I have my boyfriend to thank for finding Brew Lab. We met here for lunch and I had such a great experience that I headed back for a second visit. The menu here isn't big, but the food is big in taste. We shared a steak baguette and a bowl of soup; I chose the soup again on my second visit. The food is amazing, I found both soups and the baguette to be filled with flavour. The set up is perfect for dining as a group or by yourself because they have so many types of eating areas; large tables, small tables, benches, comfy seats with a ledge. At this time of year it's a great place to escape the cold weather and warm up with a delicious bowl of soup or a tasty hot chocolate!
I went for a coffee excursion in Edinburgh. Looking for a perfect cup in a rapidly multiplying options of independent coffee houses. My first stop was Brew Lab, convenience located nearby my hotel, just by the university.
Excellent coffee! They really focus on the process of making a proper cup of coffee. However, because they care so much about the coffee itself I wouldn't recommend it if you are on a hurry cause it can be slow (plus it's usually crowded so it's also not that good if you want to work). Anyway, as said before, the coffee is amazing!
Brew Lab is my favourite cafe at the moment - they serve high-quality, speciality coffee and have an incredible selection of breads, cakes and pastries from local, artisan bakeries. Definitely try the passionfruit slice if you see it - it's delicious!
The decor is a mix of modern and distressed, with brick walls, exposed light bulbs, vintage school desks, and a few comfy couches and arm chairs. There is ample seating, although it seems to be quite busy most of the time, and it can be difficult to find a seat.
I love their cold brew coffee (which is brewed overnight in water and triple filtered, but never heated), and nitro brew (cold brew infused with nitrous oxide). The nitro cold brew is similar to a pint of stout; it's smooth and creamy with a sweet finish, and noticeably lacks the acidity and bitterness you'd normally find in a regular cup of coffee. So good!
Jadine Arnold - The Punk Rock Princess
+3.5
Lovely little place where you need to escape and do a few small bits! Coffee, laptop and treat! Great for small one on one meetings! Tucked away in the centre!
Pleasant coffee shop where a mix of people can be found (not just students with laptops as I had presumed). I was a little disappointed with the limited number of choices of savoury dishes but went for the chorizo and chickpea salad which was delicious and came with a side of chunky bread.
Unfortunately I was too full for a cake and coffee however the selection of cakes looked fantastic and I will definitely be back to try the brownie.
The coffee menu on the wall didn't state whether they have syrups for coffees which is a big deal for a vanilla latte lover like me but
I guess I'll find out next time. Gavin Henderson however highly recommends the latte and thoroughly enjoyed his pain au chocolat.
Loved the interior design - very similar to Black Medicine which is just across the road and one of my favourite coffee shops.
I don't think Brew Lab tops Black Medicine for me however it is definitely worth a visit. I've never had a better salad.
I am not a coffee person at all and for one of my first coffees ive ever had this was a super good one. I was there for my brunch so had a croissant and it was very good. Staff are super friendly and there is there is plenty of comfy seating all over the place.
He asked what I normally ordered from coffee places and I cringed and closed one eye (I don't know why I do this) and said a mocha. He didn't look down on me from his great big coffee pedistool but was graceful and recommended a milk blend. I didn't know what this was but said sure it sounded great.
So many cosy little nooks to sit in and just hide from the world for hours. Always an amazing selection of cakes (if they have the malted pecan blondie, get it- it will change your life), and SUCH GOOD COFFEE. Not to mention thealthy soups/salads from Union of Genuis....perfect place to set up camp and do some studying/work.
Emma Elizabeth Ciarrocca
+4
Firstly a great place to grab a coffee. And if you are in at the right time of day to catch the sun on a warmish one, you can sit outside on the bench and people watch whilst enjoying every moment of that cuppa.
Next is layout and interior, which I love love love. Old brick walls and old reclaimed school gym hall floors are lining this glorious coffee hub.
Food isn't bad either. Recently I've a very yummy prosciutto and Emmenthal croissant. Before that I've had countless coffees with the filled baguettes and almond croissants. They do soup and cakes! Get in there and grab a seat as its another favourite with the student crowd.
Great lunch with, as expected, excellent Cortado before heading downstairs for a Latte Art training session with Fraser, that was brilliant. Learning to texture milk consistently along with the basics of making a heart and tulip, with plenty of tips and explanations of what goes wrong and why. Great venue for food, coffee and brilliant lessons to boot 🥾
This place is quite relaxed, and has a great atmosphere. However, if you're looking for a space to work and study for long periods, this is not the place. There is a time-limit of 90 minutes for the use of their space. This is quite normal and reasonable as the coffee shop is quite small. The nitro cold brew I got was quite nice, but a bit too sour (acidic) for my taste. I was given some honey on the side which made it better suited to my taste. Prices are well in line with expectations for a specialty coffee shop but not cheap per say. Overall, it was a good visit!
Great artisan coffee place near U. of Edinburgh Appleton Tower. Tried their decaf Rwanda bean in macchiato. Nice balance of citrus acidic and body. My hubby had their Burundi bean 🫘 in cappuccino. It was very nice as well! We eventually bought a bag of decaf bean and the barista was helpful in providing tips on the bean grinding. Definitely a coffee place to recommend.
Overall, it's a cool place! I got the latte and it was a well brewed coffee. Also, the portion of the food you pay for are big as well. They don't have really heavy food menu on this shop, so it's perfect for those who wants to eat bread or pastries. The decor is on point and I had a good time with my friend in this shop :)
First place we try for breakfast in #Edinburgh. Have to say they know their coffee. Food was very good and fresh. Ordered chilli feta avo toast.
Great coffee and a cute environment.
Visited twice during fringe.
Was incredibly busy on Monday morning so not a recommended place for remote working, but otherwise a nice place for artisan coffee.
Got given a voucher for the Introduction to Specialty coffee course and it was great fun! The trainer was really knowledgeable and covered a lot of really interesting topics. It was nice to get the experience of different brewing methods and to learn more about tasting coffee, origins, etc. We got some free coffee to take home as well which was much appreciated.
Will definitely be popping back in at some point to sit down for a coffee.
Very cool and viby cafè. They have an open WiFi and the 90 min policy. The place can be a bit noisy for concentrated work.
The coffee is really nice and it is usually my choice when I’m tired of looking for a new coffee shop I’ve never tried before. Before, I usually sit in, but it’s always noisy and full of people. This time I chose to take away and it’s much better 😂
A fantastic place for coffee, one of the best I’ve had in Edinburgh. The food and pastries, however, were ok and you can totally skip them.
Nevertheless the coffee is 🔥
You know they’re proper when they have two different beans for espresso and milk based drink!)
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