food: the lemon pistachio cake was good…read more service: nice staff ambiance: great place to rest or study

This place was recommended by a few bloggers. I'll say the coffee is not bad, the croissant as well…read morebut not to be walking 3/4 mile for it.

I can't understate how much I appreciate that not only does Wellington open at seven AM, and that…read morethe people there greet you will a smile! Nothing like starting an early morning with a happy, smiling face; excellent coffee, beautifully presented (they do consistently exceptional coffee-art); in a cute, warm setting. All around lovely spot.

Just happened to walk past Wellington Coffee and loved the charm of the below street level shop…read more Decided to give it a try. Small shop with limited seating but we were lucky enough to snag a table. Ordered two Americano's and scones. Loved everything about this place, the coffee and scones! I highly recommend giving this shop a try.

gets the job done!…read more Early morning train ride before most of the city was even awake. Costa Coffee is located in the train station before you enter into the platforms. Quick and easy service for a cup of Joe.

This is a lovely big bright costa coffee in princess mall that for some reason I have never visited…read moredespite the amount of times I've shopped there but it was very pleasant and the staff were just as bright and cheerful and helpful. On a sunny day though which isn't to often your likely to melt as it gets to be like a sauna because of the glass roof but definitely worth a visit.

There are coffee shops that try to convince you they're great, and then there are coffee shops that…read morejust hand you a great cup. Lowdown falls into the second category. As someone who's spent years in coffee, I ended up ordering both an espresso and a filter because I wanted to see how they approached each. Both were excellent. The espresso was clean, sweet, and beautifully extracted. The filter showcased the coffee without overcomplicating it. Just thoughtful roasting and careful brewing. I also appreciated that nothing about the experience felt performative. No lecture, no coffee jargon, no making you feel like you needed a certification to order. Just knowledgeable baristas making genuinely great coffee. The space is small and understated, letting the coffee do the talking. Edinburgh has no shortage of excellent cafés, but Lowdown absolutely deserves to be part of that conversation. It's the kind of place I'd happily return to every time I'm in the city.

LMGOSH the banana cake is amazing!!! Please try the banana cake. It is different from what you…read morenormally get at Starbucks or any other cafes.

This is one of my favourite branches...nae my favourite coffee shops full stop! Big statement, eh!…read moreLet me explain... This particular street is much less hustly and bustly from the rest of the area because it's pedestrianized (well, most of it is). There are no cars so it's quieter, safer and all round more enjoyable. The shop itself is really nice, your bog-standard Costa but with a little more attention to detail in the layout. The quality of the coffee and food goes without saying, I think this branch serves some of the better coffee compared to other high street branches. In the summer this place is always packed oot! They have a lovely outdoor seating area. Whenever I go shopping, I start at the far end of Princes Street at Frasers and make my way across, and this Costa is in prime position for my 11am coffee.

I know, I know! Five stars for a chain coffee joint? Have I thus embraced my basic-ness, or sold…read moreout entirely? (Dons Costa hat and sips out of Costa mug.) Well folks sit down and let me tell ya about my first Costa cuppa joe. No, really. I may have mentioned in my prior reviews that I commute to work via bus. Recently I was asked to come in to work early, resulting in a 5 AM alarm blaring to start my day. After the first of my two bus stops to work, I realized that I had somehow arrived to find myself with a 30 minute wait for my next bus... all at the lovely hour of 6:30 AM. So what, pray tell, is a girl to do in such a quandary on a chilly morning? Naturally to consult her Yelp app and desperately hope a caffeine-filled location exists somewhere close! Let's begin counting our stars here: Costa on Hanover straightaway earns one for location (just off of Princes Street), the second for HOURS. Any coffee shop open early enough for a 6:30 AM visit merits that. Queue star number three! When I ventured up the stairs into the main foyer of Costa, I was pleasantly surprised. This place is stinkin' cute. I've seen a lot of coffee shops, but this one is not only spacious but really nicely decorated, with tasteful furnishings and giant quirky lamps and such. AND--even better--it has an amazing view of Princes Street and subsequently the castle. (Side note: when arriving at 6:30 AM it's all but abandoned in there, which allows one to enjoy said view of castle in utter peace. Bliss!) Star number four goes to, naturally, the coffee itself. You've got your standard coffee prices to be found here (perhaps cheaper than Starbucks? hard to say!) and the coffees themselves are just what the doctor ordered. So far I haven't had anything that didn't set me straight for a day of work. The flat white and hazelnut latte I've had were both lovely, but I don't exactly consider myself a coffee snob, so I'm not one for comparisons in that regard. I like coffee in just about any form! Star number five goes to the gentleman barista who greeted me my first time stepping inside. He was extremely friendly for such an early hour, taking the time to cheerfully acknowledge the great view I was marveling over, and when he asked if I was taking my coffee away, he instantly proffered a Costa bag for me to hide my coffee in so as not to be told to throw it away before boarding. Funnily enough, I'd experienced that very trouble just days prior, and it all but ruined my morning when I left to find a bin and was subsequently left behind by my bus. So when my barista told me that--well, I could have just given him a bear hug for his little gem of helpfulness (and wily coffee-drinking ways!). It's the little things! And that's the tale of how Clarissa was won over by (one of) a particular coffee chain. No joke--it's a lovely joint, and you'll definitely see me there on early mornings in the future!

