nice cup of tea with your tea, or with your breakfast, brunch, sandwich, toastie, cake, scone or mini patisserie. Afternoon tea is a tempting
TIPLIST FOR BREAKFAST & BRUNCH • The Blue Bear This Canonmills cafe is dedicated to the allday breakfast – with or without the ping-pong 50 • The Caffeine Drip Lavish, inventive breakfasts with a South African flavour 52 • Edinburgh Larder Cafe Breakfast is a traditionally hearty start to the day at this Old Town hideout with a focus on seasonality and spot-on sourcing 53 • 52 Canoes At this tiki den, Polynesian inspired baked eggs make a delicious treat at any time of day 88
option (and can be made gluten-free), including a simple salmon sandwich, scone with clotted cream and petit fours. It’s a pretty display but perhaps not great value for £14.95. Overall, Eteaket has its heart in the right place but seems a bit worn in places and could use a refresh. + Eteaket are most definitely tea experts - If only they took as much care with their cakes as they do with their tea
Falko (Konditormeister) 185 Bruntsfield Place, Southside (Map 3A: A4, 36) 0131 656 0763, falko.co.uk | £10 (lunch)
To stand out from the crowd in Bruntsfield’s café heartland you have to be doing something a bit different. German Konditormeister (master pastry chef) Falko Burkert set up his bread and cake empire in 2008 and continues to provide discerning locals and homesick German students with their daily bread – but get there early because it sells out (the weekly baking schedule is on the website so you can plan ahead). Savoury items along the lines of soups, salads and open sandwiches – whether rarebitstyle or a take on a croque monsieur – pave the way for the tortes and kuchen sitting beguilingly in the glass-fronted counter, from the classic apple strudel and sachertorte to a surprisingly light raspberry cream sponge. There’s often a queue out the door for weekend brunch, and even though the absence of music and wifi discourages lingering with laptops, the café is always busy throughout the week. + The beautiful cakes - The bread is often sold out by midafternoon
The Forest Café 141 Lauriston Place, Tollcross (Map 3A: C1, 1) 0131 229 4922, blog.theforest. org.uk | £8 (lunch) / £8 (dinner)
Now in its third home, the Forest Café has settled nicely into its new location on Lauriston Place. The venue attracts many university students and artists with its laid-back and slightly grungy appearance. If they’re not coming for the live music that happens almost every night, patrons are probably showing up for the large and filling plates of falafel or nachos. The full vegetarian menu offers a great choice for meat-free eaters who are tired of hackneyed fare. Two
floors means you can enjoy some quality music on the lower level or ascend to have a lovely hot chocolate on the ground floor. Thanks to a pay-it-forward system the team has in place, that drink could be free, courtesy of another customer’s kindness. The kitchen is run by three main managers while the rest of the staff is completely volunteer based, lending to the mellow atmosphere. + Live music almost every night - Bathroom is downstairs
Fortitude Coffee 3C York Place, New Town See Cafés: Wee Places
The Fruitmarket Gallery Café Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street, Old Town See Arts Venues
The Gateway Restaurant John Hope Gateway Centre, Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, Inverleith See Arts Venues
Gorgie City Farm is a little corner of countryside right in the heart of the city, and for 30 years has served as an important place for children and adults to learn about animals, food production and the environment as well as a place for volunteers to gain experience in animal husbandry and sustainable farming. The adjoining café is not staffed by volunteers but does use much of the produce grown on the farm, from the vegetables in a tasty leek and potato soup to the farm’s own sausages in the hot morning rolls. The affordable menu encompasses baked potatoes and toasties, with nothing costing more than a fiver. Being on a farm, it’s a no-frills kind of place but it’s not without its charms, with homemade scones and cakes to accompany a good cup of coffee and kids’ lunch boxes to keep the wee ones happy. + Soup made with vegetables grown just 20 metres away - Might be a bit too rustic for some
The Grassmarket Café Glass & Thompson 2 Dundas Street, New Town (Map 1A: D3, 36) 0131 557 0909 | £7 (lunch)
Glass and Thomson is still thriving in its twentieth year as a New Town staple. Hangout for literary types like Alexander McCall Smith and, rumour has it, a certain Joanne Rowling during her Harry Potter period, it is still producing the goods to retain the fussy Edinburgh regulars and draw tourist trade down from George Street. The food is kept simple, with hearty breakfasts of scrambled eggs or a greatvalue lunch where a small soup and sandwich really isn’t that small, as well as more bespoke options. The cakes are the star, artfully arranged to tempt as you walk in. They are made on site rather than bought in and feature a range of gluten-free options. The reputation should be the reason to visit; the homecooked food and friendly service will be the reason you go back. + Great service - Chairs aren’t the most comfortable
Gorgie City Farm Café 51 Gorgie Road (Map 4: A4, off) 0131 337 4202, gorgiecityfarm.org.uk | £5 (lunch)
The Grassmarket Centre, 86 Candlemaker Row, Old Town (Map 2A: B3, 40) 0131 225 3626, grassmarketcommunityproject.co.uk | Closed Sun | £7.50 (lunch)
Situated at the foot of Candlemaker Row, and set back from the street by a bare-but-pleasant courtyard filled with chunky, wooden picnic benches, this café forms part of the Grassmarket Community Project, a social enterprise providing support and training for some of Edinburgh’s most vulnerable citizens. A surprising oasis of calm in an otherwise very busy part of the city, the double-height space, which also acts as the reception of the Project, has whitewashed walls, a tiled floor and simple furnishings and is lit by a large skylight giving it an open and airy feel, however the hard surfaces do mean it can feel a little noisy at times. It serves straightforward brunches and lunches, such as filled rolls, open sandwiches and soups, a few main dishes, like veggie lasagne and sausage casserole, and a selection of traybakes to complement the fair-trade hot and cold drinks on offer. The café is run by its members and all profits are returned to the Project, so eating here doesn’t just fill
• Nobles A well-mixed hair of the dog adds to the appeal of this popular Leith watering hole 33 • The Pantry Always a favourite with the Stockbridge set, this place is particularly great for a vegetarian brunch 57 • The Roamin’ Nose A weekend brunch of brioche French toast with fresh fruit is not to be missed 58 • Roseleaf A walk along the Water of Leith followed by brunch at this lively spot should sort out that Sunday feeling 36 • Urban Angel This city centre favourite is great for brunch 60 Söderberg Bakery (page 64): producing high-quality Scandinavian baking from the heart of Quartermile 54 The List Eating & Drinking Guide