It seems like unfortunately the Blue Bear isn't as amazing as it once was, but it is still fun to visit. It's always extremely busy so is recommended to book ahead. On this visit the service was extremely slow for coffees and the actual breakfasts took ages. Unfortunately the cinnamon swirl was dry for Tanja R and Anita A, the black pudding was also a bit dry for Mason R, and the waffle batter was sickly sweet for me - topped with maple syrup it was just way too sweet. It's still fun to visit the Blue Bear but it seems that it's not as great as it once was. read more

The Blue Bear - Omelette with chorizo was tasty - Cafes Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

This was such a sweet little cafe near our Airbnb. We liked it so much, we returned three times after discovering it! If you have a family with kids, you won't be disappointed. The brioche French toast was scrumptious--our kids ate an entire plateful (which is rare, as they are super picky and usually starve on international trips because the syrup isn't real maple, the bacon is "weird" and the eggs are "too yellow", for example). I had the eggs Florentine which was my favorite, and hubby had the omelette. The other bonus with kids was the fact that they have a selection of board games to keep them busy while they waited. You can't go wrong here as a traveling family. read more

The Blue Bear has kind of become Yelp Edinburgh's unofficial Sunday morning living room, and with good reason. The staff are awesome, the coffee is strong and the food is consistently brilliant. Nothing particularly fancy - eggs benedict is a favourite, alongside waffles and a good range of pastries - but always done absolutely perfectly and for a good price. It's also child-friendly, dog-friendly and has a counter stacked with board games. What more could you ask for? The only downsides are a direct result of the Blue Bear's awesomeness. If it's a miserable rainy morning, its tricky to get a table because half of north Edinburgh gets the same idea. For the same reason, arrive too late and the popular items are likely of be off the menu (I take a finite supply of ingredients to be a good sign in itself). Top notch. read more

Great little cafe! Excellent lattes and cappuccinos. Large breakfast selection. Incredible service.

Such is this cafe's reputation that prior booking is the norm for Sunday breakfast or brunch. This morning was my first visit and the BF raved about the Eggs Rebecca. For myself, still feeling a little fragile the morning after the morning after, and two large weekend dinners, small, simplicity and tasty was what I craved. The lovely staff were 100% relaxed about this (I felt a little guilty not to be trying the waffles, granola or veggie cooked breakfast all of which sounded great). My granary toasted bagel with thick, yummy cream cheese and a side of dressed salad and potatoey crisps was made and presented with as much care as the Eggs Rebecca, and it hit the spot! Will definitely go back and make sure I work up an appetite first. read more

The Blue Bear - Cafes Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Really affordable and so cute! The meaty breakfast burrito is so good and the service is quick. I would recommend this to anyone looking for fantastic food and an affordable price read more

Perfectly good place to sit a weary bum for an hour or two. I ordered tea and a tray bake and it arrived in good time. The teabag was a standard Twinings and I'm not sure if the tray bake was home-made or not, but it was also, you know, fine. The other half ordered a muffin and smoothie, but when the muffin arrived it looked a bit small and sad. As I didn't order any of the famed breakfast food, maybe a repeat visit would up my star ranking. But I probably wouldn't make an effort to come back here as it's not my side of town so the breakfast may have to wait. However, it's a nice enough stop and the staff were extremely friendly and accommodating, so a definite bonus for the customer service. read more

My first eggs benedict and experience at dinning at the cafe. It was amazing and delightful place to eat for brunch. read more

The Blue Bear - eggs benedict - Cafes Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Friends listen up! You need not go any further for a better all day breakfast or brunch experience. The Blue Bear is a cosy place. Original art on the wall (for sale). Free WiFi. They have ample seating in the front and back room. It may get busy, but to ensure a table you can also reserve your table. I like that they encourage you to have a playful time with the amount of games on offer. Trivial Pursuit anyone? Or Ludo? I am also very pleased that they are willing to take on 'experimental' personal orders. I had the Waffles with (crispy!) Bacon & Maple Syrup and added fresh banana and strawberries. (trust me that combination is awesome!) In addition I ordered a Bloody Mary and that was brilliantly spiced and served with all the required condiments. The prices are reasonable and I have now found my go to place for weekend scrumptions! - This is easily a place where you can take your friend, mum, family and sports team for hearty or sweet 'pick me up' or play some games. I. Like. A. Lot. read more

