Man Alive. Yahs. This place is going to be swarming with them. Sitting next to me, on my cafeteria-style bench, whilst I am sitting in what kinda looks like a worksite. Having very in-depth discussions on the socio-economical implications of temporarily emigrating to a haggis-eating country to further one's education whilst the parental unit, often referred to as Daddy, financially funds one to occasionally enjoy a little retail therapy at Jack Wills. This is the vibe. This ain't my vibe. I arrived with high expectations that the coffee would be amazing, phenomenal, blow my mind, pick me up off of the floor and plant a big grin on my face-kind of coffee. It was good. Just good. Maybe my problem is I have already found 'MY' coffee places, that are pretty near here, and I love them a little too much and that Brewlab just never had a hope. BUT I would say definitely go. Give it a try, they are doing something pretty different to what is on offer in this area and they do have periodic table style coffee plaques - They will always be awesome. read more

Ethiopian coffee 'brewed' piques taste buds again. And, my imagination, how is it created to get like this? The clear coffee, served from your own private jug, is unlike anything I've tasted before. A refreshing eye brow raising fruity sensation it sure creates a thirst for more. An inquisitive glance through the style hatch to the creative 'element style' chalk board reveals there are a host of coffee reasons to visit again, and again. Brew Lab have hit the nail on the head for the alternative coffee stop, and I'm so glad I was introduced to the concrete clad lab. Partnering the coffee was a chocolate brownie so soft it could win an award for beautiful fork smudging. The choice of partners have been sliced and diced by careful thought; with lunch time revealing exciting savoury ciabattas to be munched. The coffee is worldly different, the atmosphere could be your London celeb hang out before media hone in, and the staff are easily mistaken for humble FCUK models. Go, its worth every bean. read more

Flat white, clever dripper, V60, Cappuccino and an almond croissant down over the last week and I am still very much incredibly happy with the coffee here. One of my Cappuccino's could have been a tiny bit warmer (I know I know it shouldn't be HOT but it could have just had a touch more warmth to it) as that was my preference, however it was still delicious. I am constantly surprised at the new flavours I'm tasting in the coffee here. The foam is like a tasty desert in itself. Dip an almond croissant (huge by the way) into the foam and just ..... mmmuuuuurrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sooooogooooooooood read more

After having swill at my hotel, I'd march down to Brew Lab for real coffee. Many thanks to a friend of mine who was in Edinburgh just before me, he recommended this gem. The cappuccinos are luxurious and svelte. Delicious! The coffee is up there with my favourite coffee bars. The layout and atmosphere are friendly, inviting, and relaxing. What's more, the staff bring your your coffee to where you're sitting! read more

On a mission to check out the specialty coffee scene in Edinburgh, I stumbled into Brew Lab and was welcomed with warm smiles and cozy couches. I love that Brew Lab has a variety of lunch offerings such as salads, soups, sandwiches to go with their delicious coffee. I asked to sample their Nitro Cold Brew, but the roast was too light for me to enjoy; so I order a cold brew with their Chicken Salad. The salad was packed with all kinds of deliciousness--chicken, green beans, mixed greens, nuts, and seeds--and it came with a portion of olive and rosemary bread. It was amazing! One of the things I loved about this place was the decor. Their comfy couches are accompanied by tables repurposed from espresso machine crates! I thought it was a lovely touch amongst the brick walls and visible copper piping. I must say it was very aesthetically pleasing. I'll definitely be back for one of their pour-overs! Keeping it classy, Brew Lab! read more

We read about this on coffee geek, and it was near out hotel. They do coffee and beer, which is a cool combination. For coffee, they have cold brew including nitro on tap and some other options like their own bottled ones. They last had pastries and food that smelled really good during lunchtime. They made a good latte and have soy milk (feels like I'm in San Francisco..) Prices are reasonable, and staff is friendly. Order at the counter, and they bring the order to you. They also offer brewing and barista training classes. They have a good amount of seating, clean bathrooms, and free wifi. read more

