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Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
The 10 best coffee shops and cafés in Edinburgh
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.
The Guardian
a day ago
- General
- The Guardian
My petty gripe: I don't begrudge your coffee addiction – but do you have to be such a bore about it?
I get it: you really like coffee. And you have an addiction. I'm not judging that. You're beholden to Big Bean, hopelessly hooked on the world's most consumed psychotropic drug. But, err, do you have to be such a bore about it? Does it really need a mention on your dating profile, as though a fondness for hot brown liquid is a personality trait? Is a coffee not truly a coffee unless it's conjured from scratch by a barista? And do you really need to be such a grump in the morning if you don't get it? Should you really be entitled to an extra hour's work break so you can stand in a lengthy cafe queue both morning and afternoon? (Before you delay yet another work meeting in favour of a protracted caffeine-foraging mission, let me introduce you to the office espresso machine and – don't give me that look – this jar of instant coffee.) Sure, you want an excuse to gossip with your colleagues*, get some fresh air, get your daily steps in or leave your lonely work-from-home station to have the only in-person interaction you'll have all day. All very worthy causes. But then on the weekend you'll make me tag along with you while you search for another overpriced cafe coffee just 20 minutes after you imbibed the first because the milk in the first cup of joe was under-steamed and you simply can't continue with your day until you've overridden that abomination with a quality flat white. Or on our camping trip you'll snub the moka pot-brewed campfire coffee and jump in your car and drive out of the wilderness to the nearest town to buy an artisanal long black in a takeaway cup. Waiting for you to return from your one-and-a-half-hour round trip ate up most of our precious morning, Peter! Granted, I don't know much about latte art, but I do know swans belong at liberty on shimmering lakes, not confined atop your morning beverage. As the world descends deeper into economic hardship, environmental doom and the clutches of authoritarian nutjobs, coffee snobbery inexplicably endures and strengthens, like cockroaches after the apocalypse. Apologies if I sound a bit bitter, tired and irritable, as though I have a mild headache coming on. Perhaps a shot of single-origin locally roasted ristretto will sort me out. * This article does not reflect on any of my Guardian Australia colleagues – I love you all
The Guardian
2 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
My petty gripe: I don't begrudge your coffee addiction – but do you have to be such a bore about it?
I get it: you really like coffee. And you have an addiction. I'm not judging that. You're beholden to Big Bean, hopelessly hooked on the world's most consumed psychotropic drug. But, err, do you have to be such a bore about it? Does it really need a mention on your dating profile, as though a fondness for hot brown liquid is a personality trait? Is a coffee not truly a coffee unless it's conjured from scratch by a barista? And do you really need to be such a grump in the morning if you don't get it? Should you really be entitled to an extra hour's work break so you can stand in a lengthy cafe queue both morning and afternoon? (Before you delay yet another work meeting in favour of a protracted caffeine-foraging mission, let me introduce you to the office espresso machine and – don't give me that look – this jar of instant coffee.) Sure, you want an excuse to gossip with your colleagues*, get some fresh air, get your daily steps in or leave your lonely work-from-home station to have the only in-person interaction you'll have all day. All very worthy causes. But then on the weekend you'll make me tag along with you while you search for another overpriced cafe coffee just 20 minutes after you imbibed the first because the milk in the first cup of joe was under-steamed and you simply can't continue with your day until you've overridden that abomination with a quality flat white. Or on our camping trip you'll snub the moka pot-brewed campfire coffee and jump in your car and drive out of the wilderness to the nearest town to buy an artisanal long black in a takeaway cup. Waiting for you to return from your one-and-a-half-hour round trip ate up most of our precious morning, Peter! Granted, I don't know much about latte art, but I do know swans belong at liberty on shimmering lakes, not confined atop your morning beverage. As the world descends deeper into economic hardship, environmental doom and the clutches of authoritarian nutjobs, coffee snobbery inexplicably endures and strengthens, like cockroaches after the apocalypse. Apologies if I sound a bit bitter, tired and irritable, as though I have a mild headache coming on. Perhaps a shot of single-origin locally roasted ristretto will sort me out. * This article does not reflect any of my Guardian Australia colleagues – I love you all
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Pedro Pascal sparks frenzy after he was seen dumping his drink after a gym session
