Balcony Cafe
- Indoor seating
- Wheelchair access
Dùn Èideann
Cafés in Edinburgh flat whites and cardamom buns
Espresso on Cockburn Street, cardamom buns in Stockbridge, roasters along Leith Walk and afternoon tea in the castle’s Crown Square.
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Photo: Hoàng Vũ, Pexels License
585Cafés listed
1Open by 6am
17Open past 10pm
21Specialty & roasters
Specialty coffee reached Edinburgh around 2008, carried by the flat white and a taste for Australasian cafés.1 Artisan Roast had started on Broughton Street in 2007, and the early bars that followed, Filament in the Southside and Cairngorm in a basement on Frederick Street from 2014, kept to spare, industrial rooms; the Frederick Street bar closed in 2023.12 The style has since softened into pale wood and minimalism, a look led by SPLINTR, a design agency based in Leith.1
Several cafés roast their own beans. Artisan Roast now runs four shops from a roastery in Peffermill, Machina roasts behind Arthur's Seat for its café on Marchmont Road, and Gordon St Coffee roasts inside its shop on Market Street.13 Others buy abroad: Lowdown on George Street pours beans from Koppi, a Swedish roaster.3 Edinburgh also has the first Scottish shops of Blank Street, on Victoria Street and Princes Street.3
Baking matters as much as the coffee. Söderberg, founded in Edinburgh in 2007, sells kardemummabulle (cardamom buns) and kladdkaka, a dense Swedish chocolate cake, and had grown to three cafés and three bakery shops in the city by 2019.4 Rising bean prices are pushing the price of a cup up: in October 2025 a roaster at Mr Eion put raw specialty beans at about five dollars a pound and warned that "the four quid flat white is coming".5
From the Royal Mile to the Shore
Edinburgh by area
Central Edinburgh splits into the medieval Old Town on its ridge and the Georgian New Town across the valley, where the Nor Loch was finally drained in 1817.13 South of the Meadows, once the Burgh Loch, lie the tenement streets of Marchmont and Bruntsfield; to the north is Leith, the old port merged with the city in 1920.1415
Old Town & Royal Mile
Castle tearooms, Cockburn Street espresso, Victoria Street and the Grassmarket, and roasters on West Port and Spittal Street.
111 cafés
West End & Dean Village
Melville Place and Queensferry Street, early breakfasts on Morrison Street, Lothian Road theater bars and Dean Village on the Water of Leith.
32 cafés
Stockbridge
Raeburn Place and St Stephen Street cafés, a Sunday market by the Water of Leith and the Terrace Café at the Botanic Garden.
32 cafés
New Town
George Street espresso, Artisan Roast's first shop on Broughton Street, Elm Row, Dundas Street and the St James Quarter.
87 cafés
Leith & the Shore
Leith Walk's long café strip, Crighton Place and Constitution Street, the Shore, and roasters out in Trinity and Newhaven.
80 cafés
Morningside
Morningside Road from Holy Corner past the clock, Söderberg and RoundSquare, and a café in the old tollhouse at the Hermitage of Braid.
29 cafés
Bruntsfield & Marchmont
Bruntsfield Place's café row, Marchmont's tenement corners and Tollcross, from Home Street and Leven Street to Fountainbridge.
70 cafés
Southside & Newington
University cafés round George Square and Bristo Square, Söderberg at Quartermile, Cult Coffee Roasters on Buccleuch Street and coffee on the Meadows.
89 cafés
Or start with what you need
Browse by mood and hour
Specialty coffee
Roaster cafés from Marchmont Road to Customs Wharf, with Bruntsfield, Marchmont and the New Town in the lead.
21 cafés
Outdoor seating
Pavement tables on the Royal Mile, terraces by the Meadows and the Botanic Garden.
78 cafés
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi from Cockburn Street to Morningside Road, and which cafés keep laptops out.
49 cafés
Bakery cafés
Sourdough, cardamom buns and cake counters, with the tightest cluster in Stockbridge.
37 cafés
Vegan & vegetarian
Plant-based bakes and breakfasts, most of all in the Southside near the university.
64 cafés
Brunch
Cooked breakfasts off the Royal Mile, porridge in Canonmills, brunch in Leith.
