Word of Mouth

I completely understand the complaints that people have made above. I kept passing this place thinking it looked lovely so I was quite looking forward to my first visit there. Unfortunately, the service was shocking. Three friends and I waited at least 15 minutes to be acknowledged- 1 member of staff was behind the counter ignoring us and another was clearing all the dishes. Eventually we got served and the waiter said, and I quote "it'll take ages to get your order because we've been rammed". Unbelievable! Oh and what's more, we were the only ones in the cafe at this time!! I have to say that pretty much EVERY busy cafe I've used in Edinburgh has still been able to serve me, despite having some dirty dishes to clean! The reason being that is what they are paid to do.

Anyway, the food was good, I wouldn't dispute that and the prices were ok, although a little more expensive than other places in Leith.

Since that experience I have been back (not through choice but for work) and I really enjoyed my generous sized coffee and home-baked cake. Again though, no service with a smile. I worked in cafes for many years and I don't know how staff could be quite as rude at times.

Luckily some people have had great experiences, so I put mine down to individuals! I will go back for coffee as it is convenient and has WiFi, which is also a bonus and still not in many places in Leith.

Word of Mouth is like having excellent mezzes, desserts and a great tea selection at home - the atmosphere is so friendly and the wifi's always handy! I've always experienced very good service and I like the quirky decoration and dinner services. The open mics are great too - I would thoroughly recommend lunch, or just a hot drink, at this cafe.

I think this cafe is the tops! Home baking and it changes all the time. The meze is a steal and I just stopped ordering coffee elsewhere because theres just can't be beaten. I'm hooked and find the staff intersting and always welcoming.

i think word of mouth is great. the food is delicious especially the lamb meatballs with a plate of chips (a personal favourite) and they make the best hot chocolate that i've ever tasted. there's not a thing i've had there that i haven't loved.

the staff seem to have real enthusiasm for what they do and are constantly being creative. the fact that everything is made fresh and that they have such high standards should be commended. i wish there were more places like it.

i love word of mouth - the food is fabulous and a special shout out to whoever makes the cakes - really like granny used to make and more....i've turned up a few times during opening hours to find it shut which has been incredibly frustrating but its still my favourite place to eat here - the open mic nights every so often are hugely entertaining - some poetry, live music, good coffee and cake - a perfect night out....

Was in this cafe a couple of weeks ago for a 'quick' sandwich at lunchtime which took about 30 mins to bring to the table and it was awful. ordered a chicken salad sandwich. Apparently they had had no bread delivery that day so the bread was obviously the day before's or even the day before that as it was stale, the lettuce was brown and mushy and the chicken was mostly gristle. One bite was all I managed. they didnt even ask if 'everything was ok' when they cleared the plate. Cost about a fiver for a coffee and the sandwich. Never, ever again. Oh, and I know what Chimp (first post) means about service without a smile.

This is mainly a response to the above comment. Having been in the cafe on the day in question I feel it's worth pointing out that it was a bank holiday weekend and the cafe was busy beyond belief. From my own limited experience of how these places operate it seemed that the staff coped well when others would've crumbled under such overwhelming numbers looking for food. I can only state that the whole situation is to Word of Mouth's boon given that it has become a victim of its own popularity on the day in question. The cafe hosted an open mic night later on in the night which I also attended and I was informed by the staff that they'd only been closed an hour in order to clear their feet a bit. Surely this would be better than delivering a second rate service a la the likes I've seen in Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares?

Also, if anyone cared to bother notice, the opening hours have been altered for nearly 3 months now and haven't chopped and changed since. Indeed if you read their menu outside or their board their opening hours are in full view.

The food is fantastic and so is the service. A quick scan of the menu shows that all their food is made from scratch. I will continue to support them with my custom as long as this is the case and closing due to their own popularity is a great compliment to them.

This used to be one of my favourite Edinburgh cafes - partly because it was a two-minute walk from my flat, but also because of its tasty food, attractive, welcoming interior & friendly atmosphere.

Unfortunately it seemed like at some point the staff &/or owners just stopped caring as much. First it started to stink of stale chip fat, which can add an unwelcome edge to your lunch. Then the opening hours went all over the place - not just closing earlier but being shut at random times like midday on a weekend, with no signs on the door to explain.

Having given up on it for a while I decided to brave the chip-taint & give it another try, seeing as it's summer & the door was open to let some air in. So I wandered in at 12.30 last Saturday to be informed that they had 'run out of food'.

In a cafe. Barely into a weekend lunchtime... which leads me to wonder exactly what they had been ordering in. Perhaps if I had asked for a trumpet, or some kittens, I would have had better luck. But as it is I'll be going elsewhere from now on - lots of folk seem to love it but there's just too many excellent cafes in the area for it to be worth the faff, or my friends complaining that their clothes smell all day after.

A place where you feel at home, where you can sit for hours relaxing with or without friends and not made to feel uncomfortable.
But unlike the above comment I have always found that it is most definitely "service with a big smile" and a friendly chat to go with it. And not forgetting good food and those famous home-made cakes and puddings!!

there's so many greasy spoon type cafes on leith walk, 'word of mouth' is such a refreshing change and the kind of place you would expect to find nearer bruntsfield or the meadows.
A small selection of wonderful, simple food in such a pleasant cosy room perfect for spotting all life that travels down leith walk.
I was there for the first time today and even though it was definately 'service without a smile' it's still one the better cafes on or around leith walk.