Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Elm Rose Cafe and Diner

    4.4 (25 reviews)
    InexpensiveDiners, Coffee & Tea
    Closed 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Elm Rose Cafe and Diner Photos

    ELM ROSE CAFE AND DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Elm Rose Cafe and Diner

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Dennis M.

    Delightful breakfast place in downtown Edinburgh. Tables upstairs and down. We sat up. It appears to be a coffee shop when you first walk in. You can get coffee and. Patty to go. Let them know that you want breakfast and they will ask you to find a table and we be with you in a moment to take your order. Good service. Very polite young man took outlet order and another polite young man brought our food. We ordered 2 Americano black coffee and 2 Benedicts (delicious - check pic). A must when in downtown Edinburgh

    Customer
    Eric C.

    Very small and tight quarters. If they look full there still might be a table. Service was good even though they were busy. Food was not out of this world but tasty. I would check it out if you're in the neighborhood. Coffee was ok.

    Eggs royale
    Samantha L.

    We stopped in here for breakfast on our way to go hike Arthur's Seat. This is a small cafe on Leigh Walk, with good prices and a decent size breakfast menu. We sat in the dining area upstairs. I ordered the toast with salmon, avocado, and eggs. The food tasted great and the poached eggs were cooked perfectly. I also ordered on of the coffee items but I can't remember the exact name of it. My friend ordered the vegan breakfast and really enjoyed it.

    Soup du jour
    Peter M.

    Fresh coffee, warm jazz, delicious food, and a friendly smile. That's what I call hitting all the notes on a chilly October morning. Elm Row is a quaint café with room for about 12 or so sitdowns. The menu matches its atmosphere with select, to the point fare all expertly crafted by the owner. So good, too. My proper Scottish breakfast, which I up-sized to jumbo, was everything this American boy desired. Runny eggs, hot tomato, a selection of meats, and chewy toast perfect for dipping. The haggis was delicious IMO, and was the star ingredient. Mmmmm. We talked with owner, a young Turk from Istanbul. Very passionate about his café and worthy of me saying, "Give 'em a whirl." Way up my my 5-star recommendations meter. Go here.

    Anthony G.

    Nice little cafe/ diner in Edinburg where you can get a full breakfast or just grab a coffee take away. Came for coffee and it was really good. Service at the counter is fast and courteous and prices are reasonable. Nice to come for a quick bite and coffee and recommended.

    Gibson A.

    I stubled across this place on Leith Walk by chance as it isn't obviously signed nor is it well established yet in the area. It's aiming for a fresh, Mediterranean feel as the owners are Italian. Inside it's clean and light with a small number of tables and an impressive deli counter with fresh ingredients. The service is friendly and the menu offers a good selection of cakes, sandwiches and Italian specialities like pizzas, calzones and pasta dishes. I had a ham and pineapple pizza which only took about five minutes to be prepared and tasted amazing. The base was nice and crisp and the topping was delicious with good quality cheese. Not only was it tasty, but it was filling too and only cost £4. It's a shame Elm Rose doesn't do more business as it offers friendly, quick service and great food at reasonable prices.

    Mark W.

    Whilst out and about today, I stumbled across this little cafe, situated on Elm Row at the Calton Hill end. I decided to give it a try, and was not disappointed. The inside is small, with around 5 or 6 tables set out, each with a couple of chairs. The right hand wall was occupied by a drinks chiller, with a chiller doubling as a counter at the back. They serve the normal cafe range of items - drinks, small cakes, and no doubt paninis and sandwiches as well. Staff greeted me with a smile, and though I only bought one small piece of cake, I would love to be able to go back and sample some more of their food. I find the shops on Elm Row are so easy to miss, as they are set back from the road, but if you venture in, you'll find gems like this. This is the sort of handy little place you'll want to keep coming back to. First impressions can be everything, and they ticked the boxes for me.

    Rezzi I.

    This cafe, recently bought over from an Italian (no surprises here!) has the most tempting counter of food! Situated on Elm Row, I would personally rather grab a bite here to go, or eat at home, as it is quite small but the quality of the food can't be questioned! The staff were extremely friendly, and a woman who worked there assured me there'd be a change of menu by the following week if she could be bothered! I appreciate the numerous specials boards outside the cafe, as the food changes quite often and doesn't start to bore the customers. They've got a clever lay out, as they offer ciabatas, baked potatoes, baguettes, wraps and rolls which can be finished off with any fillings you choose yourself from the counter! The baked potato with chicken filling I had was really good, and to top it off, they are quite cheap as well.

    I saw this too late to try, maybe next time!
    Sarah N.

    I found this lovely little café on route to a yoga class on a sunny Saturday morning, desperate for some caffeine and a minimal breakfast which would complain if I spent lots of time bending over and touching my toes! Elm Row Café and Diner is filled with personality, every wall covered with interesting things. There is a well stacked bookshelf in the corner by the counter, and a world map on the wall by the door with a request to 'pin where you've travelled'. It has a few tables but still feels small enough to be comfy in you are there on your own. I struggled to make my mind up but ended up with an Americano and some yoghurt coated raisins which were very satisfactory. The menu was vast though, featuring a variety of hot and cold snacks, and even Turkish coffee!

