Very rude staff. Was excited to try this place based on reviews and when we arrived at 8 (opening time on many apps) a man came to gate and said "not open until nine". We went to a coffee shop and sat for 45 mins, went back and were told, rudely while blocking the door, we couldn't even come in because we still had the coffee cups from another place. Given our track record with restaurants, it's unfortunate we didn't even get the chance to stress-test the menu. We walked down the block and were welcomed in another restaurant (even higher rated) WITH our outside coffee cups. Place looked cool but find a different restaurant - - read more

Deacons House Cafe is located inside the former workshop of the infamous Deacon William Brodie, a notable figure from the 18th century. He was a respected cabinet maker and city councilor, who just so happened to maintain a secret life as a burglar in order to fund his gambling addiction and support his mistresses. Brodie used his daytime work as a locksmith and cabinet maker to gain insight into his wealthy customer's security and to copy their keys. His criminal endeavors were eventually discovered and he was hanged after being found guilty at trial. And in an ironic twist of fate, it's believed that Brodie was actually the first person to be hanged at the gallows he helped design. As a matter of fact, Brodie's dramatic double life is the inspiration behind Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! I made it at point to stop by Deacons House Cafe while in Edinburgh because of it's interesting history. The small cafe had a warm and cozy atmosphere and plenty of olde world charm, with period furniture and memorabilia that added to the shop's unique character. I also read that their scones are award-winning, so of course I had to try them. I ordered the Scottish cream tea, which comes with your choice of scone, jam, clotted cream, and a pot of black tea. I personally enjoyed the scones at Clarinda's Tea Room more, but the scones here were good too. All in all, Deacons House Cafe is definitely worth a visit for a memorable experience. read more

Deacons House Cafe - Tea & scone - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I was on a mission during our visit in December to find a good scone and so glad we found this little gem! By the time we got there we were hungry so we just had lunch with a scone! It is first come first serve and if they are busy you need to wait to be seated. Inside and outside seating and you have to order inside. Staff is nice, friendly and attentive, which adds to the charm of the historic place. We ordered the carrots soup of the day with a scone, one of their sandwiches, wine and a cute little shot of whiskey. It sure was one of the highlights of our visit and the food was scrumptious! read more

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I went to Deacon's House Cafe with a friend after our St. Giles' Cathedral tour. We just wanted a light bite and a small pot of tea before our next adventure. This place was quaint and seemed pretty popular. We waited in line for a table to open up, about 10 minutes. We were given menus and were told when we were ready, order at counter and give table number. The menu had clear labels on what was vegan or could be made vegan. Though the butter and (clotted) cream didn't appear to be vegan. I just didn't put on my scone. I ordered a fruit scone and my friend got plain, and we swapped half to try both versions. The black tea I ordered with a dairy free milk was good. It hit the spot as we were fueled for our next adventure! read more

Deacons House Cafe - Deacon's House Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This was the perfect spot to go to after a long day of walking in the cold. We got the most amazing gingerbread lattes and Scottish shortbread. The seating indoors is kinda small but it adds to the charm :-) also, the women behind the register were so kind and helpful. Very happy with our time here read more

Deacons House Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Popped in for a traditional breakfast and all was delicious! Really enjoyed the spot! We left with a full belly and wallet as this spot doesn't break the bank! Tasty coffee too! read more

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Highly recommend. Best tea and scones ! Great breakfast and baked goods. Great location read more

Deacons House Cafe - Deacons cafe. Outdoor and indoor seating - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

We found this place from a travel blogger who wrote about it. I've come to the conclusion that they don't eat at these places. The place is packed and I honestly don't know why? I got the avocado toast with smoked salmon and was really disappointed. The presentation was great, but the avocado tasted like the plastic bin it was stored in and the salmon did too. It was lacking any kind of seasoning, so I had my husband try it and he said the same thing. He wasn't thrilled with his breakfast either. This is a very small and crowded place and you may have to sit outside in the close where it's 40-something degrees. Not worth it. read more

Amazing in every way! Having just got here last night on a trip, this little cafe was my first taste of Scotland, and it exceeded my expectations! Very hospitable and helpful, the restaurant has a rich history that inspired "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". The staff was so nice, the cafe is cozy, and the food was AMAZING. I got a cappuccino and the pancakes with bananas, raspberries, and honey and it was great! Highly recommend! read more

Deacons House Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

While visiting The castle in Edinburgh we stop in the Deacons House cafe for a lunch break. My husband orders lox and bagel and I ordered their quiche,with vegetables and goat cheese. When you sit down after reading the menu, you go up to order. My quiche was delicious. My husband said that the bagel though tasty was not the kind of bagel us native New Yorkers know. His sandwich was delicious as well. This is a lovely place for lunch. read more

Great atmosphere and great services but the food is quite oily for brunch. I had the croissant with ham and cheese which tasted a bit sour. I've never had one anywhere that tasted a bit sour and was told because of the cheese. read more