Coffee = good. Place = overtly pretentious. Staff = pretentious. Cafe = too busy, making it feel cramped and rushed. I wish I could like this place, but I just don't. I feel uncomfortable, and like I should know every variety of coffee ever in order to order here. Every time I end up going across to black medicine. read more

This is a cozy cafe, especially on a chilly day. The interior is spacious, rustic and unique, with exposed brick and stone walls. I've been here twice - it's often full with people but seats do open up if your patient. I've been lucky to sit in tucked away corners with my dog. The coffee and tea are delicious, the service is friendly and organized. You get a number after you order at the till and the staff deliver the drinks to your table. Great place for reading and sketching! read more

Very busy/studenty, modern style coffee place. Decent coffee. Large space, with lots of nooks and crannies where more than likely there will be someone working on a Macbook. Also has nice big windows from which you can watch the world go by from. . read more

This is a great little coffee house in Edinburgh close to the Royal Mile.They make excellent coffees and have a variety of other beverages, sandwiches and nibbles. It appears to cater to a younger crowd, but this old man enjoyed the rustic decor and esoteric soundtrack being played. read more

I don't tend to like the extreme hipster decoration in some coffee shops. By this, I mean places clearly making a large effort to look like they've made no effort at all. Decoration-wise, Brew Lab is like this, with plenty of exposed wooden surfaces, and brick walls. However, after hearing many good reviews about the coffee, I finally decided to give it a go. Indeed, the coffee is good. The choices are simple- the usual espresso, latte, cappuccino etc. Nothing pretentious there. I had a very nice cappuccino whilst Mary had a latte, and we both enjoyed them. We also got a cream cheese brownie to share, though I didn't enjoy that as much. There is adequate seating, and we positioned ourselves on a sofa which was very comfortable. Staff members were friendly, and despite bringing me a macchiato first, were very quick to change it to the ordered cappuccino. So, despite not being a fan of the decor, I can recommend Brew Lab's coffee. Will be back. read more

I've only paid the one visit, so there's plenty of time for Brew Lab to pick up another star or two from me. That said my visit didn't start particularly well when I had to have three attempts to get into the place - saw one door, then saw another which was closer to the people I was meeting, found that the second door was locked, went back to the original one. This likely says more about me than the café. I'm not one for hot drinks, nor cake really, which is always going to put such a place on the back foot if it wants to impress me. Their selection of cold beverages was limited, and not particularly cheap, but there went plenty of staff on for a Tuesday morning and service was quick and friendly. The tables and decor have a stylishly rough edge to them, which was fine. I wondered if they had made a decision when doing up the place that they didn't need to finish the plastering and paint stripping if they just made a feature of it. It doesn't seem to have put people off though, there was plenty of action and activity. The counter itself is glass and steel, clean lines and cleaner cutlery. A nice place, really nice, but not somewhere I'll rush back to without another important 'meeting' to go to. read more

Popular enough to run out of two of its three rolls and its one soup just after the turn of the year, my first visit to Brew Lab was an enjoyable experience. Good for people watching (both inside & on the street) the atmosphere is far less obnoxious than a scan of the clientele would initially maybe have you expecting although you may have a wait for a seat at peak times. Persevere though if that's the case - the staff are grand, the coffee's good (as are the various tray bakes & my baguette hit the spot) and, like a seemingly growing number of places in the city, they stock Fritz Kola. read more

Now this is a cwoffee shop. Not only do they serve coffee they also do sandwiches and stuff. Lots of seating, lots of power points and free WiFi (you're supposed to check-in to their Facebook page but you can just skip it and it'll still work). They also have hipster barristas. Who'd have thunk? read more

