Edinburgh: a city of history, whisky, and coffee. Yes, coffee. Scotland’s capital has a progressive third wave scene with an impressive choice of specialty coffee shops. These cafés are all proudly independent, with strong identities and an even stronger determination to keep growing.
Nestled between the hills and the sea, Edinburgh has wide appeal for tourists and locals alike. This medieval city may have an ancient castle as its heart, but its beat is dynamic and modern. Let’s explore my personal picks of Edinburgh’s third wave coffee scene.
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Edinburgh Castle from Princes Street Gardens. Credit: Exploredi
Why These Six?
Listing your favourite coffee shops is a little like trying to tell someone how to drink their coffee: it’s hugely personal. These are my favourites in Edinburgh, based on their atmosphere and quality, and on my own experience working in hospitality in the city.
Three of these café’s roast their own coffee, three do not. All are independent, locally owned small businesses that keep me caffeinated and happy every day.
Lowdown Coffee from the outside. Credit: Exploredi
1. Lowdown Coffee
Lowdown brings Nordic simplicity, functionality, and precision to each drink. Step below ground into a clean and minimalist respite from George Street. Entering from Edinburgh’s busy main shopping district can feel like escaping into a tranquil new world.
Inside, you’ll find exposed wood features and expertly crafted coffee. The weight, grind, water, and extraction are carefully monitored in every cup. Why settle for less than perfect?
Lowdown typically rotates roasters including Colona, Gardelli, Coffee Collective, Koppi, Friedhats, and La Cabra.
A barista in action at Lowdown Coffee. Credit: Exploredi
| Where | 40 George St, EH2 2LE |
| Atmosphere | Welcoming, including table service |
| Espresso Machine | Slayer Espresso V3 |
| Grinder | Mahlkӧnig EKK-43 with SSP burrs |
| Coffee Offerings | Espresso and V60 choices from multiple roasters |
| Must-Try Drink | Pour over. The range changes every week, but the selection is always of exceptional quality. |
| Retail Offerings | Rotating choice of coffee |
| Food & Other Drinks | Avocado toast, soups, sandwiches, sweets.
Individual tea menu from Postcard Teas including Fuji Sencha, roasted Oolongs, and lemon verbena. |
| Nearby Sights | Busy George Street, scenic Princes Street, and the historic Scott Monument, among other central attractions. |
2. Cairngorm Coffee
Cairngorm Coffee has its original shop on Frederick Street. It is the only café in the city that freezes its beans, which they say aids extraction. The second shop, on Melville Place, is roomy and welcoming. The bright space has large windows from which you can watch the world go by.
The light and warmth, as well as the friendly staff members, invite you to sit and linger for a while. For me, it’s the well-priced batch brew that keeps me coming.
Cairngorm Coffee from the street. Credit: Exploredi
| Where | 1 Melville Pl, EH3 7PR |
| Atmosphere | Warm |
| Espresso Machine | San Remo Opera – 3 Group |
| Grinder | Victoria Arduino Mythos One, Mahlkonig twin k30, Mahlkonig EK43 |
| Coffee Offerings | Espresso-based drinks and batch brew |
| Must-Try Drink | Batch brew |
| Retail Offerings | Coffee beans roasted in-house, branded clothing, coffee publications |
| Food & Other Drinks | Sandwiches, toasts, granola, sweets |
| Nearby Sights | Historic Edinburgh Castle, scenic Princes Street, and the West End, which is home to many of the city’s arts venues. |
Cairngorm Coffee’s bright, welcoming space. Credit: Exploredi
3. 27 Elliott’s
Situated on a leafy suburban street, 27 Elliott’s could almost pass as a country kitchen. Warm colours, wooden furnishings, and walls lined with bookshelves invite you to relax.
This cafe stands out for pairing inventive food and local produce with its specialty coffee. The owner worked as a food stylist before taking to the kitchen herself, and the evidence is clear in the café’s own cookbook. On the south side of the Meadows, this is a great spot for a relaxed brunch.
27 Elliott’s bright exterior. Credit: Exploredi
| Where | 27 Sciennes Rd, EH9 1NX |
| Atmosphere | Friendly |
| Espresso Machine | La Marzocco Linea PB – 2 Group |
| Grinder | Eureka Olympus 75E |
| Coffee Offerings | Espresso-based drinks made with coffee from Obadiah Roasters |
| Must-Try Drink | The ‘Chick’s’ cold brew |
| Retail Offerings | Salad Feasts, a cookbook by the owner, Jess Elliott Dennison |
| Food & Other Drinks | Full breakfast and lunch menus, as well as baked goods and seasonally inspired supper events |
| Nearby Sights | The Meadows, Edinburgh’s large public park |
4. Fortitude
Some call Fortitude’s owner, Matthew Carroll, the friendliest man in the Edinburgh coffee community. This is a wee, cosy café and roastery in New Town where you’ll always get a warm welcome and impressive soundtrack.
