15 Best Cafes in Edinburgh

Whether you want a nice cup of coffee or some quick but delicious snack, there are plenty of cafes dotted around Edinburgh city that will give you exactly what you need. From Quirky tiny cafes so Ones with beautiful large windows, perfect for people watching on a bright sunny day, Edinburgh has it all. Here is our list of the best cafes in Edinburgh with delicious coffee and a relaxing and calming vibe.

1. Williams & Johnson Coffee Co.

Location: 4-6 Deanhaugh Street, Stockbridge, EH4 1LY
Must Try: Avocado toast with poached egg and feta
Price: ££ 

The Williams & Johnson Coffee Co. is one of the best cafes in Edinburgh and is located in Leith and has a creative and artistic atmosphere where you can smell the fresh coffee beans they roast. The café is in Custom Lane, and there are not a lot of cafes in Edinburgh that have a shared workspace and art exhibition space overlooking the water where you can watch local artists while enjoying your coffee. Even though it's not in the city centre, their flagship café is worth a visit for its unique, single-origin coffee that they roast themselves. You can grab a coffee to go and take a walk along the shore to enjoy it.

2. Thomas J Walls Coffee

Location: 558 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2NG
Must Try: Filter coffee
Price: £ 

Thomas J Walls Coffee is located close to The National Museum of Scotland and is a relaxed and cosy café with friendly staff and excellent food. It is one of the partly vegan cafes in Edinburgh and has a good selection of vegan dishes to suit everyone. The café has a warm and inviting atmosphere, with wooden panelling adding to its charm, and there is always a lively buzz around the place. If you're in the area and looking for a place to grab a bite, Thomas J Walls Coffee is definitely one of the cafes in Edinburgh worth a visit.

3. Cult Espresso

Location: 104 Buccleuch St, Edinburgh EH8 9NG
Must Try: Flat White
Price: ££ 

Cult Espresso has a great atmosphere with lots of natural light and plants, making it a peaceful place to work or chat and one of the most beautiful cafes in Edinburgh. They have really good coffee from a special roastery in Somerset that only uses beans from small farmers. They also have comic books for customers to read, and the staff are helpful and friendly if you want to know more about the coffee or equipment they use. They also serve yummy food like baguettes, avocado toast, and baked treats. If you want a nice coffee in a chill place, Cult Espresso is perfect!

4. Black Medicine Coffee Co

Location: 2 Nicolson St, Edinburgh EH8 9DH
Must Try: Pour-over coffee and homemade cakes
Price: ££ 

Black Medicine is a busy coffee shop in Edinburgh located near Brew Lab. It's named after a Native American word for coffee, and the decorations are inspired by this culture, including a wooden totem pole making it one of the more unique cafes in Edinburgh. Upstairs, there are lots of cool wooden tables and chairs arranged in a maze-like way, and downstairs, there's a cosy lounge area often filled with students. Black Medicine is a unique coffee place that offers a different experience and is great for anyone looking for fun cafes in Edinburgh.

5. Union of Genius

Location: 8 Forrest Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2QN
Must Try: Daily changing soup and bread
Price: £ 

The friendly little café serves six types of homemade soup daily with a big slice of fresh bread from a local bakery making it one of the cutest cafes in Edinburgh. They also use tea from Eteaket and coffee from Artisan Roast, and they like to support small businesses in the area. Eating at this café makes customers feel cozy and part of the community. The café uses ingredients that are sourced locally, and this helps the café to be more appealing.

6. Café Portrait

Location: 1 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 1JD
Must Try: Afternoon tea
Price: £££ 

If you like art, you should visit the National Portrait Gallery of Scotland and go to Café Portrait for some yummy cakes and treats. The café also offers healthy salads, some of which are vegan-friendly, making it one of the vegan cafes in Edinburgh. Café Portrait is a great café in Edinburgh for art lovers. It has gothic windows, good food, and a creative atmosphere. The menu changes every day, but the Moroccan spiced salmon with chickpeas and spinach or the goat's cheese roulade are always delicious. This is one of the best cafes in Edinburgh to keep in mind and frequent.

7. The Milkman

Location: 7 Cockburn St, Edinburgh EH1 1BP
Must Try: Specialty coffee and breakfast rolls
Price: £ 

The Milkman is a coffee shop that has two locations on Cockburn Street and is one of the best coffee shops in Edinburgh Old Town. They have excellent coffee and yummy cakes in a cozy atmosphere that's great for taking a break from the busy streets outside. The cafe has limited seating, so visitors need to be lucky to find a spot. The Milkman is located on Cockburn Street and has a nice view of the Old Town. The outside of the cafe hasn't changed in years, but the inside is modern and welcoming, with only a few seats for customers, but it's worth the wait!

