I can't help it, I love this dang store. I really need to give up donuts once and for all, but I…read morejust can't. I had ventured out to the outlets on a random adventure day and needed to find some cash for parking. I was running through the mall like a mad woman and obviously stumbled across this gem. It was still early enough in the morning to justify having a donut for breakfast, so I found an ATM, took out some cash and needed to break my cash for the parking ticket machine. I figured Krispy Kreme was as good as any place to break my cash. There's plenty of seating if you want to rest your feet after a long day of shopping and it's cozy and inviting. There was only one girl working and she seemed a little in over her head with the 4 people waiting to be served. She had just served a family with 3 kids and I was up next. She took my order and told me I'd have to wait a second to have my coffee made as she needed to make the previous customers coffees as well. No bother, I scarfed down my donuts while I waited. Yes, I said donuts, I ordered the pumpkin spice and the lemon meringue. Probably two of my most favourite donuts. Unfortunately, the pumpkin spice is only here for a limited time and I rarely see the lemon meringue. Ahh, oh well, probably for the best. I got my coffee and my change for parking and made my way back to the parking lot. I love this place, I can't help it.

Smudge and I found this on our wanderings around Livingston's Centre. No not the centre of town the…read moreshopping centre is called the Centre - original right? The best thing about Krispy Kreme is of course the glass cabinet of wonder, which struck smudge dumb and immobile as the poor sausage tried to choose just one doughnut. I might be using this tactic of child control again during the very long summer holidays. We chose our doughnuts and a drink to sit in. The cafe is actually alright and if you are facing away from the greggs across the way an alright place to sit for refuelling. The doughnuts were exactly why we ordered - sugar, fat and sprinkles. In smudge's opinion the only food groups that matter. The americano was pretty grim but does anyone go to Krispy Kreme for the coffee?

This place is my savior at 8.30 am when I am catching the train to uni and I haven't had breakfast…read more I love bagels and secretly like to think I am a New Yorker about to hop on the Subway with my fresh bagel from H&H Bagels. Well as anyone who has ever tasted a REAL New York bagel knows, there ain't any other bagel that comes close. These bagels are better than the stodge you get in the supermarkets and they are probably as close to the real thing that you can get while still being in Edinburgh. There is a choice of just about any filling you could possibly want to go in a whole range of flavours of bagel. My favourite is Cinnamon and Raisin, washed down with a coffee. Prices aren't too bad, but as you add more and more fillings it does get quite expensive. Great if you are in Waverley Station and need to pick something up to eat on the train.

If you are up early enough in the morning the bagel factory is one of the few places that are open…read morethis early. Situated near the middle part of the station an easy location that's not far out the way to pick up something to eat and buy a coffee to go. When l came by one early morning there was a steady stream of people with orders, with the server not taking long in getting through them.

This place is amazing. The donuts have such a good taste in so many ways i cant describe. The staff…read morethere is really nice. And the inside area is always very clean and polished.

Well, well, well, we meet at last! I've heard so much, so show me a good time. Oh yeah!…read more I've had Krispy Kreme doughnuts previously down in Bath and Bristol. So, I knew I would treated to the max and the choices would be good but how good is Edinburgh?! I have heard about the 24 hour drive-thru and all about the queues. Angela B. and I decided to go here for part of my birthday day out in Edinburgh. She did also have special orders from her Mr to get many doughnuts-to-go, or else. No argument there! It has been opened for a quite a while now, so it was a pleasant, non-busy, non-queuing experience. We enjoyed watching the Doughnut Theatre in full action and taking lots of photos in the process. We made our way up to the counter and I needed sugar fast as I was flagging, lots of birthday excitement, and I was still to drive back to Glasgow. I ordered a strawberries and cream, I like doughnut with a filling best, along with a mocha and cream. Sugar rush!!! Yas! I ordered separately 3 doughnuts to take away, an original glazed, another strawberries and cream and a glazed raspberry filled doughnut. Delicious! As we had came into a Hotlight store, Angela had good knowledge here, it meant it had a Hotlight Happy Hour and it at the exact time we arrived, between 7.00pm - 8.00pm. Ya dancer! This meant we were treated to a free original glazed doughnut, hot off the line. Oh man, it was like biting into fluffy sugary clouds. It was amazing! I think I may have boarded on delirious. Please note they don't automatically do this, we had to ask and then double check with another staff member we were getting the doughnuts. So ask! Edinburgh you have proved to be worthy and I would more than happily go back. So with our Krispy Kreme hats, balloons, doughnuts-to-go and a faces so high on sugar, we skipped merrily on our way.

