Places to eat in Edinburgh.

Having now lived in Edinburgh for the four years of my degree I thought I should write a review of my favourite places to eat.  I feel I must also mention the ones which I think are over rated. I like to work in cafes rather than the library as working around my peers stresses me out, they all seem to whined each other up into a permanent state of panic. Consequently I have visited and spent a fair amount of time in a number of cafes in and around central Edinburgh.


Cuckoo's Bakery:


Cuckoo's only opened in my third year but it was just round the corner from my flat. I have spent an awful lot of time in there as it is a great place to work as they don't mind if you sit there all day. They have no internet which I must admit I kind of like as it prevents procrastination. It is a fantastic place to stop for lunch, tea or to grab a take away from. Cuckoo's is loverly and light but on it is also very open and slightly lacking in atmosphere. If you are looking for somewhere to camp out with a book for the afternoon I can suggest better places. However it is undoubtably my favourite place to meet friend for tea in edinburgh.

Their sandwiches are delicious and they have different specials of quiches and soups everyday. But what cuckoo's is really known for is its baked goods. The shop has developed around it's cupcakes, they have a list of standard flavours everyday and then they experiment ontop of this to supplement the menu. They also organise specials to coincide with important dates on the calendar St Valentines, Burns Night and Christmas just to name a few. The cup cakes range in price but on average are about £2 in general I think that they are very reasonable priced establishment.

Rotato:

Rotato is joined to and part of Press Coffee. It is a somewhat student lunch place but that is probably because it is right outside the University Library. Up stairs in Press Coffee they serve very good drinks, sandwiches and soups but it is downstairs in Rotato where the best food is in my opinion. Rotato sell as the name would suggest jacket potatoes they always have very crispy skins and are filled with a generous helping of whatever you happen to choose. This again is not somewhere you would want to settle down in to read a book but it a great place to stop off for a quick lunch. They range in price between £3-£5 for a potato and fillings.

Leo's Beanery: 

Leo's Beanery is a basement cafe on Howe st that I discovered last year. It is the perfect place to hole up for the afternoon with a good book. As it is in a basement it is quite a dark place but very cosy.They have a selection of books and board games which you are welcome to borrow and they are very child friendly. There are a couple of tables outside for when the weather is good. 

Their food is usually local and seasonal. I don't think that their sandwiches are very good but everything else is delicious. The above photo is of a feta and roast vegetable quiche, all their main courses come with a loverly side salad. My favourite thing when they have it, it is one of their daily specials, is venison burger. They make all their cakes on site and have a particularly good carrot and parsnip cake. The prices range from £5-6 for a main course and £2-3 for a cake. All of the places I have reviewed so far serve the most delicious coffee which is from Artisan Roast a coffee shop on Broughton street which roasts its own beans on site.


I will continue to edit this as the year continues and I have time to go in and get some photos.