Creative Content Writer & former Tour Guide at HAGGiS Adventures. Scottish travel blogger and adventure lover. Kay enjoys travelling Scotland solo, and has visited 42 Scottish Islands. She loves to live up to stereotypes by dying her hair ginger, and regularly consuming haggis and whisky. A Scottish history geek and all-around chatterbox, she can literally talk for Scotland.
Here at HAGGiS, we know as well as anyone that caffeine keeps the world awake. Without it, we’d all be moving in slow motion – or actually asleep! Coffee came to Europe in the 17th century, and then ‘the enlightenment’ happened. We reckon it’s no coincidence.
Our best bit of advice? Go for locally-roasted-expertly-brewed coffee over button-pressed-chain-store-trash. Get the highest-quality high, and keep our city’s local businesses alive.
Whether you’re shotting double espressos, sipping twenty cups of tea, or weaning yourself off it with a wee herbal number, this list of independent coffee shops will guarantee you’re buzzing around the city like an indigenous Edinburgh caffeine junkie.
Artisan Roast - Bruntsfield & Broughton
The first independent coffee roaster in Scotland is always a good place to start. Artisan roast have branches in both Bruntsfield and Broughton. They are committed to small batch roasting and their coffee shops offer quirky yet humble interiors.
Enjoy pottering around the cute shops of Bruntsfield and walk across the world’s oldest golf course (AKA ‘The Links’) after your fix.
Visit the Artisan Roast website here
Brew Lab - Southside
Two former Edinburgh University students got addicted to coffee while trying to get their essays in on time. Then, they created Brew Lab. They converted an old university office into one of the best coffee shops in the city. It’s simple, stylish and the perfect place to soak up the student atmosphere of Southside.
Visit the Brew Lab website here
Williams and Johnson - The Shore & Princes Street
Some of Edinburgh’s the most refined coffee roasting can be found within Custom Lane; a co-working and small gallery space down at Edinburgh’s waterfront in Leith. It’s an idyllic spot off the typical tourist trail.
Visit the Williams and Johnson website here
Fortitude Coffee - George Street
These guys brew it strong. Fortitude is a great place to grab a fix before exploring Edinburgh’s amazing city centre galleries or shopping area. It’s is more of a ‘grab and go’ kind of place, partly because you won’t be sitting down after a fix this good.
Visit the Fortitude Coffee website here
Café Gallo - Stockbridge
We know this ‘third wave of coffee’ can seem a lot like hipster speak. Sometimes you just want simple, authentic and delicious. Café Gallo in Stockbridge is proper traditional Italian, and we love it. All the food is locally sourced and the Stockbridge area is full of quirky charity shops and boutiques to explore.
Visit the Café Gallo Facebook page here
Twelve Triangles - Portobello
Twelve Triangles is probably more famous as an artisan bakery and for great reason - they make some of the best bread and pastries we’ve ever tried! You simply have to experience this modern classic. They also run interesting workshops about fermented food and such like… if you’re into that. Portobello is a great spot to wander along the beach, but there is also a branch in Leith if you don’t want to stray too far from town.
Visit the Twelve Triangles website here
Need some more inspiration for your time in Edinburgh? Check out our guides to the ultimate touristy sites, the local gems in the Old Town, and the best budget eats.
About the author
Kay Gillespie
