12 Best Breakfast Spots in Edinburgh (2026)

Best Breakfast in Edinburgh

This is not the brunch guide. Edinburgh has a brunch guide already, and it covers the sit-down, mid-morning, eggs-and-cocktails scene. This page is about breakfast: what you eat before your day starts. The Full Scottish fry-up you need before climbing Arthur’s Seat. The bakery croissant you grab on your way to the National Museum. The quick sandwich that gets you from your accommodation to the first activity without wasting an hour in a queue.

Edinburgh’s breakfast culture splits into three camps. There are the traditional Full Scottish places, where you get eggs, bacon, haggis, black pudding, tattie scones, and toast on a plate big enough to see you through until dinner. There are the bakeries, which Edinburgh does better than you’d expect from a city this far north (French patisseries, Asian bakeries, sourdough specialists). And there are the quick morning stops: sandwich shops, coffee boxes, and delis where the point is speed, not atmosphere.

This guide covers all three. If you’re looking for the social brunch experience (weekend queues, creative benedicts, cocktails before noon), that’s the brunch guide. If you want to know where to eat before 10am without booking a table, keep reading.

1. The Edinburgh Larder

The best Full Scottish in Edinburgh. The Larder is on Blackfriars Street, a quiet side street off the Royal Mile, and it sources every component of its breakfast from named Scottish suppliers. The haggis is from one farm, the black pudding from another, the eggs from a third. You can taste the difference. The eggs are poached properly. The toast is from good bread. Everything is what it should be, and the cumulative effect is a breakfast that makes you realise how bad most fry-ups are by comparison.

The space is small (about 20 seats), cozy, and books up for weekends. Reserve ahead. If you can’t get a table, The Little Larder next door has the same menu and takes walk-ins. It’s not the cheapest breakfast in Edinburgh, but for a Full Scottish this close to the Royal Mile, the price is honest. Pair it with a walk down to Holyrood or up to the Castle afterward.

1

The Edinburgh Larder

restaurant Old Town & Royal Mile $$

4.6 Google 45-90 mins 15 Blackfriars St, Edinburgh EH1 1NB, UK

• Award-winning Full Scottish breakfast with locally sourced haggis and black pudding
• Just off the Royal Mile in a cozy, 20-seat space
• Every ingredient sourced from named Scottish suppliers

Tip

Book ahead. If full, The Little Larder next door has the same menu on a walk-in basis.

Google Maps Website

2. Twelve Triangles

Edinburgh’s bakery that became a small empire. Seven locations now, but the quality hasn’t dropped. The croissants are the thing: flaky, buttery, properly layered in a way that makes supermarket croissants offensive by comparison. The seasonal doughnuts (pistachio, blackcurrant, baklava) sell out by mid-morning, so go early. The sourdough loaves are excellent if you’re staying somewhere with a kitchen and want proper breakfast at home.

The Brunswick Street location in Leith is the original and most atmospheric. The Stockbridge branch has sit-in seating. Kitchen Table on Easter Road is the full cafe with a longer breakfast menu. For a grab-and-go bakery morning, any Twelve Triangles branch works. Get a croissant and a coffee and eat it walking. More detail in our cafes guide.

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Twelve Triangles

cafe Leith

4.4 Google 90 Brunswick St, Edinburgh EH7 5HU, UK

• Edinburgh's best croissants and sourdough doughnuts
• Seven locations so there's always one nearby
• The bakery that started Edinburgh's artisan bread movement

Tip

Go early for the best pastry selection, especially the croissants and seasonal doughnuts.

Google Maps Website

3. Greenwoods Edinburgh

The Full Scottish here might be the best in Edinburgh if you measure by how many people talk about the haggis specifically. The haggis on the Greenwoods Full Scottish gets rated 5 out of 5 in reviews with a consistency that suggests it’s genuinely exceptional rather than just good. Dutch-run (the Netherlands has a serious breakfast culture), on Frederick Street in the New Town, with a bright, modern interior that feels more European bistro than Scottish greasy spoon.

