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    Spoon

    3.9 (78 reviews)
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    Spoon cafe
    Marijke C.

    Lovely quirky café. You come in up the stairs and are seated either on the big leather sofas or at a table. All the furniture is mismatched in a stylish way, the decor is vintage and quirky. I had a blt sandwich which hit the spot and a flat white that was served in old school coffee cups. Serving could be a bit faster, but it was a very busy day. Their selection of food is very good, something for everyone. They're one of the few coffeeshops that also serve beer, which is nice if half of your company would rather go to a pub for lunch. Would definately recommend.

    This isn't even the whole of it!
    Cressida F.

    I was unprepared for the vastness of Spoon. From the outside, it appears to be little more than a teaspoon, but once you've squeezed through the entrance and trotted up the wooden stairs, you emerge into a veritable serving spoon of a space; light, airy, and dotted with white muslin curtains, Spoon is a spacious joy. Our table of ten, over to one side, included a nice squidgy pew along one of the walls, and nearby was a snuggling of Chesterfield armchairs (yes, that's totally the collective noun) in which I could imagine whiling away hours on end over a hot chocolate and a book. In terms of the place itself, no question, five stars. It's a shame, then, that on this occasion the service was something of a letdown; we waited twenty minutes for our orders to be taken and a further hour for our food to arrive, though it was far from busy, and not a word was said on the delay. And once it had, nobody returned to check on us although I'd have loved another orange juice and was wedged between Yelpy pals on the squidgy pew so getting out was tricky. I'd ordered the muesli and yoghurt. Perhaps I was imagining something a little more constructed, but what arrived was precisely that - a vast bowl of muesli with a slightly carelessly-shaped flurp of yoghurt across the top. It was very yummy, but the muesli to yoghurt ratio was large; more a case of too much muesli than too little yoghurt, and I ended up taking Jenna L's unused milk jug from her tea to moisten the remaining melee. A trip to the toilets was a fun treat, though, decorated as they are with cuttings from old beauty magazines, all of them the print version of "keep young and beautiful if you want to be loved", which is highly entertaining reading while one carries out ones functions. In short, I adored Spoon and really want to give it a better rating. I'm not sure what was up - at one point we were laughing because every single member of staff appeared to have vanished - but I fully intend to return here and give it another go. It HAS to be as good as it could be. I'm not usually apologetic over a three star review, because it's a good rating - "A-OK" is fine by me - but would break my heart if "A-OK" were truly representative of somewhere that ought to be such a delight.

    Dawn Y.

    I cant really make a rank of the cafe between these around the George Square. Spoon, Brew Lab, Peter's Yard and even the starbucks next to the sainsbury are all my first choice. Spoon have two areas, one for drinking and casual talk, another one for food. i tried the food once, which is nice but still not good price for a student lunch. but i go to Spoon to meet friends and have drinks often, and sometimes order a piece of cake. the cakes of Spoon must be mentioned because they have different selections each time you went to. so that means their cakes are fresh made everyday. The drinks are lovely, especially the hot chocolate,which is made from the real dark chocolate. You can tell it from the taste. i love the inside decoration of spoon so much. i love every detailed stuff of it. :) definitely a good choice for meeting friends or just stay there alone yourself.

    Alex L.

    I'm glad Spoon is around. I think the best part is the layout. It's a big space, and the tables are mismatched so its a good place to meet people as they can accommodate small or large groups easily, and there is an area with just couches for while you are waiting, or if you just want to go alone. (I don't think they do food in that part.) The menu is small but varied with breakfasty things which are on the cheaper side, and lunch things which are a bit higher, but not ridiculous for what they are. Also, you have to know you're paying a bit extra on everything for the place. The tea isn't great, I've gotten English Breakfast and Earl Grey, and both were lacking. Also got a flat white which was smaller than usual and quite bitter. Food is good, space is good, prices & drinks are average.

    Jonny L.

