HOT HOT HOT CHOCOLATE for ALL chocolate LOVERS! The…read morechocolate tree is located on a busy road and still it's easy to find car parking nearby, especially on a Sunday. Also conveniently accessible by bus. There is not much sitting space, such best to book in advance. We got a lovely table at the front window (which by the way is the only table in the front of the shop). I believe there is a very small sitting area in the back. You can find lots of chocolate variations on display on cupboard shelves. At the moment they offer 10% off chocolate bars before a certain time of the day. There are also macaroons, ice cream a (not gelato), pralines and little "cakes". Above the main entrance you see the drink menu written on huge chalk boards: Traditional chocolate, one for kids and one for adults, white chocolate, milky chocolate, dark chocolate and much more. They do coffee too. I ordered salted caramel ice cream and milk chocolate, which was the best hot milk chocolate in Edinburgh so far, and not to mention I got served plenty of it in a big mug. Definitely worth the money. Must confess, my eyes were bigger than my stomach and next time a hot chocolate will be plenty :-) They are also present with stalls at various Edinburgh markets, like Stockbridge. Its an ideal place to take away and enjoy the "pleasures" somewhere else.

For those 'in the know', the chocolate tree has been an online business for quite some time, but…read moredecided to open up their own shop in our very own city, Edinburgh. If you like chocolate, you will LOVE The Chocolate Tree. Located in the trendy Bruntsfield area, it is in the perfect position to sit in and gorge or sit out and gorge. Their chocolates are all organic (so at least your conscious feels good about eating copious amounts of chocolate...) The decor is very chic, trendy and indulgent. Indeed, I think Indulgence is a theme in the cafe. My first visit was under sad circumstances - recently single and feeling vulnerable, my friend took me and ordered me the 'Spanish Hot Chocolate' (see picture). Oh My God. Where I was feeling despairing, distraught and dismayed I was overcome with delight, deliriousness and felt thoroughly delectable!! It was perfect...perhaps a bit rich, but the first few sips were to die for. It even came with a little dough cake-thing to dip into the thick, gloopy chocolate, like fondue! It would have been ideal for two to share. To be honest, I'm not what you would call a choc-a-holic - especially now that Cadbury's is no longer considered 'chocolate'. But there is something for everyone to enjoy, whether its a slice of their GLORIOUS chocolate cake (it was delicious, after a while I felt I should find a mirror to check if my pupils had dilated) or one of their mini chocolate bites. If you can't make it to the shop they sell online and they're much cheaper than their competition ( it's one of their ethical principles, woohoo!). It really is worth visiting, on a warm summer day to lounge and indulge yourself, or on a cold winter evening to keep yourself warm. It's the sort of place I imagine Harry Potter would sit in...

All my research said that IJ Mellis was a must and I understand why. This tiny cheese shop located…read moreon Victoria Street is booming with business. Likely for the cheese, but also for the service! Even though crowded and busy, the staff was so delightful and friendly! They let us sample some cheeses before we made our selections. We went with all Scottish cheeses, because when in Scotland. They were fabulous!! We got a mix of cheddar, Gouda and blue that we can't wait to enjoy on our upcoming train ride. Prices are fair and by weight. Yum!

Fantastic! If you're a cheese lover, you must stop by. The staff member was so unbelievably kind…read moreand knowledgeable. I got an aged Scottish cheddar and it was amazing. They even suggested the proper cracker to go nicely with it. They'll give you a sample, so just ask! It's a small place but so cozy and welcoming.

The ideal spot to grab a meal's worth of vegetables…read more PRICE: Inexpensive. SERVICE: Not unhelpful. QUALITY: Pretty standard for a greengrocer. CHOICE: Plenty. Fruit and vegetables outside, and plenty more inside. Argyll Place is probably one of my favourite shopping streets in Edinburgh. Odd, I know, but it contains three of my most frequented shops: the Bike Works, Al Haj's and Nadia's Fruit and Vegetables. This place is smaller than its next door neighbour, but has a much wider vegetables selection at a much lower price. It is perfect (indeed, this is what I do nine out of ten times) for nipping to on the bike, grabbing a few different vegetables and then heading back to cook dinner, having spent perhaps a quid without the prospect of vegetables then going to waste at the bottom of the fridge. It is open until an ideal time too: 8pm everyday (usually), and this of course means that even a late night dinner can be created using vegetables from here. Their wide selection caters for most, if not all, meal types, and are never in too bad shape. Of course, unlike supermarkets, fruit from here tends to be ripe and ready to eat... Overall a winner then? Definitely. Though not as smart as its next door neighbour, Nadia's is the perfect greengrocers.

