City Café
- Food served: Mon–Sun 10am–10pm
- Bar open: Mon–Sun 9am–1am. Extended in Festival
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 8
- Private dining: Up to 150 covers
- Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least ¼ main courses), Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Wheelchair access, Outdoor tables, Live music, Free wi-fi
- Music on stereo: Day: 50s soul. Night: mix of dance, indie, hip hop and electronica
- Opening times: Mon–Sun 11am–1am
- Capacity: 80
- Largest group: 150 at City Café 2 downstairs
- Open since: 1985
Tell us more about this venue.
- Average price:
£6 (set lunch)
£12 (evening meal) - House wine: £15.50 red; £14.50 white per bottle
The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).
This review is taken from the current (2012) edition.
Pull up your pop socks and pick a song for the juke box: the City Café is your Grease-shaped American diner. Its red banquettes are just right for a short lie down after eating more than your fill of the great BBQ sharing platter, with sticky pork ribs, juicy prawns and delicious mini Borders beef burgers. Once you’ve recovered, the menu is long and slightly bewilderingly international, with Moroccan tagine sitting next to chilli con carne and a fully loaded hot dog, and curries next to crepes. The all-day breakfast is perhaps the most interesting page, the softly poached eggs Benedict arriving with good bacon. The Café is famous for its tall milkshakes in every flavour from fresh fruit to Ferrero Rocher (with alcoholic options for the grown-ups) and for its dedicated service to the curing of hangovers, even serving a special effervescent drink composed of every known vitamin.
- High point: With a pool table in the back, this a viable all-day hangout
- Low point: Vitamin drinks aside, this ain't health food
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 | Event | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Café | 1 Jun 8pm–1am | Inner Rhythm | 0131 220 0125 Free |
| City Café | 4 Jun 8pm–10:30pm | Comedy Variety Show | 0131 220 0125 £3 (£2 £1 if booked in advance through www.lastminute.com) |
| City Café | 11 Jun 8pm–10:30pm | Comedy Variety Show | 0131 220 0125 £3 (£2 £1 if booked in advance through www.lastminute.com) |
| City Café | 18 Jun 8pm–10:30pm | Comedy Variety Show | 0131 220 0125 £3 (£2 £1 if booked in advance through www.lastminute.com) |
| City Café | 20 Jun 8pm–11pm | The Dead Poets Slam | 0131 220 0125 £5 (£4) |
| City Café | 25 Jun 8pm–10:30pm | Comedy Variety Show | 0131 220 0125 £3 (£2 £1 if booked in advance through www.lastminute.com) |
| City Café | 29 Jun 8pm–1am | Inner Rhythm | 0131 220 0125 Free |
| Location | Date | Event | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Café | 2 Jul 8pm–10:30pm | Comedy Variety Show | 0131 220 0125 £3 (£2 £1 if booked in advance through www.lastminute.com) |
| City Café | 9 Jul 8pm–10:30pm | Comedy Variety Show | 0131 220 0125 £3 (£2 £1 if booked in advance through www.lastminute.com) |
| City Café | 16 Jul 8pm–10:30pm | Comedy Variety Show | 0131 220 0125 £3 (£2 £1 if booked in advance through www.lastminute.com) |
| City Café | 23 Jul 8pm–10:30pm | Comedy Variety Show | 0131 220 0125 £3 (£2 £1 if booked in advance through www.lastminute.com) |
| City Café | 27 Jul 8pm–1am | Inner Rhythm | 0131 220 0125 Free |
| City Café | 30 Jul 8pm–10:30pm | Comedy Variety Show | 0131 220 0125 £3 (£2 £1 if booked in advance through www.lastminute.com) |
| Location | Date | Event | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Café | 24 Aug 8pm–1am | Inner Rhythm | 0131 220 0125 Free |
| Location | Date | Event | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Café | 21 Sep 8pm–1am | Inner Rhythm | 0131 220 0125 Free |
| Location | Date | Event | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Café | 19 Oct 8pm–1am | Inner Rhythm | 0131 220 0125 Free |
| Location | Date | Event | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Café | 16 Nov 8pm–1am | Inner Rhythm | 0131 220 0125 Free |
| Location | Date | Event | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Café | 14 Dec 8pm–1am | Inner Rhythm | 0131 220 0125 Free |
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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