    I'd heard several people rave on about Spoon and decided to finally visit when with my mother after she helped me move into a new flat nearby. I was initially impressed with Spoon. It was a large spacious cafe bistro, with interesting pictures with chairs imprinted with maps and pages from comics. It had a sort of a tidy "bits and bobs" feel. I was also impressed by the friendly waitress. It was a big improvement from the Chinese buffet house that used be here. From then on it went downhill. The menu was small, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there was little for vegetarians. I wanted to have soup with something else but my only options were basically soup with mushrooms or some mushroom quiche. In the end I just went with the soup. Hoping it would be enough to at least temporarily fill me up, I was given one of the measliest bowls of soup ever with a little slice of bread. It tasted okay, all two sips of it. Maybe this place is named after its maximum portion size. A spoonful. I had heard this place was inexpensive (one of the reasons I was excited) for what you got but it wasn't, and my wallet was all the lighter for it. What I thought was a simple, cheap place to grab some filling lunch was a disappointing experience. I left almost as hungry as when I went in. The only other problem about this place is you are only allowed to eat with spoons. Nothing else. Even the steak. Spoons only. Okay that's a lie. But I do feel like I might as well have pocketed some of the cutlery with me to make up my money's worth. I have since heard from others that this place has gone down hill a bit, that it used to be cheaper and the portions bigger. Maybe the recession hit it hard. Maybe it will improve again. Maybe I will try again one day and just ask for coffee.

    Lauren G.

    Spoon Cafe Bistro is a quirky and pretty neat place to eat. Situated in the centre of the busy and bustling Nicolson Street, Spoon Cafe Bistro is just across the road from the main University campus George Square and is a short walk from the city centre and so it is a convenient place to reach. It looks pretty small and poky from the outside, but it is really spacious and open inside with wooden floors and lots of spaces between the tables which doesn't make it feel cramped and crowded. They have a selection of home made cakes, pastries and antipasti style dishes available. Spoon Cafe Bistro also offers soups, salads and cooked meals such as sausages for lunch, which cost about six pounds each. I come here quite a lot between my classes for a snack and a coffee, and I always have one of their home made cakes which are really beautiful, especially the chocolate brownie which is really light and fluffy which chunks of chocolate in it - yum! Spoon Cafe Bistro also offers a very sophisticated dinner menu, if a bit short, which includes braised pork, squid and aubergine stew. I think sometimes they are trying to make themselves look more posh than they really are, but the food they produce is really gorgeous.

    Amy G.

    Spoon Cafe is a trendy little Bistro located across from the Festival Theatre. My Dad took me here a couple of months ago before we went to see Scottish Ballet at the theatre, so perfect for the pre-theatre menu. The restaurant has an almost laid back, student feel to it while still trying to be quirky and sophisticated with it's mismatched chairs, bookcases and lamps. My Dad and the rest of our party all had the pate and sour dough bread for starters, which came in a cute little pot. I sampled some and was instantly jealous, giving me high hopes for the main. Firstly, the pre-theatre menu had very little choice so I felt I kind of "lumped" for my main of ham, egg and chips. Of course it was done in a very chic way with approximately 4 hand cut chips positioned perfectly on the plate. It was nice, but it was so damn salty that I couldn't finish it. I didn't add salt to the dish but the chef clearly added it by the bucket load. I was the only one to have dessert, a clementine jelly. It was refreshing and sweet, quite delicious really. This restaurant has the potential to be so much better. I'm stuck between three and four stars, so I am going to be generous and give them four due to it's reasonably priced pre-theatre menu and location.

    Coffee and cake at Spoon
    Francesca R.

    OK, this review has a slightly positive bias because I am a HUGE Harry Potter nerd and Spoon Cafe Bistro is located in the former Nicolson's Cafe, where JK Rowling first started penning her masterpiece. So if, like me, you are a fan of the HP series and are also having a touristy day/weekend in Edinburgh, this is an excellent choice for lunch as it has a direct link to that beloved series and is also handily just a 1/2 mile from Edinburgh Castle. Now, if this had just been a regular place without the patina of JK Rowling's presence giving it that extra magical glow (pun most definitely intended), I would probably have only rated it 3 stars, because the cost to food ratio just doesn't add up. The individual options are pretty inexpensive but there is not much on the plate, and so you have to order a few things to feel satisfied. This means lunch will probably cost you about £10 to £15 if you want to achieve proper fullness. And you do, if you've been tromping about the castle and are preparing for some more tromping down the Royal Mile and up to Arthur's Seat. However, it is an amiable little spot, with big bright windows, subtly kooky furnishings, plenty of seating, lovely service and very tasty food. While all those things do much to recommend the place, if you are not a mega-HP fan like myself you might leave a little miffed (and hungry) about the small portion sizes.

    Ali W.