Fresh veg and inexpensive with some hard to find items. This is one of my day to day places to pick…read moreup vegetables. Service is functional and the place is well kept. Not sure what else to say on this as it is a veg shop other than thumbs up from me. Tip: They have reduced items in bags outside which is normally 8 - 10 peppers for 79 pence or on occassion bags for 49 pence of items that need used that day. If you are making soup or similiar that day its ideal.

Wow!!! After seeing the great reviews for how well-stocked this place is I walked in and was…read moresurprised at how small it was since I was under the impression it would be bigger. But it didn't matter, the stock was just as excellent as I'd been led to believe. Immediately to the right of the entrance there are Asian specialty foods. Good basics such as soy sauces, sambal oelek, chutneys and many varieties of pastes for all kinds of sauces from Thai to Chinese to Malaysian. A bit further on you'll see mostly Spanish (as in Spain) foods. Dozens of hot sauces, many varieties of dried chillies, salsas, and several Mexican ingredients I've had a hard time finding elsewhere such as huitlacoche (corn smut/fungus, but it's absolutely delicious, especially in a quesadilla!) and large cans of posole/hominy. There is a decent selection of some American foods such as pancake mix, canned pumpkin, cake mix and peanut butters. Canadian maple syrup too. I was hoping they would stock iced tea for drinks but didn't see any on my visit. There's also a small section of Jamaican and other Caribbean foods, not just hot sauces. The refrigerated case by the till offers chorizo, various Mexican cheeses (I didn't see any cotija on this visit but I'll be on the lookout), some really delicious looking fresh salsa and guacamole (a mum and daughter got some along with a bag of the excellent tortilla chips to share). The freezer by the entrance offers pre-made burritos, ribs, frozen tortillas. Yes, prices are a bit high generally since nearly everything is imported but for the most part they're fair especially considering the quality and selection. Service was super-helpful in recommending hot sauces and the right type of chilli powder for what we were looking to use it. We didn't get as much as we would've liked because we had to carry it back a bit of a ways and the visit was sort of spontaneous, but it's a place I'll definitely return to.

This tiny little shop is like a little cave of treats. The walls are lined with the type of foods…read moreyour local supermarket just doesn't sell. My reason for going was because I heard they had a good selection of American goods. I could hear the Peanut Butter M&Ms calling my name! So firstly they do your standard imported American goods- Aunt Bessies Pancake mix/syrup, variety of Betty Crocker cake mixes, chocolate bars, sodas (not Mountain Dew), Fluff etc. But the more exciting part of the shop is the huge selection of spices, chillies, salsas and hot sauces. There is also a good selection of chorizo which rather excited me. This shop would take care of any spice needs you had for any cuisine as it seemed to cover everything from Mexican to Asian spices. I admired the salsas and hot sauces for a good while before deciding I was too poor to buy anything. Unfortunately as the items are imported, they are quite expensive. But I could probably treat myself to something on my next visit (is it sad that I consider buying some proper salsa a treat?!) and I will definitely be back, very soon!

FINALLY! A grocer in Bruntsfield! The one thing that has been missing from this area from a very…read morelong time has finally arrived and trust me it was worth the wait. This community greengrocer had the financial backing of members of the public, offering them the chance to buy shares in Dig-In as well as helping in the financial set up of the shop. Inside the shop it looks like a traditional greengrocer, fitting in perfectly to the Bruntsfield area, and it sells loads of locally sourced and organic vegetables and fruits (dependent on season) as well as usual things like satsumas and celery that aren't grown here. In their back shop they have a dried good section with packets of lentils and rice available as well as oils, vinegars and a few Gluten Free products. If you are ever on your way to a supermarket to get some fruit and veg, do yourself a favour and pop in here first, an excellent addition to the area and I hope it has a very successful business.

