Edinburgh miscellaneous eating out (and our apartment)

I have shared quite a lot of meals we enjoyed at the cafes and restaurants on our recent trip to Edinburgh.  This post is to share some that places where we stopped for snacks or places I had written about on previous trips.  I also have a few photos of our apartment where we stayed for over a week on the West Port.

Scottish Storytelling Centre

The first place is a favourite from previous trips.  We have previously visited the Scottish Storytelling Centre in 2009, 2012 and 2016.  If you check out my photos from 2009 you will see how plain the counter was to the current colourful counter.  We went there this visit when Mimi's Bakehouse was closed, the World's End pub was full and we were hungry.  It was close-by and casual.

Sylvia had a Leek, mushroom, cheddar and mozzarella quiche with salad and crisps.  It looked great but Sylvia was a bit lukewarm about it because she had been set on having something from Mimi's.  I think I was more impressed than her by all the salad.  I opted to have the veg haggis neeps and tatties with an Auchentoshan whiskey and mustard creamy sauce.  It did not look so beautiful but it tasted great.  Sylvia had a traditional Irn Bru and I had a lovely Cawston Press Elderflower Lemonade.  I enjoyed being in the cosy cafe and looking out at the High Street.

The Milkman

The Milkman was high on Sylvia's list of places to visit in Edinburgh.  It is a favourite of instagrammers because of its gorgeous designs.  You can see it in this photo on the left side of Cockburn Street just before the green Swish sign.

Named after the owner's great grandfather who was the last horse drawn milkman in his town in Aberdeenshire.  The logo features this milkman's silhouette from a souvenir of the Glasgow’s Empire Exhibition in 1938.  He has two cafes on Cockburn Street.  The original was far lower down the street in a former confectionery shop with more space and more cakes.

We went to the Milkman cafe near the top of Cockburn Street which is in a narrow corner shop.  The design of plants and wooden shelves on stone walls reflects the commitment to sustainability and creating a space to relax in the midst of a busy tourist street.  Of course there are windows to watch the passersby and admire the historic buildings.  That is, if you are lucky enough to find a vacant seat.

The staff were also lovely to chat to and the cakes were very tempting but we had just had brunch at the Edinburgh Larder and were after a cuppa.  Sylvia had a soy latte and I had a hot chocolate.  She was impressed with her latte.  The hot chocolate was fantastic.  It was hot (and they aren't always) and tasted more of cocoa than sugar or milk (again not always a given).

On a Sunday afternoon we couldn't find a seat so we got takeaways and stood outside the Milkman photographing the fascinatingly narrow building between Cockburn Street and Fleshmarket Close.  It is so unusual and so charmingly fairy tale.  Add in that the Milkman is a friendly, high-quality and cosy cafe, it is easy to see why it is so popular. 

Waterstones Cafe, Edinburgh West End

I have already written how much I enjoyed browsing Waterstones West End book store.  The cafe is also well worth a visit.  Who doesn't love a cuppa surrounded by books!  And the views of the Castle are magnificent.  Unfortunately the window seats are never free long so it is a matter of luck if you can nab one.  These seats do not cater for a group of five.  We met E's sister, her husband and 21 year old son for a catch up.  I am always so impressed how E's family worked so much in libraries and bookstores so Waterstones seemed a good place to meet.  And Sylvia had seen photos online so she was keen to visit.

Sylvia ordered an iced matcha latte that was ok but she loved her mini red velvet cake.  She was still raving about it long after we left.  I had a lovely Black Forest hot chocolate and was very pleased to have a marmite, cheddar and chive scone.  I love the savoury scones in the UK.  It was great to catch up with E's family.  I remember when his nephew was born and it was such a delight to chat to him as an adult who has almost finished his university degree.

lovecrumbs

Lovecrumbs is another favourite from previous visits.  I first visited in 2012 when I met the lovely blogger, Shauna Reid and then another visit in 2016.  The cakes were so good that we squeezed in a visit for a piece of cake.  It was mid afternoon so there wasn't heaps of cake left.  I had vegan chocolate violet cake and Sylvia had a pain au chocolat with apple juice.  My cake was very nice but the violet icing was too much because I like a little icing but not that much.  Sylvia was very pleased with her order, especially the apple juice.  It was not fresh but was much better quality than your average bottled juice.  The big round tables have been replaced by smaller rectangular tables but the piano and the charming decor is still there.

Hula

While I went to Glasgow, Sylvia went out for lunch and shopping.  She was keen to go to Hula: healthy eatery and juice bar that constantly rated high in online searches for Edinburgh's vegetarian meals.  It was quite flamboyant with lots of pretty meals.  I wanted to go too but we were running out of time so Sylvia went and reported back.  She really liked the place despite it taking a few goes at the menu before she found the right dish.  As with a few places, it had multiple locations with slightly different menus at each place.  We love looking at online menus and this can be a bit confusing.

First, Sylvia ordered the Pancakes with apple crisp served with baked apples, granola, chai sauce and clotted cream.  Once it came, she checked it if had peanuts.  They were unable to let her know which nuts so it returned to the kitchen.  Then she asked for the Scrambled Tofu Toast with roasted peppers, onions, grilled courgettes and sweet chilli sauce.  Unfortunately they were out of the scramble.  So she finally had success ordering Eggs Benedict: poached eggs on toast with Hulandaise sauce, and a side of mushrooms.  She also had the Popeye juice - spinach, apple, lemon and nutmeg.  She was very pleased with her eggs and juice.