Now, wait, wait a minute, don't just go stomping off just because I didn't give this lovely establishment 5 stars off the top of my head. There's a reason for it, I promise. First off, let me tell you that the sandwiches are absolutely delicious, I've tried them several times now, and yes, they're a little on the expensive side, BUT they are also of the GET IN MAH BELLAY now variety. Which is always a good thing. I like the plays of flavours and approve of the semi-healthiness of the selection (plenty of ruccola on them, my favourite, jummy). I like the decor, even with the hipsters (there's not too much of it to scare off the lit-students, or wait, are we the hipsters?). The coffee, .. I may have caught them on a bad day, all three times I've gone. That is perfectly possible, but I have to be honest. Both me and my girly coffee-date agreed that the coffee was burnt and tasted terribly bitter. Either the machine hadn't been cleaned properly, or the coffee was very over-extracted. Either way, ... look guys, I hate to say it, but they'll have to take a course with Artisan Roast and see how to make a proper coffee. By no means am I saying it's terrible, it's just not a well-made latte, espresso or flat white. The filter coffee could be different, I have no idea as I won't touch the stuff and could be very good as everyone seems to think! [Edit] I have since been back to Brew Lab, who can resist their sandwiches, not me, and had a better coffee. The latte I had was not over-extracted, nor did it taste burnt. Was it the best coffee I've ever had? Nope. Did it do the trick and was it better than *shiver* Starbucks? Oh, easily. I think things are moving on up people! One extra star for you! Brew Lab's on the way to good things, just, send your baristas to Artisan for a coffee-training, please? read more

Ah, Brew Lab. You've been the setting for many important times in my life - a successful first date, an outpouring of grief after sitting my final university exams round the corner, sitting down and planning a post-uni holiday. I used to think your periodic table menu of coffee was the epitome of cool. I think I've sat at each of your tables at least once. You'll always have a special place in my heart. But I'm afraid you're just not cutting it for me anymore. Let's get one thing down for certain - this place does very good coffee. Maybe even the best coffee in Edinburgh (up there with Artisan Roast). And I don't mind paying for quality coffee. But I do mind paying £4.70 for a tuna baguette that is just a bit meh. No garnish. No crisps. Just a (actually painfully chewy) baguette with some filling. The tea is cute, what with the wee timer and tray and all that jazz, but again - it's pricey. Maybe I'm just too conventional these days, but I just think Brew Lab now loves itself a bit too much. It's cool, but it knows it. It's popular, and it knows it. But maybe it needs to keep an eye on its quality and value for money. Or maybe I just no longer have tolerance for places with bare filament lights and no paint on the walls. read more

Popped into here after seeing the shop refurb and development on facebook a while after they had first opened. My other half is vegan so it was great to see that they advertise which food items are vegan, veggie etc. I opted for my favourite sandwich of pastrami, Swiss, pickles etc (very NY I am told). The vegan option was a Hummus, sun blush tomatoes, olives and red onion sourdough sandwich, which met with approval. I noticed that the house coffee was called slayer, being the rampant metal head I had to have a cup of this. The coffee was great as was our food! We didn't eat in on the day as the sun was shining and George square was calling, so sitting in a coffee shop with bright young things and their iThingy devices browsing FB didn't appeal. However the place looked really nice - lots of comfy sofas, some largish tables for bigger groups and some really nice quirky design ideas (The hole in the wall brick work springs to mind). I would happily bring a book here on a rainy day and drift through an afternoon. I will definitely be back. Last but not least the staff were great friendly and very efficient even though the place was busy. read more

I have drunk a lot (A LOT) of coffee in my time and have the most horrendous caffeine dependency but this place makes the withdrawal headaches worth it. Have had both a flat white and a pour over, both amazing and my friend was waxing lyrical about her cappuccino too. Cakes I've munched have also been damn fine and the lunch type stuff looks tasty. Great atmosphere, great music and great service! read more

Last semester during finals, I was a customer at brew lab every day of the week and stayed for ridiculous amounts of time. They kept me caffeinated, fed and sane without ever asking me to leave even though I had occupied a table for copious amounts of time. The staff are lovely, the soup is delicious and the drinks are fantastic. What else do you really need in a coffee shop? read more