14 cafésOld Town & Royal Mile 111 cafés
More about cafés in Old Town & Royal Mile
Bedrock Coffee
- Card payment
- Partial wheelchair access
- Bakery café
Calton View Cafe
Cappuccino
Chayan
- Open late
All 111 cafés in Old Town & Royal Mile
See the full listWest End & Dean Village 32 cafés
More about cafés in West End & Dean Village
Brekkie
Cairngorm
- Outdoor seating
- Card payment
- Bakery café
- Brunch
- Specialty
Constable Coffee
- Takeaway
- Wheelchair access
Croccante & Co
- Outdoor seating
- Card payment
- Bakery café
- Brunch
dahné
- Wheelchair access
- Open late
All 32 cafés in West End & Dean Village
See the full listStockbridge 32 cafés
More about cafés in Stockbridge
Cafe Gallo
Cowan & Sons
- Takeaway
- Indoor seating
- Card payment
- Vegetarian options
- Toilets
- Pet-friendly
Fortitude
Grow Urban
Harkness Pies
All 32 cafés in Stockbridge
See the full listNew Town 87 cafés
Blackwood Café & Bar
- Wheelchair access
Burr & Co
Café Portrait
Café VI
Coffee Cabinet
All 87 cafés in New Town
See the full listLeith & the Shore 80 cafés
More about cafés in Leith & the Shore
275 cafe
- Wi-Fi
- Indoor seating
- Vegetarian options
Artisan Coffee Leith
Babyfaced Baker
Betty & George
- Wi-Fi
- Takeaway
- Indoor seating
- Card payment
- Vegetarian options
- Wheelchair access
- Toilets
- Pet-friendly
Boxwood Tam
All 80 cafés in Leith & the Shore
See the full listHaymarket & Dalry 36 cafés
Chapter One
- Card payment
- Vegetarian options
- Partial wheelchair access
Haymarket Café by L&G
- Partial wheelchair access
Pigsys Den
St Colmes Parish Church & Saltyard
The Koffee Pot
Morningside 29 cafés
More about cafés in Morningside
Blackwood Coffee
- Vegetarian options
- Wheelchair access
Brews & Bites Cafe
- Outdoor seating
- Card payment
- Partial wheelchair access
Café Blush
Cafe Vera
- Wi-Fi
- Indoor seating
Edinburgh Larder
All 29 cafés in Morningside
See the full listBruntsfield & Marchmont 70 cafés
More about cafés in Bruntsfield & Marchmont
Babka
Black Rabbit
Butterflies Cafe
Café Florentin
- Wi-Fi
- Partial wheelchair access
Cafe Grande
- Open late
All 70 cafés in Bruntsfield & Marchmont
See the full listSouthside & Newington 89 cafés
More about cafés in Southside & Newington
40 George Square Café
- Card payment
- Vegetarian options
Arthur's Cafe
Bing Tea
- Takeaway
- Bubble tea
Black Medicine Coffee Co
- Wi-Fi
- Laptop-free
Breakfast Brunch and Lunch
All 89 cafés in Southside & Newington
See the full listAbbeyhill & Easter Road 19 cafés
Art and Vintage
Bliss House Cafe
Folks Café
- Wi-Fi
- Card payment
- Vegetarian options
- Partial wheelchair access
- Toilets
Fortitude Coffee
Happy Bean Cafe
- Takeaway
- Card payment
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Coffee chains in Edinburgh
Branches by area
Chain
Costa Coffee
Show 25 locations
- Abbeyhill & Easter Road 1
- Bruntsfield & Marchmont 3
- Haymarket & Dalry 2
- Leith & the Shore 6
- New Town 6
- Old Town & Royal Mile 2
- Southside & Newington 2
- Stockbridge 2
- West End & Dean Village 1
Chain
Starbucks
Show 23 locations
- Bruntsfield & Marchmont 2
- Haymarket & Dalry 4
- Leith & the Shore 3
- New Town 5
- Old Town & Royal Mile 2
- Southside & Newington 2
- Stockbridge 3
- West End & Dean Village 2
Chain
Black Sheep Coffee
Show 11 locations
- Bruntsfield & Marchmont
- 206 Bruntsfield PlaceMon–Sat 06:00–20:00 · Sun 07:00–19:00
- New Town
- 24-25 Princes StreetMon–Sat 06:30–20:00 · Sun 07:00–20:00
- 30 St James Square
- 32 George StreetMon–Fri 06:00–21:00 · Sat 06:30–21:00 · Sun 07:00–20:00
- 4 Little King Street
- 95-96 Princes StreetMon–Sat 06:30–22:00 · Sun 07:00–20:00
- Old Town & Royal Mile
- 25 North BridgeDaily 05:45–20:30
- Southside & Newington
- 51-53 Forrest Road
- West End & Dean Village
- 123 Lothian RoadMon–Fri 06:00–21:00 · Sat 06:30–20:00 · Sun 07:00–20:00
