The Water of Leith Café Bistro

Love this place! My favourite is the Croque Madame but the specials are always delicios too. Hearty, simple, flavoursome French food. Can't beat the prices either.

This is such a great place to go - whether for a cup of tea and gorgeous cake, a leisurely lunch or a delicious dinner. The food is consistently good and plentiful with all tastes catered for. I have been visiting since it opened and I have never been disappointed; it's become a great family favourite. But it's not just about the food - Ana is the most welcoming host and I have never seen her anything other than cheerful. She is so friendly and seems to remember everyone - it does make you feel special! Long may you stay in Leith.

Hi, Ana from the Water of Leith Cafe here.
Thank's to everyone for your posts about our wee Cafe, we really appreciate both the positive and negative feedback, it is important to know how our customers feel about their visit.
I know it takes a few minutes for the scones and muffins to come to the table, and I know that coulis and creme Anglaise first thing in the morning may be a bit much, but we love to spoil our customers! The scones too benefit from a nice warm through, even though they are fresh made every morning, they just seem nicer warm with lovely butter and homemade jam.
However, we do appreciate that some customers might be in a bit of a hurry, if so, let us know and we will be super quick with your order and get you fed, watered and on your way!
Also regarding the coffee, I had a lovely blokey from our coffee company come in and give me a few pointers, so hopefully there will be more consistency on this front too.
Kindest regards too all our lovely customers :)

Lovely place and lovely food but be careful not to mistake it for a cafe. A scone or muffin will take 5 minutes in the kitchen being heated and served on a dinner plate with garnish and icing sugar ..which seems a tad ridiculous with a coffee at 10am. The coffee varies between between perfectly drinkable and Scottish style boilded milk disaster.
I'd take my mum for lunch in a flash

We have been visiting the Water of Leith regularly since it opened, and it has quickly become one of our all-time favourite places to eat. The service there is just so warm and friendly, nothing is ever a problem, and we are always made to feel completely at home. The food is first-class, thanks to the talented French chef, and we're especially partial to the breakfasts (poached eggs are amazing). Based on all of this, we recently booked the Water of Leith for a private dinner for a family celebration, and it exceeded our expectations on every level. The food, the service, the attention to detail - these guys are brilliant at what they do. Long may they grace the local food scene.

Love this place! So good to hear its just won best newcomer award - fully deserved. P.s the breakfast rolls are to die for. I wish they were available all day!

Good to see this place has arrived in The List. It is a real find. I've been several times since it opened, and the food is always excellent. There's a good, varied menu, with gorgeous home baked cakes and desserts. The owners are really friendly and have created a great atmosphere. There's a great selection of toys kept in a section with armchairs, where your child can play while you have a a few minutes to enjoy your food and beverages. My one year old particularly loves it, (especially 'the slope') and one of the owners, Ana, is always very welcoming to him. There is very much a French flavour to the food - and we have eaten some great French dishes from the specials board, inlcuding pheasant stuffed with boudin noir. From the main menu there's some great lamb koftas, Cullen Skink and fish cakes. I've not yet tasted them, but I hear the Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame are not to be missed. The pear and almond tart is pretty fabulous, as is the home made coleslaw and the quiches.