But you can expect more than a great cup and warm atmosphere here. At Fortitude, you may also get a fascinating story. It currently offers a “house honey processed” from El Salvador named Geraldo’s House. Geraldo is the coffee producer, who, after having his first child, realised he could no longer spend as much time at the farm. So he brought the farm to his house, from where he now undertakes the drying process.
Owner Matthew Carroll serves customers at Fortitude. Credit: Exploredi
| Where | 3C York Pl, EH1 3EB |
| Atmosphere | Welcoming |
| Espresso Machine | La Marzocco Linea PB – 2 Group |
| Grinder | Victoria Arduino Mythos 1, Mahlkonig EK43 |
| Coffee Offerings | Espresso-based drinks and pour over made with house-roasted beans |
| Must-Try Drink | Geraldo’s House, a “house honey process” El Salvador filter |
| Retail Offerings | House-roasted beans, coffee supplies and equipment |
| Food & Other Drinks | Soups, sandwiches, desserts, avocado toast, various teas |
| Nearby Sights | High-end and historic St. Andrews Square, landmark Carlton Hill and its iconic acropolis |
5. Baba Budan
Situated in the beautiful Edinburgh Arches, Baba Budan is a great respite from the city centre crowds. In the rabbit-warren alleyways of the historic Old Town, this spot offers coffee from Workshop, Craft House, and The Barn. It also has a full breakfast menu including vegan options and breakfast burritos alongside bacon rolls.
Pair one of the delicious doughnuts with your drink for a revitalising sugar rush. The filling flavours change daily, but I’m a fan of the classic jam.
Coffee and doughnuts will revitalise you at Baba Budan. Credit: Exploredi
| Where | Arch 12, 17 East Market St, EH8 8FS |
| Atmosphere | Relaxed |
| Espresso Machine | La Marzocco Linea PB – 2 group |
| Grinder | Victoria Arduino Mythos 1, Mahlkonig EK43 |
| Coffee Offerings | Espresso-based drinks and batch brew |
| Must-Try Drink | Anything, served with a doughnut |
| Retail Offerings | Coffee beans, doughnuts |
| Food & Other Drinks | Doughnuts, full breakfast menu, teas |
| Nearby Sights | Landmark Edinburgh Castle, charming and historical Old Town |
Baba Budan’s menu board. Credit: Exploredi
6. Williams & Johnson Coffee Co.
Talented micro-roasters Williams & Johnson opened their first café in a small art space on the water in Leith. It may be a walk from the city centre, but Leith is steadily becoming more popular with visitors and locals alike. Soft gentrification has mellowed, but not ruined, its gritty charm.
The aroma of coffee from Williams & Johnson’s roasting mixes with the sea air here. Take a seat in the mixed-use outside area and watch a game of table tennis while you enjoy your drink.
A recently opened a second shop is inside Waverley Mall, above the central train station. The space is a super refined place to hang out even when you don’t have a train to catch.
The seating area outside Williams & Johnson Coffee Co. Credit: Exploredi
| Where | 67 Commercial St, Customs Wharf, EH6 6LH |
| Atmosphere | Relaxed |
| Espresso Machine | Synesso Cyncra |
| Grinder | Mazzer, Mahlkonig EKK-43 |
| Coffee Offerings | Espresso-based drinks and pour over made with house-roasted beans |
| Must-Try Drink | Flat white |
| Retail Offerings | Retail coffee beans |
| Food & Other Drinks | Sandwiches, baked goods |
| Nearby Sights | Leith, the Royal Yacht Britannia, the promenade and arcades of Portobello Beach |
A flat white in a beautiful mug at 27 Elliott’s. Credit: Exploredi
Edinburgh has many great specialty coffee shops – this list could easily be twice the length. But these are the spots that I return to for unique experiences and excellent service.
It’s what makes the city so liveable and why I love this city so dearly – we don’t just have a great choice of quality coffee, but some of the most passionate people in the industry.
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Written by Matthew Cameron of Exploredi. Feature photo: Edinburgh from Carlton Hill. Credit: Exploredi
All views within this opinion piece belong to the guest writer, who is a local of Edinburgh, and do not reflect Perfect Daily Grind’s stance.
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