was seen dumping out a mystery liquid following a gym session in Los Angeles, on Friday. The actor poured out what was left inside a paper cup next to nearby plants. While it appeared to be black coffee, some social media users debated the topic on X. One wrote: 'It looks like a black coffee, I don't blame him for tossing it onto the plants. Black coffee has a rather bitter taste if it's not made from high quality coffee beans. I drink A LOT of coffee.' Another typed: 'Also yes idk if it's coffee or a protein shake cause I haven't ever had either so forgive me if I'm wrong. Either way it's funny.' 'Maybe he's pouring the grounds into the planter to compost,' a fan suggested, while one replied with, 'It's a lot of liquid he pours out'. An X user shared, 'Pedro P: Life is too short to drink bad coffee,' and another added, 'Is it a mocha or a shake? I don't trust either.' 'How do you know it's not a cup of gravy?' one humorously questioned, while a fan also wrote, 'My only question to that barista. Baby what did he order cause the coffee look wrong.' Another said: 'Maybe a bug fell into it,' while others imagined how they would feel if they had been the barista that made a drink Pascal dumped out. 'I'd hang up my apron for good,' one commented, and another replied with, 'I'd give up on making or drinking it.' A social media user wrote: 'I'd have ptsd every time I'd see a coffee again,' and the individual who posted the snaps added, 'Imagine being the person who made the Pedro Pascal's coffee at work today to come online after your shift to see this.' Pascal is preparing for the release of his upcoming superhero movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps - which hits theaters on July 25. The premise of the Marvel movie is: 'Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, the Fantastic Four must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer,' per IMDB. The actor recently attended the premiere in Sydney on Tuesday. Pascal took on the role of Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in the project that was directed by Matt Shakman. During a recent interview with Empire, the star admitted that he initially wasn't sure if he would be able to properly portray the character. 'I wasn't skeptical at all of this as a piece… But I was skeptical over [Shakman's] choice to cast me,' he revealed to the outlet. 'I was questioning if I would serve it as best as it was meant to be served - to convincing as an astrophysicist, as a father, a husband.' However, while deciding on the part, Pedro recalled crossing paths with the director in NYC and stated: 'I definitely think it was destiny.' He further reflected on stepping into the MCU and dealing with the pressure to play Mister Fantastic in the superhero movie, per Collider. 'Each time you step into one, and you feel like this can't be scarier, you find out, oh this is scarier.' Pedro added: 'Going into Games Of Thrones, going into DC, going into Star Wars, and then the entire gaming world that introduced itself like an atom bomb to me. 'And in the best way, because I learned very, very quickly the incredible medium of storytelling that's happening within gaming.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Getting the 'Gen Z stare?' Maybe you're the problem.
Everyone seems to be talking about the "Gen Z" stare." It's when someone, often in a customer service situation, stares blankly at you. But if you're getting the stare, here's a tip: Maybe it's you who is causing the problem! Let's say you're at your favorite coffee shop. You order a customized drink — the same one you've ordered hundreds of times. The 20-something barista says it's not available today. Exasperated, you explain that you've ordered it many times in the past. You're met with a blank stare. You repeat yourself, anxious to fill the dead silence, but the barista isn't budging — and neither is her face. Let's face it. You just got the "Gen Z stare." But, consider this: Maybe you deserved it! And maybe the Gen Z barista is onto something. First things first: Is the "Gen Z stare" even real? I'm not entirely sure; I've never noticed it myself (but I'm also a socially capable and polite person who doesn't act like a jerk in customer service situations). Still, judging from the number of TikToks I've seen on the topic — even Gen Zers themselves admit this is real. I've watched dozens of videos where a young person acts out a situation they experienced working in a retail or service job: In these reenactments, an older person comes in and asks for something unreasonable, leaving the zoomer agog and agape, speechless and staring. Anyone who has worked any kind of customer service or retail job will tell you that these kinds of baffling and frustrating experiences happen regularly. People can be rude, entitled, and ask for completely unreasonable things. I have some experience with this, although I'm an elder millennial, so I'm dating myself with this reference: I was behind the customer service desk at a movie theater when three college-age people came up and asked for a refund for their tickets to "Me, Myself & Irene" because they found the content too racy. (To be fair, there is at least one really funny visual joke involving bodily fluids.) The idea that you would ask for a refund for a movie simply because you didn't like it was shocking to me. (They did, indeed, get their refunds.) Who does that?! Who expects that the world works like that?! But I worked in customer service for a long time, and I became seasoned at it. After a while, nothing shocks you about the unreasonable ways that some customers behave — and you build a skill set of how to handle demanding people. One thing I learned is that sometimes silence is the best way to handle a situation. In other words, you might say: Give 'em the "Gen Z stare." If someone keeps pushing, eventually you have to leave some silence hanging in the air — no more room for them to negotiate. As a journalist, I know the value of staying silent. Allowing for an awkward silence is one of the few tricks reporters have up their unfashionable sleeves. It makes the other person want to keep talking to fill the silence, which is exactly what you want them to do. "Silence is very powerful," René Rodriguez, a communication and negotiation coach and author of "Amplify Your Influence," told Business Insider. Still, it's a pretty bold communication choice — and Rodriguez used a golf analogy. "The caution I'd give is that a driver is a very good tool — but it's not a good tool if you're on a putting green." Rodriguez warned that deploying silence can win a negotiation, but hurt a relationship, and should be used sparingly. "If you had a disrespectful, highly dysregulated customer who made threats, that's what works — the gray rock, as people call it," he said. So if you find yourself on the receiving end of the "Gen Z stare," think a little bit about how you got yourself there. Like Ava Max (technically a young millennial) says, maybe you're the problem. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