- 56 Shandwick PlaceMon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 06:30–21:30
- 8 Haymarket SquareMon–Sat 06:00–22:00 · Sun 07:00–21:00
Chain
Caffè Nero
Show 11 locations
- Morningside
- 177 Morningside RoadMon–Sat 07:30–18:30 · Sun 08:30–18:00
- New Town
- 4 Waverley BridgeMon–Sat 05:00–22:30 · Sun 07:00–21:30
- 95-96 Princes St
- Old Town & Royal Mile
- 192 High StreetMon–Fri 06:30–18:30 · Sat–Sun 07:00–18:30
- 54 South BridgeMon–Fri 07:00–18:30 · Sat 07:30–18:30 · Sun 10:00–18:00
- Southside & Newington
- 91,93 Nicolson StreetMon–Fri 07:00–18:30 · Sat 07:30–18:30 · Sun 09:00–18:00
- Lister SquareMon–Fri 07:30–18:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–18:00
- Stockbridge
- 4-6 Glanville PlaceMon–Sat 07:30–18:30 · Sun 08:30–18:00
- West End & Dean Village
- 145 Princes St
- 2 Stafford StreetMon–Fri 07:00–18:00 · Sat 07:30–18:00 · Sun 08:30–18:00
- 43-45 Lothian RoadMon–Fri 06:30–19:00 · Sat 07:30–18:30 · Sun 08:30–18:00
Chain
Not Just Coffee
Show 6 locations
- Bruntsfield & Marchmont
- 28 Leven Street
- 92 Grove StreetDaily 07:30–21:30
- Haymarket & Dalry
- 167 Dalry Road
- Leith & the Shore
- 167 Leith WalkDaily 08:30–17:30
- New Town
- 7 Brunswick Place
- Southside & Newington
- 33 West Nicolson Street
Chain
Artisan Roast
Show 5 locations
- Bruntsfield & Marchmont
- 138 Bruntsfield PlaceMon–Fri 07:30–18:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00
- Leith & the Shore
- Artisan Roast/Circular Coffee, 72-74 Leith WalkMon–Fri 07:00–17:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00
- New Town
- 1 Little King Street
- 57 Broughton StreetMon–Fri 08:00–18:30 · Sat–Sun 09:00–18:00
- Stockbridge
- 102A Raeburn PlaceMon–Fri 08:30–17:00 · Sat–Sun 09:30–17:00
Chain
Benugo
- New Town
- 2-4 Waterloo Place
- The CAFE by Benugo, 69 St James Centre
- Old Town & Royal Mile
- Old Town & Royal Mile
Chain
Patisserie Valerie
- Leith & the Shore
- 98 Ocean Dr, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ, UK
- New Town
- 109 Princes Street
- Old Town & Royal Mile
- 25 George IV Bridge
Chain
Blank Street
- New Town
- 78 Princes StreetMon–Fri 07:00–20:30 · Sat–Sun 08:00–20:30
- Old Town & Royal Mile
- Victoria StreetMon–Fri 07:00–20:00 · Sat 08:00–20:00 · Sun 08:00–19:00
Chain
AMT Coffee
- Haymarket & Dalry
- Haymarket
Chain
Pret A Manger
- West End & Dean Village
- 56 Shandwick Place
Chain
The Willow Tea Rooms
- New Town
- 120 Princes StreetDaily 09:00–16:45
Before you sit down
How to order coffee in Edinburgh
Specialty bars serve filter brews such as V60 or Kalita Wave beside the espresso.6 Some keep firm rules: The Source on Spittal Street serves no sugar, on the grounds that its coffees are sweet enough, and no lattes, because milk hides the flavor.1 Its owner, Andrew Cohen, ran a café in Sydney before opening in Edinburgh and roasts in Haddington at least three times a week.6
Tea and baking keep older habits alive. The word scone is first recorded in a customs account of 1480, and in Scotland it mostly rhymes with "gone"; the tattie scone is a thin potato-flour version, more like a savory pancake.7 Tablet is made from sugar, condensed milk and butter, and is grainier and more brittle than fudge.8
Café hours are short. About two in three Edinburgh cafés close by 17:00, and Cairngorm, which stays open until 19:00, is one of the very few specialty bars open into the evening.2 Some rooms ask you to leave the laptop at home: Beatnik on Brougham Place in Tollcross is laptop-free.9
Since 1 October 2024 the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act has required employers to pass on in full every tip, gratuity and service charge they control, and a business that takes tips more than occasionally must have a written policy on how it shares them.10