The coffee and service here are excellent. Brew Lab not only offers two espresso blends (one house, one guest), they also have two coffee preparation options (chemex and pour over using a Hario V60). On top of that, there are a couple different beans to choose from when doing a regular coffee. Further, in terms of execution, everything is done very well--all my coffees and espressos have been spot on. Brew Lab also has excellent sweets: the peanut butter shortbread and cream cheese brownies are worth the extra money. In terms of the atmosphere, Brew Lab leans towards the modern end of things, and yet there's kind of a classic feel to it, probably because of the red leather easy chairs and throwback benches/picnic-style tables. Generally, it's very comfortable. It can get crowded, but I have yet to find the space to get loud. Finally, the staff is courteous, knowledgeable, and helpful. If you like excellent coffee and you're in Old Town, Brew Lab is well worth a visit. read more

The coffee bar has been completely adopted by the UK, at this point you can barely go anywhere without a Starbucks/Costa on the corner, even McDonalds and Gregs (bastions of junk food) can offer a passable cup of the black nectar these days and you know what? That means that prestige coffee places like Brew Lab can become a reality. If you want to experience a really good cup of coffee (and a nice caffeine hit) go here, it really is that simple! read more

Unlike any other coffee shop in Edinburgh, providing a unique, exciting, high quality and very different experience. Love the look, love the staff, the food looked great and the drinks were lovely. Very cool, very interesting and worth a visit. Yay! read more

Brew Lab - They do more than just coffee! Great hot chocolate and a melt in the mouth piece of shortbread. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The coffee is great - they have some unique fruity blends - and they also have some lunch food and many pastries. It's pricier than average but worth it every once in awhile. read more

Bitter espresso the two times I have been here (over a year apart). Just unpleasant to drink which is probably caused by bean over extraction when too much tanic acid is injected into the coffee. I like the floor though. read more

Initially thought this might be a wee bit pretentious yet it manages to create a very welcoming feel - a perfect mix of laid back shabby chic and a commitment to delivering high quality produce. The coffee is great. Its not the gallon buckets on offer in some high street places - it's a proper coffee cup.... with proper coffee inside. The food is good value, delicious wholesome baguettes - the kind that threaten to break your teeth - with good fillings and everything super fresh. Seating offers loads of space to spread out the Saturday papers and despite the open plan design and a less that tropical weather front moving in outside, it was lovely and warm when we popped in. I'm coming back to eat all the cakes. Soon. read more

YES. Go here. Finally, an artisan coffee shop in Edinburgh that serves up SERIOUSLY GOOD coffee without taking itself too seriously. Just had the pleasure of visiting Brew Lab on its opening day; here are my thoughts: Whether you're a coffee enthusiast or just your run-of-the-mill caffeine addict, Brew Lab - with its brilliant periodic table style menu and unique brewing vessels - invites you to try new ways of drinking the beloved beverage. Filtered coffee, infused coffee or espresso from one of the three Slayer machines in the UK - you can try it all. Situated on the quiet, yet quite central, South College Street, Brew Lab offers a welcoming mix of modern design (i.e. the iPad till) and rustic comfort. It definitely feels like the type of coffee shop you could spend all day in. Loved it! read more

Brew Lab has seriously great coffee! Their single-origin coffees are fantastic and really help me learn more about tasting different coffees around the world. They are in fact a brew lab that works meticulously to perfect the brewing process of each new coffee they introduce. Their mocha is made with rich, dark and sweet chocolate and their latte is fantastically creamy with strong, perfectly made espresso. The coffee is great, and the sweets and lunches are also fantastic. They offer a different soup each day, along with a host of yummy sandwiches on great bread. Their cakes and brownies are amazing, and they are innovative with other baked goods such as lemon rosemary loaf that was great! The decor here is rustic. Whilst I like it in some rooms and it is a trendy sort of rustic, in the large room with the couches on the far right it feels a bit like the paint is coming off the walls and is a construction zone. I do love the sofas though, as well as the tables where many hunch down over their laptops. I have brought my rating down to four star because, despite the great coffee and food, I don't love the decor and the lack of seating can be difficult since I can't always know I can get a seat, and hence can't know I can stay to work here. The other thing is that the music is a bit too loud for me, which ups the volume of the whole place with many conversations trying to be heard over the music. That said, I do enjoy coming here because of the great coffee and the nice service of having my coffee brought to my seat. read more