    Ticks all the boxes and more! Spoon is a fab place to come for brunch, lunch and I think they also do dinner. The space is beautiful with a light airy feel, quirky decor, mismatched furniture which gives it a lovely comfortable living room feel whilst also remaining chic and smart. It is all open plan but they've cleverly sectioned it off with light curtain dividers. It's an idea space for large groups as well as being still quite cosy for smaller groups too. I've been a few times and again just recently where a friend and I shared a veggie grill breakfast and a lovely bowl of homemade soup. Everything on the grill was delicious - best veggie haggis I've ever tasted! I really couldn't fault it. Staff are friendly, warm and helpful. You also don't feel rushed at all and can leisurely soak in the soothing atmosphere. Prices I feel are about average for the quality and overall dining experience. Cakes look lovely and again fresh and homemade but alas we never had room... next time!!

    Fiona H.

    The original Spoon used to be a gorgeous little café, perfect for meting friends or wasting a sunday afternoon eating cake. Then they moved to Nicolson Street and tried to turn themselves into a bigger, bistro-style place, and I don't think they've really pulled it off. Being opposite the Festival Theatre means they do have a good pre-theatre menu in the evenings offerings a choice of three different starters/mains/desserts, which is really good value at £12.95 for 3 courses or £9.95 if you can only fit in 2. But what they've lost in the new Spoon is the cosy, inviting atmosphere that there was in the old place. Where they've tried to be stylish and minimalist, they've ended up being clinical and cold. It all depends what you want, personally when I go out to eat the thing I care most about is the food and not the décor. But if you're sitting with someone who clearly has their priorities the other way round, and so will not stop whingeing about it, it does end up ruining your meal.

    Gibson A.

    Spoon Cafe is a great place to go for lunch on Nicholson Street. I came across it with some friends earlier this year and we came away satisfied that we'd had a tasty, filling meal with quick service. As soon as we walked in the staff made us feel welcome and sat us at a table right away. The menu doesn't just have the usual soups and sandwiches, but also some more interesting dishes like smoked chicken salad. I went for the wild boar sausages which were served with stewed peppers. Our meals seemed to take no time to arrive and tasted amazing when they did, costing only about £6 each. I definitely recommend Spoon Cafe for great food and service at reasonable prices.

    Delicious coffee. A great place to chat with friends.
    Sam J.

    Lovely spot with good coffee, food, and amazing staff/service. A full breakfast cost me £10 which is pretty standard. It was quality food. Open floor plan but still cozy. Great big windows offer fantastic light. Weekends can be very busy with the college crowd.

    Soya latte

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    Page 1 of 2

    Spoon Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Spoon

    Situated so close to the high street I'm surprised it's not beefed up the Scotland is Great theme that everyone else seems to have sillily done.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    People searched for Coffee & Tea 126 times last month within 5 miles of this business.

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    Brasserie Prince

    Brasserie Prince

    (15 reviews)

    Old Town

    Beautiful restaurant attached to our hotel. We were exhausted from a day of exploring and just…read morewanted a nice simple dinner nearby, and we were delighted when we found this restaurant in our hotel. The seating was comfy, and the restaurant was clean and bright, with several excellent options. The restaurant is a higher end, but they have a lovely lunch/bar menu they allowed us to order from even though it was dinner time. My husband opted for a burger, and I got the Caesar salad. We also had breakfast here every morning. It was delicious, with so many options. If you have the time to order something off the menu, I'd suggest an omelet.

    A beautiful restaurant and wish I had more time to grab a coffee at their coffee bar while in town…read more My friend and i stopped in here for lunch with our 13 year old daughters because we thought it looked like a beautiful restaurant. It was beautiful indeed and the service was good. At first glance at the menu I was a little disappointed because I was in the mood for brunch type of food, but settled on the sourdough bread with crab. The crab was smothered in butter, but tasted so good...and Edinburgh had some of the best sourdough bread I've experienced! The menu was a bit sophisticated for our teens, but there was a kids menu for them to order from. They enjoyed an order of fish sticks and french fries. If I were to come back I'd probably go for dinner over lunch since I think their menu is better suited for that, but overall was a lovely meal.