Got two 6 packs of cupcakes today to take to different folks in the city. They were a big hit…read morewith the folks we gifted them to and I even held one back for myself and it was delicious. The staff was very nice and helpful.

Naked Bakery's deep purple flower walls and golden cutlery may be an instagrammer's dream, but the…read moreall-vegan cafe is good for more than just pretty pictures. The location, tucked away on a side street away from the hustle and bustle of Prince's Street, means that you won't be fighting with people for a table, as although it can get busy around lunch, you likely wouldn't find it unless you knew what you were looking for. The staff is extremely helpful and nice and helped make the whole experiance very pleasant. I will note that the prices are a bit high, although that's expected when all vegan ingredients are used. Their signature brunch item, pink-hued waffles, make for a lightly crispy meal with a delicate spongy interior, and comes with a generous helping of fruit on the side. The espresso is good, with a impressive custom coffee machine and a wide selection of milk alternatives - although the chai latte was a bit weak in spice and flavor and could've been more thoroughly mixed. Another interesting item they do is an all-vegan version of the Scottish Breakfast. As that is traditionally an almost all meat meal, this a quite impressive feat, although I've never been a huge fan of imitation meats. If you're looking for a healthful brunch/lunch meal, especially if you are vegan or vegetarian, I recommend Naked Bakery! They also produce a selection of cakes and pastries which customers were coming in for throughout our meal.

Wow this place takes me back. I can't believe it's still here! Elephants and Bagels got me through…read more4 years of intense university deadlines and group projects. In that time I probably ate 100+ bagels here and drank 500 cups of coffee. I'll be honest and just say the coffee isn't amazing but the bagels here are next level. There's nowhere better to get a bagel in all of the UK in my humble opinion. Lots of variety and lots of toppings to choose from too. Gets very busy at lunch time because of the student crowd. Expect to wait and then not be able to find a seat. Quietens down later in the day.

The clue for this place is in the name... The theme for the décor is all things elephant-related…read moreand bagels are what's on the menu. What's good about this place is the sheer variety, not only of fillings to choose from but also the type of bagel itself. However, with almost 10 types of bagel to choose from, from seeded to sundried tomato to cinnamon and raisin, and the endless amount of fillings ranging from maple syrup to salami to peanut butter, the wait in the queue is often a long one. What's more, the prices aren't as cheap as you'd think. The average bagel with three fillings can cost up to £6, which in my opinion is a little excessive for a midweek grab-and-go lunch. In addition, there are only 5 tables which usually means a takeaway is your only option, which again makes the price a little less appealing especially given how many other cafés there are within 2 minutes walking distance. In theory, it's a great concept but in reality I would say it's one of those places that has been around for years and has become a bit complacent as a result. I wouldn't say avoid it, but nor would it be my first choice.

What an interesting find in the city of Edinburgh bringing Montreal-inspired bagels with a New York…read moretwist. While walking along Queensferry Street, you can easily miss this tiny bagel shop. But once you enter, you'll find a quirky and hipster corridor filled with fun stickers on the walls, scrapwood tables, and creative artworks. While my friend went for the classic Monteal (£5.50) bagel, I opted for their special: The K Hole (£6), which was a bagel sandwiched with Korean pulled chicken, Asian slaw, crispy fried chorizo, and kimchi mayo. This bagel was very delicious with a lot of flavor from the chicken to a crunchy and refreshing slaw. They should definitely add this to the regular menu as well. I also took a bite of the Montreal, which was a classic lox bagel --you almost can't go wrong. There are many flavors of bagel offered to choose from. Although the flavors were yummy and fillings were paired well, it is pretty pricey for a bagel sandwich.

I wasn't sure what to expect from my bagel here. First time, but I had the best sandwich I've had…read morein forever, AND it was vegan. I asked the server which they would recommended, snd I'm glad I went with Not the Wurst. Most saucy and delicious with super melts and tasty vegan cheese. Reminded me of in-out burgers in california. Had a vegan and veg sausage sandwich from a bakery nearby last week and it was so dry and sad to eat. I appreciate the flavors they packed into this one bagel, and it kept me full walking around the rest of the day! Ate in the meadows, and the cheese was still melty by the time I got there. Super impressed snd will definitely be coming back to try some of their other flavors! Being your own napkin because it's Messy in the best possible way. Yummm.

