CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Cafés

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    Cyclists like cafés. Cyclists need cafés.

    Journeys and holidays can be measured by the number and quality of places to eat/drink/rest.

    In central Edinburgh there are plenty, but they are often some combination of expensive/overpriced, busy, cramped or uninspiring - with mediocre food too.

    Just south of the city centre is Spoon. This is a fairly new cafe - though it has relocated from Blackfriars Street and the space was once the home of Nicolson's (now famous for being the place where much of the first Harry Potter book was written.)

    After reading a strongly positive review in the Sunday Herald I thought I'd pay it a visit.

    Excellent soup. Great space.

    Lots of bike racks in Drummond Street and in front of Old College.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  2. SRD
    Moderator

    Peter's Yard on MMW always has lots of bikes (often w/child seats) out front, although the 'proper' racks appear to be around the corner from Starbucks. Be warned - it is not cheap. Personally, I think their bread and pastries are fab, and worth the price, less convinced by the sandwiches etc.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    Peter's Yard must do well out of cyclists - though more so when it's warm enough to sit outside and bikewatch.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  4. Stepdoh
    Member

    Wellington Coffee under penhaligons has amezzin coffee, but it eversorather cramped, there's a good brew on at the cafe that used to be Pickering's Books at the Uni, and Kilimanjaro is always a firm favourite with me.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  5. miggy_magic
    Member

    @chdot - that's interesting about Nicholson's being the place where JK wrote her first Harry Potter. I was in the Elephant House on George IV bridge a few weeks bag and they make a big deal about them being the home of Harry Potter too! I wonder who's right!?!? Maybe they both are.

    I like the Elephant House but bike parking in that area of town could be better.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  6. SRD
    Moderator

    The other thing cyclists need is good pubs! Although - at least out of town - cycle parking is likely to be less of an issue. A well known cyclist and church person once described heaven to me as a real ale festival that coincided with a steam train festival. He didn't mention it, but we can assume he cycled there :)

    Posted 14 years ago #

  7. PS
    Member

    I'd second the recommendation of Wellington Coffee on George Street - very good coffee.

    Another cafe with great coffee and a fairly cramped interior is Artisan Roast on Broughton Street. As the name suggests, they roast their own beans (the roaster takes up a fair bit of space in the front room) and do it really well. I'm sure I've seen the occasional bike chained up on the railings in front of the cafe.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    @SRD "The other thing cyclists need is good pubs!"

    Very true. Maybe you should start a thread.

    Meanwhile, looks like there is a possibility of a Café Crawl emerging here in the eastish end of town.

    Might have to include Word of Mouth (Albert Street). Small, interesting, good value food.

    Free WiFi (always a consideration - though some places are slower than 3G!)

    Posted 14 years ago #

  9. Stepdoh
    Member

    If we're doing the NE RenRoc is good, but again tiny! Roseleaf down in leith is technically a pub, but you can still get a good flat white (although in a tea cup, which always bugs me)

    Porto and fi in newhaven is nice, but the owner was really rude to us once so it's on the blacklist.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    "so it's on the blacklist."

    and what else is??

    Posted 14 years ago #

  11. Stepdoh
    Member

    <ristretto opinion> oh, let's see, there are too many to mention but I am a horrendous coffee snob. The shorter list are the ones I really like (most of which have been ticked off by the obviously tasteful posters of this forum)

    Press Coffee (that's the one that used to be pickerings) Wellington (#1 top of the pile), Artisan, Caffeine on Dundas St, Renroc, Roseleaf, Kilimanjaro, Black Medicine, the machine at the Crewe Toll Shell Garage (which produces better coffee than many cafes)

    Think that's about it.

    The blacklist is a special place for places with great product which is out balanced by bad service.

