The original cafe on George IV Bridge, which has been shut since the tragic fire on 24th August 2021, 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 read more

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Who doesn't want to go where the birthplace of Harry Potter is? They are known for the Butterscotch Beer so we decided to go in and try it. My hubby got a hot chocolate and I got the infamous Butter Beer. It tasted like cream soda with amazing whipped cream on top. They also have an alcoholic version with Scotch. The hot chocolate came with a Sorting Hat design.There were some nice looking desserts that went by but I was too full from lunch. There can be a long queue outside but it moves quickly and they also have a take away window when you enter. Come on Potter fans! Give it a go!!! read more

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When in Edinburgh, it is one of those centrally located tourist attractions that you might want to check out for fun. We took pictures outside and ventured inside wanting to sit down for a coffee/pastry. Unfortunately, the wait was so long that we selected not to stay. We looked around the small gift shop area and selected some souvenirs. It was challenging to get someone to ring our purchase but managed to after some time. Love my new lunch bag! read more

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The current Victoria Street location of The Elephant House opened as a result of a fire (temporarily?) closing the original establishment at 21 George IV Bridge, where J.K. Rowling wrote parts of the "Harry Potter" books. As we had lunch plans elsewhere, we did not visit the restaurant (I should have taken a peek; Rowling's desk was moved here from the old location & I would've liked to have seen that.) Instead I ordered a butterbeer from the cashier of the makeshift cafe just past the entrance. Poured from a bottle & topped with store-bought whipped cream, my drink was sickly sweet; the butterbeers I've had at Universal Studios were made on-site, ruining me for all others that aren't "homemade." I appreciate the history behind The Elephant House; J.K. Rowling's stories intrigued, inspired, & entertained an entire generation of readers, however my one small purchase was a bust. read more

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Well... If you are a Harry Potter fan, then this place is a must! The place itself is quite cute, whether you want take away or to dine in. They serve butterscotch beer, an interpretation of butterbeer. The sandwich we had was delicious and I wish I could remember its name, but overall recommend any of them! We also had a scone that was delightful with clotted cream. Not only is the food good, but they have a cute memorial to Harry Potter where it is said JK Rowling wrote the books. Additionally, I loved all the drawings and writings on the bathroom walls. Really, you must go here to at least get a butterbeer and feel like you're really on diagonal alley. read more

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A must see for Harry Potter fans! See where Jk Rowling wrote parts of the books. Their butter beer was also delish! Even a boozy option. read more

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The salad was really good. The onion rings and cheese sticks were good. It was pub style food. It didn't stand out, but it was fine. Ordered a butter beer with the shot of whiskey in it. Maybe it was in there. I'm not sure. The Elephant House is fine. The staff and service were great. If you are a J.K. Rowling fan, then you will love this place. If you are not, then skip it! read more

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Is it touristy? Yes. Do they have Harry Potter things all over the place (including Harry Potter graffiti on the bathroom walls)? Yes. Is this place worth going? Absolutely. The food is reasonably priced with good portions. Extremely tasty. The service we received was very good. We came unannounced with a group of 7 and were seated pretty quickly. Are server was amazing. If you are Harry Potter fan and hungry for good food, this is the place to go. read more

The original location where JK supposedly wrote (on George IV Bridge) unfortunately had a fire and is not currently open. They have since opened another location on Victoria street and a ton of people seem to think it is the original. It. Is. Not. Still a fun little cafe with some Potter theming. Butterbeer isn't great but the food was decent. Staff are very friendly. read more

Very pretty interior. Just letting people know that this place isn't actually the original but still has a very big Harry Potter theme for the fans. Super touristy but the food is actually not bad. Their baked potato was good and the Salmon and Cream Cheese toast was good too. The salmon itself was delicious. The butter beer was okay. Servers were polite and friendly, even gave my group chocolate Easter eggs on our way out since it was around Easter time. I would only make this stop if you are a Harry Potter fan or just a tourist on Victoria Street. read more

We only had butter scotch beer and some garlic bread. It was meh. We didn't go to the original one on 21 George IV bridge as it was closed due to fire. We went to the one on Victoria street. The service was okay. The place is very small but had the desk where JK Rowling sat in at the original location and moved it over after the fire. I'm glad I tried it but don't need to do it again. read more

