I’ve lived in Edinburgh for over ten years, and going out with breakfast or brunch is one of my favourite rituals in this beautiful city. A proper Full Scottish on a Sunday morning. A cardamom bun at my local Swedish café. A grilled cheese from the coffee shop at the end of my street. In this guide I’m sharing my most-loved, personally-tested places for breakfast and brunch in Edinburgh — the ones I return to, send friends to, and discovered slowly over a decade of living here. From tiramisu french toast to grapefruit brûlée, these are the spots worth your morning.
This guide will be continuously updated as I discover more places for breakfast and brunch in Edinburgh. It was last updated in April 2026.
| Venue | Area | Best For | Mains | Reservation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margot | The Meadows | Butterscotch french toast | £13–15 | Recommended |
| Haze | Leith | The best coffee in the city | £7–9 | Walk-in friendly |
| Loudons | Fountainbridge / Waverley | Tiramisu french toast | £14–15 | Recommended |
| Söderberg | Stockbridge / Quartermile | Scandinavian breakfast | £12–14 | Walk-in friendly |
| Cairngorm Coffee | West End | Grilled cheese & coffee | £7 | Walk-in |
| Twelve Triangles | Stockbridge & more | Pastries & focaccia | £6–9 | Walk-in |
| Hula Juice Bar | Grassmarket | Açaí bowls | £9–15 | Walk-in |
| Greenwoods | New Town | All-day brunch | £14–17 | Recommended |
| Montpeliers | Bruntsfield | Eggs benedict | £10–15 | Recommended |
| Edinburgh Larder | Old Town | Full Scottish breakfast | £12–18 | Recommended |
| Cowan & Sons | Stockbridge | Veggie brunch bun | £6–10 | Walk-in |
| Gleneagles Townhouse | New Town | Monthly Sunday brunch | £95 pp | Essential |
The best places in Edinburgh for Breakfast & Brunch: from tiramisu french toast to grapefruit brûlée
Edinburgh is a great city to go out for breakfast or brunch. There is such a nice vibe all around the city and I love going out for friends and sharing a few different plates so we get to try a nice variety of savoury and sweet.
For this guide I have only picked venues that are all available to sit-in for breakfast and brunch. But I also have some local favourites like Lannan Bakery which I’ve written a separate review for where you can pick up pastries and go sit in the nearby Inverleith Park or by the St Bernards Well.
Quick guide to the best breakfast and brunch in Edinburgh
Here is a quick overview to my top recommendations for the best breakfast and brunch places in Edinburgh for these categories!
- Best for a relaxed vibe and good coffee: Haze or Cairngorm Coffee
- Best for a Scandinavian style breakfast: Söderberg
- Best for a sweet breakfast: Loudons and their tiramisu french toast
- Best full Scottish breakfast: Edinburgh Larder
- Best for pastries: Twelve Triangles
- Best for acai bowls and smoothies: Hula
- Best for all day brunch menu: Greenwoods
Read on for more information on the best places for breakfast and brunch in Edinburgh with individual reviews and information for my top chosen spots.
Margot
I discovered Margot after a recommendation from a friend of mine. So I booked it for a birthday brunch with one of my friends who were visiting from Sweden. We got the lovely window seat and shared our chosen dishes whilst catching up about everything that had happened since the last time we saw each other. We decided to order butternut squash with burrata as well as the butterscotch french toast. Both lovely dishes but the french toast was a real standout and such a delight together with mascarpone and poached pear. I’m actually quite glad we shared this one as it was a decent portion size. I also enjoyed a hot chocolate with sea salt and muscovado which was really lovely and warming on a chilly day in February.
Later in the day Margot is also a lovely spot for a glass of wine and is well worth a visit in the afternoon too. The interiors feel trendy and inviting and there is such a lovely atmosphere of different friend groups catching up in every corner.
- Prices: Coffee from £2.80 and main course around £13-15
- Opening hours: Wednesday 08.30-16.00, Thursday 08.30-16.00 and 17.00-22.00, Friday & Saturday 09.00-16.00 and 17.00-22.00, Sunday 09.00-16.00
- Location: West side of The Meadows
- What to order: butterscotch french toast with poached pear and mascarpone or the caramelised walnut granola with figs and yoghurt.