Lured in by a Yelp brunch, I had heard great things from people who had been before. The rest of my party were all delighted but I was not... The menu was somewhat short on gluten-free options but being a Sunday morning I thought to opt for a modified breakfast. I asked if I could have an adaptation that missed out any glutenous items - haggis, black pudding, potato scones, toast, and possibly the sausages. I was told, after checking with the kitchen, that the sausages were indeed unsafe and that they had run out of gluten free bread so there was no toast. Fine, just give me a plate full of whatever is safe! My double macchiato was delivered - more like a very small latte, full to the brim so it ended up spilling - and in time breakfast appeared, with the black pudding, sausage and potato scones on the plate. I queried this and it was taken away, returning without the offending items. I was quite happy to have bacon, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and beans, and these were all quite lovely. As this left the plate rather more bare than it might have been I assumed that I would be charged less. But no. The place is nice, the service was friendly and the food is tasty. But if you're needing anything different it might not be ideal. read more

My husband and I were traveling from the States and found this place on Yelp while we were out exploring for the day. It was excellent. We went on Father's Day for a late breakfast and despite being packed we were seated quickly and had great service. My husband ordered the traditional breakfast - complete with our first taste of haggis and black pudding - and it was all very fresh and delicious. I wasn't as hungry so I had a bowl of porridge with fresh fruit compote, which was amazing!! We were blown away by how fresh everything tasted with a very "mom's kitchen" homemade vibe. Overall this was a super cute space with delicious, fresh food. read more

I am so in love with this fuzzy wuzzy bear. The owners and the staff are so lovely and completely go out of their way to make you feel relaxed and at home when you visit. I cannot fault the food. The Eggs Benedict is delicious, as is the bacon and cream cheese bagel. The Blue Bear is probably first on my list for choice of venue for coffee, brunch and probably even lunch. If you haven't already been go, GO NOW! read more

I truly can't remember having a better time at brunch. I'm sure part of it was the novelty of Scottish delicacies, but even controlling for that The Blue Bear Cafe was simply incredible. After spending a significant chunk of the last year trying out all kinds of brunch places in New York City, I had thought I had brunch figured out. After having a Scottish explosion of haggis, black pudding, potato scone, meet traditional eggs, bacon, toast, then topping it all off with portobello mushrooms and grilled cherry tomatoes I couldn't even get to the delicious waffle I had ordered in a spell of American ignorance. Damn! read more

The Blue Bear - Boom! - Cafes Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Amazing food and service! The French toast is especially delicious as it is made with brioche served with Nutella, banana and nuts! Food here was memorable. I like to try different foods when I travel but this breakfast left me wanting more of the same. read more

The Blue Bear - Cafes Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Thanks Jenny L for reminding me I need to update my review after the Yelp night we had here. I do really like the Blue Bear - it'd be even better with gluten free pancakes that they gave us on the Yelp night but they won't do them - though I keep trying to change this when I visit :-) The omelet is pretty decent and they do gluten free bread for toast which is a winner for me but I'm not a huge egg fan (I know I like omelette's but not eggs boiled, fried, poached, scrambled, etc) so the menu can create a few issues for me. Heaven for me would be gluten free pancakes/potato scones but not seen anywhere that offers a big breakfast that is able to do this, though I know other yelpers rate the big breakfast here highly. Staff are friendly and at pains to make sure you are having a great time which is lovely to see as some places the food can be great but the service less so. Last time we were asked 5 times though which was a bit much. The Blue Bear isn't exactly local for me but in good brunch terms, nowhere is so I'm happy to make the trek to Cannonmills for an omelet brunch :-) read more

