Edinburgh is a great city but it can be a manic one too: filled with must-see historic attractions and buzzing all summer long with internationally acclaimed festivals. The secret to enjoying its cultural riches is to take the city at a leisurely pace and there is nowhere quite like the Edinburgh cafe scene to people watch and appreciate the city's charms from a streetside table. Enthusiasts will even mention it in the same breath as they would Paris' Montparnasse district or New York's Greenwich Village when it comes to the eating and drinking scene.
Edinburgh's historic city centre is divided into the Old Town (around the Royal Mile) and the New Town (also several centuries old) just to the north. To the south of the Royal Mile is the area around Edinburgh University also known as Southside. These three areas together offer the best of the city's cafe scene. To the northwest of the Old Town, there is also Stockbridge, another "up and coming" area with plenty of fine cafes. Edinburgh is no stranger to cafe culture (it boasted one of the earliest coffee houses in Europe) but there has never been a better time to visit and try it for yourself.
Here are ten of the best Edinburgh Coffee Shops...
Always Sunday, the Best Royal Mile Cafe
Cheery staff and interesting, fresh, reasonably piced food make this bright cafe near St Giles Cathedal stand out on a street all too often filled with cheap, bland souvenir shops to go with the wonderful historic buildings. The location means it is nearly always full.