Spirit Café

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses: £6
• House wine: £3.50 (small bottle, 25cl) per bottle

• High point: Lovely conservatory to sit in
• Low point: Tourist prices
• Food served: Mon-Sun 9am-4.30pm
• Open since: 2006
• Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least 25% of menu), Childrens portions, Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access, Take away

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

You can't get much closer to the heart of tourist Edinburgh than Spirit Café, which is cheek-by-jowl with Edinburgh Castle and upstairs from the Tartan Weaving Centre. It even shares its space with a Military Tattoo exhibition and gift shop. Fight your way through the tartan extravaganza to a smart self-service café and a light, airy conservatory area. Select from a good range of freshly prepared options such as soup, baguettes, sandwiches and cakes. On hand are favourites such as bacon, lettuce and tomato, or the more unusual sweet chilli chicken with roast peppers, served on a crusty brown baguette, delivering a satisfying char-grilled flavour. There are also panini, toasted sandwiches or baked potatoes with fillings such as tuna mayo or prawns. Considering its location, the menu is surprisingly non-Scottish, but there are a few signature dishes including haggis, neeps and tatties, or home-made steak pie. Little chunks of smoky bacon and mild, creamy brie are a successful addition to a bowl of Scottish mussels - a touch salty, but cleanly presented with yeasty bread to mop up the accompanying white wine sauce.