The Nile Valley Cafe

This is a nice little place right beside the University’s George Square campus. I met up with a friend recently around lunchtime. I had eaten already, so only had a coffee, but he had what he said was a very tasty wrap with a selection of salad items. The wraps are freshly prepared and toasted in the kitchen to make for a very tasty lunch. My coffee was good as well– strong and hot. It went down a treat.
The place is small, so it might be difficult to get a seat at certain times, but it seems a lot of people choose to take away anyway. Staff members are friendly, prices are decent, and the products are good. Check it out.

The food here is always amazing! Everyone who I asked about Nike Valley love it and love everything here! It’s quick it’s cheap it’s delicious.
The dinner type food is also great! But lunch here is fantastic! A must come and eat. Not to mention the staff are amazing and oh so nice!

Bam. Best falafel on the south side hands down. If you’re the kind of person who finds themselves in Palmyra or Zenobia but is a bit underwhelmed (or even think they’re pretty awesome) I challenge you to get down to The Nile Valley. It thoroughly owns. I don’t know if they make their own or source them from somewhere more interesting that the same place all the usual falafel providers get it from, but it’s SOOOOO GOOOOOD.
They also serve a whole bunch of delicious other wrap fillings, and they switch from café to restaurant at some point in the evening. I think it’d make a pretty cool alt date location from the more typical spots in town.

Food was good but mine was really salty, it was a fish and rice dish. It ended up being more expensive then I expected which was a bummer since it wasn’t a very nice seating, more of a café feeling then a nice Resturant. Feels informal but paying the same price for nicer setting

The Nile Valley Café may appear humble from the outside (and on the inside too!), but if you are looking for authentic North African food in Edinburgh then look no further: this is the real deal.
Decoration has not been high on the priority list of this establishment, but don’t be put off! Everything is unpretentious in here: the furniture, the menus, the crockery and cutlery. The emphasis is entirely on the food, as it should be.
The menus cover a decent range of North-​African cuisine, catering well for both vegetarians and meat-​eaters alike. They don’t serve alcohol but it’s BYOB with no corkage, so bring your own wine if that’s your bag. There is a great selection of freshly squeezed fruit juices and Sudanese teas (including spiced black tea and the ubiquitous mint tea). My wife had the mango juice, which was delicious, and I had the mint tea, which was served in the classic tiny glass cup with a giant bowl of sugar, of course.
Now let’s get serious here. I’m a self-​confessed houmous snob and have tried houmous from Marrakesh to Baghdad. I can honestly say that the houmous in The Nile Valley Café was some of the best I’ve ever had. The falafel was also absolutely first rate.
I had the ful for my mains, and you might not think that a plate full of beans could be that appetising, but it was absolutely delicious. It was unpretentious and simple but authentically made and tasted just great. Everything was also served with a smile by the very friendly waiter, who was happy to give recommendations when we weren’t sure what to order.
If you are feeling bold, give the Sudanese coffee a try. It’s EXTREMELY strong a spicy, but I’ve never tasted anything like it before.
It seems like a serious injustice that this place was almost empty on a Friday night. I strongly recommend checking it out.

Their cuisine is very tasty. No regrets headed into this restaurant. I will come again if I’m in the area.

Another of my favourite Edinburgh eateries when I’m working in the area. I most often grab-​and-​run, as the Nile Valley does a brilliant take-​away falafel and hummus wrap at a very reasonable price.
However this time, having more time to relax, I opted to sit in and tried one of their main vegetarian dishes. For the life of me I can’t remember exactly what it was called, but it was something like ‘Fuul Molousha’ and according to the menu it’s a staple of Sudanese cuisine. It was basically a large plate of a hot brown bean stew with salad accompaniment and some flat bread on the side. Simple and basic, not too inspiring, but tasty enough and under a tenner.
At first glance, it seems rather small in here, but there is a much larger area downstairs. The vibe is chilled, the staff smiling and friendly, and there’s some cool Afro beats playing in the background, so you can’t help tapping your feet to the rhythm and leaving with a smile on your face.

