The Best Cafés in Edinburgh: Coffee Spots Near 28 York Place
Coffee, coffee, and more coffee. Edinburgh’s coffee scene has never been better, and it just keeps on growing. There seems to be a new coffee shop around every corner, and somehow most of them hit the ground running despite the fierce competition. Each café brings something different to the table, whether that’s exceptional speciality coffee, incredible pastries, or a unique atmosphere.
As much as we’d love to mention every great coffee spot in Edinburgh, we’d never do them all justice. So, whether you’re after a quick flat white before exploring the city or a leisurely brunch, here are our 10 favourite cafés nearby.
1. Stòr Coffee
📍29 Broughton Street
Stòr Coffee is a modern café tucked inside a florist and lifestyle store. While Stòr has been a much-loved shop on Broughton Street for years, the addition of the café has somehow made an already beautiful space even better.
Surrounded by fresh flowers, books and carefully curated homeware, it’s a wonderfully calming escape from the bustle of Edinburgh. Expect excellent coffee, delicious pastries and an atmosphere that’s completely unique—no small achievement in Edinburgh’s thriving coffee scene.
2. Söderberg
📍45 Broughton Street
Söderberg is a Scandinavian-style bakery serving coffee alongside freshly baked favourites, from artisan sourdough to their famous cardamom buns.
Situated on the corner of Broughton Street and Forth Street, it’s the perfect place to watch Edinburgh drift by through its large windows. Whether you’re escaping a dreich Scottish afternoon or taking a well-earned break from sightseeing, don’t leave without trying their rich, chocolatey Kladdkaka.
3. Wellington Coffee
📍33A George Street
Opening in 2008, Wellington Coffee is a small gem nestled amongst the shops on George Street. Its wraparound outdoor seating is ideal on sunny days, while the cosy interior offers a welcome retreat when Edinburgh’s stormy weather inevitably arrives in all its blustery, wet glory.
The coffee and sweet treats never disappoint, which comes as no surprise given owner Jon Sharp’s reputation as a barista champion and founder of several popular cafés across Edinburgh.
4. New Town Deli
📍42 Broughton Street
If you’re looking for a laid-back neighbourhood café, New Town Deli is a fantastic choice.
Part deli, part café and part coffee shop, it serves all-day breakfasts alongside fresh salads, soups, sandwiches and flatbreads. Whether you’re sitting in or grabbing lunch to fuel a day of exploring, everything is made in-house using fresh ingredients from local suppliers.
5. Ante
📍1b Haddington Place
From the team behind Spry Wines comes Ante—wine upstairs, coffee downstairs.
Serving speciality coffee, seasonal brunches and pastries worth making a detour for, Ante embraces the changing seasons. Fresh local produce inspires a regularly evolving menu, with bakers and chefs creating beautifully plated dishes packed with flavour.
6. Kul Coffee
📍15 Elm Row
Describing itself as a café “where coffee brews community”, KUL Coffee has quickly become a local favourite.
They roast their own coffee and aim to make as much as possible in-house, serving speciality coffee, seasonal drinks, delicious pastries and satisfying brunch dishes. It’s nearly always buzzing—and for good reason.
7. Santu coffee roastery
📍23 Union Street
“Brazil’s best coffee, roasted in Edinburgh.”
Although Santu also has a coffee bar on the Royal Mile, visiting the New Town roastery and espresso bar is an experience in itself. Housed inside one of the UK’s best-preserved historic wash houses, the building still features its original tiles, mezzanine windows and vintage signage.
Built as Edinburgh’s city laundry in 1931, it’s now home to roasting, packing, shipping and, of course, brewing exceptional coffee. If you love fascinating buildings almost as much as great coffee, this one’s for you.
8. The Cobbled Roastery
📍48 Thistle Street
Grab a morning bun, order a coffee and watch the roasting magic happen.
Hidden away on cobbled Thistle Street, this welcoming café pairs beautiful stone architecture with a cosy interior. It’s an effortlessly cool, no-fuss space where the coffee speaks for itself and the staff make everyone feel at home.
9. Room and rumours coffee
📍25 East Market Street
What’s better than coffee? Speciality coffee and doughnuts.
Located beneath the arches on East Market Street, Room & Rumours pairs expertly brewed coffee with incredible creations from their Donutterie. The large arched windows flood the café with light, while the smaller seating area encourages you to grab a coffee, pick your favourite doughnut and continue exploring the city.
10. Artisan Roast
📍57 Broughton Street
Probably the smallest of Edinburgh’s Artisan Roast cafés, this Broughton Street location feels like a hidden gem.
Known as the heart of the Artisan Roast family, it’s where everything began. Having trained generations of Edinburgh baristas, the café won the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award in 2012. Warm, welcoming and wonderfully unpretentious, it’s the kind of place where conversations flow as easily as the coffee.
Start Your Day the Edinburgh Way
One of my favourite things about Edinburgh is that there’s always another café waiting to be discovered. You might set out for a perfectly brewed flat white and end up staying for a second coffee, a homemade pastry, or an afternoon spent reading by the window.
Whether you’re fuelling up before a day of sightseeing or taking a well-earned break between exploring the city’s streets, these cafés offer some of the best coffee—and the warmest welcomes—you’ll find in Edinburgh. Best of all, they’re all just a short walk from 28 York Place, so your next favourite coffee spot is never far away.