8. Castello Coffee

Location: 7a Castle St, Edinburgh EH2 3AH
Must Try: Cappuccino
Price: ££ 

Castello Coffee has a modern and stylish look that makes people think of Scandinavia. It's in Bruntsfield, and you can see the lovely green view when the weather is nice. The first Castello Coffee is on Castle Street, but the Bruntsfield location is better because it's not as busy. They make really great coffee at both places using Allpress Espresso and a La Marzocco Strada machine, and it is one of the most relaxing cafes in Edinburgh.

9. Lovecrumbs

Location: 155 West Port, Edinburgh EH3 9DP
Must Try: Cakes and pastries
‍Price: ££ 

Lovecrumbs is a delightful café in Edinburgh where you can treat yourself to sweet and scrumptious cakes. Located near Grassmarket and vintage clothing stores, the café offers an array of hot drinks like tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. What sets Lovecrumbs apart is that they only serve sweet treats, with no savoury dishes on the menu, so you can call it one of the sweetest cafes in Edinburgh. You can indulge in freshly baked cakes, tarts, and pies. The café has a quirky, vintage look and the cakes are displayed in a magical wardrobe with descriptions written on a blackboard.

10. Little Fitzroy

Location: 129 Bruntsfield Pl, Edinburgh EH10 4EQ
Must Try: Brunch dishes and coffee cocktails
Price: ££

This Cafe works with Girls Who Grind Coffee which focuses on increasing the visibility and participation of women in the industry and is an all-female roastery in England. The cafe is decorated with coffee and equipment on all the shelves, and it is a small quaint cafe with a cosy set-up that seats only a few customers at one time. It's small, but it is definitely one of the best cafes in Edinburgh. 

11. Pep and Fodder

Location: 1 Canonmills, Edinburgh EH3 5HA
Must Try: Full Scottish breakfast and pancakes
Price: ££ 

This Cafe offers plenty of options for breakfast all the way from Delicious honey porridge to to flaky croissants and sweet pastries.The coffee is to die for and you will smell the aroma as soon as you enter the New York Deli Style Cafe. The staff is always friendly and warm and ever ready to offer some suggestions for new things to try out. Even though this is a cafe, the food here is delicious, and the portions are good, making this one of the must-visit cafes in Edinburgh.

12. Kilimanjaro Coffee

Location: 104 Nicolson St, Edinburgh EH8 9EJ
Must Try: Flat White
Price: £ 

This is one of the best cafes in Edinburgh for brunch and delicious snacks. This is not one of the hidden gems in the city, as you will almost always have to wait in line to get inside, but it's definitely worth the wait. The ambience is quiet and cosy, and the tables are mismatched, which is strangely charming. The staff is all smiles, and the portions are big but the prices are reasonable, which is something that attracts a lot of people to this cafe.

13. Mimi’s Bakehouse

Location: 63 Shore, Edinburgh EH6 6RA
Must Try: Cakes and pastries
Price: ££ 

Mimi's Bakehouse has multiple branches in Edinburgh, including The Royal Mile and Leith, as well as pop-up locations. Mimi's Bakehouse on my list of the best brunch places in Edinburgh for a good reason - their cakes! If you visit any of their locations, you absolutely must try their delicious sweets to go with your hot drink.

14. Fortitude Coffee

Location: 3C York Pl Ln, Edinburgh EH1 3EB
Must Try: Aeropress coffee and breakfast sandwiches
Price: ££ 

With a stylish and contemporary vibe, this cafe attracts a lot of people to grab a quick bite here. There are 3 branches in Edinburgh which just shows how many people visit this cafe. The baristas are knowledgeable and warm, and the coffee is of premium quality. The furnishings are sustainable and well-crafted, and multiple varieties of espressos are offered. There is a variety of cakes and bakes available that the customers love, and they also offer a full range of retail coffee and some brewing gear. 

15. Twelve Triangles

Location: 90 Brunswick St, Edinburgh EH7 5HU
Must Try: Croissants and sourdough toast
Price: ££ 

If you go to Edinburgh, you will end up in Haymarket, and there's a bakery on Dairy Road called Twelve Triangles. This bakery is unique because they make everything from scratch, like their bread, doughnuts, and pastries, using local flour. They also make their jams, pie fillings, ricotta, and custards every day. If you want to enjoy some yummy baked goods with your coffee or breakfast, you should definitely visit Twelve Triangles. They're really good at making simple things taste great and top the list of the best cafes in Edinburgh.

So, here are the best cafes in Edinburgh that will surely keep you coming back for more. We hope this list will help you find your next favourite cafe where you can either work or just enjoy the day with a cup of coffee and a yummy snack. If you're planning to move in this city, take a look at these listings of our student accommodations in Edinburgh! If the aroma of cafes excite you, check out the best cafes in popular cities such as Canterbury, Leicester and York!