With possibly the most ludicrously comfortable seats in Edinburgh (I mean that), Gaia is a nice little Italian deli/coffee shop on Leith Walk. Actually, it's better than nice. It's really really good. The counter had the front has a great selection of cured Italian meats - prosciutto, bresaola, parma ham, salami to name a few. They've also got the usual cheese suspects - gorgonzola, dolcelatte, mozzarella and so forth. And a selection of mouth-watering cakey treats. What I really liked (besides the unbelievably comfy seats) was the little salads in the fridge. They were more interesting that your bog standard tuna and sweet corn drowned in mayonnaise. Herby leaves, cured meats, fresh cheese drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. And not expensive either (about £3). Coffee was nothing to write home about (not bad, but not amazing), but I was so blissfully relaxed in those seats I didn't care. read more

Gaia - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Gaia is just round the corner from me - so I walk past it all the time and have never gone in. I thought it was just another sandwich/ coffee place, and probably a bit hippy-dippy, given the name. Today I found myself hanging about on Leith Walk, having to wait for a shop to open, so I popped in here for coffee - and what a revelation! Shelves of Italian produce, a huge range of properly-Italian-looking meats and cheese, and a fridge with fabulous pre-made sandwiches and salads. Wow. And they were playing Italian music with lyrics simple enough for even me to understand, so I sat and felt all continental as I drank my coffee. Bellisimo! read more

I'm basing this review on one stop and one coffee alone. After one visit, you can get an idea of whether or not you're going to want to be friends with a business. This visit made for one frothy, strong latte and a bustling, upbeat stay. This spot is a small one so be prepared to get friendly with your neighbours, like we did. We sat down at a table alongside strangers and spent twenty minutes indulging in back and forth chatter, which was really fun. More of this please; this is so my cup of tea! I'm just as guilty as anybody but I say less of the smartphones and more of this natter. The beautiful large filled sandwiches made us curse ourselves for already having lunch. And the fresh pasta dishes in the fridge looked every bit as tempting. Staff were friendly and I just loved this cafe's genuine homely vibes. - As soon as we'd walked out the door, we were talking of visiting soon for food! read more

Proper Deli's are hard to find in Edinburgh, most are just the same cold cuts you can get in any supermarket, cheaply seasoned and pre-cut into slices thinner than your hair. Not here. What a rare question, I almost had a stroke when I was asked. "How much of a slice would you like?" Judging by first glance at the meat selection, a hell of a lot. I took home the thickest chunk of Salami I've ever seen and some unknown polish sausage I was recommended. Both cuts came to about £5, but trust me it's worth it. They also had a great selection cheese as well, try the Provolone when you visit! read more

Gaia - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I've came here a few times on a slightly hungover Saturday morning and the paninis are great for that post booze - cheese craving. It has a great vibe inside with a few seats for you to relax with some nice music on and a selection of papers to read -all good touches. The best thing is the family who run the place. They are funny, flirty and most importantly, just plain happy which is infectious. I can't really think of anywhere thats similar in size and service that tops it on Leith Walk or even Leith. read more

This Italian deli and coffee shop is the answer to my Yelping prayers, because wandering around the streets alone scouting out awesome places to go can be hungry work. And if you're anything like me, you like to go somewhere inconspicuous because its a bit embarrassing to sit alone. Nae pals, as they say. Serving coffees, pastries, wraps, paninis and pastas, the selection of lunches here are great, and the seating is cosy, and intimate, making it the perfect place for lunch for one. I had a lovely creamy coffee with a tuna melt panini, not very Italian but I just said the first thing that came to mind, and I'm glad I did. It was delicious. It also has a lovely deli counter at the back, and the smells are enough to entice you in for some cheesy or meaty goodness. A definite highlight in Leith! read more

Gaia - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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An absolute gem! Curiosity drove me in, but you could tell the place was well known as it was bustling. It's a deli but it does soups, sandwiches and more. I was a little dismayed at the prices of some of the bottled/packaged products, but seeing as it is a specialty store it really isn't out of the ordinary. I thought the deli selection was very well priced though. The staff was also very friendly and efficient. I hope to still frequent this shop even though I'm moving to the other side of town! read more

Lovely wee deli, but sadly hugely overpriced. One portion of parmigiana ( some sauce with one single chubby slice of aubergine!) £5. One small croissant with ham and cheese £2.95. Another 50p if you want tomato on it. Nice service, always busy, but a bit silly with the prices. Pasta dishes fresh each day, but they aren't great, lack seasoning, you will need to add your own. Soup is always blended, usually tepid at best, and who on Earth serves blended minestrone?! Family atmosphere is good, can be slightly menacing, lots of things to buy on shelves and in a small deli counter while you wait. Lovely coffee aroma, but they charge far more than the shops next door to them, and the coffee is too strong. Nice but far too pricey! read more