Haze at Browns of Leith – Edinburgh’s newest breakfast spot
Haze is one of the newest additions to Edinburgh’s breakfast scene. The venue is located inside the collaboration space of Browns of Leith where you also find the pizza company Civerinos and seafood spot Shrimpwreck. Haze says it’s a place for blurring the lines between morning coffee and evening wine and that’s exactly the vibe you get here. The space is an old engineering hall and feels just as hipster as you would expect from a trendy venue on the shore in Leith. The breakfast menu has some lovely items like the grapefruit brûlée where half a grapefruit has been covered in caramelised sugar and they also do the best cup of coffee in Edinburgh.
It is definitely a place where you can sit for hours and after midday the menu is changed to include other small plates more suited to the afternoon and also wine. On a weekday I could also imagine this to be a great spot to work from if you are able to work from wherever, like me. On your way home you can also pick up a little bouquet of flowers – perfect for a grey day or ahead of the weekend!
- Prices: Coffee from £4 and main course around £7-9
- Opening hours: 08.00-22.00 Thursday – Sunday (breakfast menu available until 12.00)
- Location: The Shore in Leith
- What to order: grapefruit brûlée and wush wush coffee with oat milk.
♥ Read my review of the breakfast at Haze – and the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had – here
Loudons
Loudons is a very popular place in Edinburgh for both breakfast and brunch. They have two venues in Edinburgh and their all day brunch menu includes both classics and some twists. The food here feels more hearty than gastronomic which is one of the reasons that it’s loved by so many. On my last visit I tried the tiramisu french toast which was such a delight. The coffee notes went with the french toast and caramel sauce in such a lovely way. I would also love to come back to try the savoury croque madame french toast which also sounds fantastic. Since one of the venues is located a short walk from the Waverley train station, this is a great location if you’re visiting Edinburgh by train and want to go straight to brunch.
- Prices: Coffee from £3.50 and main course around £14-15
- Opening hours: 08.00-15.00 Monday – Friday and 08.00-16.00 Saturday & Sunday
- Location: Near Waverley train station or Fountainbridge
- What to order: the tiramisu french toast.
Söderberg – a Scandinavian breakfast in Edinburgh
Since I grew up in Sweden, I quickly discovered Söderberg when I first moved to Edinburgh over 10 years ago. It was one of the very first cafés I visited in the city, since they are a venue specialising in Swedish food and pastries. They do a phenomenal cardamom bun and I also really enjoy their breakfast tray. It has a little bit of everything you would expect from a classic Swedish breakfast.
There are several different venues in Edinburgh – and also some in London now – but my favourites are either the larger restaurant Söderberg Pavilion at Quartermile, the café right next door to it by the meadows or the café in Stockbridge which is my local one. If you are at the Pavilion venue I also love the smoked salmon and crème fraîche waffles as I’m a savoury girlie, but they also have sweet options if that’s more your thing.
- Prices: Coffee from £3.40 and main course around £12-14
- Opening hours: 08.00-18.00 Monday – Sunday at Söderberg Stockbridge and 09.00-21.00 Monday – Sunday.
- Location: Söderberg Pavilion is by Quartermile/the Meadows but there are smaller venues around town in Stockbridge, Morningside, Broughton Street and the West End.
- What to order: smoked salmon and crème fraîche waffles (at Söderberg Pavilion) or the frukostbricka – breakfast tray – with a little bit of everything.
Cairngorm Coffee
Cairngorm Coffee is my local coffeeshop as it’s within a 15 minute walk from my house. They are a Scotland-based coffee company which started in the Cairngorms – hence the name. I’m a frequent visitor to the café to either work from here, meet up with friends or just pick up a coffee or tea on the go. They also have a nice little menu for food items and it’s a great spot for a grilled cheese. In the summer you can sit outside on tables at the side of the street and it’s an excellent location for people watching. I like to order an espresso tonic when the weather is warmer and sometimes the café also collaborates with Project Canelé and sell their wonderful canelés that are some of the best I have ever tried.
Cairngorm Coffee also sell different merchandise items so if you’re looking for a cool Scotland souvenir, you might find it here.
