If you're in Portobello and don't stop at The Beach House, you're doing life wrong. This place has…read morethe kind of ocean view that makes you rethink your job, your diet, and your decision to ever leave. I ordered the Turkish eggs and a flat white, and honestly, it felt like brunch therapy. Everything was fresh, rich, and way too good for the price. Then I made the mistake of looking at the pastry case. The cookie I "just wanted to try" was gone before I made it back to my seat, and I briefly considered pretending I dropped it so I could justify getting another. The staff are friendly but efficient in that "we actually like working here" way you don't see often. Even when it's busy, the vibe is relaxed, like everyone collectively agreed to stop being in a hurry. If you're looking for a café with great food, a killer view, and cookies that could end relationships, The Beach House is it.

This place was so cute and had a wonderful view of the beach. The food here was fabulous - I got a…read morefalafel toast that was delicious. The tea was also great and the hot cocoa was on another level. The service was great as well - very friendly. Definitely a popular spot but it's a lot bigger than it looks.

Great little fish and chippy right on the prom. The cafe is owned by a Chinese family and they are…read moreso welcoming and friendly it's worth a visit just to meet them :-) We took my Gran here for fish and chips last summer and she's still raving to all her little friends how good it is.

This is probably one of the best places to have traditional fish and chips in Edinburgh. Get the…read more"Fish Tea" it comes with a pot of tea and bread. The food is cooked fresh and tastes great. The cafe has kept its traditional interior and there is a splendid view of the Portobello beach and seafront. The staff are so very friendly and we felt most welcome. I can really recommend it for all age-groups (we were a family group of grandparents, children and parents)

The Skylark coffee shop/bar is conveniently located off Portobello High Street, near the local…read moreSainsbury. As I was exploring the street, looking for the next ideal place to enjoy lunch I came across this Bistro. Luckily I avoided the masses of school children, who also appeared to stroll the roads for their preferred lunch. Looking at the menu displayed in one of their large front windows, I was satisfied to enter and took a seat. The waitress was quick to hand me their lunch menu. They offered croissants with different fillings, soup, egg variations, salads......nothing really that called out to me. However, the Hot Chocolate with marshmellows and cream sounded delightful enough. I also ordered a slice of marble cake. For both items I paid £5.40. Personally I thought this to be a bit overpriced as the Hot Chocolate was served in a regular cup and the cake a bit dry. Having said this, I loved the milky Hot Chocolate and it would be fab to see it served in a mug. I also noticed that in the evening the place might convert into a bar and saw all the various cocktails on their drink list: Mojito, long island tea....the typical cocktail list! Besides individual glasses they also offer cocktail jugs from £16 upwards. I think that's definitely worth trying out! The staff is really friendly. Not sure if they have toilets. I could not see a sign. The place is ideal for locals and tourists meeting up with friends or just a wee rest from a stressful day.

The Skylark has a really nice, laid back feel to it. I wish their food was better, though, as the…read moredishes I had just didn't quite hit the mark. Portobello has a number of good little places, and this is one to add to that list, but it's perhaps better just to pop in for a coffee or a drink. Overall, we said: "I thought that The Skylark had real potential, particularly as a relaxing Sunday afternoon spot, as the place has a smart and understated charm. However, the food needs marked improvement. It was just all too meek for its own good. It was rather reminiscent of Cafe Milk, in that regard. With a significant dose of chutzpah, they could develop a really attractive offering. For now, there are other places in this neighbourhood that make a better case for meriting a visit."

Really good pizza, with original toppings and tasty bases. My boyfriend introduced me to this…read moreplace, and I think I'm going to keep returning...

The Blue Bean Coffee House is certainly one of the better places in Portobello to go for a quick…read morebite to eat and a warm cup of coffee. With it being on the High Street, this place does not have the luxury of the peace and quiet that other coffee houses have which are located nearer the beach. However, when inside, you become less aware of the busy traffic. The coffee house itself is quite small inside with a relaxing, laid back atmosphere. The coffee was not very expensive at all, and when I was looking around I found that this place offered a lot more than just your normal coffee. On top of a range of hot drinks, this place also offers small bites to eat including soup and small sandwiches. When I was in, the coffee House was not full, but was certainly getting busier when I left during the mid afternoon. A laid back atmosphere which is always nice when having a coffee.

This is a good place to get a well priced coffee, tea or hot chocolate, but I wouldn't come here…read morefor anything more than that as the prices can be a bit steep when it comes to food. For a cappuccino, it only costs £1.75, which is very reasonable and tastes nice and frothy. But when I looked at the food menu, I thought that I would wait and go somewhere cheaper for my lunch. The cheapest sandwich that they do is £4, and although it has a lot of fresh ingredients in it, i would much prefer if they would do some basic sandwiches and charge these more modestly. They do a range of other food such as baked potatoes, soups and all day breakfasts. The shop itself is pretty small, but there is a couple of tables outside, which could be put to good use on a nice Summers day.

Bought a £33.00 Steak pie for New Year's Day. Two bites rest in bin. Worst steak pie ever. Sorry…read moremight have caught you on a bad day as your reputation precedes you. Sorry to say dire.