Deacons House Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Small but sufficient lunch selection with soups, sandwiches, baked goods, and coffee and tea. The carrot and lentil soup was amazing, the smoked salmon quiche was amazing, the cheese scone was amazing. Just come here. Do it. Do it. Do it. read more

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Great place for Dinner food and service impeccable. If you're looking for great drinks, food and service go no further highly recommend Deacons House Cafe. read more

Deacons House Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Along with ambient storytelling decor about the famous Deacon Brodie, the food was very well prepared and traditional. The scone was decadent and the servers were kind and welcoming! read more

In my walking tour my tour guide Richard Usher and I stopped to have an afternoon tea. This is the place that inspired heckel and Hyde story. The small cafe has the story of Deacon Brody how he was an outstanding citizen during the day but a criminal at night. The ambience is a step back in time. The tea was warm and delicious. The scone was the best scone I ever had. If you're in the area please come and visit. I enjoyed my afternoon tea and scone. What a wonderful experience and memory read more

Deacons House Cafe - Cinnamon scone - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

We had toured Edinburgh Castle and decided to get away from the castle area before looking for lunch. We thought we might have better luck if you get away from the main tourist area and if we found a place where the local Scots might eat. Our idea worked well. We found Deacons House Cafe a few blocks from the castle and it did not appear to be a "tourist hangout". This is a great little soup and sandwich shop with some good salads also on the menu. It proved to be a great place to grab a good soup and sandwich type lunch. The staff was very personable and quite friendly. read more

After our tour of E castle, we went in for soup and a sandwich. Place was nice and the food was good. A little cramped but worth it.

We stopped by here for quick snack during our Edinburgh trip. This cafe has history dating back to few hundred years! We ordered scones, carrot cake and coffee. The carrot cake and coffee were great, however we have had better scones from takeaway place in London. The staff was indifferent and cold. I will not go again, but recommend for quick coffee takeaway! read more

Deacons house cafe was very busy despite it being hidden away from the main drag. The staff were very friendly and on the ball at all times, quick to clear tables and any spillages, quick to serve. The food, especially the cream cheese and salmon bagel was delicious and a pot of tea which all came to £9:10 which I thought was fair. The atmosphere was cosy and warm and there were points of interest on the wall; murals and information about Deacon Brodie, however unless the cafe was empty it was hard to take a good look around without breathing on peoples food while they eat but I would definitely recommend. read more

Our tour guide told us the story of Deacon Brodie, the inspiration for Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, as we sat in the Cafe--Fun way to pass some time on a cold day. Tea was excellent, as were the shortbread and ham n' cheese sandwich we shared. Cafe is cozy and lots of great food options, well worth the visit! read more

Decent cafe in historic setting. All the cafe's in the assorted close's off the Royal Mile are quaint and inviting. This one has the addrd cache' of being in Deacon Brodie's firmer cabinet shop. Much is made of the history via paintings and plaque's. Bonus points for that connection. The service was friendly and great. The food and drink selection was limited, but OK. Our Apple Scone was dry, but the Banana Cake was moust and good. Our coke and Pear Cider were both good; hard to go wrong there! Prices are low to fair. That works! read more

What a hidden gem!! This cafe was set back off the street through an archway. It is the building where Deacon Brodie lived and did his cabinet making. Brodie was the real life inspiration for Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The care is lined with the story of Brodie to include his ironic death on the very gallows he designed for Scotland. The food is amazing...try the apple cinnamon scone with clotted cream and jam. You won't regret finding this place along the Royal Mile. read more

Deacons House Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Called in for a bite to eat on a day trip to Edinburgh enroute to the Highlands. Soup of the day was fantastic as was the ciabata with bacon brie and chilli sauce. Good value also. Craig from Norwich read more

Had a very nice morning cream tea here. I enjoyed my tea and scone.

Lovely cafe! Had the hot chocolate with whiskey (and it was strong) and chocolate ginger tea! Both were delicious. Stay away from the fudge squarer...it was extremely sweet read more

Deacons House Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Extremely great atmosphere and attention to detail, the wall mural telling the story of Brodie was great fun to look at! The cafe is in a great location, that isn't a far walk from the castle at all, the food was delicious though there was not enough vegetarian options, making us have a select breakfast of cakes, sweets and bagels (though i'm not complaining!) I recommend anyone in the area to stop by and have a bagel and coffee on their travels, can't wait to come again! read more

We stopped by the Deacon's House for some breakfast (and to get out of the rain). The two of us went for the standard breakfast which was mediocre. Its hard to screw up some eggs and bacon and sausage but they gave it a good go! The eggs were scrambled but seemed like they were sat in a puddle of water! The food was edible, but only just. I don't know what it is but it was hard to find a decent breakfast in Edinburgh! I did however like the coffee and also the cafe itself, which used to be the workshop of the Deacon (who's real name I have forgotten) and the story behind this guy. Although a respected cabinetmaker, he was also a thief and he and his friend and co-crook were hanged on gallows that the cabinetmaker built! I'll bet the guy wished he didn't do such a great job on them! read more