- Prices: Coffee from £3 and main course around £7
- Opening hours: Monday – Saturday 07.00-19.00 and 08.00-19.00 on Sundays
- Location: the West End
- What to order: grilled cheese with sweet chili jam and a cup of coffee. If the canelés from Project Canelé are available they are also a must-try!
Twelve Triangles
Twelve Triangles is a popular bakery in Edinburgh who have multiple shops around town. On weekend morning I usually go for a long walk through Stockbridge and on my way back I pick up focaccia from the bakery to bring home for breakfast or lunch. It’s such a good focaccia – and it’s always difficult not to leave with pastries as well. Besides takeaway items they also have tables so it’s possible to sit in and a menu for breakfast and brunch items such as granola or beans on toast. If the weather is good you can also sit in for your main item and then take away a pastry to enjoy in the lovely Inverleith Park and enjoy a view toward the castle skyline.
- Prices: Coffee from £3 and main course around £6-9
- Opening hours: 07.00-15.00 Monday – Sunday for the Stockbridge venue
- Location: Stockbridge, Easter Road, Portobello, Morningside + multiple other locations
- What to order: nut granola with seasonal compote and natural yoghurt and also the lemon and cardamom swirl (it’s vegan). The focaccia here is also exceptional!
Hula Juice Bar – the best açai bowl breakfast in Edinburgh?
Hula is a healthy eatery and juice bar serving items like açai bowls, smoothies and wraps. The café is tucked away at the bottom of Victoria Street right by the Grassmarket in the Old Town. You can also order off of Hula’s menu on Uber Eats or Deliveroo to be delivered to you.
- Prices: Coffee from £3.30 and main course around £9-15
- Opening hours: 07.30-15.00 Monday – Sunday
- Location: Victoria Street at Grassmarket
- What to order: ginger jack juice and the açai bowl.
Planning where to stay? Most of these breakfast spots are walkable from the New Town and Old Town, where you’ll find the best hotel options. See our » guide to the best hotels in Edinburgh for our top recommendations.
Greenwoods
Greenwoods is an all day brunch café serving food inspired by both its Scottish location and Dutch roots as the first Greenwoods opened in Amsterdam in 1988 before their Scottish venue opened in 2020 in Edinburgh. This is also showcased in the menu where you of course can order a Full Scottish but also The Dutchman which is their take on the Dutch classic ‘uitsmijter’ which is fried eggs with cheese, ham and salsa verde on toasted sourdough. I’ve seen numerous people order the stack of pancakes, but have yet to try them myself but I’ll have to give in someday and give them a go as they look delicious. Greenwoods is located right in the city centre near Princes Street so it’s the best place for breakfast or brunch before some Edinburgh shopping.
- Prices: Coffee from £3.25 and main course around £14-17
- Opening hours: 08.00-14.30 Monday to Friday and 08.00-15.30 Saturday & Sunday
- Location: New Town on Frederick Street
- What to order: blood orange and ginger cold drink and cullen skink hash or the wild mushroom bruschetta.
Montpeliers
On the high street of the trendy area Bruntsfield in the south of the city, you will find Montpeliers. This is another popular brunch place in town and is a favourite of both locals and visitors. They do some lovely brunch classics and I also love that they offer the option of ordering small sides like smashed avocado, tattie tots or black pudding. After 12.00 they change to a Brasserie menu but it’s a lovely spot to visit any time of day, not only for a meal in the morning. Montpeliers is also a popular spot later in the day for drinks or dinner.
- Prices: Coffee from £3.25 and main course around £10-15
- Opening hours: 09.00-01.00 Monday to Sunday (although the breakfast menu is only available until 12.00)
- Location: Bruntsfield
- What to order: eggs benedict or cinnamon & apple pie french toast.
Edinburgh Larder – the best Full Scottish breakfast
The Edinburgh Larder is located in the Old Town, just off the Royal Mile and they are the best place in town for classic Scottish dishes for breakfast or brunch. They also have their sister venue Little Larder right next door which served the same dishes as the bigger venue but in bento boxes. They have a lovely approach to food with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients and I always feel like their food feels really homemade and hearty. Like good comfort food!