This is one of my friend’s favourite eateries, and I’ve been here with him twice, both times for lunch. Both times I had an Africa Wrap — a speciality of the house — I liked it so much the first time I had a second one!
Because the wraps here are made from garam flour, they are gluten free! The Africa Wrap had beans, feta, falafel and salad, and it was toasted. It was also the biggest wrap I’ve ever seen in my life. spicy sauce was optional (I had it the first time but not the second since it was a bit hot for me — recommended for people who like their food to have a kick tho!)
The falafel on offer here is the best falafel I’ve had. This is high-​fibre, high-​taste food, it’s filling, it’s healthy, and it’s delicious. Such a rare combination! It’s also great for vegetarians.
They also have lovely tea. It’s unlike any I’ve had elsewhere (I think it’s Sudanese tea but I’m unsure) and I drink it in massive quantities when I go here.
The price is cheap, extremely cheap for edinburgh and for the amount of food you get for your buck. It’s properly authentic food, and it’s one of the few times a mad carnivore like me has really, really enjoyed vegetarian fayre. Recommended.

Lunchtime wraps are so cheap and delicious. Love their toasted Khobz bread and if you’re a veg/​vegan they have a huge selection of everything scrummy. Great service and a fun place to eat!

Reading the lunchtime reviews of Nile Valley are making my mouth water. I’ve only been in for dinner, and I found it to be a very pleasurable experience. I’m a big fan of this type of cuisine: if there’s hummus, aubergines, and lamb then count me in. And if it’s BYOB even better. Nile Valley ticks all of these boxes, and is therefore firmly on my roster of places to get a good dinner with friendly service in Edinburgh.
The staff are very accommodating and will even find you a table during the festival. The last time I visited there was a minor issue with our starter not arriving on time; the manager personally came out to apologise to us, and we were given it for free. Very different treatment to certain fine dining institutions.

I am a huge fan of the Nile Valley! I have been going for years, but now that I am working nearby I have to go at least once a week — nowhere else seems to compare to this Sudanese delight.
I love having a great value sit down lunch for no extra cost to a take away, with a warm friendly welcome, relaxed unpretentious atmosphere and upbeat afro-​salsa beats. It does get busy at lunch time so opt for getting there early or late lunch if you want to eat in or avoid the queues.
Delicious mango, guava, and hibiscus drinks transports you on a mini holiday. The array of lunchtime khobz wrap fillings are mouthwatering… Tasty guacamole, spicy feta, babaganoush, marinaded aubergine, yoghurt and dill sauce…
The falafels deserve a special mention. They are not only the best in Edinburgh, but I would go so far as to say, the BEST IN THE WORLD! Simply to die for… I am salivating just thinking about them!
For afters, a sudanese tea or coffee, spiced with cardomon, cinnamon & cloves is a real treat and served best with a piece of their wonderful baklava.
Evening meals are also delicious and satisfying. No alcohol served here, but you’re welcome to BYOB at no extra charge.
I go to The Nile Valley again and again… It never disappoints and I always leave with a smile :)

One of the many things I miss about Edinburgh. Great food. Friendly staff.
Their wraps are especially delicious. I can’t speak for dinner entrees because I’d mostly go there for lunch, but those wraps were just YUM! Terrific place, and right across the street from the George Square buildings.

One of the tastiest places for lunch in Edinburgh — I go for a spicy chicken wrap with falafel and aubergine… (although the wraps have shrunk significantly over the last two years!!!)
Dinner — no no. Been there several times and although its byob and therefore frequented by intrepid students, the food is poor and overpriced
Basically, 5 stars for lunch, 3 stars for dinner!

This is an incredible place. I have to say that it’s not that often when I am completely stunned and totally destroyed (in a positive way :) by the quality of food and friendliness of the staff, but this is how I feel after visiting Nile Valley Café for the first time.
Food was just amazing (we’ve tried vegetarian options), and prices were very good, too (although not cheap — but trust me, no objections, considering the quality!). Staff are nice, helpful and chatty.
Absolutely fantastic restaurant, I will be coming back.

