I sort of loved this quirky coffee place! Unfinished brick walls Narrow interior certainly gives this place a rather eclectic feel. As it was pretty full up this particular afternoon I ended up in a rather odd table top situation right toilets. But hey, at least i had a place to settle down and get some work done on my laptop. The inner coffee need in my greatly appreciates that they do pour over single origin coffee here! It is served in very minimalistic carafe and tea mug which i rather enjoyed! I was sold. I left there after buying two bags of roasted beans! read more

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People were friendly, music was fun, and coffee is great! Perfect to help with time change and jet lag.

Seven out of seven on the Disloyal 7 Challenge, and we very nearly missed out! We were operating just shy of a mad sprint, trying to get to the shop before they closed, without looking like we'd just ran the length of Edinburgh to get there. I'm not entirely sure we needed to hurry, though, as when we walked through the door, it looked like the guys running the place had no intention of closing down anytime soon. This is definitely the largest of the shops on the card, and it was the most friendly. There was a group of guys - all seemingly around the same age - working the counter and slinging the coffee when we arrived. I could tell they genuinely liked each other and were having a good day, at least. They made it a point to chat with us a bit, asking where we were from (dang lack of a cool accent!), where we'd been, how long we had in the city, and what our favorites were so far. We got into a discussion about long flights and international airports while they brewed up our final cups of coffee. I had to giggle when they gave a little cheer upon realizing that we'd finished our card with them, and so close to closing time. I know we got nothing from finishing the challenge - other than the satisfaction of having supported local shops and experiencing expertly crafted coffee - but it was nice to see their excitement over our "victory". We got our coffee to go, as we still had to finish shopping for gifts for friends and family back home, and we knew that they'd be closing up soon after. Departing with our to-go cups to the loud chorus of the many farewells ringing out from behind the counter, I silently wished we had something like this back home - something to band small shops together and encourage people to support local businesses. The coffee, it turns out, was okay. Not my favorite, but by then I was so hopped up on caffeine that I'm not sure I could tell the difference in flavor. My husband enjoyed his, and he's much more discerning when it comes to coffee, so I'll let that speak for itself. read more

Great cafe next to the Meadows and the University. Mainly come here for coffee - although they do have food. It is more on the light side. So if you're looking for a big UK breakfast, this probably not the place for you. The coffee here is also on the lighter side. As I prefer a darker roast, I would generally order a double shot. But if you are in the area this is probably the best cafe you will find. read more

Cult Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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I desperately want to give this place 5 stars, but having been twice, the consistency isn't great. They have two types on beans in the grinders which seems to be the standard nowadays. They change these up regularly which is always a great reason to return. My piccolo was perfection on my first visit but desperately lacking on my second. The only thing which saved the coffee was the fact it was a really good bean and it was a fairly well pulled shot, if slightly over extracted. There's not a lot of seating and the little that there is, consists mostly of old school chair type wooden seats. (Again, seemingly the standard in hipster coffee joints). It's not particularly handy for me and the quality isn't there for me to make the trek especially but I'm happy to pop in if I'm in the area and I'm hoping they will get their consistency sorted and I can give them more stars! read more

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I really like this cute little coffee place. It's largely run by a pair of young dudes, and the whole place has a bit of a subtle child of the 90s vibe too it. I really like the coffee here, which frankly is the most important thing! There do a neat little selection of cakes to go with your beverage, i don't think they do savoury things though. Being on Buccleugh st makes this place off the beaten track a little for everyone except students, but they seem a more chilled out bunch on average than the ones who seem to frequent places like Black medicine and Brewlab. It's fast becoming a favourite of mine for a cheeky out of office coffee. read more

