Excellent breakfast of smashed avocado on sourdough, two poached eggs, and a rocket salad with a…read moreflat white. A real treat and just what I was looking for on a grey Thursday morning. Service was prompt, helpful, and upbeat too. A+++.

Whenever we visit Edinburgh, from the US, we always make a point to have breakfast at Birchwood…read more The vegetarian enjoys Eggs Benedict with mushrooms. Another of us loves Eggs Benedict with smoked bacon. And I look forward to the glWholesome plate -- granola with berries, toasted bagel, and smoked salmon. With various coffees. It's all very delicious and satisfying. Just went there this week. We'll be back next visit!​

A wee, cozy coffee shop just about a mile down from the Royal Mile. It's a bit more of a…read moreneighborhood feel in this side. It was a good pre-stop to Arthur's Seat hike on the difficult trail. Fabulous tea, since there wasn't a table when I arrived around noon, I took an Edinburgh Frost to go. Good strong, milky, gingerbready sweet.

What a gorgeous café! I can't believe it took me so long to visit despite living so close (it feels…read morelike I say that a lot). As I arrived, I saw the lovely "People love us on Yelp" sticker- always a good sign! And there is a lot to love! There is space for about 15 people inside, so it's not very large, and we were lucky to get a cute table for two near the door. We were immediately welcomed by a smiling server, who was very nice indeed. The cakes were on display in a cabinet and in the window area, and there was a nice selection. I ended up having a piece of Victoria Sponge, and Mary a chocolate cake. We also had a pot of tea for two. The tea came in a super cute tea cosy and with two fine china cups. The cake followed soon after, and they were both tasty. Clearly fresh, moist, and sweet. We both enjoyed them immensely. The place also has a nice menu of breakfast food, soup, scones etc. so there is a lot of choice. I'll be back.

I went to the Milkman a few times for a coffee while in Edinburgh! The staff keeps the line moving…read moreand helps with the flow of foot traffic. I LOVED the tomato/cheese croissant and inhaled it so fast that I didn't get any photos. This is a cute (read: Instagrammable) spot and there are a couple of locations in the area.

I had to try this super overhyped coffee spot while I was in Edinburgh. We stopped by the new…read morelocation first to take some pictures, but ended up getting our coffee and pastries from the original location further down the street. We ordered an iced latte, a black coffee, an espresso walnut brownie, and the chai cardamom bun. The staff was nice and gave us a few recommendations, which were super helpful since it was our first time there. The café itself is pretty small, with limited indoor seating and a few tables outside. There was an organized queue to get in and order, but it moved pretty quickly, so the wait wasn't bad at all. Everything was good, but I can't say it was the best coffee or pastries I've ever had. Maybe my expectations were just too high because of all the hype, but I was definitely expecting a little more.

Needing a quick lunch we ended up at August_21. Nice vibe, nice and interesting sandwiches…read more(although a small selection) and a great hot chocolate. A great find and well worth coming back to.

Simple, good food, excellent coffee, friendly people. Went multiple times and quality was always…read morethe same.

I only came in for a breakfast roll, but ended up having eggs on toast…read more The coffee's also not bad. Cheery service and reasonable prices, and they're open early on a Sunday morning - that'll do nicely.

I give Thistles a 5 star rating as the cafe is lovely, bright and modern inside, the staff are…read morepolite and friendly, the breakfast rolls hit the spot and its all cheap as chips. I would highly reccommend.

I bought my lunch here about a week ago and I thought it was decent, value for money food with…read morequality service. Admittedly, I should have had one of their trademark lattes, but I just wasn't in the mood for coffee. The decor inside feels relaxed and stylish and the staff are friendly. The 'layzee' part of the name refers to the chilled out atmosphere, rather than a poor standard of service. I went for a cheese, ahm and tomato sandwich (wasn't on the menu, but made it up for me anyway) and a can of coke, which came to only £3 altogether. I thought this was a great deal and the bread was tasty along with decent quality ham, cheese and fresh tomato. I'd certainly come here again as it's a great coffee shop which offers nice, quicm service and brilliant food.