The veggie breakfast is also strong: scrambled tofu, grilled paneer, avocado. The banana bread tumble is the sweet option. Book ahead. The one-hour time limit at peak times can feel rushed for a lingering breakfast, but if you’re eating before a day of museum-hopping, the pacing works fine.

3

Greenwoods Edinburgh

restaurant New Town $$

4.7 Google 45-90 mins 61 Frederick St, Edinburgh EH2 1LH, UK

• Full Scottish rated 5/5 with haggis, poached eggs, and local ingredients
• Dutch brunch culture meets Scottish breakfast
• Top 100 UK restaurants on OpenTable

Tip

Book ahead. Ask for a window seat. One-hour time limit at peak times.

Google Maps Website

4. Preacher’s Patisserie

A small, blue-fronted French-style bakery on Lady Lawson Street, near the Grassmarket. Preacher’s does the kind of pastries that make you understand why French people eat croissants for breakfast instead of cereal. The pain au chocolat is the star: properly laminated, with chocolate that’s melted but not runny. The croissants are good. The coffee is good. It’s the kind of place where the quality is obvious from the first bite and the prices are reasonable for what you’re getting.

It sells out on weekends. Go before 10am. The location is useful if you’re heading to the Grassmarket, the National Museum, or the Old Town, and it’s a short walk from the cheap eats on Forrest Road. Not a sit-down breakfast place; more a “buy a pastry and a coffee and eat it on a bench in the Grassmarket” situation.

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Preacher's Patisserie

cafe Old Town

4.8 Google 24-26 Lady Lawson St, Edinburgh EH3 9DS, UK

• French-style patisserie with exceptional pain au chocolat and croissants
• Charming blue-fronted bakery near the Grassmarket
• Good coffee alongside the pastries

Tip

The pain au chocolat sells out early. Go before 10am on weekends.

"Preacher's Patisserie is a charming blue bakery that has captured hearts with its delicious pastries and warm service."

Google Maps

5. Snax Cafe

The cheapest proper breakfast in central Edinburgh. Snax is near Waverley Station, which makes it the place to go if you’ve just arrived by train and need food before anything else. The Full Scottish comes in three sizes (All-Day, Bigger, and Biggest) and features tattie scones, haggis, sausage, and black pudding. The haggis roll is a few pounds. The tea comes in a mug. The decor hasn’t been updated since it was last relevant.

This is a greasy spoon in the original sense. The food is cheap, honest, hot, and filling. The service is fast. The coffee is not specialty. If you want artisan sourdough and poached eggs on avocado, go elsewhere. If you want to eat a big Scottish breakfast for under £8 and get on with your day, Snax is exactly right.

5

Snax Cafe

cafe New Town $

4.5 Google 15-17 W Register St, Edinburgh EH2 2AA, UK

• Cheapest proper Full Scottish breakfast in central Edinburgh
• Haggis rolls and greasy-spoon classics at no-nonsense prices
• Near Waverley Station for an early-morning refuel

Tip

Visit early. Limited seating. The Full Scottish comes in three sizes.

"Snax Cafe is a beloved local spot known for its cheap and delicious greasy food, perfect for a quick breakfast."

Google Maps Website

6. Sweet Me Bakery

An Asian bakery on Brougham Street in Tollcross that does things Edinburgh’s other bakeries don’t. The buns are steamed, fluffy, and filled with matcha cream, taro, red bean, or custard. The croissants have Asian-influenced fillings. Everything is baked fresh daily and the textures are noticeably different from the French and Scottish bakeries elsewhere on this list. It’s small, easy to walk past, and the kind of place you either know about or you don’t.

If you’ve been eating croissants and sourdough all week and want something different for your last Edinburgh morning, Sweet Me is the change of pace. The custard buns in particular are excellent. Prices are fair.

6

Sweet Me Bakery

cafe Tollcross

4.9 Google 18a Brougham St, Edinburgh EH3 9JH, UK

• Asian-style bakery with incredibly fluffy buns and exciting fillings
• Matcha, taro, and custard pastries unlike anything else in Edinburgh
• Small and easy to miss, but worth seeking out

Tip

Try the custard buns. Everything is baked fresh daily.