Wonderful food, "Tastes like god's cum" Definitely check it out! Inexpensive and delicious read more

finding myself home sick and frankly feeling more than a little sorry for my sore head and achy body i thought dinner should be a nice treat. knowing i couldn't go very far i decided the perfect place to go would be Gaia, a short stroll up the street from my flat. I won't lie, i've been a big fan of this place for awhile now after i stumbled into the quaint little cafe about two years ago. i used to enjoy going for saturday lunch to catch up on some trashy magazine reading and i had a spell of picking up dinner here for quite awhile last winter as well. recently, i've only been in a few times but that's nothing to do with the quality of what they have on offer. each day they have about 4-5 pasta specialities made fresh, a list of speciality sandwiches and salads and two soups. these options are all available for eating in or taking away and if you see something you like but think there is an ingredient missing they are more than happy to add it in for you. their salads are so good!! loads of veggie goodness with the addition of cured meats, cheese, or their homemade pesto that is just gorgeous! their pastas are equally as good and one of my favourites is the oreccheite pasta with cherry tomatoes and a pine nut pesto sprinkled with parmesan cheese. they appear to have this fairly often on their special list, so it must be a popular choice. in addition to the yummy freshly made food, there are two reasons that really make me love this place. the first is the price, i've never spent over a £10 on getting a meal. their pastas, salads, and sandwiches are all under £5 which is a great price for the amount of food you get and the quality ingredients! i sometimes add a coffee to my order of if i'm waiting a treat a slice of cake or a pastry, and my total still comes in under £10!! the second reason is the people that run this lovely cafe. they are friendly, helpful, and always smile when they see people come in. they're happy to make suggestions or offer to add a meat or cheese to your pasta and salad (for a small fee). they offer you a carrier bag (without charge) and even a side of parmesan cheese for your pasta or oil and vinager for your salad which they wrap up in cling film to avoid spills. it's clear that they take pride in their business and want to keep their customers happy and coming back for more, which i certainly will be doing! read more

Back in Edinburgh again, had to stop by Gaia again. Maybe my last experience here-- which was mind-blowing-- was just a fluke. Nope. It was once again outstanding. I can't believe how fresh the food is. My only disappointment was that they weren't open for dinner. read more

Mamma Mia! This place was excellent! Went in today because I have been on the hunt for an Italian Deli I can haunt and hangout at like a Mafioso. Anyways this place had almost everything I was looking for. First off let me state its more like a little cafe with a deli case thats not to big. It was busy when I went in and almost all the tables were full for such a small place. First thought to myself was " this place must be good" and it was. I ordered one of the daily pastas they have and for the amount of food for the price it was perfecto! The food came out real quick and I eagerly stuffed my face. Looking around the place it has a little cold case were you can buy soft drinks, cheese, pre-made paninis, and other italian goodies. On the opposite side there is the dry stock with olive, oil, pasta, and tons of other items I wish I had bought. After my pasta lunch I had an espresso which was good as well. Was not burnt and quite flavorful. The only problem I had was all the cooks and guys behind the deli were busy with a distributor who was showing them a full ham, slicing off pieces. GIVE ME SOME!!! haha no the problem was they were so busy with that they forgot to bring my espresso out to me and I had to remind them but otherwise a great place! I ended up going home with a big spicy salami and some ricotta cheese I plan on making pumpkin stuffed manicotti with but thats for another day. SO if you like your pasta and coffee and other italian goods this place is a good place to stop at. Don't expect everything there like gellato and a bakery but instead good homemade food, cheap prices, and decent espresso. I am a fan and as my quest for the best italian deli in Edinburgh continues I will be continuing to come here for the food and cheap prices. read more

Gaia - One of the many pasta of the day so good! - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Authentic Italian cappucinos, always from a friendly face. Great spot to pop in for your coffee if you live on/along Leith Walk.

Gaia is a real Sicilian Italian Deli run by the Dragotta family, from Palermo. Gaia offers a superb selection of panini, antipasti snacks, Italian cured meats, cheeses, jarred vegetables and pasta dishes. I ordered and devoured the Panino Gaia (Smoked Ham, Smoked Cheese, Mozzarella and Grilled Aubergine) plus a San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, a 10/10 treat. Real Italian coffee is available and brewed the Italian way, as it should be. They have 7 tables inside and a couple more outside (weather permitting of course) and it could be rather busy so there might be a small waiting time till you get served. Gaia has an amazing cured meats and cheeses counter (with my favourite, genuine guanciale, meat from pork jowl or cheeks that can be used to cook a proper Bucatini all'Amatriciana) which is real treat for connoisseurs. Service at Gaia is always friendly, welcoming and un-pretentious, which is always a plus!!! No WiFi available at the moment. Great service and superb food, no wonder they are always busy!!! read more

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Gaia is a great place for a quick lunch - they serve a range of amazing freshly made pasta in a small but cosy café which is also a well-stocked Italian Deli: Cheese, Ham, pasta etc. all there for your pleasure. It's a cool family-run business and you'll recognise some of the faces at the counter in the caricatures on the wall. A presto. read more

I love Italian delis. This is a good one. Beware the chilli paste in the panini - oof!

Its an authentic piece of Sicily on the middle of Leith Walk their cappucinos are the best I have tasted and so is their hot chocolate all their food is made with the finest imported Italian ingredients so I would recommend anything that takes your fancy. Its family run and the service is always warm and friendly. read more