The 10 best coffee shops and cafés in Edinburgh

Telegraph

4 days ago

Say 'Scotland' and most people think whisky, but the country has a history of smuggling coffee – as it was heavily taxed – then importing and drinking the brew. The first coffee houses opened as places of business in the 1670s, and today Edinburgh residents are so dedicated to the drink that a junction in Morningside formerly known as 'Holy Corner', due to an abundance of churches, is now called 'Caffeine Corner'.
Best of all, there are independents of every description serving great coffee, from hipster roasters to the smartest bar in the city (although you'll find the best barista in town in a repurposed police box).
All our recommendations below have been hand-selected and tested by our resident destination expert to help you discover the best coffee in Edinburgh. Find out more below, and see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, nightlife, pubs and bars, shopping and things to do.
Cult Coffee
Serious about coffee? So is Cult. Think bare brick, bulkhead lights, chilled music and a passionate devotion to the bean: both house brew and a menu of special beans with tasting notes that rival those for fine wines. There are equally fine baked treats and things on toast, including banana and peanut butter with house espresso syrup; poached eggs, fruit and soft cheese; or miso baked beans. Basically, it's as far from slick commercial chains as you can get.
Söderberg Cafés and Bakery Shops
An Edinburgh Swedish bakery so popular it's a mini-empire, making ' fika ' Scottish. The big draw is, of course, buns (cinnamon and cardamom) and open sandwiches and ice cream too, but the excellent coffee is smooth and subtle.
The Meadows branch is particularly fine, with outside seating for gorgeous green views – fabulous in spring when the cherry trees are in full bloom. At Easter be sure to look for Semlor buns.
Ante Coffee
Duck down the steps of an elegant Georgian building off Leith Walk to find this tiny coffee shop (four tables plus counter seating) where the coffee is both intense and creative, with pistachio flat whites and pecan latte seasonal specials. The in-house baking, both sweet and savoury, is exceptional and seasonal. The location is especially handy to grab a coffee and something delicious to power you through shopping at the St James Quarter or up nearby Calton Hill.
Fortitude
With artfully distressed blue and white tiles and steamy windows this is the cosy coffee place we'd all like to have next door. Customers peck quietly at their laptops, read and chat; the friendliest baristas in the city always remember your order.
Toothsome baked goods are perfect partners for exotic coffees from carefully chosen beans and don't miss Fortitude's own bottled cold brew – all in trendy Stockbridge (across the street from the smash hit bakery Lannan).
Sam's Coffee Box
Edinburgh is big on re-purposing retired police boxes, converting them into everything from libraries to ice cream dispensers. They can be transient, but Sam's red Tardis on the edge of Bruntsfield Links is a stayer – because he makes great, affordable coffee, along with home-made cookies, savouries and soup.
Although a bit of a fair-weather find, on any day a bench, view, coffee and a fresh oatmeal cookie is about as good as life gets.
Room and Rumours Coffee
Our friends across the Atlantic aren't wrong to insist on pairing a cup of joe with a doughnut. Happily, this tiny shop in the Market Street arches near Waverley Station addresses this in style with lush filled doughnuts in every flavour imaginable alongside sticky buns, brownies, scones – all things luscious. It's perfect whether you're killing time before a train, exploring the Canongate or are headed to Dunbar's Close for a quick canoodle in the hidden garden.
The Dome
If you want your caffeine with a spoonful of glamour, this is the place to be seen. They may not be able to recite your coffee's family tree, but there are acres of marble, bulwarks of heavenly lilies and more gold than when it was a bank. And don't worry about finding a bar for your next stop; just switch to espresso martinis. Note: you'll want to reserve a table ahead of time to get a seat.
The Milkman
Named for the owner's milkman great-grandfather (thus the stand-out pipe-smoking profile on signs and merchandise), these two small coffee shops (yards away from each other) on Instagrammers' favourite Coburn Street are always busy, and rightly so.
They got the bare brick, wood and slate floors design memo, but you'll be so busy choosing from the biggest stickiest buns in the city and discussing beans and grinds you'll hardly notice the surroundings.
Williams and Johnson
Roastery, working kitchen (where they make gooey chocolate, tahini and rye biscuits, cheesy buns and other delights) and café, the look is industrial, the vibe so laid back it's practically horizontal. Hidden in beautiful old Custom Lane in Leith (with covered outside tables), it opens onto a design exhibition space, always worth a look. Come on Saturday for coffee, freshly squeezed juice and homemade granola before exploring the weekly market next door.
Artisan Roast
The blackboard saying 'JK Rowling never wrote here' pretty well sets the attitude here where they started selling 'real' coffee almost 20 years ago. Expect a higgledy-piggledy, colourful space with art-covered walls and worn wooden floors. And it's not only the look that's full of character; so is the strong, gutsy coffee. Locals lament the loss of the upside-down teacup and saucer lampshades but nothing else has changed; it's a classic for a reason.
How we choose
Every café and coffee shop in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood roasteries to high street favourites – to best suit every type of traveller's taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations.
About our expert
Linda MacDonald
Somewhere between New Town ladette and Old Town doyenne, I have a passion for Tunnock's teacakes and a 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' personality, making Edinburgh the perfect city for me.