    Everywhere else is just mneh. </ristretto opinion>

    Posted 14 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    AHA

    "Already the owner of the nearby Kilimanjaro Coffee and Wellington Coffee on George Street, Jonathan Sharp of Press describes this latest venture as not being in his business plan when..."

    http://www.list.co.uk/place/103438-press-coffee

    "Owned by Jonathan Sharp, winner of the title Scottish Barista 2009"

    http://www.list.co.uk/place/103309-wellington-coffee

    Posted 14 years ago #

  13. Stepdoh
    Member

    Heh, that's brilliant! Never knew i was such a chainstore coffee fan... now all the independent folk can look down on me.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    And something just for @Stepdoh

    Posted 14 years ago #

  15. Stepdoh
    Member

    Drool. Sadly I work Here so my access to these palaces of caffeinated wonders is a bit limited.

    As opposed to working here where my diet was about 68.5% coffee/muffins.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  16. chdot
    Admin

    Forgot about The Engine Shed.

    Start/finish your Innocent ride with breakfast/lunch.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  17. SRD
    Moderator

    Well, if we're just listing favourite places (even w/out much in the way of cycle parking), then I have to mention Urban Angel. Since the fab cafe at the National Portrait Gallery closed, our big treat every few months is late breakfast/lunch here. Eggs Florentine, bacon, and Black Isle Red Kite Ale. Never a bad meal or bad service yet.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  18. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @SRD - anywhere that offers Eggs Florentine gets my vote.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  19. gembo
    Member

    Has anyone thought of opening a bikeshop and cafe combination. The former actor Simon O'Brien (played Damien in Brookside) had an excellent example of this type of joint venture in Liverpool in the 1990s.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  20. chdot
    Admin

    "excellent example of this type of joint venture in Liverpool in the 1990s."

    It didn't last.

    This one has been going for a while in Bristol.

    http://www.mud-dock.co.uk

    It would be a brave venture in Edinburgh. Probably cafe with bike element rather than the other way round.

    There's this - http://www.lock-7.com - London has a lot of small interesting bike businesses - and a few big shops and chains. It's also got more of a bike boom than Edinburgh (so far??)

    Posted 14 years ago #

  21. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Cafe Artista at the top of Marchmont Road welcomes cyclists and there are bike racks right outside.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  22. gembo
    Member

    The Gravediggers pub in North Dublin, next to Glasnevin Cemetry used to have a room just for bikes. Fans of Flann O'Brien's novel The Third Policeman (where the bikes turn human and the humans turn bicycle[bit like this forum] would enjoy the sight of the Pashleys, Raleighs and Dawes Galaxies all drinking their pints of guinness). Sheep's Heid lets you bring your bike into the courtyard if you ask politiely.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  23. bob121
    Member

    Wow, great thread! :)

    As a relative newcomer to the city I'm going to attempt to try each of them over the coming months :) I've taken the liberty of creating a google map of everyone's favourites, is here if it's of any use to anyone:

    http://tinyurl.com/ybvjoaz

    Posted 14 years ago #

  24. chdot
    Admin

    WONDERFUL!!

    Thanks

    I hope you'll add any others people suggest...

    Posted 14 years ago #

  25. bob121
    Member

    sure will

    Posted 14 years ago #

  26. gembo
    Member

    Bob121 - The Sheep's Heid is a pub in Duddingston if you are adding pubs. It has a restaurant upstairs, a courtyard for smokers and bikes and a skittle alley. A kind of 16th Century Omni Centre. Worth sticking on your coffee map?

    Posted 14 years ago #

  27. Kim
    Member

    I have a liking for the wee cafe in Gifford called “Love Coffee and Food”.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  28. chdot
    Admin

    "I have a liking for the wee cafe in Gifford "

    It's curiously anonymous.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  29. Kim
    Member

    Gifford is not a big place, it is easy to find and the owners say cyclist are their favourite customers, because "they are always happy".

    Posted 14 years ago #

  30. bob121
    Member

    Thanks gembo and Kim - I've added Sheep's Heid and Love Coffee and Food (or at least an approximation of it's location!). I can feel a nice ride out to Gifford coming on :)

    Posted 14 years ago #

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