The 19 best breakfast and brunch spots in Edinburgh

On any sunny morning in Edinburgh, expect a stampede of locals and tourists alike rushing to bag a seat in this cosy dockside pub's beer garden – and for good reason. Teuchters itself is located in the former waiting room for the steamboat ferry from Leith to Aberdeen, but its outdoor space on the Water of Leith is arguably the capital's most popular. Breakfast and brunch is a high quality yet no frills affair, with plates of oysters sitting alongside full fry ups and heaving mugs of kedergee. Make sure to bring an empty stomach and plenty of SPF.

Order this: The 'Huge Muckle Carnivores Breakfast' really does what it says on the tin (vegetarians look away now) – pork sausages, lorne sausage, bacon, haggis, Charles Macleod’s Stornoway black pudding, tattie scone, portobello mushrooms, grilled tomato, baked beans, Halls Farm organic eggs, Maclean’s of Forres buttery, toast, butter and preserves. 

Address: 1c Dock Pl, Leith, EH6 6LU, Edinburgh 
Opening hours: Open daily, from 10am-1am (brunch served daily, from 10am-11.30am) 
Expect to pay: £5.25-17.50 for brunch plates

Brunch enthusiasts, hangover-sufferers and families alike flock in their masses to Loudons every weekend. Its simple, relaxed interior can lend itself to any sort of occasion, whether business breakfast, quiet solo brunch or chatty mums’ meet-up. This place is famed for its eggs benedict, pancakes and other breakfast staples. Whether you’re at the Fountainbridge or New Waverley location, expect to battle a queue of Loudons loyalists for a seat, but do wait it out – any Edinburgher will tell you it’s worth it. 

Order this: We can guarantee you’ve never had an Eggs Benny like The Hoots Mon – bacon, black pudding puree and whisky hollandaise changes the game. 

Address: 94B Fountainbridge, EH3 9QA, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 8am-3pm; and Saturday and Sunday, from 8am-4pm
Expect to pay: £6-17 for mains, £14-15 for toast, French toast and pancakes, £14-22 for eggs benny, and £7-15 for bowls, soups and salads

This no-frills greasy spoon is an Edinburgh institution, cherished above all for its hangover-diminishing breakfasts. Don’t expect smoked salmon or smoothie bowls here: Snax Café is the definition of no nonsense. Portions are served in big, bigger and biggest (the latter suitable only for the super-hungry). 

Order this: Go for the 'biggest' breakfast and get change from a tenner, a concept unheard of elsewhere in the capital. The famous greasy spoon's version comes with two link sausages, bacon, fried egg, black pudding, tattie scone AND a hash brown (so that you don't have to decide which is better), haggis, sliced sausage (a Scottish delicacy), beans, fried tomato and a buttered roll.

Address: Guildford Arms, 15-17 W Register St., EH2 2AA, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 7am-3pm; and Saturday and Sunday, from 7am-2pm
Expect to pay: £6-9 for mains, £5-6 for sandwiches and wraps, and £3.20-6 for sides

If you’re feeling a little worse for wear, head here for a moreish health kick. Urban Angel’s smoothies blend mango and orange juice with nutrient-loaded things like spinach and spirulina (there’s also a raw chocolate version, made with oat milk, cacao, dates, banana and vanilla). The virtue continues in the superfood salads, all-day brunch menu and more. If any of this sounds like joyless, penitent eating, you’d be dead wrong – the flavours are straight from heaven. 

Order this: The Baked Eggs are a thing of legend at at Urban Angel, and the flavours change with the seasons. 

Address: 121 Hanover Street, EH2 1DJ, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 8.30am-3.30pm; and Saturday and Sunday, from 8.30am-4.30pm
Expect to pay: £6.50-17 for brunch plates, £5-7 for children's plates, and 4-8 for small bites and sides

One of Edinburgh’s newer eateries, Margot has already made a name for itself – but being the sister restaurant of acclaimed neighbourhood bistro Leftfield, we never expected anything less. ‘But isn't Margot a wine bar?’, you may ask, but we’d argue that the launch of their breakfast and brunch menu might be the best thing to happen to Brunstfield. 

Order this: You'll have never experienced anything like Margot's Katsu hot smoked trout kedgeree before, and the fact it's served with a poached egg makes it all the more indulgent. Wash it down with one of their iconic sticky toffee iced lattes (they've got cult-like status in Bruntsfield for a reason). 

Address: 7-8 Barclay Terrace, EH10 4HP, Edinburgh 
Opening hours: Wednesday, from 8.30am-4pm; Thursday and Friday, from 8:30 am–4 pm, and 5-10pm; Saturday, from 9am-4pm, and 5-10pm; and Sunday, from 9am-4pm; closed Monday and Tuesday 
Expect to pay: £2.50-4 for small plates and sides, and £8.30-16 for mains

New kid on the block Ardfern is the latest project from legendary Edinburgh chef Roberta Hall (Little Chartroom, Eleanore) but has quickly become a must-visit for brunch. The menu boasts a selection of Scottish staples like a lamb sausage muffin with cheese and egg (think a bougie version of a certain fast food chain’s classic…) and a full breakfast with thick-cut bacon, homemade haggis and tattie scones. Feeling delicate? Go for overnight oats with fig raspberry and almond crunch. Just don’t miss the cooked-to-order filled doughnut (yes, they come warm), perfectly paired with a strong cup of coffee. 