From the baristas to the bathrooms, this place is top. I was overwhelmed by how charming and friendly the servers were. The atmosphere is casual and the music is loud enough to fill the space if you want to study, but quiet enough to still have a conversation. As far as the coffee and tea goes, they have a good selection and good taste. The lattes are creamy and thoughtfully made without being heavy, and the tea is fresh and warming. Their pastries and cakes are also delicious. The space itself is well decorated, with brick walls, quirky mismatched furniture, and old-school industrial lights. I enjoy the space for a friendly coffee, or some light studying. If you're looking for good coffee and a fun atmosphere, stop by and treat yourself. read more

Cult Espresso - A latte and a pot of tea x - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Cult! This place is cool, cute, and trendy. The wifi isn't great and often there isn't much seating but it's all good. Staff is friendly and coffee is great! read more

So hipster it hurts! Ska music, endless tatts, haircuts, wallet chains, *cue head bobbing to music* They don't use skimmed milk (cries and slaps head), I was offered semi skim but they aren't the same thing and being offered semi skim like a perceived suitable alternative irks me somewhat. As a result I asked for a very dry cappuccino - go easy on the liquid, lots of foam. I knew the moment he just swirled and tipped the milk directly into the cup from the foaming jug it was going to be way too milky for my liking, especially since he filled the cup right up...and it was. You can't just pour it and expect it to have more foam than milk, a spoon is required to separate foam from liquid. They might make good coffee, they just weren't any good at making mine the way I like, if I have to explain more than once, I'm not likely to go back to waste money on coffee I don't enjoy. It's a shame because I wanted a good experience. read more

Cult Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This place reminds me so much of home, that I may just come here when i'm feeling a bit homesick to both remind me why I love it and remind me why I left. Where do I hail from? Vancouver, Canada - the hipster haven of the pacific west coast. Just with the word "hipster", i've lost at least half of the folks reading but that would be a shame. Why? Because yes, hipster has gotten itself a bad rap and yes, there are elements to the hipster that annoy me - cut off jeans being a thing, making cheap beer cool, moustaches... but folks, there are a few things that the hipster does well: Three piece suits and coffee. Now, you won't find an abundance of three piece suits here (though, you wouldn't look entirely out of place wearing one) but good coffee - good coffee you will find. It's sort of a funny time to visit this place, as there's both construction all over the darn place and on my last visit, someone had smashed the front window, but don't let that deter you. Inside is a cute little cafe just begging for you to sit down, sip a coffee and read some Poe (most hipster sounding author I could think of at 7am...). It's tiny but well laid out, the folks who work here are chipper, the coffee is good and if I lived in the area, it would be a great place to plunk in the afternoon to get some work done. I won't be making any special treks from Stockbridge for my Cult fix, but I will definitely make a point to pop in when I'm in the area. read more

Came in today for a coffee and some lunch, whole place was basically empty. Sat down at a table near the door. A man with brown hair came over and aggressively told us that we had to wait at the door to be served, and that we must wear masks at all times. I am exempt from mask wearing, and I politely told him that. He continued to harass us and told us in a very confrontational way that we had to follow Scottish guidelines. Being from England, we are not familiar with the restrictions. Which seemed to anger him more. The man was clearly not a fan of the English, and threatened that we would not be allowed in again if we didn't listen to their rules. We left straight away, after a very uncomfortable and horrible experience. Disgusting staff, will certainly not be returning. read more

This place is aesthetically very nice in design. Coffee I am told is great. (I'm not a coffee drinker) The tea selection is fantastic they even have Jasmine Pearl Tea where leaves are rolled up with jasmine oil. You can buy it but it's usually expensive but here the tea costs just as much as an earl grey or a green. The hot chocolate there is very yummy but a dark chocolate. The food it's good. I had a cauliflower salad which was delicious! And their other salads also look good. The food they offer is not vast but it looks tasty although more on the expensive side for a cafe. Breakfast here is not recommended but a light lunch or a coffee break is nice. The staff and place is full of quarks. And they seem really into coffee like every other cafe in Edinburgh. But the food and tea helps to set them apart from just a cafe place. I will say it is quite expensive here compared to Nile Valley but you do get great quality. read more