The Elephant House is a cozy cafe made famous as "the birthplace of Harry Potter". Author J.K. Rowling wrote the story on napkins when she was a waitress here, prior to making her millions. Although my love of HP brought me here, the ambiance and the food kept me here. My friend and I stopped by here out of curiosity intending to poke our heads in and venture on. We then looked at the menu, and loved the coziness of this cafe so we decided to get an early lunch here. I ordered the meat pie which came with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy. We also got a teapot to share. The food was so good, one of my favorites I had in Scotland! I was kind of shocked that there were some negative reviews on the Yelp page about the food lacking in flavor since my food was very properly seasoned and delicious. The tea was also great. It was the perfect stop after we had been exploring the city to rest up for a bit and recharge. If you are a fan of HP then you have to come here. It's like a pilgrimage you make as a fan. If you are not a fan of HP I think you'll find it's a lovely cafe anyway. read more

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So, visiting Edinburgh Scotland, birthplace of Harry Potter, we had to stop in at JK Rowling's favorite coffee shop, where Hogwarts and Muggles were conceived and birthed. The Elephant House restaurant was incredibly busy when we were there for lunch and reputedly always is. Packed with Harry Potter fans worldwide everyone is seeking to tap into that special magic just a little bit. Interestingly, the Elephant House carries as much or more social charity advertising as they do Harry Potter trinkets. Kind of nice to see that they use their fame and profits to make the world a better place. So, my review of EH, is really a 3+ or a 4-. That is largely resultant of the incredibly slow and poor service. The food was fine once it came, one plate at a time. We ordered but cancelled half of our dessert after waiting more than 45 minutes for a slice of cake. Total time spent once seated was nearly 2 1/2 hours to order, be served and then try to have dessert. Our server who looked a bit young and seemed overwhelmed was nice but fairly vacuous. Normally, I am fairly forgiving of these types of things but since from what I have heard this was actually a slow time for the restaurant, I think it's fair to give future Potter Fans a warning to allot plenty of time and patience. read more

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The excitement is real... I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, like how could I not come here first? I got to see the little plaques and pictures on the wall of JK Rowling, got to leave my mark on their bathrooms (HP themed graffiti), and most importantly... got to be in a place that JK Rowling had actually been in and the one she was in when she started writing Harry Potter. Apparently, back in the day she used to pay for her coffee with stories. What I would give to have been a barista at this coffee house at that time (I'd also have to have been born a lot sooner otherwise I'd be a baby barista). read more

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A tourist trap but they have decent coffee. A lot of tourists here just because this is the best place of Harry Potter where was JK Rowling's favorite coffee shop. You need to wait to be seated and the wait could be long. You pay on your way out with receipt. The bathroom is tiny with everyone left their names on the wall. Worth a visit just for a coffee read more

The Elephant House - Birth place of Harry Potter - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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We visited for a late lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and the place still seemed pretty packed so I can only imagine how busy it gets during peak hours. All the food looks so good! I decided to be a bit adventurous and order the old fashioned Scot's fish pie which was pretty good. Water is self served which is a little weird but then you never have to wait for refills. read more

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I happened upon this place while walking around Edinburgh, and I'm glad I did. It is the genesis of Harry Potter, where JKR began writing the series. You can purchase memorabilia, tea, coffee, etc. or sit in and eat. I had a lovely slice of Victoria Sponge cake that was heavenly along with Fleur's Delight, hot chocolate with Bailey's. You must wander into the bathroom. It's a bit dingy, but there are written tributes to Harry Potter and Rowling coveting the walls. read more

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I absolutely loved it here! I am obsessed with all things Harry Potter series so of course I long ago decided I'd be coming by here while in Edinburgh on my vacation. So for those of you who dont know, this cafe is where J.K. Rowling basically wrote the first Harry Potter book, while looking up from her table out the window and seeing am incredible view of Edinburgh castle. The cemetary nearby also inspired alot of her character's names in the books. I came here around 11 am and was immediately seated at low and behold, a window table looking out at Edinburgh Castle. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was when that happened! And the experience just kept getting better, as I ordered my food. I purchased a Traditional Scottish Cranachan, a plain scone, and a cinnamon flavored moo. I realized that I haven't really had any legitimate authentic Scottish food since I've been here (besides shortbread and tea) so I ordered the cranachan, which is like this warm oatmeal bar with raspberry filling and honey, with fresh whipped cream- and it was so good! I absolutely loved it. I also got a scone because I haven't had a scone since coming to Scotland and it felt like the thing to do. The scone was ok. It kind of looked like a bread roll but the texture of the inside was more like a biscuit. It wasn't like any qcone I've had back home, but it wasn't bad. And lastly, since I dont drink coffee I ordered a Flavored Moo for my beverage, which is a hot milk steamer with your choice of flavored syrup. It was pretty good but nevertheless its essentially just hot milk with a little extra. Total was 12 pounds. So really the view and the vibes & atmosphere of the cafe, along with the cranachan, made my visit here pretty amazing. So amazing that I came back the next morning and ordered a purple velvet cake slice (ube- do people here not know what ube is?) and Millionaire shortbread. The ube cake wasn't bad, but it was a little dry, and the chocolate on the shortbread was too decadent so I scraped that layer off, leaving just the caramel and shortbread, and that was good. All in all, if you're a Harry Potter fan, you must stop by! And I highly recommend selecting from the baked goods/ sweets options. read more