Order this: Nothing beats an elevated classic and it doesn't get much better than one of Ardfern's filled brioche breakfast rolls. The only correct filling however, (ask any Leith local), is venison black pudding and a tattie scone. 

Address: 30 Albert Place, EH7 5HN, Edinburgh
Opening hour: Monday to Saturday, from 9am-11pm (brunch from 9am-2.30pm; Sunday, from 9am-7pm (brunch from 9am-5.30pm)
Expect to pay: £4-16 for small and sharing plates, and £8-30 for mains

Freshly-pressed juices, fruit-packed smoothie bowls, full-on fry-ups and (obvs) avocado toast: Hula certainly knows how to pack a punch. Having opened as the capital's first ever juice bar all the way back in 2007, almost 20 years later Hula is now a well-known cafe that prides itself on championing fresh, healthy eating. And you can still get a banger of a juice too. They’re also plastic-free and have plenty of vegan options on offer, so it will pretty much please everyone. 

Order this: Hula's acai bowls are the stuff of legend and you'll be hard pressed to find an Edinburgh local who hasn't had one in their time. Opt for an added spoonful of Nutella if you're feeling that things are looking just a little too healthy. 

Address: 103-105 West Bow, EH1 2JP, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Open daily, from 7.30am-3pm
Expect to pay: £9.50-15.50 for mains, £3-7 for soups and sides, and £3.30-6.50 for drinks

The Edinburgh Larder is an institution so you can imagine the ruckus when after 15 years of feeding the capital they opened a second one! Hidden down a side street, the OG branch is located just two minutes from the bustling Royal Mile, but those in the know are always richly rewarded. Both it and its new Morningside café sell seasonal, locally sourced and tasty food, with its breakfast menu available all day. 

Order this: If you're at the Morningside branch, it has to be the Trout Rosti. Cold-smoked sea trout from well known local producer Belhaven Smokehouse piled high upon a potato rosti, served with caramelised onion puree, savoy cabbage and free-range poached egg, with hollandaise sauce for good measure. 

Address: 15 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1NB
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 8.30am-3pm; and Saturday and Sunday, from 8.30am-3.30pm
Expect to pay: £6.50-18.50 for mains, and £2.50 for sides and extras, and £3.30-6 for drinks 

This café-bar may look like a pub (because it once was), but it had a serious facelift for its 2007 launch, and has menus that would put many Edinburgh restaurants to shame. As you sit among the old wooden fixtures and fittings, enhanced with the odd ornamental eccentricity, you can browse Roseleaf's all-day brunch selection (daily from 10am), including choices like poached eggs on toast with wild mushrooms fried in butter and rosemary, decent porridge, eggs benedict and big fried breakfasts.

Order this: There isn't a hangover in Edinburgh that can't be cured by one of the Roseleaf's famous full breakfasts – add extra of their legendary homemade tattie scones to really recover.

Address: 23-24 Sandport Place, EH6 6EW, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday, from 10am-11pm; and Friday and Saturday, from 10am-midnight (brunch from
Expect to pay: £7.50-19 for mains, and £5.50-8.50 for desserts

If you’ve got a big appetite, Canadian diner Down The Hatch has the big breakfast options for you – and sorry, but you won’t find any fruit-filled yoghurt and granola options here. Instead, everything is served fried on a skillet. And as much as we’ll normally recommend a Scottish breakfast to anyone visiting our city, it’s the Canadian skillet that’s the real star of the show – buttermilk pancakes, sausages, bacon, hash browns and fried eggs… all served with Canadian maple syrup, of course.

Order this: We've already got you covered with food, but no trip to DTH is complete without a milkshake as they do them properly – nice and thick like a traditional shake should be. In keeping with the Canadian theme, go for the Maple Waffle: ice cream, authentic maple syrup, topped with thick whipped cream and a mini maple waffle. 

Please note: there are two branches of this spot in Edinburgh – only one of them, the South Queensferry branch, serves breakfast, located in a small village on the outskirts of the city. Visit their city centre spot for the regular menu. 

Address: Port Edgar Marina, South Queensferry, EH30 9SQ, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Open daily, from 8am-5pm (brunch from 8.30am-11am)
Expect to pay: £12-15 for brunch plates 

If pancakes are your kind of thing, the Treehouse Café in Tollcross could become your favourite spot. This cosy café just by the King’s Theatre and the Meadows is known for its fluffy pancakes, which come in a variety of flavours and with a range of toppings from blueberry to caramel, all served with fruit or ice cream, if you fancy it. If you’re after something different, their menu also includes other breakfast staples like scrambled eggs and bagels, as well as toasted sandwiches and plenty of sweet treats.

