I don't think they know how to make pancakes. The thing they brought to us was too hard to cut. Thanks to Harry, this place is still open. After all, the service was good, responsive quickly and positively to our complaints. read more

Definitely a tourist trap. I got a hot chocolate, which tasted like swiss miss. The waitress asked if I wanted whipped cream without telling me that it was extra. It was 60p for a little bit of canned whipped cream that was completely melted into the hot chocolate! Such a rip off. read more

Ask if you can sit by the window. The Edinburgh castle outside is the inspiration for JK Rowling's Hogwarts. This is where she sat to write. Make sure you check out the bathrooms! Not the best place for quiet coffee, but if you like Harry Potter, you'll LOVE the fact that you get to experience where she wrote that magic. read more

Worst service ever. The waiters and the manager are very rude, it's not worth to spend your Galleons there, even if you are a big potterhead. A picture outside will be enough, saving you some stress of rude people ruining a magical moment. read more

Kind of seems like your basic coffee house, the queues are usually pretty long but once you sit the service is pretty fast. I'm not a huge fan of their pastries, most didn't taste too fresh with exception of the million dollar shortbread. It's usually pretty crowded, mostly due to Harry Potter fans? :) read more

We visited this relaxing coffee shop twice on our visit to Edinburgh. Delicious lattes, yummy sugar cookies shaped like elephants, and awesome ice cream. We felt completely comfortable, and liked the friendly ambience and leisurely atmosphere. Great place to unwind after doing all the touristy stuff and feel like you're rubbing shoulders with at least a few locals. read more

Great atmosphere! Had a cappachino and tea. Didn't try the food. No free internet either. Good place to warm up and have a warm drink.

Most notably know for JK Rowling's spot where she began the Harry Potter series, this quainter little tea and some edibles. The coffee is decent and the tea equally so. Be prepared to see tons of fans snapping pictures outside and within. This has became a tourist destination, even if it's closed. If it weren't for the book series this red little edifice would be easily passed. Perhaps before her fame that is exactly why she chose this place. Worth a visit if you're a fan. It's a decent experience if you're just dropping in for tea and something light to eat. read more

The famous and official birthplace of Harry Potter. And it sure has a very inspiring setting, with a high ceiling yet cosy main room, views to the castle and Herriot's School(allegedly what Hogwarts is based on) and elephants all over the place, plus a late opening. Why so few stars? Firstly, because of the Harry Potter claim, this place has become a popular tourist stop as well as over-merchandised. The service is not good for the prices it demands, with the after 6 seated service to be particular slow- all tables seem to be the waiters blind spots. As for the food, well I had a pizza there with a friend and it was basically overpriced soggy cardboard. In another occasion I tried the fajitas- also disappointing. Moreover, the coffee service during the day was particularly unfriendly and impatient. However, I have to admit their French coffee is good. And their late opening hours in a scenic atmosphere are appealing for those who like a quiet evening or read/write. After all, if JK Rowling was inspired maybe it can rub off? The tables are actually quite ideal for this, not to mention the stunning views of the castle from their large windows. If only there were separate stars to give to ambience this place would get 5! The waiters seem to have many blind spots in the room, but having similar work experience myself, I can completely understand why customers can become invisible. Just make sure you wave enough. If you do decide to trek here, avoid the lunch hours, as they get to be quite hectic, finding a table is unreliable and the noise level is quite high because of its high ceilings.(and too many small kids) This cafe also has a cousin, Elephants and Bagels which is to my opinion a lot more friendly and less "stuck-up" about famous visitors. read more

Harry Potter to me has always been as interesting and welcome in my life as being slapped across the face with a wet fish, so that's not what made me come here yesterday. My boyfriend has a bit of a thing for elephants though (not in that way, or so he says) and I thought it might be nice to bring him here for lunch. After getting over the disgust that there were no real elephants here, we found ourselves standing in a queue longer than average and scanning round the room hoping someone would get up so we could steal their seat. I was ready to dive for any table. It's really busy in here so I assumed that could only mean it was good. We eventually got served, I almost killed a man diving for a seat and we settled down to 'experience the magic' of Elephant House. The magic never came, but I did experience a rather nice baked tattie with tuna, and a mug of coffee which was above average too. The prices weren't too bad, or at least, I expected it to be more expensive because of what previous reviewers have said. Overall, I quite liked The Elephant House. Not being interested in the be-spectacled child one bit maybe took away from some of the excitement of the place, but people forget that authors like Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall-Smith used to come here to write too, which I find much more appealing. Maybe next time I'll take a notepad with me, just incase. read more

Recommend if you want to avoid the bajillion of tourists who will swarm the place to come early in the morning when they open for breakfast (around 9am) - the breakfast is solid - you can get pancakes and bacon with eggs for 5 pounds (challenge you to find that in London!) and a pot of tea is only 3 pounds extras. Seats in the back have a good view of the Castle - great place to sit and relax (once you have the space) read more

The food there is delicious, and I like the atmosphere in the cafe. Feels inspired and relaxed, with the dim lights and classical decoration...and I totally understand how J.K. Rowling was prompted to write there. Just cool and great! read more