Kilted Donut

On our last day while we waited for lunch at the Fiddlers Arms, we dropped into nearby Kilted Donut.  We had often passed by this cute doughnut shop on the Grassmarket.  It was our last day in Edinburgh and our last chance to look inside.  The gorgeous displays were so tempting.  We were hungry for both food and as many experiences as possible.  Sylvia chose the Cranachan doughnut with cream and jam inside and pink icing and oats on top.  Like the traditional Scottish dessert, called Cranachan, it was a little too much cream for me but Sylvia enjoyed it.

I went extra adventurous and ordered the Peshwari doughnut.  It was inspired by the sweet-filled Peshwari naan that I would often have with my curry from the Prince of India in Peebles when I lived in Edinburgh.  Great memories.  Peshwari naan is stuffed with a sweet paste that is often made from ground nuts, coconut and sultanas. The doughnut had lightly flavoured curry icing sprinkled with finely chopped nuts and desiccated coconut.  It was amazingly and surprisingly good.  We went straight from there to the pub for lunch so our doughnuts had to wait later that night when we had at last sat on the sofa to relax after finishing all our packing and organising before flying home early the next day.

Mary's Milk Bar

After the lunch at the Fiddlers Arms we were so full we had to pass on the plans to get ice cream from another shop that had interested us in the Grassmarket: Mary's Milk Bar.  I had wondered if it was a milk bar like we have in Australia that is like a general store or corner shop.  The staff told me the shop was named after slightly different concept of shops selling dairy products and milky drinks.  Google described the shop as a "retro ice-cream parlour".  Inside it is painted with retro greens and pinks, lit by ice cream style sconces and hung with lights and bunting.  So cute.  I particularly loved the Penguin books bunting.  The gelato looked like the good stuff but we just couldn't fit in on this visit.

West Port Apartment

We really liked our West Port Apartment in Cordiners Land.  We were on the third floor with no lift which was good for fitness but not great for carrying heavy suitcases up and down.  Inside it was a light filled living area with lovely wallpaper, an elegant art deco fireplace and colourful rug. 

The apartment had great facilities: washing machine, microwave, oven, and dishwasher.  I had intended to use the dishwasher but we used so few dishes it was easy to clean the few each night.  While here we watched the most tv of our whole trip.  One of the joys of visiting the UK is watching a few old favourites and catching some new shows.  We caught up with some popular local shows including Casualty, EastEnders, The Masked Singer, and Mr Bates vs the Post Office.

The views of Edinburgh Castle were great.  I loved the window seat which demonstrated how thick the stone walls were.  It was not so comfortable but the idea of spending hours curled up with a good book was lovely.

Hudson St Grill

Our very last meal in Scotland was at Edinburgh Airport before we caught our plane to start our journey home to Melbourne.  I had the vegetarian Garden Breakfast with vegetarian sausages, mixed grains, spinach, baked beans, mushroom, grilled tomato and sliced avocado.  It wasn't until my plate was set in front of me, that I saw there was no toast and ordered a serve of it.  It was to be my last decent meal for over 24 hours.  And it was very good.  I loved the generous helping of beans and the unusual addition of greens and grains, which would be appreciated by those seeking a gluten free breakfast.  Sylvia really enjoyed her fluffy American style pancakes with blueberry compote and coconut yoghurt.

This is my last post about our experiences in the four cities we visited in Europe during our recent trip.  I just have a few posts left to share about our travel and souvenirs and then will be back to Melbourne life!

Scottish Storytelling Centre
43-45 High Street Edinburgh, EH1 1SR
Open: 10am-6pm, 7 days a week
http://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk/ 

The Milkman
52 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh EH1
Open: Mon-Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 9am-5pm
https://themilkman.coffee/

Waterstones Cafe, Edinburgh West End
128 Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2
Open: Mon-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 10am-6pm
https://www.waterstones.com/bookshops/edinburgh-west-end

lovecrumbs
155 West Port, Edinburgh EH1
Open: 9am-6pm, 7 days a week
https://www.lovecrumbs.co.uk/

hula
103-105 West Bow, Edinburgh EH1
Open: Mon-Thurs 8.30am-3.30pm, Fri-Sun 8.30am-4pm
https://www.hula.co.uk/

Kilted Donut
23 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1
Open 8.30-6.30pm, 7 days a week
https://www.kilteddonut.com/

Mary's Milk Bar
19 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1
Open Wed-Sun 11am-7.30pm
https://www.marysmilkbar.com/

Hudson St Grill
Gate 11, after Security
Edinburgh Airport
Meadowfield Farmhouse,
15 Turnhouse Rd, Ingliston, Airside EH12
Open: Mon, Sat 4am-9pm, Tues 4am-8.30pm, Wed 4pm-8pm, Thurs, Fri, Sun 4am-10pm
https://www.edinburghairport.com/shopping-and-eating/restaurants/hudson-st-grill