Address: 44 Leven Street, EH3 9LJ, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 8am-5pm; and Sunday, from 9am-5pm
Expect to pay: £5-15 for mains, and £1-5 for snacks and sides 

Having started out as a renowned breakfast spot in Amsterdam, Greenwoods made its way over to Edinburgh in 2021 thanks to its Scottish general manager – and we couldn’t be more grateful. The brunch spot’s Dutch roots shine through on their menu and no matter how big a main dish you scoff, you need to follow it up with Greenwoods’s famous ‘appeltart’ and whipped cream. Our favourite at the Frederick Street establishment is the banana bread tumble – three toasted slices of banana bread with mango compote, raspberry and mint sauce, fresh raspberries and white chocolate mascarpone. 

Address: 61 Frederick Street, EH2 1LH, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 8am-2.30pm; and Saturday and Sunday, from 8am-3.30pm
Expect to pay: £13-17 for mains, £4.25-15.25 for sweets, £15.50-17.50 for sandwiches, and £4-7 for sides

If you’re not already taken in by Seven’s bright pink interior and stunning leafy design, the food will no doubt win you over. This cosy Tollcross café is perfect for a casual breakfast date, a full post-night out fry-up or an afternoon pick-me-up with a pal. Whatever you choose to go in for, you won’t be disappointed.

Address: 7 Home Street, EH3 9JR, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Open daily, from 9am-5pm
Expect to pay: £4.50-14.25 for brunch plates

Housed in what was once an optometrist, this stylish coffee shop has kept much of the vintage decor of its former premises. Today, Thomas J Walls is a delightful spot to go for an array of hot drinks and an ample brunch menu, with options including smoked salmon rosti with poached eggs, shakshuka with feta and sourdough, and eggs benedict with sriracha hollandaise. If you’re after a smaller bite, there are also options like toast with marmalade, granola and sweet scones.

Address: 35 Forrest Road, EH1 2QH, Edinburgh
Opening hours:
Expect to pay: 

If there’s one thing the well-to-do area of Stockbridge isn’t short of, it’s decent spots for nosh. Opened in 2012, The Pantry has now found its place among the pack. At the weekend, it’s regularly packed out with folks sampling the brunch menu, which includes treats like banana bread French toast and heaving hashes. 

Address: 1 North West Circus Place, EH3 6ST, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Open daily, from 9am-3pm (breakfast from 9am-noon, lunch from noon-3pm, and brunch all day)
Expect to pay: £7.50-16.50 for breakfast plates, £11-17 for brunch, and £7.50-16 for lunch

The decor at this seafood restaurant by the Water of Leith involves lots of wood and has a maritime features, but if you rock up between 10am and noon on Saturday or Sunday, you’ll find a breakfast menu with a certain touch of class. Think whisky-smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, Stornoway black pudding with herb rosti and a poached egg, or a glass of champagne to start the day.

Address: 24-26 Shore, EH6 6QN, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 11am-10pm; and Saturday and Sunday, from 10am-10pm (breakfast/brunch on Sat/Sun only, from 10am-noon) 
Expect to pay:£5-25 for breakfast plates

With its baby pink exterior, Em’s Kitchen stands out among the small shops on the cobbled St Mary’s Street, just off the Royal Mile. Its delicate, flowery design isn’t what makes it special though; the varied, substantial and well-priced breakfast and brunch options are what people flock here for. The Scottish, XL or veggie breakfasts all come highly recommended, but you can also go for menu staples like shakshuka, greek flatbreads piled with breakfast toppings or stacks of tattie scones. 

Address: 16 St Mary’s St., Edinburgh, EH1 1SU
Opening hours: Open daily, from 8am-4pm
Expect to pay: £11-18 for breakfast and brunch mains, £12-18 for pancakes and French toast, £15-18 for avocado toast, and £1.50-4.50 for sides

Although known for being a popular wine café in the Shore neighbourhood, Toast is also a great spot for early-risers and afternoon brunch dates. Order a cold-pressed juice to start with something simple like a bacon roll or a croque madame. The menu also has options a bit more adventurous – smoked haddock and pak choi on sourdough and masala beans and poached eggs on toast. Been there, done that? Think again, my friend. 

Address: 65 The Shore, EH6 6RA, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday, from 8am-6pm; Friday, from 8am-10pm; Saturday, from 9am-10pm; and Sunday, from 9am-9pm 
Expect to pay: £8.50-24 for brunch plates

We’re not normally one to shout about chains too much, but if you’re looking for a treat, we’d be loathed not to mention Dishoom’s brunch offering. The Kejriwal (two fried eggs on chilli cheese toast) is a firm favourite, and the bacon naan roll or vegan sausage naan roll come highly recommended too. The Big Bombay (which also has a vegan version) includes akuri, char-striped smoked streaky bacon, Shropshire pork sausages, masala beans, grilled field mushrooms, grilled tomato and buttered, homemade buns. Oh, and the Bloody Marys are bigger than your head. 

Address: 3a St Andrew Square, EH2 2BD, Edinburgh
Opening hours: Sunday to Wednesday, from 8am-11pm; and Thursday to Saturday, from 8am-midnight (brunch from 8am-11.45am)
Expect to pay:​ £9.20-18 for breakfast plates, and £3.50-5.20 for sides

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