That was some breakfast - three types of pigs, haggis and so on. A feast and no mistake. I'd been to this place in a previous incarnation and liked its intimacy and high standards of food, but with the Blue Bear makeover I'd say these qualities have been taken on a level. This isn't a big place, but there's plenty going on and the staff are clearly keen to make every party or couple or group or loner equally loved and cared for. Everyone in my party enjoyed their food too, which arrived hot and in good time. I'm intrigued by the back garden - presumably shared between numerous properties in the Edinburgh style. There's a fairly large trampoline out there, lying askew on a 20-30 degree grass slope: that's not going to end well. As a diner I wasn't given the chance to witness anyone testing it out though. Maybe next time. read more

I've now been to the Blue Bear twice, and I've really enjoyed the food there. The first time I had the eggs benedict, which unbelievably is the first time I've ever had it. The next time I had the waffles with bacon and maple syrup...yum! I brought visiting family with me the second time and they LOVED their food too! The owners are really friendly and welcoming too, which is always a plus. I'll definitely go back again. read more

The Blue Bear - Cafes Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

I LOVE the Blue Bear. Like, really, The food they serve is great, I recommend the pita bread with hummus when you are just in small hunger. I can't say anything to the coffee, cause I can't drink hot drinks, but it LOOKED tasty. But the best about the Blue Bear is the staff. They are so nice and you have the feeling like you came to your close fruends and they are really comforting you. I think any more words would be prating, so I just keave it with: Go there for Breakfast, you will enjoy it. read more

I had high expectations based on the Yelp reviews and pictures but left disappointed. The service was good and the staff was friendly. We waited a while for our food (at least 20 minutes) but they were busy at the time so it's understandable. The disappointing part of the experience was the food. I got the vegetarian breakfast and my wife got the eggs Benedict. We had three poached eggs between us and all three were overcooked. One of them had a yolk that was slightly runny and the other two were solid. Much of the vegetarian breakfast appeared to have been assembled from pre-made processed foods. My toast wasn't warm enough to melt the butter smeared on it and the veggie sausages weren't browned much and didn't have any texture. While I don't need a gourmet experience for every meal, I was expecting more for the price I paid. read more

We had a great brunch here. I would recommend it. The staff are very friendly. I had French Toast with berries and cream - yum. Also the coffee was really good. read more

Wonderful service and yummy food. We headed to Blue Bear for brunch. After a lovely walk along the canal, we arrived and were greeted by a friendly Australian accent. Unfortunately in Edinburgh we've experienced many poor service restaurants and we were thrilled Blue Bear broke the mold. Everyone was friendly and prompt- we enjoyed the French toast and an omelet- the omelet was especially note worthy. We look forward to returning! read more

Fantastic breakfast place! Friendly staff, great coffees, and wonderful breakfast dishes. I had the Eggs Royale: fresh English muffin that's been perfectly toasted, rich smoked salmon of the best Scot kind, perfectly poached eggs and decadent, masterfully executed hollandaise sauce! Just £7.95 for this gourmet breakfast in a very cool Sunday morning atmosphere! read more

The Blue Bear - Eggs Royale just £7.95 - Cafes Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Amazing place for a brunch. Be there early on sunday if you want a place. The food is really good and the quantity large! A nice experience. read more

Wonderful. Lovely atmosphere, friendly and efficient staff, the biggest range of breakfasts I've seen anywhere (they even have an Eggs menu), perfectly cooked food and decent prices. Would recommend this as the best place to get brunch in Edinburgh. I don't want this place to get much more popular though, otherwise I'll not get a seat - so keep it on the DL! About 75% of the tables were already reserved when we showed up just past 9am on Sunday. read more

Been here twice and I can totally recommend the Veggie Bear breakfast plate, it's truly delicious. The eggs Benedict were a disappointment though as they were overcooked. The drinks are pretty underwhelming as well. No fresh juice and no high quality teas as in other places in the vicinity. read more

The Blue Bear - The Veggie Bear. Absolutely great. - Cafes Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