"Sweet Me Bakery is a small lovely Asian bakery offering incredibly fluffy and fresh buns with exciting flavour combinations."

Google Maps

7. Loudons Fountainbridge

Edinburgh’s most popular breakfast restaurant, and it’s earned the status. The eggs benedict menu has five or six variations; the Mac Daddy (pulled pork, mac and cheese, hollandaise) is the one that appears in every review. The overnight oats are genuinely some of the best in Edinburgh. The gluten-free pancakes are proper. The apple juice is homemade.

Weekday mornings are the time to come. Weekend queues start before opening and the wait can be 20 to 30 minutes. They also have a newer, larger branch at New Waverley near the Royal Mile, which is easier to get a table at. Full details in our brunch guide, which covers the menu in more depth.

7

Loudons Fountainbridge

restaurant Fountainbridge $$

4.4 Google 94B Fountainbridge, Edinburgh EH3 9QA, UK

• Edinburgh's most popular breakfast spot with creative eggs benedict
• Gluten-free pancakes that are properly good
• Homemade apple juice and better-than-average coffee

Tip

Go weekday mornings to skip the weekend queue. The overnight oats are outstanding.

Google Maps Website

8. Mootz General Store

On Raeburn Place in Stockbridge, Mootz does sandwiches that are good enough to be a destination. The fillings are creative, the ingredients are quality deli-grade, and the bread is fresh. Multiple reviewers write variations of “I don’t even like sandwiches but these are incredible,” which is the kind of endorsement that advertising can’t buy. It’s a general store as well as a cafe, so you can pick up provisions for a picnic in the Royal Botanic Garden (a 10-minute walk).

If you’re staying in Stockbridge or visiting the Botanics, this is your morning stop. The coffee is good. The atmosphere is relaxed neighbourhood deli. Combine it with Stockbridge Market on Sundays.

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Mootz General Store

cafe Stockbridge

4.9 Google 62 Raeburn Pl, Edinburgh EH4 1HH, UK

• Exceptional sandwiches in the heart of Stockbridge
• Quality deli ingredients with creative combinations
• Relaxed neighbourhood spot with a loyal local following

Tip

The sandwiches are the thing. Even people who don't like sandwiches like these.

"Mootz General Store is essential for sandwich lovers, with quality ingredients and creative combinations."

Google Maps Website

9. The Painted Rooster

In Dalry, a neighbourhood west of the centre that most tourists don’t reach. The Painted Rooster does a solid Full Scottish and good eggs benedict in a cafe that feels like someone’s kitchen. The shakshuka is the non-fry-up option that regulars recommend. The coffee is better than you’d expect. It has the advantage of being in a residential area, so it’s less crowded than the centre-city breakfast spots and the prices reflect the quieter location.

If you’re staying near Haymarket or the West End, this is your neighbourhood breakfast. It’s a 10-minute walk from Haymarket Cafe and Dahne, so the Dalry-to-Haymarket corridor is quietly becoming one of Edinburgh’s best morning-food streets. Book for weekends.

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The Painted Rooster

restaurant Dalry

4.6 Google 38 Dalry Rd, Edinburgh EH11 2BA, UK

• Full Scottish and eggs benedict with a neighbourhood-cafe feel
• Good shakshuka and avocado options alongside traditional choices
• Dalry neighbourhood spot that locals rate highly

Tip

Book ahead for weekends. The shakshuka is the non-fry-up pick.

"The Painted Rooster is a popular breakfast spot in Dalry, known for its hearty Full Scottish and friendly service."

Google Maps Website

10. 101 Bakery

A small bakery on Newington Road in the Southside, far enough from the tourist centre that it’s almost entirely a local spot. The strawberry pastries are the thing that gets mentioned in every review, and people specifically come to 101 Bakery to buy them, which for a bakery in a residential neighbourhood is saying something. The other pastries are good too, but the strawberry ones sell out, so arrive before 10am.