I should be saying I like healthy stuff, I do but sometimes you can't beat a roll 'n' sausage or…read moresome black pud, especially the morning after the night before's over-indulgence. Being Gluten Free, my unhealthy world was somewhat limited until the move to the Burgh. Yes Findlay's, the saviour of my hangover's, I love you! From mucho varieties of sausage (herby, plain, pork, beef, Italian, Spanish just to name a few) to white and black puddings and haggis, there are lots of options for the gluten free gourmet. Have tried four varieties of the sausages, they are fab. All perfectly flavoured and packed full of meat, unlike the 'evil' supermarket versions which are packed full of non meaty extras. The black pudding is just perfect - lightly spiced (not overpowering like some versions) and has converted some non pud eaters, so the requests for some to be despatched West have been received. The daddy of them has to be the haggis. Didn't make it to Findlay's for my own GF Burns' supper, but hell, I'm Scottish and always have whiskey in the bottle, so Burns' night is now April. Gorgeously, moist and spiced haggis, which hasn't dried out as cheaper versions do - just pure class :-) Prices are reasonable too, instead of the usual 'its GF so we'll massively overcharge you for it because we know you'll pay it', it was about £2.50 for black pudding and around £4 for haggis but I bought a few different things at the time so don't quote me exactly on this! Well worth a visit - they have a good reputation for 'normal' products, but for GF products, they are fab :-D

While the nearby Morrison's had some decent gluten-free food (in the "free from" section, like I…read morewould have known that!), I heard that ASDA is huge. And there's a bus that takes you straight there. So off I went... Only upon arrival did I see the Wal-Mart sign next to it. Well, at least the prices will be cheap, right? I was starving so went to the cafe, where the lines were long, food was nearly out, and the tables a mess. To their credit, the poor workers were doing their best to keep the lines moving and tables tidied up, but just too many people making a big mess as they went along. The interior of the store was pretty cold, and the "free from" selections not much greater than Morrison's (although the freezer section had GF fish for fish and chips, meatballs, pizza, burritos, and the Amy's line of organic foods). I poked around the rest of the store and found the clothes line to be rather dated (Wal-Mart and Target in the US are vastly better) and lots of cheap home goods that's probably OK if you can't make it out to IKEA. Not worth a second visit; maybe it's time to see what Tesco and/or Sainsbury's has to offer.

Not quite as pure evil as its parent company Walmart, Asda has still never been a favourite with…read moreme. I found this branch to not be much better. There's nothing terrible about this Asda, but it has enough faults to make you want to shop elsewhere. Why Asda and not elsewhere? Like its other chains, Asda is a bit more expensive, and the quality isn't as good for most of its fresh produce. If I really must shop at a supermarket, I might as well justify it by its super cheapness or utter convenience. The better part of my soul might resent my local Tesco, but at least I have a good economic reason for going there. They might not oppose unions like Walmart, but I would still rather shop elsewhere.

Lovely quick lunch, tasty dishes, fresh orange juice, fairly priced, quick and nice service what…read moreelse do you need? Crispy polenta with toppings was perfect, fresh, well seasoned, super tasty, Just couldn't fault it.

I've been eyeing up this place for a while, but with so many other excellent lunch or cake cafés…read morearound it took a while! I came in on a saturday around 4 to have a late lunch. I had some kind of mozzerella pancetta creation, which was amazing. Paired with a cappuchino this only came down to a fiver, so it's excellent value! Because I'm a European, I do like a dessert after my lunch, and I opted for the almond raspberry tart. It was very tasty, not too dry as you might expect. This place will give the Manna House a run for its money! There is good chilled music on and some local art on the walls which i always think is cool, but if that doesn't tick your box why not stare at the italian delicatessen, sausages and cheese on show! The staff is friendly and quick and the clientèle are mostly locals. I'll be back here again!

The Barrelhouse is a recent addition to the Edinburgh bar scene, previously was Jocks Lodge, a bar…read morethat was to be avoided. Now has the same owner as the highly successful Espy in Portobello. Managed by Richard and his crew, they won Bar of the year from the Star Pubs organisation (in spite of some fierce competition from the other 500 bars in the group) who are their landlords. The pub is a slightly quirky addition to the Edinburgh pub scene, with a solid real ale selection, and some great whiskies and gins. The menu is a diverse and changes regularly. Well worth checking out.

Wow! I know it's not fair to credit somewhere because of inadequacies of its predecessors but…read moreBarrelhouse deserves lots of credit for taking on the poison chalice of the infamous Jock's Lodge, nightmare mafia pub. So now we have a cool southern US style BBQ joint which does great food with excellent service. Big portions - wings, burgers, etc - at a reasonable cost (burger £8). Kids options (£3). Reasonable beers. Decent coffee. No wi-fi as yet and cash only but BT is promised to be booked in. Loved it here.

Hidden gem alert!…read more Sadly I am just discovering Spoilt for Choice. This place is a delicious mix of African and Caribbean food. I ordered for delivery and I am happy to say the food was hot and tasty. It is great that they have a wide delivery range and even though I live pretty far from their restaurant I still had my food 20 minutes before the estimated delivery time, in under an hour! The range of food here is huge, so you really have to look over their menu well. I found everything to have quality ingredients, perfect amount of spice and tang, and nothing greasy or oily. Happy to say that when you order something 'hot' it is truly hot! No wimpy heat here. The yassa and fried plantains are a dream and perfect with the jollof rice. Also a huge fan of the corn fritters, which are like perfect balls of cornbread, and the amazing banana bread. We just found our new go-to delivery place!

Jerk chicken and coconut rice were both really good. Only let down was the hour and a half wait…read more I'd order again but do it further in advance next time!