This cafe is known as the birthplace of harry potter since jk rowling wrote part of the books here but honestly nothing else is special about it, the quiche was ok and the brownie my friend had wasnt great. The wifi wasnt working so it was pretty hard to get work done. read more

Awesome atmosphere! I'm not a Harry Potter fan, but it was fun to be there just the same. Gorgeous views from the back tables, it was very crowded, food was okay, staff was very friendly. read more

The thing I loved about this place is how much they have embraced being the birth place of Harry Potter- that made it quite enjoyable, as did all the elephant decorations and the kind staff. The two stars were more for the food and drink experience. The place was busy, but not that busy that it should have taken 30 minutes for our small coffees to arrive (after we had already waited 10ish minutes for someone to come grab our order), which came after our food. I ordered soup of the day, which ran out, so I decided to get the replacement soup, it happens. My husband ordered the goat cheese pizza which he did enjoy. We sat at the bar so we did have a view of the kitchen, and watched someone pick up our food to bring it over, and then put it back down a few minutes, not sure why. Maybe she realized we didn't have our coffees yet? If we hadn't felt like we had invested so much time waiting we probably would have left. read more

A nice place to eat, not too much jk Rowling going on. Our son enjoyed it, the food was tasty and correct portion size

I had a meat pie with mashed potatoes and a "relaxer" coffee and it came to 8 pounds. The food was not horrible but it was pretty bland. I got a window seat (view of a chunk of Edinburgh castle) at a share table with strangers... The view really wasn't that great either. read more

There was no line when we went for lunch today, so we had a very good experience; the place was not crowded either. I ordered the Soup of the Day along with a Mocha, and both we delicious! The ambience is calm and relaxing. Also, the bathroom is also has some interesting Harry Potter 'art.' read more

Whenever I have visitors from out of town they insist we come here, and I'm always pleasantly surprised by how good the food is. Despite the fact that the actual food/drink is sometimes dwarfed by the Harry Potter connection, the cakes and full meals I've had here always go beyond the standard cafe fare. Interesting cakes (lavender, anyone?) and more always make for a pleasant stop along the typical walking tour of the area. read more

Good selection of solid-tasting pastries and drinks. No wifi though, and not cheap.

My 11-year old is a Harry Potter fan, so this needed to part of our itinery. We stopped in on our first day in Edinburgh. I was expecting to it to be really busy, but it wasn't too bad. We weren't able to get one of the coveted tables to looked out to the castle, but we still enjoyed our visit. The bathrooms were the AWESOME! read more

JK might've written bits of HP here, but I'm sure I read an interview in which she gave that honour to a completely different cafe on Nicholson Street, now closed. Elephant House have certainly staked their claim in letters writ large though, which means you can't walk past this cafe without ending up in someone's holiday snaps. It also means it's very busy at lunchtime. The sign says get your food before bagsying a table, but you're unlikely to be sitting while you eat unless you have an accomplice to throw your coats onto a couple of chairs while you're in the queue. The food is quite good, I think. I've had some delicious paninis there and some very nice pastries. And not that expensive in my opinion. Service is usually quite fast - they have to be given the popularity of the place, and you can get stuff to take away too. If you have elephant phobia then steer clear, the predominant theme in this cafe's decor is elephant. And yes, if you can get a window seat the views are lovely. read more

A real gem of a coffee shop, a great place to snuggle up with a hot chocolate on a cold day. Frequented by a wide range of people, the staff are friendly and the atmosphere relaxed, and there are elephants dotted around the place to keep children and adults alike amused. There is a delicious selection of cakes, soup and other homemade goodies, making it a great place for lunch. My only reservation would be that occasionally the food can take a while to arrive, especially when it is busy. Otherwise a great place to meet friends or to sit nursing a drink and a cake (or a shortbread elephant) over a good book or newspaper. read more

Elephant house is a nice cafe with good stylish decor, full of elephant figures, paintings and posters. It is the place where JK Rowling were writing her notes for famous Harry Potter series. The prices are alright and the coffee is good. The food and service lets the place a bit down though. For such a busy place the service is rather slow and you might have to wait a bit to actually get your coffee. The food isn't very high quality but it is cafe not restaurant. read more

It's true, the views are amazing but not sure the claim that some of the Harry Potter books were written here is entirely true (wasn't that Nicholson's before it closed?) Anyway, if you want a hot chocolate with cream, marsh mellow and flake this is the place. Queues usually go out of the door and wouldn't tend to have lunch there as choice limited, but generally nice tea and cakes. read more

Great service and simple but tasty food. Nice environment to sit and eat and have a cup of tea.

avoid this! Food quality is really poor! Save your money! Cannot believe such a restaurant with this poor quality is still running

