City Café
- Food served: Mon–Sun 10am–10pm
- Bar open: Mon–Sun 10am–1am. Extended in Festival
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 4
- Private dining: Up to 150 covers
- Also offers: Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Outdoor tables, Live music
- Music on stereo: Eclectic, cutting edge mix of dance, indie, hip hop and electronica
- Opening times: Mon–Sun 11am–1am
- Capacity: 400
- Largest group: 150 at City Café 2 downstairs
- Open since: 1985
- Average price:
£10 (lunch)
£12 (evening meal) - House wine: £13 per bottle
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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).
This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.
Things have been a-changing at the City Café in the last year or so. Glittery, red laminated tables, leather booths and a jukebox evoke the kitschy glamour of a classic American diner, and the food at City Café is made to match. Starters big enough to share include a pile of sticky ribs dripping with barbecue sauce, and Cajun-spiced prawns. The ‘Apache’ burger is topped with plenty of crispy bacon and the crucial square of orange cheese. Chips, stacked in a tub, are served alongside all burgers and the steak. Among main courses, Peri-Peri chicken strips come on a block of rice jewelled with peas, and watercress salad. With most dishes on the heavy side, refreshing cocktails are welcome and although there is no list, bar staff are happy to make the classics. Colouring-in menus and small portions make this a place to bring kids for lunch – though you may need to rein them in after a round of chocolate-bar milkshakes.
- High point: Playlist gets you ready for the night out
- Low point: Limited vegetarian options
Bar crawls: Edinburgh - The Prudent Student
A cheap and cheerful crawl from Marchmont to Grassmarket
18 Nov 2011
Events at City Café (19 Blair Street, Edinburgh)
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly new material night, hosted by Keara Patricia Murphy, where anything goes (as long as it's funny). Eight acts perform each time, a mix of fresh faces starting out and established pros road testing new jokes. View full details |
||
| City Café | 13 Feb–26 Mar Mon 8–10.30pm | 0131 220 0125 £3 (£2 £1 if booked in advance through www.lastminute.com) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| An open jamming workshop run by 'Danny from the nomadic academy of fools'. View full details |
||
| City Café | 12 Feb 10am | 07877 629890 £40–£60 suggested donation |
Reviews of City Café (19 Blair Street, Edinburgh)
- 5. The City Cafe – 31 March 2011, 3:42pm
City CaféReport -
Glad you loved the shiny booths!
Thought we had better let you know we have skinny fries back! If your in for food just let us know you'd like them!
Much love x
- 4. Morna – 11 February 2011, 1:05pm
City CaféReport -
I was in this week for food & had been a little wary (as I loved the old city cafe!) but I was pleasantly surprised.
The food was tasty - I had a burger which was hearty & good, and we all liked how the chips came in metal buckets that were heated, so they stayed warm throughout the meal.
I do miss the skinny fries (bring them back!), but it was nice and I'd go back. I also liked the glittery booths.
- 3. Stephen in Dalry, Edinburgh – 10 December 2010, 7:07pm
City CaféReport -
Sadly, the City Cafe has changed for the worse. The old ambience which everyone loved has gone and in its place visitors will find an over-lit diner, no pool table, garish tables and decor, a huge plasma TV, juke box (oh well, Lynda will be happy) bar staff in cheesy themed costumes and - according to the American I was drinking with - inauthentic food. The 'children's menu' with colouring-in games suggest a radical change of policy and clientele. We arrived hoping for the traditional camp and glam Xmas tree, low-lighting, beloved zinc tables, and pool table and left very depressed at the loss of this once-great spot. Poor bar staff.
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