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This restaurant is truly exceptional. Each time I have been the service is immaculate and the staff are always cheerful and helpful. The service is brisk and the food delivered promptly to the table even in busy times. However, I could easily spend an hour or more here. Dogs are welcome and there is a pile of boardgames in the back, so the atmosphere is relaxed and nifty. My partner gets the scrambled eggs and smoked salmon when we go and he cannot stop talking about it in between visits. All of the dishes I have tried have been excellent, particularly the Eggs Florentine. A minor quibble is that the vegetarian baked eggs were not as advertised; they were very heavy on the tomatoes and thus very acidic. read more

I was a visitor from the United States. These people gave me my first ever Haggis and Black Pudding! The waiter introduced me to 'brown sauce' to eat with them, something I never heard of before. The food was great and so was the ambiance and service. It was an overall excellent experience! Thanks to the staff for introducing an American to your culture! read more

Love the Blue Bear and one of my favourite places in Edinburgh for brunch. Ben and Jemma are lovely and the cafe always has a vibrant atmosphere. You can choose anything on the breakfast menu without going far wrong, but the Big Bear and, Eggs Royale (Benedict with Smoked Salmon) and French Toast with Bacon are all excellent. read more

I visited the cafe on my trip to Edinburgh. Great breakfast food. Owners are super friendly. Their hot chocolate is very good. The food was excellent. Definitely come back again!! read more

Ate here three times during a week trip! The Full Scottish breakfast (build your own) was delicious. The waffles and bacon, waffles and banana were good, too. Friendly service, casual atmosphere. Games to play in the back, and the place allows you to bring in your dog. Great cafe for brunch. read more

Oh my HEAVENS, this place was wonderful. I ordered the banana french toast, and it was incredible. There were multiple pieces of bread stacked high on my plate, which made me guffaw at first glance. I ate most of it, though (how could I not??), and I let my husband have my leftovers. He loved it too. This was definitely the best french toast I've had in a long, long time--maybe even ever. The atmosphere is nice, and the staff were friendly too. I absolutely recommend trying this for breakfast if you are able! read more

Being the lucky girlfriend of the winner of the yelp art competition, Roberto, I got to accompany him for a free brunch at the blue bear. We picked the right day, it was incredibly sunny, and walking to our prize was a real pleasure. We got a booking at 11am. I called in advance the day before to check whether they could cater for my gluten intolerance. The answer: "of course!" We got the best seats, those right next to the window. Great for people watching... Unfortunately no people walked past as everyone was probably in the park! The staff on hand weren't Ben and Jemma who we met at the Yelp event, but they were equally friendly and attentive! We were told we could order anything from the menu... Difficult, considering how many things there are on offer: French toast, pancakes, waffles, granola, fruit, yogurt, English muffins, cereal, pastries... And so much more! Everything you could possibly want for breakfast! After taking a long look at the menu, we both decided to get the veggie breakfast. This was quite a novelty for me, as I have never had brunch, and don't usually go for British flavours. For Robbie this consisted of: Eggs (he had the choice to have them fried, poached or scrambled, he picked the latter), two veggie sausages, a potato scone, a piece of chunky (homemade-looking) toast, two grilled portobello mushrooms, 6 grilled tomatoes (still on the vine!), a veggie haggis, baked beans, a tea and an apple juice. I had the same, minus the apple juice, tea, bread, potato scone and haggis, add two slices of gluten free toast, an illy cappuccino and an orange juice. There were plenty of sauces available, I went for HP, Robbie went for butter and mayonnaise. When the food arrived I thought "I can do this, no problem!" As we began eating, we started feeling bad for having overestimated our abilities to chomp through this much food. I had a better advantage being without the potato scone and the notoriously heavy veggie haggis. Everything was cooked very well and in a healthy manner in comparison to some greasier joints in town. It was nice to not see so much oil on my plate! The sausages were delicious, I loved how the tomatoes came still on the vine, and the portobello mushrooms were also very good. I would like to know which gluten free bread they use, as I actually couldn't tell the difference between it and some gluten containing brands. There are plenty of seeds and it feels less sweet and more fiber-some than most. Giving myself a pause from eating, I took a walk around the cafe and checked out the Yelper art work, it really is on the wall! Eventually I was defeated by the eggs and half of the very generous serving of cappuccino, but managed everything else. Robbie, the winner, managed to eat everything. It did count as breakfast and lunch though... It's okay, we walked it off afterwards. Being such a beautiful day we decided to spend a couple of hours in the nearby Botanic garden. Having been here twice now, rest assured the blue bear is consistently good. We will definitely be coming back here to try out some other offerings from the menu, perhaps a good place to take some relatives or friends when they visit? I seriously love the way yelp introduces me to things I wouldn't usually try. If you fancy a very well prepared, relatively healthy breakfast/brunch, do try out the blue bear. The service here is really superb, as is the food. read more