There are so many coffee establishments in Edinburgh, and so many seemingly tiny details that actually all amount to making a huge difference when it comes to your coffee imbibing, overall cafe-working-socialising experience. Firstly, let's get one thing straight...I'm never going to beat the tremendous line scribed by Jenny "awesome Yelp" L on her review of Brew Lab...I'll repeat it here just to benefit myself as it'll make my review look better and also it'll mean that even if the rest of this review is boring, at least one line of it will have been worth the 5 seconds of your life you've spent reading this up until now... "Holy coffee bean batman, I've found my new crack." Yep, there it is. An all-encompassing description from which I took the following meaning - that the coffee here was going to be awesome (and potent) and that this place was something new and different, a bit of a Dean Moriarty character striding onto the coffee scene with a buzz in its step and a love of espresso and all these exciting ideas that would instantly make people listen and want to congregate in the same place and drink it all in......ok, maybe I've got a bit carried away, but I'm obssessed with On the Road and I'm going to America soon, so I'm a bit over-excited. The point is, this is something new for Edinburgh. It might not be exactly what everyone wants to the perfect degree but it's got a freshness about it, and a real feeling of wanting to do something different by creating an alternative cafe scene within the city...the people working there genuinely want you to get to know coffee and what's amazing about it and to figure out your own personal coffee palate, and I like that. Additional attributes - plentiful working areas, a good vibe of general work and study, more than several plug sockets and free wi-fi. They have a coffee machine called the Slayer - it's a manual machine on which you can adjust the pressure and if you know what you're doing your espresso pours brilliantly with beautiful heart and crema (trying to pull out all my old barista lingo from the archives) and your day proceeds wonderfully. The food is really, really good - I've gone for whatever salad they've had on each time I've been in just about, and I've never been disappointed. The portions are generous, and the ingredient concoctions they assemble are a bit different. The plan is that they're going to start holding different arts events (and I think gigs) at Brew Lab, and I think increasing hanging out opportunities at the venue by extending the opening hours would really be a banterful move. I'm looking forward to that when it happens. read more

My favourite lattes in the world are served at Brew Lab. They get them right every time. I also like buying beans here for home consumption. I like the atmosphere too, very coffeehouse with wifi and 'recycled' but very stylish furniture, comfortable, usually pretty warm. The wifi is turned off during the lunch rush, but I think this makes a lot of sense because it keeps people moving during that time of the day when they have a lot of people coming in and out and eating a sandwich and grabbing a coffee and going. If you're a student and are relying on the connection to do work through the university, I wouldn't necessarily call it the most reliable. It gets very loaded and frequently goes down. But if you just need the casual internet connection and need to do reading or light surfing, this is great. Highly recommend it. read more

Brew Lab - 3 Triangles donut (pumpkin cheesecake); lavender Rooibus Tea; pour over filter coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Hoppin - crowded but not impossible to find a seat. Lively in the way that is conducive to work. Decent amount of outlets. WiFi. Liked their chocolate mocha - very chocolatey. Did not like kale salad - too vinegary. read more

Brew lab is a pretty awesome cafe for Edinburgh. In probably the best location possible (close to Potterrow and Old College), it really offers everything a student could need. Good coffee, good tea (from Pekoe Tea), and free newspaper to read, easily a place one could spend hours just relaxing or catching up with friends. My only regret is that it didn't open sooner! read more