    Spicy mexican wrap.. yum!
    Lesley S.

    Good place to grab a bite. A colleague raved about their baked potatoe which I tried and was positively stuffed! Had a Mexican wrap today, which came with salad and coleslaw. Tasted great, would recommend as also have prompt service.

    I stopped here to meet a friend for a quick coffee and cake session, and I was surprised to see it because I have passed the place loads of times and just never noticed it. This is a wee traditional caff, selling lunch food like paninis, toasties and a selection of hot meals. The cakes were superb- my scone with jam and cream was divine coupled with a cup of milky tea- heaven or what? It was a cute and comfortable place to sit, and even though it was small we never felt rushed to leave. It was pretty inexpensive too, and I would most definitely come back for something more substantial.

    See all

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0
    Photo of K. K.
    49
    103
    51

    4 months ago

    The coffee, tea, and breakfast rolls were delicious. The service was attentive and friendly.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chip G.
    29
    13
    0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Eric C.
    0
    77
    32

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Max T.
    0
    53
    1

    2 years ago

    Tasty Scottish breakfast, delicious coffee, very affordable prices. It's a cozy little spot and the service is very friendly.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of SB B.
    2
    51
    32

    3 years ago

    Excellent small eatery with high quality food. Outdoor seating and daily desserts. Great choice in a sea of mediocre tourist eateries.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 14
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gibson A.
    9
    406
    414

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mark W.
    1
    170
    221

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rezzi I.
    8
    290
    306

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sarah N.
    10
    24
    52

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paul F.
    343
    80
    168

    8 years ago

    Best breakfast so far in Edinburgh! Everything cooled properly! Hard to get good breakfast here at least from my standard of normal.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S T.
    87
    1198
    1191

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Review Highlights - Elm Rose Cafe and Diner

    Whilst out and about today, I stumbled across this little cafe, situated on Elm Row at the Calton Hill end.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Diners 919 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Mums - Shepherds Pie Vegan

    Mums

    4.1(252 reviews)
    0.9 miOld Town
    ££

    I was so excited to try this place after seeing good reviews but our experience was terrible. There…read morewere gnats everywhere that we were killing at our dusty booth. When our food arrived we finally asked to move spots but the back of the restaurant was just as bad. I can't believe other families weren't complaining. We also found a hair in our appetizer and the mains were subpar. My husband complained about his fries and burger and the manager was combative. They comped us for one whiskey and we left as quickly as possible. The shepherds pie was very salty and the side of veggies was very clearly from frozen.

    **RACIST & DISCRIMINATORY** The young blonde hair girl in…read moreher maybe late-20s hostess, bartender or server (not sure which) was super rude! We came in excited about this place, and the restaurant had open tables at about 6:50pm on a Friday ... we had just walked all day and were starving with a 2-year old and an elderly after walking all over town and sightseeing all day long. However, was told by this girl that they didn't have a seat for us. Although there was no wait, no one ahead of us and empty tables. I told her she could seat us in that booth, we didn't mind since our 2 year old wouldn't be eating. However, she cut me off and said that would not work. I thought that was weird but that should have been That it would take them about 30 minutes to get us a table. We walk around in the cold, come back to the restaurant ... there are plenty of open tables. My husband takes my 2-year old inside to wait so she is not in the freezing rainy cold (especially since she was sniffling). The hostess then says it's going to take longer and that we must wait outside the restaurant. We tell her it's cold, and we've been waiting. She then says ... "This isn't going to work, I'm not serving you. You guys can leave." She did not want to serve of us this entire time! She could have told us when we first walked in, but made us wait and walk around outside in the cold rain with a 2-year old and an 88-year old ... then decides she doesn't want to serve us. We walked in at 6:50pm, came back at 7:30pm, waited until 7:45pm when she told us she wouldn't serve us. By this time all the other restaurants were fully reserved or with 1-2 hour waits. We ended up not able to have dinner that night, and got snacks from the grocery store. DO NOT COME HERE UNLESS YOU WANT HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! NEVER TREATED THIS BADLY BY A RESTAURANT!

    Photos
    Mums - Kind of cute interior.

    Kind of cute interior.

    Mums
    Mums

    See all

    Bell's Diner

    Bell's Diner

    4.1(31 reviews)
    0.9 miStockbridge, New Town
    ££

    This was a fun and tasty stop on our journey. We arrived a little before 6 pm on a Friday evening…read morewithout a reservation. We were greeted warmly and the hostess was able to just fit us in before a crush of reserved tables. Lucky for us because our meal was delicious and un-rushed.

