Kimberly C.

There are very few places in this world that has become synonymous with my concept of 'breakfast' as Kilamanjaro Coffee. Yes, in my mind, heart and stomach, Kilamanjaro is the quintessential breakfast joint. Every brilliantly curated menu item is delicious - from the very Scottish fruit and/or cheese scones to the 'Full Kili breakfast'. (Side Note: I love the whisky marmalade with the toast - best whisky marmalade I've had so far). Go here. End of story. The atmosphere and cozy decor will just be the beginning to a very heartwarming breakfast.

Megan M.

Kilimanjaro Coffee is a great little lunch spot when out and about in Newington and around the university. It's a handy place to meet friends for lunch, grab some brunch or catch up over coffee. They do a scrummy Chai latte and always have a great selection of different soups (much more interesting than other lunchy places). They also do a tasty eggs benedict. As it's such a good spot for lunch, it does get very busy around lunchtime and can be hard to get a table. I suppose that's a good sign though!

Stuart B.

Here's the deal. If you have the word coffee in your name I'm going to judge you on the quality of your coffee. Kilimanjaro was one the first 'third-wave' coffee shops in Edinburgh which proved that there was more to coffee outside of gingerbread lattes at Starbucks. In the years since then Edinburgh has seriously upped it's coffee game and unfortunately I don't think Kilimanjaro has kept up. I ordered a flat white and a bowl of soup which took a bit too long to come. I don't mind waiting for good coffee but the impression was that they just had a backlog they were trying to rush through. You may not be able to judge a book by it's cover but I think its fair to judge a coffee by it's latte art. Passable but not perfect. The coffee had decent flavour and they use good beans but milk was over-heated for my liking. It's definitely a step up from Starbucks but lacking compared to the serious coffee places in the capital, such as Filament further up the road. Overall I feel like the place is a little bit tired and in need of a facelift. I don't think it has changed much in the several years since I last went in and could do with some modernisation. The furniture and fittings feel a little bit outdated but not necessarily in a trendy hipster way. I will give it credit for being open late and if you need passable coffee after 7pm there isn't much choice. Their sandwiches and scones looked like they might be decent also.

Ally A.

Breakfast here was a hit with the whole gang, including a pretty fussy friend. The Shrooms was a lovely departure from a typical full English/Scottish breakfast (if a hard decision to make). The Parmesan on the plate took the flavor to a whole new level. The coffee was on point and my friends loved their Kili breakfasts. The fussy one even fell in love with the haggis! And the potato scone was to die for!

Dia D.

We had the full breakfast which was good (they even have a vegetarian full breakfast). The people who work here were pleasant and our food arrived quickly. Their scones and other baked goods looked very good.

Gouthaman K.

This is hands down, my favourite coffee place in Edinburgh. The staff are lovely and they make a really good cup of coffee in addition to offering a great brunch, real fruit juices, and pastries. So much better than your average Nero or Starbucks. To give you a better sense of what to expect, here are some pros and cons. Pros: -- Great Coffee and friendly staff. The store also has an excellent vibe that puts you at ease for a leisurely weekend. -- The food is excellent. Especially their brunch options. Cons: -- They offer no Wi-Fi or charging ports. Like really - there is none. This might end up being a good thing if all you're looking for is a quiet place to do some reading or socialise with a friend, though.

Brian S.

Visited for the second time yesterday, and thankfully found a table for three very quickly- a surprise, given the popularity of the place. My friends and I were in for tea and scones, and were not disappointed by the selection. I went for a simple breakfast tea (which always goes well with scones), and a fruit scone with rhubarb and ginger jam. My friends had a chai latte and a lemonade, again both with scones. All the food and drink was delicious. The clotted cream and the jams were excellent, the scones were fresh, and the drinks were well made. The table was cosily tucked up in a corner, and we had access to the day's newspapers as well. The staff we dealt with were not the friendliest I've ever come across, but maybe this was just a bad day. Kilimanjaro is certainly not the least expensive cafe you'll find in Edinburgh, but the excellent produce and atmosphere makes it worth a visit.

Sarah-Jane B.

