Half term break is about to finish in the UK, so I have decided it is the perfect time to share the findings of my six month coffee crawl
through Edinburgh with you.
If you’re in Edinburgh, maybe you can use this list to
distract yourself from study for one final weekend. Alternatively, you can file
it away for when you hit that point where you’re consuming more cups of coffee
in a day than hours of sleep you’re getting at night. At least if you follow my
well researched advice you can make sure it’s good coffee.
If you’re not in Edinburgh, bookmark this post for when you
go. Nothing will ensure a wonderful day of exploring this city better than
starting it with an excellent brew.
Living in Australia turns you into somewhat of a coffee
snob; there is just no denying the fact that we do coffee well. The UK, on
the other hand, is not a place people tend to associate with good coffee - but
espresso culture is blossoming and if you look in the right places, you will be
pleasantly surprised.
I love coffee. Anyone who knows me well could tell you that.
But more than drinking coffee, I love going out for coffee. I very rarely drink
coffee at home because, for me, it is the atmosphere of a café or espresso bar
that really completes the coffee experience.
I spent six months in Edinburgh on a hunt for the best
coffee the city had to offer. I tried the coffee at nearly 40 different cafés -
I had some delightful cups, some inoffensive cups, and some downright
undrinkable cups! I returned to the cafés I liked upon first visit many times,
partly due to the need to feed my caffeine addiction, and partly to test the
consistency of the quality of their coffee. I love really getting to know a
café, getting to the point where the thought of going there fills you with joy.
So here are my top five picks. I adore all of these places,
and I hope if you get the chance to visit you enjoy them too!
Located on York Place, just next to The Stand comedy club,
Fortitude Coffee is an absolute gem. The coffee is fantastic every single time
and always served with a smile. Fortitude only seats about 12 people, but if
there’s no room (and no rain) you can perch on the steps outside.
In addition to the excellent coffee, Fortitude has free
Wi-Fi, serves lovely and affordable muesli, soups by Union of Genius and cakes
by Lovecrumbs. What more could you need?
3C York Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3EB
Artisan Roast has become quite the institution since opening
in 2007, and rightly so. The Broughton Street café is the original Artisan, and
lucky for me was also my local. The space is lovely and you can always find a
seat – if it looks full when you walk in be sure to poke your head out the
back.
It is the atmosphere that really hooked me at Artisan Roast.
It is always bustling, there seem to always be strangers chatting to one
another and there is always at least one cute dog inside. The quality of the
coffee can vary a little bit depending on the barista, but the cakes and the
sassy signs (my favourite stating ‘J.K. Rowling never wrote here’) make up for
it.
The Bruntsfield Place café is equally good, so if you find
yourself over that side of town do drop in.
57 Broughton Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3RJ
138 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4ER
Wellington Coffee
Nestled away on the corner of George Street and Hanover
Street, this charming little café took me a couple of goes to find. One thing
it took me a little while to learn in Edinburgh was to look down, as well as
up, when hunting for cute shops and cafés. Wellington Coffee is tucked down some steps
beneath Penhaligon’s which, once you know it’s there, is a very handy location.
Walking to the bus station? Stop at Wellington. Had to go to
always-too-busy Princes Street and don’t want to go to Starbucks? Stop at
Wellington. Just really love tiny cafés and good coffee? Stop at Wellington.
I should emphasise the fact that Wellington Coffee really is
tiny. With seating for maybe 16 people, it can get very squishy when full. If it’s a nice
day, there is outdoor seating, if not, I would probably recommend a take away.
33A George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2HN
Just thinking about Steampunk brings a giant smile to my
face. I mean, just look at it. It’s coffee made and served out of a vintage VW
campervan! And it is damn good coffee as well.
You will find Steampunk every weekend at the Stockbridge
Market and I can guarantee that it will be the highpoint of your Sunday. There
is almost always a queue and a bit of a wait, but it is always worth it.
You can improve your day even further by getting one of the
excitingly flavoured brownies on offer!
It breaks my heart that I never made it to the Steampunk
roastery and café in North Berwick. If you go (and you should because North
Berwick is very cute) please drop me a line and tell me all about it!
Stockbridge Market, 1 Saunders Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6TQ
49a Kirk Ports, North Berwick, EH39 4HL
What would an Edinburgh coffee blog be without a mention of
Black Medicine? If you’re a University of Edinburgh student you no doubt
already know of Black Medicine. I’ll be bold here and say that most of the
coffee on campus is rubbish, and should only be consumed if you are truly
desperate. But really, with Black Medicine just minutes from Potterow,
there is no excuse to not visit.
As with Artisan Roast, the quality can vary a little
depending on your barista – but I have never had a bad coffee here. They also
do a delicious range of sandwiches, bagels and sweet treats.
Even if the coffee weren’t great (which it is), Black
Medicine would be worth a visit just to admire the fit out. If you appreciate
quality craftsmanship you will love the furniture in this place. You will just
have to visit to see what I mean!
2 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DH
I can now hear you wondering, which of these is my favourite
café? In a scandalous turn of events, it is, in fact, none of them. You have
read about my top 5 coffee shops, but my favourite café was not, in the end, a
coffee shop.
I would go so far as to recommend that you don’t drink
coffee at my favourite café, although it is perfectly nice coffee, because
sometimes you just have to drink tea.
Lovecrumbs is quite possibly my favourite café anywhere in
the world. That’s right, I said it. The world.
If you have been to Lovecrumbs, if you’re one of the many
friends I dragged along to Lovecrumbs, you will have to agree that it is
completely wonderful. If you haven’t been, finish reading this post and then
get yourself over to West Port!
Tea, cakes, scones, brownies and tarts are what you will
find at Lovecrumbs. The baked goods here may ruin all other baked goods for you
in the future - that’s how delicious they are. The tea is delectable – I
recommend the violet petal and the Scottish breakfast. And the space itself is
so homey and welcoming that you will never want to leave - luckily, they don’t
seem to mind.
The lovely people at Lovecrumbs are also about to open a
little sister establishment, Twelve Triangles, on Brunswick Street. Promising
bread, croissants, doughnuts and coffee – it will be one of my first stops when
I come back to Edinburgh!
155 West Port, Edinburgh, EH3 9DP
So there you have it. If you find yourself in need of
caffeine, cake, or just a nice sit down in Edinburgh, be sure to stop in at one
of these places.
If they’re not convenient, I also have some honourable
mentions that would have made it onto a slightly longer list…
Hula Juice Bar & Café West
Bow, Edinburgh, EH1 2JP
Stag Espresso Warburton
Gallery, Victoria Street, Edinburgh
Machina Espresso 2
Brougham Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9HW
As always, thank you for reading. Go forth and enjoy as much great coffee as you can!
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