Craving the best coffee in Edinburgh? You’ve come to the right place.
Edinburgh’s coffee scene is actually among the best in the UK– home to trendy cafes and micro roasters, the coffee here is a standard all on its own.
The attention to detail found in the country’s coffee shops and their championing of independent roasters makes it a coffee-lover’s dream.
The best coffee shops in Edinburgh
How do these rankings work?
1. Brew Lab
They’ve been serving the best coffee in the city here since 2012. Brew Lab feels more like a high end cocktail bar than a coffee shop, and we love the uniqueness of the place. Their coffee menu features four rotating single-origin coffees: two brewed on their brew bar as pour-overs, and two on their espresso bar.
2. Fortitude Coffee
All coffee lovers will love this speciality coffee bar in Edinburgh’s New Town. Fortitude might be small (grab a seat if you’re lucky!) but it packs a mighty caffeine punch.
Their coffee is seasonal and lightly roasted, and they make each drink individually on their la Marzocco Linea PB using filtered water and single origin beans. Their filter coffees are hand-brewed using a Kalita wave pour-over.
3. Williams & Johnson Coffee Co.
You’ll find this super little coffee shop in Waverly Mall above the train station.
Their beans are freshly roasted at their flagship store in Leith and arrive super fresh to the Edinburgh location. Not only that, but they pride themselves on their seasonally curated coffees, and their selection changes through the year as they continue to source new fresh crop beans.
4. The Milkman
This picturesque coffee shop’s stone facade has looked the same for decades and is a cute Insta snapshot of the city. Even better than that though is the coffee. The Milkman brews up all sorts of tasty coffees from local UK roasters.
The baristas are talented, passionate and always willing to chat about the beans they have available. A real Edinburgh gem.
5. Cairngorm Coffee
This bright and beautiful coffee stop now has two locations in the city with a loyal contingent of coffee fans. Naturally, they brew up their own coffee in-store, which they roast in the Cairngorm Mountains every week.
Be sure to take home a bag of their trademark yellow coffee beans to sip at home!
6. Cult Espresso
Cult Espresso is a must-visit for some of the tastiest brunch and best coffee in Edinburgh.
Get your caffeine fix with regular espresso and filter coffees from Round Hill Roastery in East Somerset, as well as a wide selection of seasonal guest coffees from some of the top roasteries in the UK and Europe, on espresso and in their brew bar.
7. Artisan Roast
Artisan Roast’s first coffee store opened on Broughton Street in 2007, and they’ve since become icons of the Edinburgh coffee scene, with three cafes in the city. Sip on expertly made espresso coffees or hand-brewed coffee made with your choice of a seasonal selection of single-origin beans.
You can also visit their roastery and coffee lab by appointment – a must for any serious coffee connoisseur.