I love a wrap from the Nile Valley! I’ve tried a few of them now and I think that the chicken one is my favourite.
You know how sometimes if you buy a wrap from a sandwich shop it’s a little soggy? Well the Nile Valley gives it a wee toast which makes all the difference. It’s only about £3 for a wrap so you can get a really decent lunch to take out or eat in for just under a fiver.
Sitting in is ok in the Nile, there’s a few seats downstairs and you always seem to be ok to get a place to sit. The place is a good mix of business people and students at lunchtime, however during the rest of the day it’s largely populated by students chilling out and munching their lunch.
They do all kinds of different wraps and salad’y goodness, so if you’re on a diet or a health-​kick you’ll be right as rain in the Nile.

The Nile Valley Café is a fantastic place to go for lunch and one of my favourite hang outs. It is just a stones throw away from the main University campus, George Square, so it is a very convenient place for students to go for their lunch. There is always a queue at lunch time coming out of this small café of students wanting to buy their lunch — always a good sign.
The Nile Valley Café offers a huge range of authentic African and ethnic dishes, and there is such a wide variety available that there will be something on their menu to suit everyone. They serve really delicious wraps for lunch with a whole range of fillings such as hummus, falafel, babaganoush and mezze, as well as the more traditional fillings such as cheese, salad and a selection of meats. They offer a range of pâté’s, and the chicken liver pâté is particularly delicious.
I love their falafel and salad wrap, which is really reasonable at about £3. The servings in here are incredibly generous and I find that if I have a wrap from here for lunch, I am not hungry the rest of the day. There is a lovely seating area downstairs which is a good size where you can listen to African style music.
The Nile Valley Café offers a huge selection of non-​meat options so it is a great place for vegetarian’s as there is bound to be something on their menu to suit everyone.
As well as wraps, the Nile Valley Café offer a selection of soups, their roasted red pepper soups is truly delicious, as well as a selection of main meals such as fish and meats cooked in a mouth watering marinade.

I’ve been to Nile Valley quite a few times for lunch as it’s cheap and tasty with a great range of food and nice service. Apparantly they’ve been around for fifteen years which is impressive and you only have to venture in once to understand why.
I usually have a flatbread jam packed with chicken and ganoush which costs around £3.50 and more than satisfies any lunchtime cravings. Their ingredients are always fresh and they have a great range of authentic African as well as local produce. For example, on their dinner menu they offer Scottish lamb which is slow cooked with herbs for tenderness.
It’s a great place to come for cheap, tasty and different food at reasonable prices.

Like Coffee Etc, only better. That’s pretty much all you need to know about this place.
They offer the same wraps as next door, with all the same yummy fillings like baba ghanoush, avocado, humus, chicken (which, by the way, makes a surprisingly good combination!) but the prices in here are more reasonable. Not that Coffee Etc is anywhere near expensive, but every little helps when you’re a student!
The other big plus point about this place is that it has a downstairs seating area as well as the 3 or 4 tiny little tables upstairs. Which means that, unlike Coffee Etc between 12−3pm, you might stand a chance of getting somewhere to sit.
The baklava here’s amazing too, and if you get one of the gorgous cartons of Rubicon Mango juice you ca kid yourself that it counts as one of your 5-​a-​day and so off-​sets the sticky flaky baklava goodness. Or at least that’s what I convince myself every time I go.

I had never tried Hoummas and falafel until that fateful day I wandered into Nile Valley. The layout is small and not very appealing, but when you get downstairs it’s a whole new vibe. The African theme runs throughout the décor and the people, everyone is so welcoming and happy. They have a great selection of wraps that they make right infront of you and they are YUMMY! Hoummas and Falafel especially is my favourite, and I’ve worked my way through a few different flavours. Each wrap is around £3 and there’s a great student discount.
Nile Valley, I salute you

The chicken wraps here are immensely tasty (£3). Lightly toasted and packed full of mouth watering spicy sauces you’ll be coming back for more messy finger food time and time again. Jugs of tap water are conveniently offered too and the staff seem friendly enough. As with many of the eateries in close proximity to the university campus it’s generally rammed at lunch times. This is all expected with such a tasty lunch break on offer.

Sehr gemuetliches Restaurant. Restaurant ist fast ein bisschen euphemistisch, da es nur zwei oder drei Tische gibt. Nichtsdestotrotz bekommt man hier die beste Falaffel in town zum mitnehmen. Meine Empfehlung: mit Auberginen, Fetakaese und schwarzen Oliven. Fuer 3,80 ist man im rennen!