The Elephant House is the ideal place to take a visitor to when you have done all the touristy things in town and are dying for a coffee to perk and warm you up. Its location is the best thing about it, with privileged views of edinburgh Castle out of the back windows and within walking distance of the Royal Mile, Princes Street, the City Centre attractions and transport links. It serves good if slightly overpriced food, has a relaxed but busy atmosphere and is perfect for a quick bite. It is the type of cafe that stands out from the crowd of sandwich outlets with its more individual decor and undeniable charm. Take your granny or auntie when they come to visit but make sure to make them pick up the bill, especially if you're on a student's budget! read more

This is a really great cafe, unexpectedly big there is plenty of room for everyone. There is a variety of food and drinks on offer and the service is really great, even when it's busy. It is spacious but still quite cosy, great for catching up with friends or even having a coffee with a book to chill out. A good escape from the busy centre of town. read more

Calling all aspiring would-be writers, it would seem they add little droplets of inspiration and sprinkles of wordly magic to the cakes in this little caffeine haven considering the dedicated caliber of customers i.e. J.K.Rowling, Alexander McCall Smith. Smooth aromatic coffee, Internet access and a mouth watering selection of savory and sweet delights on offer. Good luck attempting to count each and every elephant motifhas to be done! read more

I know, this is actually not the birthplace of Harry Potterbut at least, that's the place where J.K.Rowling got the inspiration for the cemetery in the Harry Potter's novels, from looking at Greyfriars Graveyard! You won't believe it but you are actually in a bridge, it's George IV Bridge, just look outside the window and you will realise how high up you are!!! It's a caffe where you can sit down and eat some of the nicest cakes and pastries in townyou even get ones with the shapes of Elephants!!! This place is decorated with elephants all around, photos, little statues, even some chairs have been shaped in an elephant shape At least 15 different sorts of coffees to choose from, specially recommended to try the one with marshmallows and whipped cream on topalthough you also have diet-friendly options served with skimmed milk. Shouldn't be forgotten to mention, that the prices are a bit over-rated and that it is really hard to find a table sometimes, so don't count on having a place to sit in. By the way, you can also get Internet conection in there (unfortunately, you have to pay for that) read more

Went for a Scottish breakfast with my partner food was quite good, nice setting, good price and large Breakfast Yum!

I of course as many others was drawn to this place because of J K Rowling but also for a secondary reasonI LOVE elephants so for me that made it more special than normal cafes epsecially with the elephant chairs. The food and drinks were good quality and the service is good also there are amazing views of the castle which I just think are some of the best in the city and its great to sit with a cup of tea and just stare at the impressive views. The only problem I have is that sometimes it is difficult to get a seat and sometimes you literally have to pounce on a table as soon as it becomes available even if it isn't big enough or small enough for your party. read more

Lovely coffee shop which has lots of history. The coffee is fantastic, the cooked breakfast rolls are outstanding and the cakes are to die for! This place is busy, people gather to meet friends, some come for client meetings, people work on their laptops or write in their journals. There are lots of big wooden tables, where people sit around for hours and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. read more

One of the many birth places of Harry Potter, the Elephant House cafe can be found on George the IV Bridge. The Elephant House is often rather busy, but it is large and if you're happy to share a large table with some people you'll always get a seat. As well as the cafe they also have internet access at the Elephant House these days, useful for the tourist needing to contact home. The food is decent cafe fare and not too bad a price for the centre of Edinburgh, the decor is what gives Elephant House its name. There are elephants everywhere here, for this reason it's a pretty good place to take the kids. Out the back window you get a nice view of the castle and Greyfriars Kirkyard which makes this cafe one of the nicer places to rest in the centre of town. read more

The sandwiches are pretty good, but it does tend to be busy all the time and getting a seat isn't always easy. Obviously, if you're a J K Rowling fan it might be worth popping in - but to anyone else it's really just a normal cafe. The staff were reasonably friendly, but didn't seem to be that bothered about sorting out the queue of people out the door. read more

Oh dear dear dear. This place USED to be nice. But I'm only giving it two stars rather than one for the views out. The food would disgrace a greasy spoon or burger bar. It may LOOK as if it's going to be nice, but don't be fooled. I ordered a burger, which was thin, dry, nasty cheap meat, on the cheapest possible white roll with a couple of slivers of tomato. No chips, as I'd foolishly expected. And get this, no sauces or relishes available. The waiter brought me salad dressing as the only thing they had! On a burger??? My partner's veggie pie was somehow both soggy and hard, and quite tasteless, disgusting. Oh, and their "birthplace if Harry Potter" claim either. JK may have gone their a few times, but her main haunt was on Nicoson Street. It's obvious they get plenty of customers so I guess they are just so cynical they don't feel they have to bother with providing decent food. But I for one am never going back. read more

Victim of Harry Potter's success. Too many people. Nice coffee, but no longer is it a place a writer could walk into and write without distractions. Also no evidence of free wifi. Tiny loos if you have children. read more

A great location, right in the heart of Edinburgh, this place is usually pretty full. As I am not a fan of coffee myself, I usually had tea or hot cocoa. They often have specials, so be sure top check out the menu. This place is of note because J.K. Rowling wrote some of her Harry Potter series there. read more

Comfy space. Good options of tea and nibbles. However the expectation of Harry Potter's birth place as grand as it should be, don't impress.