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Harry Potter store and cafe where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter. Small menu of English and Scottish hot items and variety of pastries. Coffees and teas and hot chocolate. Variety of Elephant branded clothing and drink related HP merchandise. Definitely worth a stop and nibble. read more

The Elephant House - Ham and cheese - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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They are lucky JK Rolling used to write there. As a food joint, I have not had worst in a while. This place is a proper scam. 1) I got a breakfast from them, and they used powdered eggs! Unbelievable! And I had to pay for it? Seriously? I cannot believe I paid for fake eggs! Tomato also badly cooked. And bacon is old. 2) coffee was horrible, lacked coffee and way too much milk 3) unfriendly staff - force us to order first while we are carrying lots of luggage 4) too Asian - im Asian myself and I found them way too much. Chinese everywhere, basically a tourist scam targeting Chinese 5) the walking tour guide told us they actually paid royalty to put "home of Harry Potter" there, in fact the real home was a cafe "Spoon" which used to be owned by JK Rolling'a brother in law Tip - go have a look at their bathroom, lots of messages there Note: they do charge you to just go in have a look read more

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If you are a Harry Potter fan, you must stop her, at least for nostalgic reasons. There's a table in the back from which you can see Edinburgh Castle, from which J.K. Rowling found the initial inspiration to write the first Harry Potter. As I look out the window at the Edinburgh castle, I can see how Hogwarts was inspired. This is a quaint little cafe with many varieties of coffee, pastries, sandwiches, soups and other simple fare. It has hard wooden floors and tables. Although it is meant as a place to eat or take things to go, they realize that some people can't wait (there's usually a line for tables) but still want to look where Rowling wrote. So they have a sign that says if you just want to look (and not order anything), to make a small donation of one pound to 'Children's International' a non-profit. I personally like this and think it's a great idea. read more

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Every Harry Potter fan's dream come true. You get to sit where JK sat to write the books we love! It was a dream, and the view out the window is amazing! I went during the afternoon and it wasn't very crowded, I imagine most of the lower reviews are because it can get busy. But it's not just ANY coffee shop, it's famous so it is to be expected. My coffee and tea were delicious and my waitress was very kind! I went two different times in the same day! read more

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Four stars for the birthplace of Harry Potter, the Elephant House coffee shop! As a potter lover, this is my Mecca. It is so cool to see pictures of JK Rowling on the walls, from the times she was creating the potter series. When you look out the rear windows, you can see where she drew her inspiration, from the Hogwarts castle, to Diagon Alley. Sooooo cool! Totally geeked out. In terms of food, you can order some traditional cafe fare, as well as Scottish dishes, like haggis balls over jelly (YUCK!). I had a Scottish coffee, whisky mixed with coffee, and it was ok at best. The service, as expected, isn't great and it took 20 minutes for someone to take our order. They sell elephant house souvenirs, which is nice, and a series of postcards of various potter-esque spots. Also, don't forget to leave some HP love on the bathroom walls! Worth the stop if you are in Edinburgh! read more

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Yes, I know this café is covered in Harry Potter-ness, but I swear, that's not why we went in. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to geek out a bit on whatever Rowling-inspired nonsense they had inside, but what made us step inside were the drinks and the sweets. We're kind of simple like that. The first thing I noticed about the café was that it was packed. The second was that it was bloody hot in there! They had two girls working the register and making drinks, but for some reason, the line stalled. Once we got to the front, we placed our orders (chai tea and a brownie for me, large latte and an apricot granola bar for him) and waited while they prepared the drinks. After paying, we turned towards the dining room and waited to be directed to a table (which I'm guessing they do to stem the tide of people). We were given a booth at the front of the restaurant, which, despite the number of pillows on the bench, was kind of unwelcoming. I think a number of bottoms over the years have smooshed the softness out of the pillows. Still, it was nice to relax a bit, especially after having just run 10 miles during the Great Edinburgh Run. The drinks were very good, and the sweets hit the spot. There wasn't nearly as much Rowling-inspired nonsense inside as I thought there'd be, but I did manage to find a collage of pictures and such. And apparently the bathroom walls are covered with notes to the author, should she ever go back. I can't speak to that personally, because I did not go in, but I glimpsed the walls when the door opened, and they definitely were covered in writing. I get my information from the Harry Potter Trail guide. This is a nice place to while away a few hours in the afternoon, over a nice warm cup and a tasty little treat. Prices seemed to be fair, as well. read more