- Prices: Coffee from £3.30 and main course around £12-18
- Opening hours: 07.30-15.00 Monday to Friday and 08.00-15.00 on Saturday & Sunday
- Location: Old Town
- What to order: Full Scottish breakfast – they also do a vegetarian and vegan option
Cowan & Sons
Cowan & Sons is a wonderful café to enjoy a breakfast or brunch on the high street in Stockbridge. You can sit in and order off their menu. Or if you’re on the move you can order in their shop window and take it with you. Inverleith Park is a short walk away so when the weather is good I would definitely recommend sitting there with a wee picnic. The brunch buns are really good here – and I particularly like the veggie one as I love halloumi. Cowan & Sons is also a print edition shop and collaborate with both local and international artists for their various editions. After your breakfast or brunch I would also recommend a walk around the Royal Botanic Gardens which are only a short walk away from the café.
- Prices: Coffee from £3.50 and main course around £6-10
- Opening hours: 09.00-17.00 Monday to Sunday
- Location: Stockbridge
- What to order: banana bread bowl or the veggie big brunch bun with halloumi, fresh tomato salsa and a fried egg.
Is this the best brunch in Edinburgh?
So there are brunch restaurants who serve lovely dishes for the start of the day – and then there is the fantastic phenomenon that is the monthly Sunday Brunch at Gleneagles Townhouse. I have not yet had the chance to go, but expect a full review when I do! The Spence Brunch Club happens on the last Sunday of every month. And it includes an unlimited buffet of starters, seasonal mains and a whole room dedicated to desserts. Upon arrival you get your welcome drink which is either a Bloody Mary or Mimosa and you can then order other drinks for an additional charge. I do wonder if the Bloody Mary is as good as my favourite one from Brasserie Prince. There is also live music playing throughout the brunch.
- Prices: £95 per person (+ drinks as the ticket includes a welcome drink but not other drinks).
- When? Once a month on the last Sunday of every month. Check the website for the next date.
- Bookings open: on the 1st of the same month at 10.00. Reservations can only be made online.
- Location: New Town on Frederick Street
FAQ – The best places in Edinburgh for Breakfast & Brunch
In many of these places I would recommend booking a table in advance as some can be really popular. Especially on weekends. For The Spence Brunch Club at Gleneagles Townhouse it is absolutely essential to book in advance as it tends to sell out quite quickly.
The Edinburgh Larder is a great spot in the Old Town to try a traditional Scottish Breakfast including items like haggis, black pudding, potato scone and eggs.
Café Calton is a great option for a breakfast or brunch with a view in Edinburgh. I have not included it in this guide, as I didn’t love the food last time I was there but I’ve been meaning to go back and try another dish as I have many friends who really love it. I will report back once I have re-tried it.
Hula Juice Bar is known for it’s healthier style dishes with detox juices and açai bowls.
The best place in Edinburgh for breakfast or brunch is Greenwoods. Or at least in my humble opinion. There are plenty of options on the menu and it’s in a central location so easy to reach.
Looking for more food inspiration in Edinburgh?
- The Best Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh, Scotland: Scones, Sandwiches & City Views
- The Gleneagles Townhouse Afternoon Tea: Relaxed luxury in Edinburgh’s most beautiful restaurant
- Haze at Browns of Leith in Edinburgh: the best cup of coffee in Scotland
Or other things to do in the city?
- Edinburgh: A local’s guide and recommendations to things to do and see
- The best hotels in Edinburgh: 19 luxurious recommendations from a local
- Where to go for a whisky tasting in Edinburgh: Scotch whisky tours & distilleries
- The best cocktail bars in Edinburgh: recommendations from a local
- The best time to visit Edinburgh: A seasonal travel guide
- Edinburgh and Harry Potter: a guide to magical locations, shops and details
Meet Moa, our multi-talented writer from Sweden who now calls Edinburgh, Scotland home. With over a decade exploring Europe’s hidden corners—from Nordic landscapes to alpine villages—Moa brings a unique perspective shaped by her years as a travel guide in the Swiss and Austrian Alps. As a whisky book author and freelance drinks writer, she has an eye for exceptional food and beverage experiences, while her background as a photographer ensures she never misses a scenic moment. Whether she’s discovering old European cities or chasing golden hour in mountain villages, Moa’s stories blend cultural insight with a dash of adventure and plenty of authenticity.
