Excellent place to go in the morning for breakfast pastries and coffee. Loved going there while…read morestaying nearby. Let me know when you open a second location in Illinois! :)

I had to try this super hyped coffee spot while I was in Edinburgh. We stopped by the new location…read morefirst to take some pictures, but ended up getting our coffee and pastries from the original location further down the street. We ordered an iced latte, a black coffee, an espresso walnut brownie, and the chai glazed cardamom bun. The staff was nice and gave us a few recommendations, which were super helpful since it was our first time there. The café itself is pretty small, with limited indoor seating and a few tables outside. There was an organized queue to get in and order, but it moved pretty quickly, so the wait wasn't bad at all. Everything was good, but I can't say it was the best coffee or pastries I've ever had. Maybe my expectations were just too high because of all the hype, but I was definitely expecting a little more.

Excellent food and service! Perfect spot after hiking Arthur's Seat. Eggs Benedict and the Hash…read morewere both yummy.

If you're in the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and it's time for breakfast this is the place…read more A hint is the Little Larder is next door and open for breakfast so this is the place to eat. The larger restaurant is amazing for all the other meals but the little larder is an amazing breakfast spot. The service is excellent and they treat you like family. Helpful and very accommodating if needed. The place is small (hence little larder) but worth any wait as you will not be disappointed. Go, order the traditional breakfast and coffee or tea, sit back and enjoy.

Adorable little café in Edinburgh with cozy seating and great specialty coffees. Perfect place to…read morewarm up on a cold day and the meringue cookie I had was fantastic.

I was a bit worried because this is in such a touristy spot, but they had a really solid lemon…read moretart, and a really great apple croissant. My husband really liked his flattened croissant too that had chocolate on one end. I would definitely come back here and try the quiche because I saw it and then regretted not getting one myself.

Came here for a quick coffee. Service was quick and prompt with no issues. Great atmosphere with…read moresweet jams playing in the background. Get here early, it gets packed. Coffee and Smoothie were delicious! Would return when in the neighborhood!

Situated in a little corner of Upper Bow, just a short walk away from Edinburgh Castle, surrounded…read moreby souvenir shops galore, this quaint little coffee shop provides the perfect oasis for that mid-day pick-me-up before you continue on your sightseeing journey. The interior has a bit of a retro vibe, complete with an old radio and a small library of cassettes along one wall. The staff is friendly, and the drinks are not half-bad. My single-shot oat flat white could have been a little stronger, which means that for those who are used to the standard double-shot, the coffee will probably still taste on the weaker side, but you could also do way worse in Edinburgh as far as coffee goes. Trust me on this one. Brownie points to them, as well, for accepting cash. So few places do in the UK, anymore. They also have alternative drinks for those with a sweet tooth, and the pastries are tasty and pleasantly varied. The winning points, however, are the comfort, convenience, and the overall vibe of the place.

Had to visit this place for a drink, after passing it on a tour and the tour guide highly…read morerecommended it. It is amazing to see! Beautifully decorated, very expertly run and very welcoming. Sampled a 14 year old Oban, the Honey had a glass of wine and we shared a cheese plate. An excellent experience! The server who took our order was very knowledgeable, efficient and courteous., as was the server who brought us the drinks. The entire experience was very satisfying. Must stop here when possible!

The Dome is made up of three different restaurants, and they're all so different I thought the…read moreGarden Café definitely deserved its own review. Slotted in on Rose Street, at the back of the huge and imposing columned Dome buiding, this gorgeous little city-centre oasis is the perfect place to rest your shopping-weary feet and have a tasty lunch. It's only open from april to early september, and although it's tucked down a narrow street this place is a great little suntrap. You can get wraps, salads, soups, burgers, that sort of thing here - not a full á la carte lunch, but the portions are fairly generous so you'll only need one course. The service was ok, but our waiter didn't even bother to bring us our change back. We had been planning to leave it as a tip for him, but we thought it was a bit cheeky of him just to assume, especially when service is already included in the prices. For a salad and a soft drink you'll spend just over £10 a head, which makes it slightly pricier than a lot of other lunchtime cafés nearby, but this setting is just so gorgeous I'd happily pay the difference.

Since it's our third time in Edinburgh, we decided to explore a few other neighborhoods further…read moreout. We hit up Morningside one grey morning and came here for brunch. The cafe was an adorable old house turned into a cafe and we got a seat near the back looking over the garden in the back of the space. It was really nice. My wife got the seasonal eggs Benedict and I got the peas a la salt. The Bennedict was good, but seemed like it was missing something. My best guess is that it's just the English muffin wasn't as sturdy as I'm used to and I'm used to it that way. The peas a la salt came over sourdough bread with bacon, black pudding and a poached egg. Same as the Bennedict, it was all yummy, but not amazing. The peas were very far from mushy (which is good), but maybe could have been a bit firmer. Things just didn't quite come together the way I would have hoped.

We ordered two variations of the BBB, the Turkish egg meal, and the Parmesan and truffle hash brown…read morebasket. They were all delicious and hearty meals and if you are looking for a more savory meal I highly recommend. The servers were extremely sweet and provided food recommendations and answered our questions about transport and places to visit to make the most of our trip! The service was also quick and we were able to be seated immediately which was wonderful. Next time I'm in Edinburgh I hope to visit this place again!

Oh my goodness! Everything looks amazing from the happy…read morecolorful window to the amazing baked goods. I love that Tasty Buns is a bakery on Bread Street. I adored the lime, poppyseed, and blueberry roulade! It was gone before the soup and toastie sandwich arrived. Crispy on the outside and so very soft and tasty on the inside. The cookie pie was impressive, but I honestly liked the roulade so much better. The soup today was broccoli and it was delicious! I had a ham and cheese sandwich lightly grilled in a panini press. Mom had a chorizo sandwich. The ladies at the bakery were lovely! Friendly happy folk always make food taste better! The bakery was quiet and not busy at 12:30 pm. It wasn't empty, just not busy. We got a table for 3! It was funny (and also a sad commentary on humans) that the still water available said "Please turn the tap off." Silly people. Thank you so much for a wonderful lunch! Mom said very good! Very different!

Excellent treats and coffee. Would return many times if lived here. Definitely worth a visit.read more

Stopped by The Elephant House to try their famous Harry Potter butter beer. We dined in, but they…read morealso offer takeout. The butter beer was fun to try, but it was definitely on the sweeter side and not my favorite. We also got a plate of nachos since we were hungry, and they were decent. The café itself is really cute with cozy seating and lots of Harry Potter memorabilia. It's definitely a fun spot to check out for Potterheads while exploring Edinburgh.

The original cafe on George IV Bridge, which has been shut since the tragic fire on 24th August…read more2021, is now open at Victoria Street. Again, that's alleged, but it's everywhere- Author J.K. Rowling had her first book published while she was writing in the back room overlooking Edinburgh Castle, making The Elephant House the "birthplace" of the series of Harry Potter novels. The Elephant House Cafe proudly calls itself the 'birthplace' of Harry Potter above the front door. This claim is slightly controversial, as the sign alludes to the birthplace of parts of the books, not necessarily the beginning. The Elephant House in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a pilgrimage site for any Potterhead. From the outside, and honestly from the inside as well, it seems like your average cafe. However, this cafe is one of the cafes that provided space for J.K. Rowling to create not only a book series, but an entire magical world. The

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.

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.