The 20 best breakfast and brunch spots in Edinburgh

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. 

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. 

Getting a seat at this wee Mexican cantina can be a race and you’ll often find Leith locals loitering around waiting for it to open at 12pm but honestly, it’s easy to see why. Brunch at Chorrito is truly essential morning-after-the-night-before dining. Their huevos rancheros, fried egg tacos and chicken mulitas are enough to pull anyone back from the dead – all washed down with a spiced hair-of-the-dog marg, of course. It’s laid back counter dining at its absolute best and every meal comes with a selection of Chorrito’s tongue-numbing (iconic) own brand hot sauces. 

This stylish modern restaurant on the corner of Bruntsfield is open all day, every day – but it’s a particularly reliable spot to satisfy those brunch cravings. From classic shakshuka to calamansi lime and strawberry pie French toast and sweetcorn fritters, the choice at Honeycomb & Co is much more exciting than your average breakfast joint. The coffee is top-tier too (go for their Biscoff latte if you’re feeling sweet). 

Freshly-pressed juices, fruit-packed smoothie bowls, full-on fry-ups and (obvs) avocado toast: Hula Café certainly knows how to pack a punch. With two venues in Edinburgh city centre, this juice bar and café prides itself on championing fresh, healthy eating. They’re also plastic-free and have plenty of vegan options on offer, so it will pretty much please everyone. 

Just two minutes from the bustling Royal Mile, Edinburgh Larder is hidden down a side street. But those in the know are always richly rewarded. This café sells seasonal, locally sourced and tasty food, with its breakfast menu available all day and featuring all the classics like eggs benedict, porridge and waffles. If you’re in a bit later, try the Taste of Scotland Plate, which comes with Belhaven cold smoked sea trout, Ramsay’s honey roast ham, granary bread, Scottish cheeses, salad and loads more. 

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 the 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.

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 egg and cheese 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. 

As a boutique hotel in the middle of buzzy Stockbridge, The Raeburn is well known in the area for its excellent bar and restaurant offering, but it’s not too shabby for the morning after, either. Soak up your hangover with a proper Scottish fry-up (complete with haggis and black pudding), or enjoy a lighter start to the day with a choice of toppings on some freshly made buttermilk pancakes. Delish. 

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.