Deacons House Cafe - The Deacon outside his cafe. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Came here in July after a tiring visit to Edinburgh Castle. Sat outside in the quiet coutyard, nice atmosphere. Had a quick bite, simple sandwich and hot soup. The best mushroom soup I've ever had. The sandwich was ok but did hit the spot. read more

Deacons House Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

SO charming. First place we stopped after getting off the plane from the states. It did not disappoint, and boy did we need some caffeine. Fabulous eats and delicious coffee. The atmosphere was very cozy and just what we needed. read more

Located near the Scottish Castle on Royal Mile in one of the prime spots. The café has a figure of Deacon Brodie leading into a corridor and then the actual café. The place is rather small with seating inside as well as some outside. One must place the order at the register and they give you a waiting number which you display on your table and they will bring out the food to you. They have cakes, crepes, tea, soups, sandwiches for lunch but the food was rather disappointing. Had the tuna sandwich along with apple scone and café latté. The sandwich did not have any taste to it and the scone was very crumbly and barely edible. Coffee was ok. Service was very slow and they took a long time to bring it out despite a reminder to the server. Very unfriendly at the register as well as serving too - everyone was just rushing by and were not courteous at this busy hour. I did not go back to this place and will not recommend to anyone. read more

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The first morning we got dropped of at Victoriastreet and were advised by our uber driver to go here. We absolutely loved it! It speaks history of the old town, the food was delicious and the staff was friendly also (hence why we went back the morning after). We felt really welcomed read more

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I really enjoyed the food at this adorable, tucked-away cafe. I ordered the scone and tea on my first visit, and then a piece of millionaire shortbread on my second. Both were amazing and left me wanting more! Service could be a little better, as it seemed like we were rushed out of there after we finished, but the desserts were worth it. read more

Deacons House Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

A little hide away off the busy Royal Mile. Great place for a quiet lunch. Friendly staff and great food. read more

Deacons House Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Seemingly authentic and creative classic British fare. I got the tuna salad in a baked sweet potato was very good and have never seen it before. Lots of delicious and suprisingly moist and obviously homemade scones. It seems like the most homemade, homey, and real food. Great flavors that are not too strong just well prepared. Rather than overly salty or sweet it's just right. For 31 pounds you get stuffed to the gills with delicious foods to try. read more

This place was on the same street where Fringe festival was happening. We had to stop here as it was about to rain. I got Fish and chips and my wife got Chicken stuffed with Haggis. The food was good specially the gravy that came with the Chicken dish. The buttery gravy was the highlight of our dinner. We choose a table near a outlet so we could charge our phones as well. Overall good experience with friendly staff. read more

Simple but lovely breakfast & Lunch. A blending of French & Scottish style cafe. Surprisingly untouristy for the Royal Mile! I highly recommend the porridge; the salmon plate, and the homemade apple scones. They also serve a lovely cappuccino. This is not a full-service restaurant, but I don't have a problem with that. For what they do, the service is consistently good. You order at the counter, and they bring the food/drinks out to your table.:) read more

I think this place is a typical touristy joint that doesn't spring for service because it doesn't have to. Which is unfortunate because the decor is really lovely, and the building is very interesting. The food here was decent enough, if not overpriced, but the service I experienced was very, very slow and unfriendly. I came here for an early breakfast, as it was one of the few places open at 8 AM on a Sunday. There were a few other people in the cafe, but it was far from full. After our order went in, the kitchen staff and the servers just stood around chatting with each other for a good 15 minutes. I don't like to bash service, but it took nearly half an hour (!) to get a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, and a cup of coffee (the bagel wasn't even toasted or anything... there is no reason this should have taken so long). My latte was also literally just a cup of steamed milk with what seemed like a drop of espresso in it... not sure if that was a fluke... I was in a hurry so I didn't bother asking for a new one, maybe I'll give them the benefit of the doubt? Short version: the place was virtually empty, but it still took 30 minutes to get a bagel, and my coffee had no coffee in it. read more

This is a little gem tucked away in a "close" on the Royal Mile. However, YELP is misleading the public by claiming they open at 8 am. They open at 9 am. Avoid annoying the staff and get it right. read more

Easy place in a great location for a nice meal. I went for breakfast and had a their cream tea. My husband had the bagel with cream cheese with a latte. Lots of simple options and all done really well in a cute little shop! They have nice outdoor seating off of the street for a nice day, but it was too cold when we went. read more

Please open up a location in the United States! It's been over a year and I'm still telling people about that gluten free brownie, lolz! Our Scottish Highlands tour was scheduled to meet outside of here, so we popped in to grab breakfast. My friend got a bagel and some cookies, and I loaded up on their gluten-free goodies. It should be noted that it's *extremely* difficult to make gluten-free anything taste good or have a decent texture. That being said, the folks here are clearly wizards, because literally everything I ate was absolutely DELICIOUS, fluffy, not crumbly, and filled me up/fueled me for the all day tour we took of the Highlands. The owner (I think it was the owner) was so nice and didn't get irritated at all despite me asking a million questions about the food. I wish we'd had more time to sit, because the decor is perfect- it feels like you're sitting in an old timey parlor room. 100% recommend! read more