Best breakfast spots to try in Edinburgh

From continental breakfasts to proper fry-ups, here's a guide to the best breakfasts in Edinburgh

Published 17th Mar 2015
Updated 8 th Aug 2023

Often your morning routine can become a bit of a regimented slog: ten minutes for a shower, one minute to boil the kettle, forty seconds to awkwardly sip at piping hot coffee. That's why those brief windows of opportunity where you have a morning free from a series of checkpoints need to be celebrated. Forget getting through breakfast in the shortest amount of spoon motions possible - get out to one of Edinburgh's various selection of great breakfast spots and bask in a morning well-fed.

Despite having the manoeuvre room of a shoe box, Milk Cafe is a must for breakfast fans. The cafes benches fill up fast, so getting in early to get your grub is crucial. The Morrison Street food spot sports a great decor and their weekday breakfast menu runs until 11.30am (brunch running all day on the weekends). Those early eating options include a selection of tasty burritos, eggs any style and classic full breakfasts. Being five minutes walk from Haymarket means this is the perfect stop-off point for those visiting for a day out in the Capital, whether you're heading out to Murrayfield or into Princes Street.

Breakfast out doesn't have to just a meat-eaters treat. Kilimanjaro Coffee in Newington may have their main focus on their coffee beans,  but they also happen to make one of the best veggie breakfasts in the city.  No depressingly meagre substitutes here, Kilimnajaro's veggie Scottish breakfast could rival most contenders.

For those around Morningside, Rocket Cafe remains a long-standing front-runner for the best breakfast stop-off in the area. Friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere and a mouth-watering breakfast selection of hearty cooked breakfasts, chorizo burritos and strong cups of coffee - all freshly prepared and with great service to boot. If you're looking for something a little more continental then Falko: Konditormeister in Bruntsfield is a pleasing alternative, if you can happen to find an empty table - no mean feat in this authentic German bakery.

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Falko: Konditormeister

Continental nuances aren't to everyone's taste and if you're a believer in the American philosophy than bigger is most definitely better then City Cafe's menu may be more to your taste. The kitted out 50s diner on Blair Street has not scrimped on details when it comes to decor (Diner-style booths, vintage Hollywood posters, pool tables in the back) and the food sticks to that North American feel too - pancakes and waffle stacks with all the trimmings are most definitely recommended.

No breakfast list would be complete without a greasy spoon option dishing out hearty comfort food and Snax Cafe reigns supreme among Edinburgh options. Tucked away in the one of the cobbled back alleys off Princes Street, Snax is purely filling food with no-frills. As familiar to businessmen and builders alike, the varied clientèle is down to the simple fact that the food is good. Unlikely to win any Michelin Stars but more than likely to win a place in your heart with a hearty breakfast selection.

Picture: Yelp

Picture: Yelp

For those looking to get their breakfast fix down by the Shore, then the Lioness Of Leith is trendy spot that has gained a reputation for a fine weekend brunch menu, but the truth their breakfasts throughout the week are just as impressive. There's a relaxed atmosphere - giving you the freedom to properly enjoy the contents of your plate - whilst still having the culinary know-how to dish up something more than a standard breakfast option.

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Picture: Lioness Of Leith

After touring the foodie options available on an early morning in Edinburgh, you'll be looking to make more time in your schedule for serene mornings with coffee, papers and good food.

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