The Elephant House - Latte, chai tea, brownie and apricot granola bar - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I was here for lunch, there were quite a lot of people, but they didn't make me wait too long to be seated :) the environment was pretty nice, no air condition though. I was sitting in front of a window so I was fine. I ordered haggis for main, hot chocolate & whiskey "elephant's treat" ,and also the ice cream. The portion is large. Ice cream was ok, the drink was nice. The haggis was........ehhhh.... you know..... same with all the other English food. Overall I had quite a nice experience. read more

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We had lunch at The Elephant House during a day wandering around Edinburgh. We had tried to go for dinner the night before, but were told they weren't serving food. Hmph. We ordered our food at the counter and were then seated in the back - not right at the window, but at a table with a decent view of Hogwarts - I mean Edinburgh Castle. ;) Hubby & I split the soup of the day - Spicy Homemade Meatball. This was our favorite thing we ate all day! YUMMERS. Spicy & hot & delicious & perfect for a cold day exploring the city. The bread that came with it was nothing spectacular. We also split the special BBQ Chicken Panini and Lamb & Mint Pie with gravy & mashed potatoes. The panini was good - but nothing spectacular or special - and the lamb pie was hot with a delicious crust. Basically everything you expect a lamb pie to be. I can see why JKR sat here. The coffees are under 2 pounds and it's cozy with, obviously, amazing views. Be sure to check out the bathrooms, which have been covered in graffiti exulting the wonders of Harry Potter. read more

The Elephant House - Front window of The Elephant House - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Chicken pie and nachos with hot chocolate. the food was good and the portions are quite big (atleast the nachos) The place is pretty but the waiting was long. Quite interesting as they suggest that Rowling found her inspiration for Harry Potter in the cafe. read more

The Elephant House - Chicken pie and potato mash - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Pros: - a lot of specialty drinks. We got the Scottish coffee and elephant treat hot chocolate (with brandy) and both tasted great! The alcoholic drinks are strong. - this is a great nostalgic place for Harry Potter fans! Cons: - the fish pie tasted awful. The steak pie and haggis were okay, but not that delicious either - we waited for 20 minutes but there were a lot of open tables when we were seated Overall, everyone is here for JK Rowling, so don't expect much for the food. read more

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We came here to see what all the fuss was about. So it seems J K Rowling was here when she started writing the first Harry Potter book. I can understand how she was able to get some peace and quiet here. Possibly because the wait staff are so "busy" that they don't come to bother you with silly things like taking your order. I still have to give it 3 stars though, only because of the Hot chocolate(Mallow delight) i had here. 2 of the stars are only for it. read more

The Elephant House - Mallow delight - A hot chocolate topped with marshmallows and cream. This bumped up the review of this place by a good 2 - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

My mistake of thinking it was going to be a magical experience, I'm not a super fan of Harry Potter, but I really enjoyed it. Average place, with no amazing food or anything, Only at the back has a great view of the back of the castle, but 90% of the coffee shops in Edinburgh have the same or better views, with great food. So, not worth the hype. read more

Step inside a cafe where the magic is real! Life is about new experiences and here, my man and I had 3 desserts. We visited on a rainy night and the place was nearly empty, but if you happen to arrive to more of a crowd, go there, it's worth the wait! Go and have a hot chocolate, a beer and some delicious, well-crafted bites. The atmosphere is so bright and it's a great place to people watch. Lots of interesting wall decor- Great service too. The hot chocolate and cake was particularly delicious on a crisp and rainy evening. read more

I'm not sure if we received the foreigner/tourist service, or if the service at The Elephant House is that poor. Family of five, stopping to grab a quick bite to eat: ordered five hot drinks (two spiked), one cheese pizza, and an order of nachos. We were given nothing in the form of cutlery. I had to use my coffee spoon to cut the pizza, as the wait staff never checked on us again. We flagged one waiter down for napkins, he brought us a stack of napkins on top of our bill. Drinks were okay, pizza was okay, nachos were better. If you are a potter fan, pay the suggested £ donation to take photos. Hungry and thirsty family, there are different establishments in the area to spend that hard earned £. We do not recommend That Elephant House. read more