Another independent coffee shop that's popular with students and locals is Kilimanjaro. A quirky place with wooden tables and chairs, a cosy leather sofa and black and white pictures, it has a homely atmosphere despite the constant stream of new customers. There's free Wi-Fi, a bookshelf with newspapers and paperbacks and a reasonable selection of drinks, cakes and light snakes. I'd usually prefer a brownie to a scone but Kilimanjaro is the exception as their scones taste delicious and are served with generous dollops of real butter and jam. The coffee is pretty good too but lacks the depth and flavour of Artisan Roast.

Claire C.

Spectacular breakfast plate. Was properly impressed and given so much food that I could not consume it all (see photo). Good cuppa to go along with it hit the spot perfectly. Will definitely be back here. I liked the look of the cakes too, though I didn't scoff any on my first visit. Only downside? Very, very busy at lunch time and practically had to shout in order to have a conversation, ooft! But pick a less hectic time of day and you're probably on for a winner.

Cressida F.

I'm super-finicky about orange juice, but this morning as I bimbled aimlessly along the street, I had a bizarre and sudden craving for a big glass of the stuff. Boy, was I lucky to be on Nicolson Street when the craving descended: I definitely hit the right joint. This might seem an odd thing to rave about in a coffee shop but... the ORANGE JUICE, people. It tastes of ORANGES. When they say freshly squeezed, they absolutely mean it, and you only pay the same as you would for stuff from a carton or bottle in a restaurant. I'm seriously thinking of going back again just for another glass of the stuff. For those of you less inclined to be citrically overawed, there are of course other details. The service was jovial but unintrusive. The bacon was jolly good too. There's also more seating within than you might expect from a glance at the frontage; it's compact, but not crowded. At first, I was going to say that my pot of tea was fairly generous too, since it did me two and half cups, but the cup was actually weeny. Nonetheless, it's that juice that sticks in my mind like a jug of sunshine. Tasty, tasty sunshine.

Sophia R.

My favourite coffee place in town to grab lunch and a quick latte. I love their food options - great soup, the avocado chilli jelly bacon sandwich is delicious. Some of the reviews mention their pure espressos aren't too good and are too acidic. I can't say I've ever had a plain espresso here, but as far as their other coffee options go, I've always been very pleased. They have great lattes, and are always willing to substitute for non-dairy milks. They have different options different days, but usually good ones like rice or oat milk, not just soy milk (which I hate). My biggest complaint would be that there is no wifi. I come here often to do work, and this is always very frustrating. It is purely for this reason I am giving Kilimanjaro a four star review instead of five. Please get wifi! It's standard at all coffee shops and even at most restaurants these days. Especially when you are right next to the university and as such the majority of your customers are probably students. Hopefully they can finally get wifi, and then I can update to a five star review. Other than this, it's a great and tasty place to have breakfast or lunch with a latte! I'm amending my previous review. Went in today and ordered a decaf latte. I did not get a latte. I was given an Americano. I asked the barista if she had given me the wrong drink, as there was no oat milk in my "latte" at all. She insisted it was a latte, and didn't offer to fix the drink. Quite disappointing. I would rate this particular visit one star.

Fiona H.

Without doubt the trendiest and well-known of the many coffee shops in this area, Kilimanjaro offers a good choice of sandwiches, soups and cakes to go with their amazing coffee. Their prices for food however are not that reasonable in comparison to their rivals, and with very little difference in quality. In spite of that, this place is always buzzing and busy. Whether its the great coffee or the free wi-fi or it's convenient central location that does it is impossible to say, however I do know that trying to find a seat in here is very often impossible. Ignore some of the bad reviews circulating about Kilimanjaro, it is definitely worth going, but i wouldn't queue for a table here.

Rezzi I.

I'm absolutely in LOVE with this cafe/restaurant! I read somewhere that it serves the best coffee in Scotland, which is a shame as I hate the stuff! Everything else I've had here has been great, and as I've had to pass it everyday for the last few months I've faced mighty temptation. Kilimanjaro's is very close to the Edinburgh Bargain Store, and a pretty cosy place to sit. Unfortunately, it could be bigger which means there's difficulties finding seating at times. The cafe is really cosy with a large leather sofa by the till, and old wooden chairs throughout. I'm a big fan of their soups, which they keep interesting; there are daily specials such as red thai and wild mushroom. However, a visit to Kilimanjaro isn't complete without trying one of their scones. And no, it's not a proper scone experience if it doesn't come with clotted cream! Morbidly, I always think of blood clots every time I'm plastering some on my scones...