Elm Rose Cafe and Diner

A good place for a lunch bite. They have a few small tables and plenty of sandwiches, salads and soups to choose from. I liked the buffalo chicken wraps, the falafel and the soups. I found myself going back there a few times when I was staying in Edinburgh recently because the owners were friendly and the food was very good and freshly made.

Good place to grab a bite. A colleague raved about their baked potatoe which I tried and was positively stuffed! Had a Mexican wrap today, which came with salad and coleslaw. Tasted great, would recommend as also have prompt service.

The place was empty, but the staff (owners?) did not seem happy to see customers when the 5 of us walked in. They had trouble understanding English and didn’t seem to remember what the ingredients were and kept referencing the menu while making our paninis. My chicken panini was all bread with almost no chicken except a few paper thin scraps. I think maybe they were getting ready to close and didn’t want to cook anymore so they gave me what was left.

Cute place. Had the eggs on toast with the sausage. Coffee was perfect for this snowy morning.

Elm Rose, with its neat Rennie Mackintosh styling, offers good quality soup, sandwiches and other lunchtime treats. It’s well worth a visit, next time you’re in the neighbourhood.
Overall, we said: «Elm Rose was pretty good. I don’t think they’re offering anything too outstanding, but it’s a place I’d happily pop in, next time I’m passing. There’s much to be said for places that keep things smart and simple, and that’s the category into which Elm Rose neatly fits.»

I stopped here to meet a friend for a quick coffee and cake session, and I was surprised to see it because I have passed the place loads of times and just never noticed it.
This is a wee traditional caff, selling lunch food like paninis, toasties and a selection of hot meals. The cakes were superb– my scone with jam and cream was divine coupled with a cup of milky tea– heaven or what?
It was a cute and comfortable place to sit, and even though it was small we never felt rushed to leave. It was pretty inexpensive too, and I would most definitely come back for something more substantial.

This café, recently bought over from an Italian (no surprises here!) has the most tempting counter of food! Situated on Elm Row, I would personally rather grab a bite here to go, or eat at home, as it is quite small but the quality of the food can’t be questioned!
The staff were extremely friendly, and a woman who worked there assured me there’d be a change of menu by the following week if she could be bothered! I appreciate the numerous specials boards outside the café, as the food changes quite often and doesn’t start to bore the customers.
They’ve got a clever lay out, as they offer ciabatas, baked potatoes, baguettes, wraps and rolls which can be finished off with any fillings you choose yourself from the counter! The baked potato with chicken filling I had was really good, and to top it off, they are quite cheap as well.

Whilst out and about today, I stumbled across this little café, situated on Elm Row at the Calton Hill end. I decided to give it a try, and was not disappointed.
The inside is small, with around 5 or 6 tables set out, each with a couple of chairs. The right hand wall was occupied by a drinks chiller, with a chiller doubling as a counter at the back. They serve the normal café range of items — drinks, small cakes, and no doubt paninis and sandwiches as well.
Staff greeted me with a smile, and though I only bought one small piece of cake, I would love to be able to go back and sample some more of their food. I find the shops on Elm Row are so easy to miss, as they are set back from the road, but if you venture in, you’ll find gems like this.
This is the sort of handy little place you’ll want to keep coming back to. First impressions can be everything, and they ticked the boxes for me.

I stubled across this place on Leith Walk by chance as it isn’t obviously signed nor is it well established yet in the area. It’s aiming for a fresh, Mediterranean feel as the owners are Italian. Inside it’s clean and light with a small number of tables and an impressive deli counter with fresh ingredients. The service is friendly and the menu offers a good selection of cakes, sandwiches and Italian specialities like pizzas, calzones and pasta dishes. I had a ham and pineapple pizza which only took about five minutes to be prepared and tasted amazing. The base was nice and crisp and the topping was delicious with good quality cheese. Not only was it tasty, but it was filling too and only cost £4.
It’s a shame Elm Rose doesn’t do more business as it offers friendly, quick service and great food at reasonable prices.