A Writer's Day in Edinburgh Cafes

Press Coffee, Buccleuch St. Edinburgh

"If you can't sit in a cafe quietly and be ignored, how can you observe human nature and write a story?"

Evangeline Lilly

So Many Choices

Edinburgh is a city rich with cafe options scattered around the various areas and neighbourhoods. Finding one that's a good option when you're a writer or reader adds a little more of a challenge to the process though. After all you're likely looking for somewhere that's not too busy and noisey, but it has to have a little life to it. Due to being likely to stick around for longer than most customers, a certain level of comfort is definitely required. There's much to be considered but in Edinburgh there are a good number of options all with their pros and cons.

Room and Rumours

Although this selection isn't in any particular order I had to put it first for the setting and doughnuts alone. Room and Rumours is one of those rareities, being in the thick of things and a little off the beaten track at the same time. Situated in The Vaults and not far from both Waverley Station and The Royal Mile, Room and Rumours isn't too hard to find, but its size can make it easy to miss. Due to being in one of the old city vaults the cafe is quite small. What it provides though is an experience punching well above its weight. The ancient bare stone is beautifully contrasted with hints of contemporary and mid-century modern design. The lone tan leather wingback chair offers an excellent "poet's corner" that I always feel should be designated as such. The food and drink options are excellent and, although music is usually being played, the sound levels aren't overly distracting. The compact nature of the place unfortunately means that it can quite quickly feel a little more crowded than might be comfortable. A little people watching is pretty much always possible though.

Press Coffee

Situated on the corner of Buccleuch St and Buccleuch Pl behind Edinburgh University main campus this little gem can have a great collection of characters. They usually have some good pastries on offer and the coffee is good quality and well prepared. This is a rather more spacious cafe that many others and tables are all well spaced out. So even when it gets busy it doesn't necessarily feel over crowded. The walls are all painted a cheery yellow and, even though there is subtle lighting dotted around, the near floor to ceiling slender windows of this late Victorian building flood the elegant interior with light. Various house plants offer a calming and homely touch to what is otherwise a more early 20th century French Salon style space. This is definitely a favourite of mine, although more so when it's less busy, as it tends to be a good spot for going over notes and thinking more critically and carefully. However the lack of more comfortable seating options means that it's often not a good option for spending extended time. A pity, considering the variety of people that frequent the cafe.

Tills and Company

Heading to the outer edges for this one. Situated on the high street of Portobello, Tills and Company has become a bit of a local community institution in the short time it's been open. Unfortunately this can mean that it gets very busy and you might struggle to find a seat. That being said that Tills and Company is a book shop and cafe, with the seating being dotted around the store. You could sit in a small corner under and anglepoise lamp in a midcentury armchair, or you could sit in a cushion covered window seat watching the world go by. Food and drink options change pretty regularly but are always excellent. Drinks in particular are exceptionally well prepared and the aesthetics of the space are a glorious mix of cozy comfort and wabi-sabi beauty. If you live locally there are always community group events going on. If you're just passing through then there's always the potential of picking up a surprising edition of an amazing book from the shops carefully curated second hand collection.

Toast

In the heart of Leith Shore, by the waterfront of an old dock, sits something of a local favourite. Toast is a touch of continental cafe bar with a good patisserie selection but a very good offering of more substantial meals. This is a far more stylish contemporary space than others here, this doesn't always appeal to me personally, but they pull it off very well. I don't often go to these kind of of places to eat meals more akin to a restaurant either, but if I was going to go anywhere it would probebly be Toast. Generally speaking though the food and drink selections are wonderful, impeccably made and presented. At the right times this can be a really great option for both a little environmental inspiration and people watching. The only warning I really offer though is that Toast can get very busy and it's not particularly comfortable for longer leisurely stays.

Uplands Roast, The Meadows, Edinburgh

Uplands Roast

For those of you that already know Uplands Roast you might be scratching your head. This isn't so much a cafe as a food truck. Sitting on the edge of the Meadows close to Edinburgh University Main Campus, Uplands Roast offers something unique to the writer looking for a place to go work with a warm beverage. This is a particularly good option on autumn or crisp winter days as the hot chocolate is potentially the best in Edinburgh, it's certainly one of the most visually impressive. Although Uplands Roast does have a few chairs it's probably preferable to go find a bench elsewhere on the park. This means quiet, calm, and excellent people watching oportunities. You might think that this is surely a summer activity, but those in the know, autumn and winter are definitely the seasons of choice. Just wrap up warm.

The Crammond Inn

So technically this probably shouldn't be in the list as it's a pub and not a cafe. I make the rules though and I'm keeping it. The main reason I'm keeping it though is because of it's quiet space, unique old character, and pies. The Crammond Inn sits at the heart of old Crammond Village, an old fishing village that sits at where the River Almond empties into the Firth of Forth. The pub building is several hundred years old at this point and is now a Sam Smiths establishment. That means the prices are somewhat reasonable but the pub is a "digital detox" zone. No laptops, phones, tablets etc. As such this can be a little dettrimental for some. It's also not dog friendly. For me though it's a great place to gather thoughts, go over notes and first drafts with a spot of lunch.

In the End

There are many more places that I didn't mention here but I'm sure to cover more in the future. There's always space and time for trying out new places too. So if you have a favourite spot of your own feel free to leave a comment here or find me on Instagram. Have a great time trying out these places yourself and happy writing.