In this post i've decided to focus more on the lifestyle side of my blog , and what a life I lead. I work full time in a cafe and for some reason every single day off I have, I decide to spend in other cafes, and my oh my there is some amount of cafes in Edinburgh! So me and my pal Casey decided to narrow our choices down to 5 and go on a cafe crawl ...
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| The plan |
Our journey began at Freemans in the Marchmont area. Freemans is a quirky cafe with a relaxed vibe and comfy interior. With a spread of armchairs and benches you can always find a corner to nestle in. There is also free wifi which is always a bonus. The main thing I enjoy about Freemans is their focus on good coffee with guest espressos and perfectly sized flat whites they honestly have something for everyone.
Next, we tried somewhere a bit different. Pekoe tea of Edinburgh in Tollcross is a loose leaf tea specialist who stock 100 loose leaf teas which you can buy or try inside their calm interior. They also have a selection of adorable tea ware. I had 'white monkey green tea' which acted as an excellent detox after all the coffee I had just drunk and tasted amazing. Casey had the 'chocolate mint rooibos tea' which tasted equally superb. I will definitely be coming back here to try out some more teas and maybe even purchase a cute teapot.
Looking glass books was our fourth stop. It is tucked away in the quarter mile area of the city and is a wee gem. Half bookshop half cafe it is a perfect balance with a large selection of interesting books to browse through. Smiley staff and miss matched furniture fits perfectly. I had a delicious soya hot chocolate which was a perfect winter warmer and Casey a peppermint tea. This is one of my favourite spots and if I'm ever struggling for something to do on my day off I can sit here for hours and pretend to be productive.
Ok so those were the five great places in the cafe crawl. In all of them I was greeted with a smile and made to feel as welcome as possible. However, I couldn't do a post about cafes and not include my own place of work. Warning. This will be 100% biased but who cares eh. Hula juice bar situated in the Grassmarket has recently been voted the 'best cafe in Edinburgh 2013' by readers of 'The Skinny'. I've worked in Hula for around 5 years and have kind of grown up with it, watching the interior and menu evolve over my time there. From green super juices to Artisan roast coffee, Hula is a health kick and a half with gluten-free goodness as well. I promise you will never be disappointed with fresh art exhibited on the walls and homemade soups and salads changing daily. No matter if it's 8 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon, you will always get a smile and a warm welcome. Especially if you've read this blog post!
I Hope this has inspired you to try out some of the best hang-outs in Edinburgh. See ya!
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| LOVE IT |
Our second stop on the crawl was Artisan roast in Brunstfield which is a pint-sized hang out with friendly staff and a cosy atmosphere. Artisan roast, roasts all of their own coffee beans and are an independent business based in Edinburgh. While having a few cafes around the city, they also have their own roastery and supply beans to a lot of other top cafes and restaurants around Edinburgh, including the cafe where I work: Hula juice bar. Their coffee is without doubt one of the best in the city and they have a bean to satisfy everyone's taste.
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| Soya picollo and El chollo brew |
Next, we tried somewhere a bit different. Pekoe tea of Edinburgh in Tollcross is a loose leaf tea specialist who stock 100 loose leaf teas which you can buy or try inside their calm interior. They also have a selection of adorable tea ware. I had 'white monkey green tea' which acted as an excellent detox after all the coffee I had just drunk and tasted amazing. Casey had the 'chocolate mint rooibos tea' which tasted equally superb. I will definitely be coming back here to try out some more teas and maybe even purchase a cute teapot.
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| Of course I didn't give it time to cool. |
Looking glass books was our fourth stop. It is tucked away in the quarter mile area of the city and is a wee gem. Half bookshop half cafe it is a perfect balance with a large selection of interesting books to browse through. Smiley staff and miss matched furniture fits perfectly. I had a delicious soya hot chocolate which was a perfect winter warmer and Casey a peppermint tea. This is one of my favourite spots and if I'm ever struggling for something to do on my day off I can sit here for hours and pretend to be productive.
Our 5th and final stop was Brew lab on South College Street. It is on a quiet cobbled side street. However it's the opposite inside with students getting on with work and friends chatting and laughing. It provides a great atmosphere for concentrating or a catchup. The interior is gorgeous with exposed brick work and restored wooden tables and chairs to plonk down on. I tried the decaf filter coffee as our over consumption of caffeine had finally hit us. uh oh. The decaf was extremely fragrant, fruity and refreshing. It was different to anything else I had tasted before but I will definitely try it again. Brew lab is a definite stop off for a rainy day, which is most days...
Ok so those were the five great places in the cafe crawl. In all of them I was greeted with a smile and made to feel as welcome as possible. However, I couldn't do a post about cafes and not include my own place of work. Warning. This will be 100% biased but who cares eh. Hula juice bar situated in the Grassmarket has recently been voted the 'best cafe in Edinburgh 2013' by readers of 'The Skinny'. I've worked in Hula for around 5 years and have kind of grown up with it, watching the interior and menu evolve over my time there. From green super juices to Artisan roast coffee, Hula is a health kick and a half with gluten-free goodness as well. I promise you will never be disappointed with fresh art exhibited on the walls and homemade soups and salads changing daily. No matter if it's 8 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon, you will always get a smile and a warm welcome. Especially if you've read this blog post!
I Hope this has inspired you to try out some of the best hang-outs in Edinburgh. See ya!
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