Having sprung up out of literally no-where, Lazy Latte's is making a reputation for itself among…read morethe locals and students of the Newington area it serves. Firstly, I have tasted them, and the Lattes are great - but maybe Lazy Lattes should have been named Not So LAzy LAttes, as this little cafe has a huge range of things to offer from sandwiches to soups and salads - all of which can be taken out or enjoyed in the tiny sitting area for customers. The cost of all this? Well not much, as regular teas and coffe can set you back around a pound - but the infamous Lattes aroun £1.50. A tiny amount compared to the chain coffee shops.

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!

I've been to the Fat Cat Cafe on a few occasions, mainly to see really pretentious university…read morepoetry readings, or on my way into the Bedlam Theatre to see a show. The decoration is actually pretty cool, with loads of vintage posters of shows that have been performed in the past in the theatre. This year is Bedlam's thirtieth year at the Fringe, so I'm guessing the cafe has almost aged with it, though probably not fully. They serve coffees (only filter) and teas, as well as beer, wine and spirits at night, during the Festival. It's pretty cheap to drink there, surprisingly, at 2 quid a beer. They also make soups and toasties, and have fresh sandwiches made on site (together with their cakes and brownies) and there's a selection of pastries et al from Stromboli delicatessen, but only during the festival. The only reason I'm not giving this place 5 stars is because even though the space is really cool and everything's fairly cheap, it's also replete with pretentious actors, who seem to think they'll be the next Marlon Brandos.

From the owner: We serve tasty snacks along with hot, soft and alcoholic drinks throughout the day. Boasting free…read moreWiFi, comfy sofas and a welcoming atmosphere. Our café has been a favourite Fringe hangout over the years.

We ended up at Southpour by happy accident, after the place we were planning on eating down the…read morestreet could not accommodate us due to a large party. It worked out though! The decor and vibe was beautiful, the drinks were good, and the food was outstanding. We tried the Aubergine Schnitzel, Fried Burrata, and Sourdough appetizer and all of it was delicious. I would definitely go back if lucky enough to return to Edinburgh.

We have been quite a few times to Southpour, but were quite disappointed this time. The atmosphere…read morewas still fine, the issue was the brunch. The menu is much less exciting than it used to be, the amount quite small for the price and the execution relatively poor. We hope that it recovers, but, otherwise, we'll give it a miss.

This is a hidden gem, in an excellent location between Lothian Road and the Meadows. Angelo (not…read moresure if Marcella is a surname, or somebody else's name) runs the place by himself, so you might be waiting a while for your order, depending on how busy it is, but you won't be disappointed. The food is authentic, delicious, and extremely good value! We visited for a meal before a concert on Lothian Road, and were one of only two couples at the place initially. (A much larger group arrived just as we finished, so I'm glad that timing worked out!) I wanted pasta, so ordered a simple spaghetti bolognese. Mary ordered a pizza with a variety of vegetables. We brought our own bottle of wine, after reading previous reviews that suggested free corkage. BYOB is absolutely fine, but the corkage is NOT free. It cost £2 for the bottle of wine. However, it's fine, because the rest of the meal was very good value. That said, I am a little confused about the corkage cost, because I did not see any alcohol for sale on the menu... The food, when it arrived, was excellent. The portions were generous, everything tasted great. We also had garlic bread as a starter and apple pie for dessert. The decor of the place is very simple, nothing fancy here. There are nice pictures from Italy (mostly Sicily), and some AC Milan decor. Angelo certainly isn't very talkative, but he's welcoming, and makes good food. Recommended.

This is something of a hidden gem. It wouldn't fare well if you were to judge on looks alone. It is…read morerun by a slightly grumpy Italian man who I assume is Marcella, he is never to be rushed so if you are eating in it may seem he has forgotten your order but he hasn't! The interior is decorated in plastic flowers, plastic fruit and blue tiling. However, I urge you to look past this as it all adds to the unique experience of Marcella and, if you are anything like me, you will learn to love the quirks of this establishment. Serving big plates of hot, tasty, filling food at budget prices is my go to place after a long, cold, grey Edinburgh day. A huge plate of pasta, garlic bread and a drink will set you back £5. If you want to splash out on a three course feast you won't be out of pocket by more than around £12. As well as great pizza and pasta you should also try one of the many sweet pies and pastries he erves. Rather than going to one of the many coffee shop chains around, head to Marcella and get yourself a pie and cappucino for the same price as a skinny latte in a certan multi national coffee chain that shall remain nameless!