What coffee costs in Edinburgh
| Drink | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Cappuccino Regular size, in a café | £3.25–4.50 Edinburgh range, October 2026 |
| Flat white At a leisure-center café | £3.55 Café Refresh, May 2026 |
| Espresso drink At a specialty bar | about £4 Specialty bars, March 2025 |
| Tea Regular cup | £2.40 Café Refresh, May 2026 |
| Scone With butter and jam | £2.50 Café Refresh, May 2026 |
Prices as of the dates shown. The cappuccino range is Numbeo's for Edinburgh, updated in October 2026.11 The flat white, tea and scone prices come from the May 2026 menu of Café Refresh, run by Edinburgh Leisure.12 In March 2025 the Broughton Spurtle noted that espresso drinks at the city's specialty bars were starting to reach £4.1
Sources
- Vibes, tribes and Broughton Street brew, Broughton Spurtle (Charlie Ellis, March 26, 2025), accessed October 2026
- Capital Coffee: Cairngorm Coffee, The Edinburgh Reporter (Charlie Ellis, February 2025), accessed October 2026
- Cafés and coffee shops, Forever Edinburgh, accessed October 2026
- Edinburgh's Söderberg bakery group to make London debut, Restaurant Online (January 14, 2019), accessed October 2026
- Capital Coffee: Mr Eion’s evolution, The Edinburgh Reporter (Charlie Ellis, October 2025), accessed October 2026
- Capital Coffee: Source Coffee, The Edinburgh Reporter (Charlie Ellis, September 2022), accessed October 2026
- Scone, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Tablet (confectionery), Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- The Skinny Guide to Edinburgh's Coffee Shops, The Skinny (Jamie Dunn, July 16, 2026), accessed October 2026
- Factsheet: Tips and Gratuities, Department for Business and Trade, accessed October 2026
- Cost of Living in Edinburgh, Numbeo (updated October 26, 2026), accessed October 2026
- Café Refresh menu (EICA, May 2026), Edinburgh Leisure, accessed October 2026
- New Town, Edinburgh, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- The Meadows, Edinburgh, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Leith, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
FAQ
Cafés in Edinburgh: common questions
How much does a coffee cost in Edinburgh?
Numbeo's October 2026 range for a regular cappuccino in an Edinburgh café is £3.25–4.50. Edinburgh Leisure's Café Refresh charged £3.55 for a flat white and £2.40 for a cup of tea in May 2026. At the city's specialty bars, espresso drinks were starting to reach £4 in March 2025.
Which neighborhood of Edinburgh has the most cafés?
Old Town & Royal Mile and Southside & Newington have the most cafés, followed by New Town. The Old Town has the most cafés, strung from Castlehill down the Canongate and along Cockburn Street; the Southside and the New Town follow.
When did specialty coffee start in Edinburgh?
Specialty coffee reached Edinburgh around 2008, together with the flat white. Artisan Roast started on Broughton Street in 2007 and now runs four shops and a roastery in Peffermill. Filament in the Southside and Cairngorm, which opened in a Frederick Street basement in 2014, were among the early bars; that basement closed in 2023.
What do people eat with coffee in Edinburgh cafés?
Scones, a word first recorded in a customs account of 1480, and the tattie scone, a thin potato version. Tablet, a grainy sweet of sugar, condensed milk and butter, is firmer than fudge. Söderberg, founded in Edinburgh in 2007, bakes Swedish cardamom buns and kladdkaka.
Are Edinburgh cafés open in the evening?
Mostly not: about two in three Edinburgh cafés close by 17:00. Cairngorm on Melville Place, open until 19:00, is one of the very few specialty bars that serve into the evening.
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