    Roseleaf - fishcake & cullen skink

    Roseleaf

    (92 reviews)

    ££

    Leith

    The Roseleaf came up in a search of restaurants near the Royal Yacht Britannia. I bookmarked it…read morebefore leaving Tampa after viewing their website and reading that it was on a Netflix show called "Somebody Feed Phil." I have to be honest with you. I had no idea who Phil Rosenthal was until I saw the episode featuring local chef, Tony Singh. I just had to try the Chunky Cullen Skink based off of the recommendations of many reviewers who posted about it. I was not disappointed. In fact, it was the best local discovery of our entire trip to Edinburgh. It's located in the historic port area of Leith. It's not exactly super close to Ocean Terminal, but it's worth the walk for the experience. I could immediately tell that the building used to be a church. Actually, it's much older than that. The building dates back to 1892. It was actually a pub called the "Black Swan" before that. You'll see a stone carving of a swan above the sign at the front entrance that pays homage to it. This place was packed on a Saturday during lunchtime. Fortunately, there was room for 2 at the bar. Make reservations during peak times for a table. Otherwise, accept whatever space is left at the bar. It's a very homey kind of place. The decor has been described as quirky. I found it to be very charming with many antiquities in the background. The staff were all friendly and genuinely cared about our experience. The soup (skink) was simply amazing! To hear them say that there's not much that goes into making it is truly a humble understatement. I absolutely loved the smoked haddock, thinly sliced potatoes, and leeks. Don't be fooled by this wee cup of Cullen skink. It's very hearty & filling. It comes with the most delicious homemade bread. Even the butter was fantastic. I'm still thinking about everything that we ordered. My husband's Mac n' Cheese was also very memorable. The menu describes it as being "kissed with truffle oil" which really made it special. He added jalapeños and totally loved it, along with the beautiful side salad as well. His local Leith lager went perfectly with it. I was loving the "Hoose Brew" loose leaf tea served in a little teapot. We didn't have room for dessert. Would I go back again? Absolutely! This is exactly the kind of local experience that we seek out when traveling. It's a warm & welcoming family-run bar & restaurant with great homemade goodness. Highly recommended!!

    This was my first real restaurant stop after arriving on the UK; a friend and I picked it purely…read morebased on proximity to our Airbnb, and we were not disappointed! I ordered the Cullen Skink as my starter, and it was 1 of the best bites of my 2 week trip; the fish was flaky and wel/-cooked, as were all the other ingredients, with a lovely background of smoky, meatiness. My main was the Mac and Cheese, which was solid as well (I may or may not have burned the roof of my mouth, but that's on me!). The staff/service was excellent - no complaints. The sign outside amused me as well; I'd be happy to return.

    Harvey Nichols Forth Floor Restaurant, Brasserie, And Bar

    Harvey Nichols Forth Floor Restaurant, Brasserie, And Bar

    (23 reviews)

    £££

    New Town

    We had a fantastic early fine dining experience at Harvey Nichols during our short visit to…read moreEdinburgh. We were near a window but there's a view of the city from anywhere on the 4th floor. Service was outstanding. They were also able to accommodate my dairy allergy without any problem. The gazpacho was delicious and the stone bass was cooked perfectly. We really enjoyed the selection of ice cream and sorbet after the meal. Portions will seem a little small by American standards, tho. We thought everything was perfectly prepared and elegantly served. We regret that we weren't able to linger with a cup of coffee or after dinner drink as we had to make our way to the Edinburgh Tattoo. Maybe next time. Service was always prompt and professional. We would definitely love to return.

    Forth Floor wasn't really my cup of tea but that doesn't mean it won't be yours. This flashy…read morerestaurant is situated at the top of Harvey Nichols. - Cocktails, green smoothies, brunch and burgers are all a possibility. I went for afternoon brunch in the form of eggs florentine and a clean and green juice. I loved the juice; it was fresh and zesty, and a great pick me up. - So good that I'd slurped up every sip before the arrival of food. Oops! The eggs florentine was a decent eggs on bread offering. Although I have to say I like my eggs runnier, and the Hollandaise could have been a little thicker. Still, that's a matter of preference and, with fresh smoked salmon on the side, this made for an adequate brunch. I've no real complaints in terms of service but our waiter had gone to get dessert menus for us and had forgotten and by that point, we'd had the chance to change our minds and resist the lure of the fruit scone. Also, it would have been nice to have been offered table water. Forth Floor was a-okay for brunch but I don't think it's got anything on the plethora of independent spots available in the city. For that reason, I think I'd opt for one of those next time.

    Spoon - coffee - Updated May 2026

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