Mingin'. This is the third time I've been here in the last year and it's been flesh-crawlingly disgusting each time. First time I ordered a coffee with milk. It came with a slick of oil on top, little golden beads of grossness puddled on top of my beverage, which tasted like crude oil filtered through a football pitch. Tried again twice more in the subsequent year and in both cases the coffee tasted like Bovril with a hideous skein of fat over the surface. It's pretty​ rare for me to pay £2.50 for an 8oz cup of coffee and then immediately pour it into the nearest open drain but in both cases it was so bad that was what I had to do. Not recommended. read more

Love it here! Sometimes a bit crowded, but never gets loud, which is nice for studying/people watching. They've got really great teas, as well as excellent cakes. Personal favorites: Bread pudding (chocolate AND vanilla mmm) blueberry & lavender cake. bonus: if you're forget your headphones and can't listen to music it's OK because the tunes they play are always fab. read more

I am slightly ashamed to admit that I'm not really that fussy about my coffee and will quite happily drink instant as I'm more of a tea person but the friend that I went with is slightly obsessed and she loved having so many different serving options including some that I'd never heard of before and two different types of beans. My latte had beautiful milk art on the top and was lovely. You need to accept that it's a hipster coffee shop and all about the coffee with great cakes then it's great. Even during the fringe on a bank holiday weekend, mid-afternoon on a Saturday, we were able to get a table easily and coffee was delivered quickly by friendly staff who are very knowledgeable about what they serve. They have a few seats outdoors if you manage to find a rare sunny day in Edinburgh. read more

Top spot for great coffee and to chill out. Roundhill and guests. Espresso and Kalita Wave (pour over). Nice big space to chill out and take your time. Food also. Friendly folk. read more

Cult Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Great place. Super hipster. Great cappuccino, nice atmosphere and very clean. Definitely recommended.

I came to this new location with two Italians this afternoon in pursuit of good coffee. Tucked away in a small storefront on Buccleuch street, one would not expect to find such a spacious café. Inside there is ample seating and personally I am a great fan of places with this minimilist design that is now so typical of the Edinburgh coffee scene. It is hipster to the max, but fortunately the other hipsters in town do not seem to have cottoned on to this yet... It would seem that this is good alternative to the ever-crowded Brew Lab. The coffee selection seems to be aimed at purists. Espresso, long black, cappuccino are amongst a few of the brews on offer, everything is quite simple. There were a few cakes on offer, standard options including lemon polenta and brownies. On face value none of them looked particularly enticing but my friends both opted for the brownie. I went for a simple espresso coffee. I always feel slightly sick at the idea of paying £2 for a tiny shot of coffee but it was what I needed after a long and tiring day (in Italy you pay between 80 cents-1 euro). The staff seemed friendly, there is a loyalty card and we were able to hang out and chat for a decent amount of time without feeling any pressure to leave. Cult Espresso is not in my part of town but I would come back to try the other coffee options, though for now Machina Espresso is my local and ticks every box, in addition to serving up some fantastic cakes. read more

Really nice coffee place. With good coffee and breakfast food and an amazing display of Lehigh and coffee gadgets.

Like this place. I was sittin' there in me plaid shirt and desert boots as is my wont, listening to hip hop, yup that's me (slightly unfamiliar with this particular artiste).Industrial brick work lines the walls and a buffed concrete floor is finished by a no nonsense glass frontage and way down the back in the vole hole, two friendly beardy fellas. It has two things I like, in fact that are necessary to a good cafe, a. a view - (albeit a pretty shitty one) with which to watch the world go by and b. the feeling you could just sit here for a good while after ordering just one coffee without being hassled (decent coffee - a faint whiff of licorice). Seating is primarily benches and stools,(think I was lucky in getting one of the few comfortable seats). Unfortunately after a while some annoying people came in and spoke loudly and ruined the moment. But hey, can't blame the cafe for that! Be warned - close to Meadows/student twattery. read more