Coffee In Edinburgh

[mrcappuccino]

Just visited 'the elephant house' George IV Bridge in Edinburgh.

Very nice coffee indeed, 'student' decor but relaxed atmosphere, few internet machines available too while enjoying the cup.

Worth a try if you visit Jocklands capital in your travels.

[shm]

Edinburgh also has a few maroon police boxes that sell coffee. One outside the RC cathedral and the back door of John Lewis on greeside place, one in Rose Street, near the back of M&S and Jenners and one at the meadows opposite Forrest road. They're ok. There are also a couple of Cafe Neros and they're ok too. The best double espresso I ever had was in Cafe Florentin on St Giles street in the downstairs bit.

[neilcvx]

this is my first post but i love the coffee in http://www.valvonacrolla.co.uk/html/caffebarmain.html

[CakeBoy]

Welcome to TMC Neil

[GeorgeW]

Welcome to the forum Neil.

[Steem21]

Welcome Neil to the forum!
The V&C Cafe Bar is a nice place for lunch and I went there at the end of last year. The food was lovely and I also thought the coffee was good. However, this was before I began this journey to Espresso Nirvana so I think another trip is on the cards to "critically evaluate" the barista and coffee!

[shm]

I'd like to amend my previous post.
Nero's now suck big time. Totally undrinkable espresso.
The maroon police boxes depend on the barista, (and the one on Rose Street's gone and there's one in George Square).
Will check out Florentin's this week to check the standard again, not been in a while.

[Superlight]

Had an espresso from the police box at the East side of the Meadows : this was quite a while ago so there's a high chance that the barista has changed but I was very impressed by the quality, one of the best outside of Italy I've had.

[psychomansam]

was up in the land of scots this weekend, tried a small cafetiere from the elphant house.. it was pretty good coffee but completely stale... would've tried an espresso, but after sitting and watching them work, with what looked like a very dark roast of been, auto machine and no tamping, decided to give it a miss(and had a nice pot of lapsang souchong). Also had a slight chuckle at the filter coffee sitting there for an hour and a half on the hotplate untouched... the well written coffee menus informed customers that coffee shouldn't b kept hot for more than twenty minutes, and a thermos is the best option... verdict = very well written drinks menus giving very good info on how coffee should be made, informing of there local freshly roasted coffee etc ...but none of this is adhered to in practice... maybe i got a bad day, but i doubt it... still, much better than star$ucks

[shm]

Elephant House is popular but used to be better at the coffee thing. Across the street is an Italian owned cafe, can't remember the name (just checked - Cafe Lucano). The food is good but I'll have to check out their coffee technique.

Florentin's has been totally upgraded and not as good as I remember it. Double espresso was bitter and unflavoursome but I think this was down to the use of stale beans, pale crema and not very thick. It was drinkable but I can do much better at home.

I will make it my mission to find decent espresso in Edinburgh (apart from Valvona and Crolla, there must be more than that), I suspect it may be a small out of the way italian cafe somewhere.

[mrcappuccino]

was up in the land of scots this weekend, tried a small cafetiere from the elphant house.. it was pretty good coffee but completely stale... would've tried an espresso, but after sitting and watching them work, with what looked like a very dark roast of been, auto machine and no tamping, decided to give it a miss(and had a nice pot of lapsang souchong). Also had a slight chuckle at the filter coffee sitting there for an hour and a half on the hotplate untouched... the well written coffee menus informed customers that coffee shouldn't b kept hot for more than twenty minutes, and a thermos is the best option... verdict = very well written drinks menus giving very good info on how coffee should be made, informing of there local freshly roasted coffee etc ...but none of this is adhered to in practice... maybe i got a bad day, but i doubt it... still, much better than star$ucks

Sorry you didnt enjoy your coffee, the post is over a year old now so I'm thinking they may have changed a few things. I'll pop back in for a sample sometime soon.

[psychomansam]

No probs at all, it was a very interesting experience... if a bit of a pity. I'd like to run a coffee shop and it was a bit of a scary experience to see all the best intentions going wrong! Hehe

[keepitlikeasecret]

Having just returned from a day trip to edinburgh for a coffee jaunt, i am pretty impressed at how things are improving once you get off the beaten track a bit. I am consequently suffering from palpatations and a rather exhausted listlessness from all the double espressos i've been sampling though. Urgh.

First off, i ventured out the back of the bus station down to broughton street, to Artisan Roast. It's only been open about 7 months or so, and has only lately shifted to being a small cafe rather than just a bean shop. I wish i took my camera to show you guys, but it is the neatest little place, all lined with used coffee bags and a small probat in full view, roasting away when i walked in, and stacks of green coffee bags behind it in a little den. I ordered a double macchiato and enjoyed my first great coffee of the day. Really well pulled shot. I had a wee chat to the swedish girl that served me, and a chat to michael who was roasting at the time, got a run down of the coffees they had and what went in their espresso blend they were serving that day. Really excellent little place, well worth a visit. Bought some roasted mandheling to have at home and went on my way.

My next trek took me off over North Bridge against the wind, and on to Nicholson Street, when i stumbled upon Black Medicine Coffee Co. This wasn't my intended stop, but I'd worked with a guy who worked there but had never found it until now. So i took a trip in and found them using Illy. Hmmm. Again i order a double macchiato. Now, if they used fresh quality beans, they would make a pretty great coffee. The prep was good, the milk texture was good. But those beans aren't doing the barista justice really. Pity. Nice woody gothic vibe to the place though, and a great name for a cafe.

Still, my aim of heading out this way was to get to Kilimanjaro cafe. Walked completely passed it and kept going for ages before i'd realised i'd wandered right off Nicholson street. Hate how the streets just amalgamate together! Still, on my back track i found it. Synesso, Anfims; impressive. After my bowl of soup, i got a double espresso. My best of day so far. So followed that by a flatwhite. Equally delicious. By this point you are probably thinking i am over doing it. I had developed a fine tremor and rather darting eyes. So a brisk walk out in the wind and rain seemed the best idea. Pity i didn't get a chance to chat to the guy on the bar, but lunch times are too busy there by the looks of it, so didn't want to hold them up. Another time though.

Took a look at a couple of potential leases about the place before i headed back to Artisan Roast for another coffee before my bus back up the road. No time to really get out to Lothian Road way, where there is meant to be another pretty good place, but i'll get around to that next trip. Totally delighted at how its improving if you know where to look though.