Looking over the past reviews I had high hopes for my first visit to this little caffeine fix location. It was not planned, having arranged last minute to meet a friend who was holed up there studying. I have been past here a number of times with a few to stop in and always found it too busy to be inviting however this time was about half full and was hopeful of a good experience. First impressions, the expected hipster, half plastered/half exposed brick walls, coffee paraphernalia needing a degree to operate correctly and the general 20-30s laptop absorbed clientèle were all there. Atmosphere gave the impression that this was a serious place for serious people who go there to work and not be overly social, which I'm cool with. So far so good, no real issues, then I came to order. A disorganised queue with no one sure which end of the counter to stand, who was waiting and who was ordering, and staff that didn't seem all that bothered if you were there or not, serving whoever they felt regardless of who got their first. On ordering, felt like I was ordering from a machine, no smile, no real welcoming chat, no question as to which beans I would like (couple of options on display) to be used in my coffee, just order, take money, send on way, next! I guess the lass who brought the order to the table was new as seemed to get lost between the counter and the table, seemed to feel awkward carrying more than 2 cups and what she brought was not as had hoped from a place that advertises courses in making coffee and charges 15-20% more than a lot of the coffee shops in town! Weak, watery brew, thin cappuccino foam head. Sadly I don't have much more to say about the experience. Maybe I was unlucky, maybe I had a first day barista, I don't know, I do know however that I shall not be giving it a second chance anytime soon :-/ read more

Coffee and Laptops Noise ebbing and flowing free Refreshing and Warm read more

I don't need to review this place... its a dream & everyone I know understands how much time/cash I spend here BUT in the interest of making sure people satiate their need for coffee you actually need to get a brew from these kids. Its amazing. Quite simply the most lovely staff & the most amazing coffee. I don't eat much stuff out but the porridge is ace and the chocolate marshmallows are probably the best thing I have ever popped in my mouth. Yep... that good. I went to try the coffee, I stayed for the chat and I go back everyday for the quality of both of these things. Best. xx read more

Nestled away on a side street near the University of Edinburgh, this larger-inside-than-you-think coffee shop is a prefect quiet haven away from the bustle. If you're in the area, make sure you stop in for a little respite. read more

See all

I think I have a pretty high tolerance for hipster places, but this place is just too much. With all the theory to back up their process, the only noticeable difference is the price. Because it's location is convenient for me, I have been several times, so this opinion is based on all of those experiences, not just one bad cup of coffee (which, by the way, they don't sell. Like most places in the area, everything is espresso, so a regular coffee is an Americano). Every coffee drink I've gotten here is overly acidic, smaller than expected, and otherwise average. The place itself is probably what you pictured when I said it was hipster. It looks like a cleaned up former woodworking studio, mismatched furniture, full of students, neatly groomed skinny baristas, all of which usually means good coffee so you put up with the pretentiousness, but here it just means expensive. Despite the convenience, I won't be back here. read more

Coffee is really good, but the place is pricey. It's a good place to go in the morning but it gets really busy throughout the day. WIFI is reliable. Highly recommend but it is a little pretentious read more

Really nice coffee shop with great coffee, great staff and atmosphere. I had a long black, and one of the oreo marshmallows which was awesome, would definitely recommend stopping in here if you're in the area read more

LOVE this place! If you around the area and need somewhere to work/read/catch-up with someone I would, without hesitation, recommend this place. Not only is the coffee superb, the food is delicious (would recommend most of the baked goods and the daily soups if you're looking for a more hearty meal), the staff are generally so sweet and accommodating, and the overall vibes and seating areas are comfortable and trendy. read more

Love this coffee shop! They have consistently good food with vegan options, cozy seating, and fast WiFi. I come here all the time when I have a lot of work to get done. Only thing is, sometimes their filter coffee is a bit too fru-fru for a girl like me, who just wants some energy and not to taste notes of elderberries in my coffee. In any case, really good!! read more