Brew Lab definitely ranks in my top 10 destinations for good coffee in Edinburgh, it may even be in…read morethe privileged top 5. The decor is very hipster - you must check out the reclaimed basketball court floor, I want it for my home so bad! They have always have at least 2 different beans on the go, often more, and cleverly link each bean to the best brew method/ coffee type on the chalk board behind the counter. Many of these beans are also bagged and available to buy. The cafe also has a great and typically priced assortment of coffee making paraphernalia and literature. I went for a controversial flat white made with Ethiopian single origin beans this visit, I am usually a purist. It was divine! My only disappointments were the close time of 6pm and the fact that they didn't remind me to get a stamp on my coffee card!

A place with both coffee and alcohol available? I'm sold! We went twice during our trip to…read moreEdinburgh. I got coffee one time and chai the other time. Both drinks were excellent and the staff was friendly! A plus is that the wifi works quite well! If you want to eat/drink there, you may have to wait a bit for a table, but you won't regret it. Fear not though, takeaway is available if you're pressed for time!

This coffee shop was a delight. It was conveniently located near the flat I was staying at…read more The woman who was attending was very kind and attentive. The macchiato was made properly and the beans were of good quality. They do have seating in the back but I didn't check it out. The store front is very well put together. They also have a good selection of baked goods. The lemon blueberry cake was very nice. Definitely a repeatable experience if you like good coffee.

I want to sit and smoke a pipe in here while solving great mysteries (which, if you can't deduce,…read moreis a complete and utter compliment). Strumpets is the newest addition to an already packed West End roster of coffee shops - so much so, that it sits directly next to another cafe. I'm not sure how that will bode for their future, but it gave me a giggle nonetheless. I've been off the ol' coffee lately, so when we popped our heads in here, I opted for orange juice. Pricy for the bottle, but unlike my recent grumble about cafes charging £3+ for standard tropicana, the fare offered here is on the higher end of the juice scale and seems a little more justified in its crazy price tag. Regardless, I would happily throw down £3 again to sit in their ridiculously adorable back room! With ornate chairs, a pretty little window seat and well picked antiques - it's like stepping into a lady Sherlock's study. I'm a BIG fan. It's TINY - three spaces to sit, all of them no more than two chairs - but on a quiet day, it would be a great place to work from... it positively screams world domination! However, if it's a bit cramped, they do have one slightly larger table out front. The owner is super cheerful and the baked goods look interesting. They do crumpets on Sundays, which is a nice touch and duly noted, as it's an easy stop on the way home for me. I'm nervous for this place, because I'm not sure it has the oomph to keep up with some of the big gun cafes now residing in the West End, but I hope i'm wrong - because this little spot wins on charm alone.

I am really glad that I found Castello, because I am at a loss trying to find cosy indie cafes in…read morethe city centre. I had read about it on here beforehand and managed to track it down. It is very easy to find, just off Princes Street. And it was not busy at all yesterday, with just one other table occupied. The hot chocolate that I had was divine. Foamy, creamy and not too sweet. It did not need all the whipped cream and marshmallows that other cafes have. It had a really beautiful foam decoration, which I actually think made it taste better! We also tried the chocolate brownie and raspberry and white chocolate slice. Both were delicious, but the brownie was especially good. It is very small though, with two tables and a bench inside and about five tables outside. The size also means that there is a lack of a toilet which can be slightly annoying. The nearest one is on the top floor of Debenhams on Princes Street. Another bonus is free wifi!

I really like Castello. This is where you should get a coffee from if you are anywhere near the…read morewest end. They use Allpress Espresso beans; it's nice to have something a bit different from the usual options and I've always been impressed by it. The staff are always very friendly and laid back. From the outside you wouldn't necessarily think it was a 'serious' coffee place. It doesn't have exposed lightbulbs and distressed wooden furniture instead going for something simple, bright and clean which makes for a nice change. In the best possible way it's more like somewhere you could take your Mum who might not feel at home in hipster surroundings of Artisan or BrewLab. It's great as a place for a quick bite at lunch; or in my case a quiet break from Christmas shopping with a flat white and croissant. The soup and sandwiches I've had in here in the past have always been high quality. It is small however, particularly when the weather means sitting outside isn't going to be fun, as there are limited seats inside. It's not necessarily somewhere I come and plan to sit reading and drinking for an extended time, but as a place for a relaxed coffee break or lunch it's ideal.