    I really would have loved to write a better review, but if I did I'd be lying, and I just can't…read morelie. Came in on a Friday night super excited for a burger- my partner and I had been waiting for this all week! At 7pm the place was already full, but we were told if we could wait a few minutes a table would be available. So after some back and forth debtate, we decided to wait it out. This establishment is small, I don't think it could seat more than 20 people. There are about 6 tables, all in close proximity. Service was decent and we both just opted for the classic burger and fries combination. The food came out not long after and it really wasn't anything to be amazed by, I could have made this burger at home. Fried were good but you know, fries are always good. Nothing proprietary here. What I absolutely hated was the communal sauces concept- the whole idea just seems unhygienic and gross to me. There were a variety of sauces given to each table on a large platter, shared from table to table to have with your meal. One of the tubs was a tiny scraping of mayonnaise the other table had but we were given the rest of to finish- ugh, gross. Overall quite underwhelming and did not hit the spot. I'm sure there are better burger joints around where you don't have to share the sauce. I wouldn't return and I'm really disappointed- I was hoping to add this one to the list of local faves.

    Photos
    Bell's Diner
    Bell's Diner - Burger and fries.

    Burger and fries.

    Bell's Diner

    See all

    Paradise Palms

    Paradise Palms

    4.0(38 reviews)
    0.9 miOld Town, Newington
    ££

    I hadn't been to Paradise Palms in a few years but I was happy to see: a) it's still such an…read moreinclusive, safe, welcoming space and b) they had a bit of a menu glow-up! Still vegan, but much more focused on a robust fried chkn offering and other fun American-inspired junk/bar food. I appreciate how comfortable they've made the atmosphere; the staff has consistently been so friendly and funny and human; walk-ins welcome!; the front seating has a bit more restaurant-y feel, I prefer the back seating which has a more pub-y feel; and, the food is STILL so craveworthy and memorable. I've tried the hot honey popcorn chkn topped with chilii, spring onion, and sesame (quite spicy! the popcorn chkn texture wasn't my favorite); the buffalo hot chkn wings with blue chz dip and celery (SO GOOD; the perfect amount of heat, but I could go for twice as much sauce; the texture of this chkn is much more satisfying and filling!); the chilli cheeze fries topped with a chipotle mayo (there's SO MUCH food here: they are generous with the chili sin carne... it was delicious piping hot when it came out, it was just as delicious a little cold and congealed an hour later; a MUST for a group!), the jalapeno slaw (it was spicier than, and not as refreshing as, I was expecting). The Frickles (fried pickles) were okay; I was expecting coins, not spears, so most of the coating kept falling off. And the fried chkn ceasar salad was nice: it's ENORMOUS and easily sharable between two people (say if you wanted to get those chili cheeze fries too), it comes with bacon and a less-fried version of their chkn, and it's very heavily dressed. Definitely not healthy, but certainly the most fresh thing on the menu!

    So delicious; I went twice during my week-stay in the city!…read more The first visit, I had the Lucky Chicken sandwich/burger. It was pretty good. On the second visit, I had the Lucky BBQ Box; mind and mouth...blown! The bbq ribs/steak had a "meaty" texture and the sauce was hitting(positive term)! The southern fried chicken was yum too, just wish they would slather the sauce that comes on it instead of just sprinkle. The charred street corn also fire(positive term)! The slaw was pretty decent, and the potato salad was okay. It was a bit more food than I could eat, so I took some away with me in a box. Staff were lovely and accommodating on both visits. If I ever return to Edinburgh, I'll be sure not to skip another visit to Paradise Palms!

    Photos
    Paradise Palms
    Paradise Palms
    Paradise Palms

    See all

    The Outsider

    The Outsider

    4.1(278 reviews)
    0.8 miGrassmarket, Old Town
    ££

    Such a cute place. And the view of the castle from here was amazing…read more Super helpful staff! I am a member of a flight crew and as I was eating dinner I was asked to get catering for a flight literally the next morning. I asked the manager if he could make me some take away (to-go) steaks cooked rare to be cooked further on the plane. (I'm a private flight attendant and we cook and plate everything onboard). He went out of his way to make sure I recieved all the items cooked perfectly. Passengers left raving about the food!!! And these are passengers that definitely eat the best steaks. The manager even talked me through a playing game plan and I ran my thoughts of the dishes with him and wow, perfect outcome. I personally got the coley fish dish and started with some cheese. I am a big bleu cheese/stilton girl and it was all amazing. Everything was so good I used the bread from my cheese to mop up every ounce of juice left from coley plate. Great service, great views, and incredible food. All local and ever changing menu to fit what's in market. You'll see handwritten additions to each menu like the cheese and fish. The steaks were the 35 day dry hung flat iron steaks.

    Three of us stumbled upon The Outsider while out looking for a place for dinner. It was so good we…read morewent back with 2 more friends a few nights later. Nice pleasant room with good size tables and very helpful, friendly courteous wait persons. Very good steaks, and fish, and affogato for dessert. Go to read the creative food descriptions on the menu!

    Photos
    The Outsider
    The Outsider - Flat iron steak

    Flat iron steak

    The Outsider

    See all

    Elm Rose Cafe and Diner - diners - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...