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Great service and good food! The poached eggs were perfect and as a culinary student I know how tricky they can be! Loved all the games and ping pong table downstairs! read more

Came here twice while in Edinburgh. Got the omelette the first time and it was great. Order the build your own bear the second time with poached eggs that came out hard. However, they were more than happy to fix it and brought out another set for free. Great customer service and very friendly staff. read more

Great spot - landed this morning and wanted to grab a late Scottish brunch. Waiter introduced haggis to us and we tried a side of it, which was surprisingly pretty good (have to try once). The Scottish smoked salmon is a 10, any egg combination with it I would highly recommend. Great priced menu as well. read more

A delight to have eaten here. My boyfriend had big bear breakfast and I had the french toast with maple syrup and bacon. Yum!!! Definitely a satisfying meal and left us with happy tummies. Coffee was just ok but food made up for it! I would definitely recommend going. It is a bit off the beaten path so be prepared to walk but along the way there are a bunch of little antique shops that made the walk interesting! read more

It's my to-go brunch place every time I go to Edinburgh. Super cozy and the food is superb!

i am shocked that i seem to have not yet reviewed this lovely place!! i'm actually rather disappointed with myself as The Blue Bear is a fantastic wee brunch place that serves brunch all day! in fact it specialises in all things good about breakfast: waffles, pancakes, full breakfasts, omlettes, and eggs benedict! they also have some amazing brunch cocktails, the breakfast martini is delicious :) i've sadly only been here twice, once for an AMAZING elite event where the friendly owners seemed to bring a never ending supply of delicious breakfast foods out to us. and very kindly for me they mixed up a special bowl of fruit and yogurt since i was celebrating passover and couldn't eat bread. i swore to myself i'd be back here as soon as i could have bread again but then months passed before i got a chance to go. luckily ms kelly f suggested brunch here a few weeks back and i was in! i was also late in meeting kelly which the owner joked about as she was waiting for ten minutes. but that's the sort of place this is, where the owners are friendly and genuinely happy to see you and chat about life or make a joke to keep their customers smiling. it gives such a great vibe to the restaurant and makes it a real pleasure to go. then there is also the food! the menu is all brunch all the time, love it!! i had the full veggie when i went and throughly enjoyed it. fluffy scrambled eggs, roasted cherry tomatoes, veggie sausages, potato scone, toast, and beans. a massive portion for a small price. i think it was only about £8 including my pot of tea! brilliant value for such tasty food. just writing this review is already convincing me that i need to go back soon!! next time it's the eggs florentine i'm after!! read more

Great food great service! They serve breakfast all day which is a plus for me as it is my favorite. They had never heard of a michelada and thought my husband was crazy but they made one for him anyways and it turned out good. read more

The Blue Bear - Cafes Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

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Visited based on previous reviews, for a spot of brunch with my girlfriend. It was busy but there where tables free, however the host seemed nervous about seating us and after some time said he could 'sneak us in under radar' as there was some reservations made, he didn't seem particularly warm and welcoming and we felt like we where an inconvenience to be frank. Food was decent and well priced, I had the French toast and my other half had the veggie breakfast. Coffee was solid, although I asked for a cappuccino and got what looked and tasted like a latte, my girlfriend got a hot chocolate which was cold. Overall the food was decent, service wasn't great, the saving grace was it wasn't that expensive. read more