Walk down nearly any street in one of Edinburgh's many neighbourhoods and you're bound to see at…read moreleast one shop with carboard boxes of veg out on the pavement. But have a closer look and the veg may not be so fresh, or local and once you get into the shop - you find it's really just a newsagent/convenience store with no other healthy food in sight. I suppose that was what inspired the people of Bruntsfield to rally support and start their own community grocer where fruit and vegetables and access to healthy food (fresh and packaged) is a priority. Even before they had secured a premise, they got together, formulated a plan and started to drum up support. They decided to run the shop as a community co-operative with members owning shares in the business and volunteering in the shop. I've been following their progress with great interest on facebook, twitter and all the wonderful media attention but I only just made it into the shop last week. From the feedback received so far it seems like they are doing a pretty good job!! The first impression is made even before I walk in the door. The traditional deep green shop front, with the friendly, curly writing was inviting me to 'Dig-in' and locals of all ages were pressing their noses against the glass windows wanting to find out what's inside. The store is clean, inviting, small but well stocked and attended by super friendly and well informed staff who were happy to chat about unusual ingredients, recipes, and even my juicing adventures (I think I convinced one to go home and dust off her juicer). Whether you chat to them instore or on-line, the feeling is the same; Dig-in are friendly, easy to talk to and really want the community's input, feedback and recommendations. The impression I got from visiting and from their involvement with their facebook/twitter followers is that they are very intent on finding the right balance between: * providing fresh, local, seasonal fruit and veg and supplying the community with the goods they want when they want it * providing quality produce at a fair price for both the producer and customer * stocking basic packaged goods while at the same time trying to support the local farmers, bakers, producers * and of course trying to keep things as healthy as possible. And that's where we can help! You can't please all the people all the time, but letting the folk at Dig-in know how they're doing will help make that balancing act so much easier! Personally, I liked what I saw but would really love to see some more of the local market traders represented. There are some great bakers, jam and preserve makers and cheese producers who trade at the many Edinburgh weekend markets or attend the food fairs but I'm not always around at the weekends so it would be nice to be able to go to a shop during the week and pick up some of my foodie favourites and Dig-in Bruntsfield would be an ideal showcase for these products. So if you're in the area, so stop in, have a look around, say hello and of course fill your basket with foodie treasure; olde-worlde bicycle not required.

I love Pekoe! For the last year I have been slowly making my way down their extensive tea menu…read more It's been a pleasure to say the least. There are so many teas that I've bought to make for myself at home and then totally screwed them up, usually by steeping them too long. The staff at Pekoe have been amazing at talking me through each tea. They will explain where the teas come from, describing the characteristics, and then brewing it properly. Some of the teas can have multiple infusions and the staff will happily bring over some freshly boiled water for the next round. Pekoe is a bit of an oasis on a street where it's hard to know what you're going to get. The shops and cafes around Pekoe are improving, but it's still a mixed bag. So I always feel a breath of fresh air when I arrive to Pekoe. This location has a different feel to the Stockbridge shop. I prefer this one slightly more. Oh... And did I mention they serve macarons from Patisserie Madeleine and baked goods from Cuckoo? It's a win+win+win

I love This tea and coffee spot! They have another location in Stockbridge, but this is my fav of…read morethe two. Their little shops with amazing amounts of teas to choose from! And they make each of the teas specially! Some teas have little clay pots that they pour water over! Others have steal tea pots! some of glass ones! They really love their teas! They have good coffee too, but I feel if you are coming here then you really have to try their teas! Also they have great treats from cuckoo's and patisserie madeleine ! DELICIOUS! Love this Place.

A great place to start your day with a fantastic breakfast. Open early and located conveniently in…read moreOld Town Edinburgh. Excellent pastries and sandwiches. Very friendly staff and spotless cleanliness.

Great little place in Edinburgh for coffee, pastries and breakfast selections. Had a croissant and…read morecoffee here with my friend while we were visiting the city. Absolutely delicious and will keep it on our list next time we head out that way!

Cute little cafe that opened earlier than 10. We very much liked the bright atmosphere. The staff…read morewas super friendly. Best of all, they were accommodating our vegan preference. We loved the porridge with oat/soy milk. The latte was fantastic.

This review is unfortunately very delayed but I wanted to take the time to leave one! I studied…read moreabroad in Edinburgh during the Fall of 2023. During my first week, I didn't have a UK cell phone plan so I could only look up things when I had internet or see things with my own eyes whilst walking! I was dying for some food a couple of days after arriving and looked up cafes with lunch that were near where I was staying -- that's how I discovered The Treehouse (little did I know I would end up passing it many times while walking!). Despite having an idea of what I would order, I read the menu upon arriving. My American myself was unsure of the names of some ingredients, since they differ from the names used in the US, but the cashier was kind enough to help me figure everything out! I ended up opting for a mozzarella panini with rocket (arugula) and tomato. It came with a little salad on the side and I ordered an Irn-Bru to drink. I took it to-go and really enjoyed everything that I got! I ended up coming back a couple of more times for food for myself and with friends since it was so conveniently located. Overall, I enjoyed my experiences at The Treehouse and it will hold a little place in my heart for being one of the first places I went to after arriving to study abroad :) definitely recommend!

Came at around 5 pm. Had 3 for £8 & £15 meal deals…read more Chose the £15 -2 mains & 2 sides meal deal. Bought £3.25 Scottish mussels in creamy white wine. Desserts were all under £5. Selection of ready-made meals is fantastic compared to Toronto's Metro meal selection. Prices are unbelievably cheaper, too.

Very nice upscale grocery store. Lots of prepared meals and fruits were very fresh. Some good sales…read moreas well.