It’s useful to know about if you’re staying in Newington or Marchmont, or if you’re heading to Arthur’s Seat from the south side. Not a sit-down breakfast place; more a quick pastry and coffee on the way to wherever you’re going.

10

101 Bakery

cafe Southside

4.8 Google 101 Newington Rd, Edinburgh EH9 1QW, UK

• Outstanding pastries in a small Newington bakery
• Strawberry pastries that reviewers specifically travel for
• Good coffee and a quiet neighbourhood setting

Tip

The strawberry pastries sell out fast. Get there before 10am.

"101 Bakery is a small but lovely bakery known for its delicious pastries, especially the strawberry pastries."

Google Maps

11. Babyfaced Baker

Edinburgh’s best vegan bakery, on Leith Walk. The cinnamon rolls are the signature, and they’re the kind of vegan pastry that tastes like a pastry rather than a compromise. The croissants, Danish pastries, and everything else in the cabinet are all plant-based, and the quality is high enough that non-vegans buy from here without noticing or caring. The cafe has a welcoming atmosphere and the staff are enthusiastic about what they make.

It’s on Leith Walk, which means it’s a good morning stop if you’re walking from Leith into the centre (about 30 minutes on foot) or heading to the restaurants and bars in Leith. For a fully vegan breakfast experience, combine Babyfaced Baker pastries with Black Rabbit’s full vegan breakfast in Tollcross.

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Babyfaced Baker

cafe Leith

4.8 Google 341 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 8SD, UK

• Edinburgh's best vegan bakery with pastries that convince non-vegans
• Cinnamon rolls, croissants, and Danish pastries, all plant-based
• Leith Walk location, good for a morning walk into the centre

Tip

They specialise in vegan pastries. The cinnamon rolls are the signature.

"Babyfaced Baker is a beloved bakery known for its wide range of unique vegan options, delicious pastries, and welcoming atmosphere."

Google Maps

12. MUMS Great Comfort Food

On Forrest Road near the university, MUMS is where you go when you want a Full Scottish that’s the size of a dinner plate. The portions are enormous. The sausage and mash is the other signature dish, with a choice of gourmet sausages (venison, haggis, lamb and mint) and creamy mash. It’s Scottish comfort food in the most literal sense: heavy, warming, and sized for people who plan to walk it off on Arthur’s Seat afterward.

The prices are student-friendly for the volume of food you get. The decor is retro-nostalgic. Some reviewers find the quality inconsistent, and the coffee is average. But for sheer breakfast ambition, for the kind of morning where you want to eat a plate of food that could reasonably feed two people and not feel guilty about it, MUMS delivers. You probably don’t need a side.

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MUMS Great Comfort Food

restaurant Old Town

4.4 Google 4A Forrest Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2QN, UK

• Massive Scottish comfort food plates including a huge Full Scottish
• Sausage and mash with proper gravy and various gourmet sausage options
• Near the university, with student-friendly prices for the portion sizes

Tip

The portions are enormous. You probably don't need a side.

"MUMS is known for its massive portions of Scottish comfort food. The Full Scottish is enormous and the sausage and mash options are creative."

Google Maps Website

Morning Planning by Type

For a proper Full Scottish: Edinburgh Larder (best quality), Greenwoods (best haggis), MUMS (biggest portions), Snax (cheapest).

For bakery and pastries: Twelve Triangles (croissants), Preacher’s Patisserie (pain au chocolat), Sweet Me Bakery (Asian buns), 101 Bakery (strawberry pastries), Babyfaced Baker (vegan).

For a quick grab-and-go: Any Twelve Triangles branch, Preacher’s Patisserie, Mootz for a sandwich, Snax for a haggis roll.

Before a big walk: Edinburgh Larder or Snax before walking the Royal Mile. MUMS before climbing Arthur’s Seat. Mootz before the Botanic Garden.

For the full brunch experience (later mornings, creative benedicts, weekend queues), see our best brunch guide. For coffee without food, see our best cafes guide.

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