Cafés, "Edinburgh"

Since opening in late 2012, Bees has garnered its own budding community, from small clubs using it as a base, to fellow hospitality professionals who congregate in the early hours when it transforms from daytime café to late-night hangout. Inside, it’s…

From the men who brought you the Regent pub, Café Nom de Plume is the latest café above Edinburgh’s (and possibly Europe’s) oldest LGBT centre. A friendly set of rooms, both light and warm, the décor is pulled together from the collected finds of your…

Looking for a place to sit with your laptop and Skype a friend or recover from the previous night? Coffee Angel has everything you need, from the comfy leather sofas, single-bean Ethiopian Arabica coffee that grabs you with its aromatic sweetness…

In the 18 years since Glass & Thompson opened, it has adapted to keep pace with Edinburgh’s evolving café landscape. The latest change is a slimmed-down menu, although it still includes perennial favourites of regulars and those taking time out from…

Owned by the same people as nearby Kilimanjaro and with a similar, downsized menu, Press Coffee serves up great coffee to a largely student clientele. Formerly a bookshop, it’s now a bright, light and minimally decorated space with clean lines…

Visiting Brazilian Sensation is a unique and somewhat eccentric experience. For a start, it only opens in the evening if you make a reservation, so it really does feel like owner John Falconer and his Brazilian wife Lucia are expecting you. There’s a…

Playing host to world-class work, the Fruitmarket Gallery is a well-regarded contemporary art venue incorporating a popular café and a terrific bookshop. One café wall displays past and present exhibition posters and, although tables are tightly packed…

Any Edinburgher knows the weather down Portobello beach can be changeable, but it’s always summer in this charming, family-run beachfront café which blends the simplicity of an old-fashioned seaside greasy spoon with a strong emphasis on quality and…

With the previous proprietor having left to open the Skylark in Portobello, Word of Mouth has reverted to its original ownership, although the menu of French-influenced cafe favourites remains the same. A pre-noon breakfast menu takes in the traditional…

Although still a relative newcomer, this family-run bakehouse has built a loyal following in just a few years. With a reputation for brilliant baking, their counter is piled high with traditional and inventive sponges, cheesecakes and tray bakes beneath…

Perhaps hoping that diners will be distracted by its association with the boy wizard and his chums, the erstwhile haunt of JK Rowling appears to lavish more attention on its Potter-themed loos than it does on its food. While, admittedly, it has recently…

There's a light Parisian motif to this eatery attached to the Festival Theatre (and associated with Nicholson Street's Ten Hill Place Hotel). Long windows provide ample people-watching opportunities and the cheerful apple-red interior makes it a…

Situated next door to Holyrood Palace, this café is the obvious place to grab a sandwich or hearty bowl of soup after visiting the Queen’s Gallery and Palace, or after an invigorating trek round Arthur’s Seat or tour of the Scottish Parliament. With…

A crowd-pleasing menu, friendly service and genuine interest in using local Newhaven and Leith-based suppliers create a sense of community around this cheery café-bistro. The simple décor complements the elegant, airy proportions of the former bank…

Anteaques is to tea drinkers what Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory is to small children. A smell of floral blends wafts between rows of tin caddies filled with weird and wonderful concoctions for the teapot. Forget lunch and savoury snacks, you won’t…