Black Medicine Coffee Company

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops. This review is taken from the 2007 edition.

The area near Edinburgh University's Southside campus is certainly not short of sandwich and coffee bars in which to grab a bite between classes. It proves a little harder, however, to find fresh, quality ingredients and a knowledge of how to combine them. But Black Medicine - with branches on Nicolson Street and Marchmont Road - manages to provide all this and more for both students and shoppers. Sandwiches, bagels and panini are crammed full of choice ingredients with no plastic cheese or limp lettuce in sight. A bagel with goat's cheese is sweetened with peppers and tomato chutney, while chicken panini are stuffed with succulent meat, peppers and two types of cheese. An exciting array of smoothies, with new recipes every month, tempts the taste buds with disguised nutrients. One area for improvement, however, is the cake selection, which consists of tray-bakes and slightly uninspired cakes. Despite the unusual décor (think natural wood and totem poles), the place has a homey feel, and regulars can often be seen congregating to chat with the staff. This can be a little intimidating at first, but the feeling quickly dispels. For a quick who's who you can always check out the quirky website, www.blackmed.co.uk. Both locations are a little different from the norm, and a welcome change from standardised chain cafés.