Very tasty cheesecakes in the heart of Bruntsfield! After hearing a lot of good things from…read morefriends, I finally popped into Artisan Cheesecakes at the weekend for a slice of cheesy heaven. First of all, the place smells great, as they have scented candles lighting around the shop (which you can also purchase, if you so fancy!). The place is very small, with seating for a maximum of six people, but this doesn't seem to be an issue, since most people take their cheesecake away. Approaching the counter, we saw the tremendous-looking cheesecakes. A selection of types. A plethora of colours. A feast for the senses. Inevitably, this meant I spent ages moping around, unsure what to choose. "Oh, I'll have a raspberry ripple." "No problem!" "No, wait! Make it a classic New York." "You got it!" "Actually, let's go for strawberries and cream." "....." I won't bore you any longer. In the end, I chose a Strawberries and cream, and Mary had Apple Strudel (which literally consisted of a big chunk of cheesecake, with a big chunk of apple strudel on top. Massive portion). Both were simply divine. We also had a latte to wash it down and compensate for the sweetness in the cheesecakes. Both slices were dense and rich, so although we both finished the slices, we were full up afterwards. Excellent! Prices are a bit higher than I'd like, especially for sit-in, but it's really the only negative. Great place with great cheesecake, but don't plan on getting a seat in the place, especially if you're in a group.

Yum, yum, yum! After…read morethe twitter feed reading of 'Day 46, Cheesecake watch, still not open', Artisan Cheesecakes have finally opened in Bruntsfield (as of Wed). The good people of Bruntsfield have been spoiled. Within a couple of months, Cuckoo's and Artisan Cheesecakes both opened in Bruntsfield Place and being the cake fiend that I am, I hit up both in the same day. Previously Cafe Grande had the monopoly on cheesecake but at a fiver for sitting in, it was an expensive treat. After sit in at Cuckoo's (multi-tasking by working and having tea and cake), I popped into Artisan to see what was on offer. I struck gold with not one but two types of gluten free cheesecake to choose from as I was informed by my cheery server. I appreciated having an option, never mind two as I had been preparing for disappointment with there being nothing available. Tablet or millionaires, decisions, decisions! Tablet won and it is delicious. A decent size piece was £3 to take away - topped with lovely chunks of tablet, a light but fairly solid based cheesecake, it is absolutely divine! The base for gf is a biggie as gf sometimes is overly crumbly but this all holds together very well. So, the shop - It is a small space, all creams and pastel shades with only a few seats but lots of fridge space full of cheesecake so takeaway may be the predominant option. To be honest, I wasn't paying attention as I was too busy deciding on the gf options but I believe there are around 16 options to choose from on a daily basis!! I'll definitely be back soon and hoping to try a fruity gluten free option next time. Well worth a visit! :-)

Stellar bakery and coffee spot near our Airbnb. Due to proximity, I went a few times. It's a small…read moreplace with no seating so just grab & go. Bread and pastries are fresh baked daily and displayed beautifully in the window. I got the pan au chocolate and a latte both times. Great place to stop in for a quick bite and caffeine hit in the morning on the way to work or a more substantial breakfast.

Much more of an elevated selection of baked goods than a regular café. Can definitely tell they're…read morea bakery too. Everything I had left quite a nice impression with me. Sausage Roll: A very meaty sausage roll. Like it's mostly sausage, with a bit of dough around it. The sausage itself had veggies and herbs in the mix. Perfect if you want a big meal for breakfast. Cheese Scone: Subtle and mild cheesy. I didn't have any butter on hand, but imagine that would make this even better. Twice Baked Blackcurrant & Pistachio Croissant: Loved that there was a nice jam spread in the middle of the croissant. The twice-baking meant it wasn't as airy/flaky as once-baked croissant, but that is easily overlooked since the blackcurrant makes up for it. Frangipane Bar: A really great take on a dessert bar. Perfect if you love marzipan, but don't want to eat one of those weird brightly shaped candies. I liked this so much, I'm gonna look up how to make this at home.