The Elephant House - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

So the first time I came, I was so glad to eat such. good sandwiche with apple, mango chutney and camembert. But when I came back, it was way more good that a fast food! The service is quite bad because waiters are not good English speakers, plus, we've had a hot chocolate which was certainly some Poundland's chocolate powder, and a bit of sirup above, for £5!! Of course the bathroom is interesting, but it is not the birthplace of Harry Potter, she just wrote few chapters from the 2nd book, the idea came in her mind during a trip on a train. Anyway, at the beginning it was a warmly place, but they've made some works inside and everything looks modern and sad, fitted for tourism and people who are struggling to find a good place. Allow me to say that I deeply loved the pea soup, but I was gutted that the next one was bad, why are you hiring bad cookers like that? The salmon was full of fat, greasy and heavy in the stomach. Anyway, I should be honest so I leave a 3 star review, because SOMETIMES it's a very good place, but it's overpriced for sure, this is just a tourism place, no need to think you're a great restaurant. read more

Pro: Great coffee/specialty drinks Historic/cool photo opp Con: Long wait Food overpriced/small quantities/poor selection Service subpar gophp read more

Order placed. A coke. 1 wine. 1 cider. Meat pie. Fritters. :25 min later NOT A SINGLE ITEM HAD BEEN SENT TO OUR TABLE. We asked 3 servers for any drink item ordered. NOTHING CAME... ever. At :30 min we walked out. Extremely horrible service. Yes it's touristy. Tables around us ordered 4-6 coffee drinks. We just wanted 1 wine and 1 cider. Go for a coffee and pie. Expect nothing. read more

Yep, the birthplace of Harry Potter, JK Rowling spent time in this cafe writing her first HP novel. It overlooks the cemetery in the back, with a view of a prep school which inspired Hogwarts. There is also an old writing desk with a few drawers on the side - apparently if you pop it open, there will be paper and a pen for you to write. Some cool tidbits there, but as famous as this cafe got, I don't think the food was good though the space in the back is really nice. I ordered a mallow delight, which was "hot chocolate with a marshmallow cream". I guess I got that, but for £3.50, it was 3 packs of instant hot chocolate (Cadbury?) and marshmallows and topped with whipped cream. It was £1.50 more expensive than the regular, and incredibly sweet. I also ordered the coconut blueberry cake, which I thought was dry, and I guess it was my slice probably but it didn't have any blueberries. I had to ask what it was, since I wasn't sure if it was a square sheet cake, or a brownie, or a bar. I kept getting the reply "uh it's coconut and blueberry..". I can read, but is it a cake? A bar? Anyway I thought my snack was a bit on the expensive side for something that didn't taste very good. I also felt silly paying 3.50 for packaged hot chocolate - at least put it in a fancy looking can so I think its something a bit nicer! Maybe the other food is better, but I'm not really inclined to come back here to figure it out! read more

The Elephant House - View from the back of the cafe - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Food was good but service was somewhat slow. We did have to wait for about 10 min to be seated. We came around 10:30 AM. Our waitress was very nice though. I had the ham and cheese with tomatoes croissant which was enjoyable. We also had a slice of carrot cake, which was dry. We went here solely because this was where J.K. Rowling wrote some of Harry Potter. It was a nice experience but would not do it again. read more

The Elephant House - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Love the tributes to JK in the bathrooms but, oddly, our favorite purchase was the scented candles near the register. The one that smells like baby powder is heaven. We've had so many compliments. read more

I find the purple yam cake really tasty, has a hint of coconut scent to it and not too sweet at all. The scone is good as well. Came here on a late afternoon, less people. No wait. Good place to sit down to sip a tea with some sweet treats read more

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This is a fun place to have a coffee or hot chocolate while in Edinburgh. I got the hot coconut milk which I liked. My friend liked the affogato and my other friends enjoyed their spiked hot chocolates. I got to try tiffin which is a Scottish dessert that reminds me of fruit cake. We got to see the spot where it is said JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter. Through the window you can see Edinburgh Castle. The bathroom is kinda fun with sharpied notes fans have written to JK Rowling. One said "I get sleezy for Ron Weesley" haha. This places has good dessert drinks and is cool for Harry Potter fans. read more

The Elephant House - Affogato, spiked hot chocolates, and hot milk and some desserts. I tried tiffin for the first time. - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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