Fair Trade Coffee Shop

It’s incredible that it took me so long to try this place out because it is literally my nearest location. Nearer even than Tesco. Basically, whoever lives in the flat above the FTCS and I could pretty much play charades from our windows if we wanted to.
(Although the catch is that we’d have to also mime the answer back, leading to much confusion. I did in fact try this once as a young teenager, playing an angel in my village church’s Passion Play — my co-​angel and I had to sit in silence hidden on either side of the altar for about an hour before our entrance and charades was all we had to keep us entertained. The beatific smiles on our faces when we miraculously appeared — and for which we were much praised afterward — were in fact concealed giggles at the confusion arising from attempting to convey The Sound Of Music to one another.)
Anyway, back to the business of reviewing. Yes. Well, this is a lovely little place, albeit littler than I’d expected — you enter via a door to a small room containing the counter and menu, and are greeted (if your experience is similar to mine) with vibrant good cheer, humour and warmth. I ordered a cup of tea while my friend asked for a hot chocolate, and when the chap asked her if she wanted cream and marshmallows, I — somewhat dazed for some reason — automatically responded in the negative.
«For the hot chocolate,» the guy grinned. Oh, yes, of course, for the hot chocolate. Whoops.
Having confirmed we were staying on the premises to consume our beverages, we toddled through to the main room where we took our seats in some squishy comfy chairs beside a coffee table with pictures stuck all over it (whee!). It’s nice and light due to the glass front but has a slightly shabby, ramshackle feel to it. You know that thing when you’re round at a friend’s and they have that cupboard full of different mugs they’ve collected on the way, and you just get a mug and enjoy the choice of mug you’ve been assigned? It felt like that. I had a nice spotted mug and I liked it. Also, my tea was excellent and, as the chappy pointed out, much better for the lack of cream and marshmallows.
So, it’s like being at a friend’s house, and it’s really pretty cheap (less than four quid for both our drinks together, and I’ve seen they also do bacon rolls for £1.60! Going to have to try that sometimes), and it’s close to my flat, and it has free wifi, and so yes, yes I am a fan.

So I’ve wanted to stop in here for aaaaaaaaaages. Every Sunday we head out for a bacon roll and generally head in the direction of Word of Mouth or I Heart Café, I’d given up even suggesting here as The OH has been in a few times and wasn’t fond.
So today I had some waiting to do on Leith Walk and decided to pop in for a tea (instead of walk the ten minutes home, stay there for ten minutes and then walk ten minutes back to the nearby phone repair shop).
After I put my back and my coat down I went in to ask for a tea and was greeted by a lovely cheerful girl who took my order and asked how I take my tea. She brought it in a minute or so later and I was a bit surprised. She had taken out the tea bag and added the milk, she told me that if it wasn’t strong enough she could give me another tea bag. I’m not used to this in café and was a bit peeved as 1) I leave my teabag in when I make tea (don’t judge) and 2) I’m paying £1.25 for a 10p mug of tea, we’ll make it 20p if you include the electricity and are generous about it, maybe I’m spoiled (ha, maybe) but I enjoy the mild theatrics involved in partially assembling my tea when I go out.
I then began to read my book, in the meantime some other patrons, and I believe the owner too, came in. Though I found the kids running around to be adorable (they were showing off their dancing, it was so cute!) a few people managed to raise the noise level to an alarming degree. The space, though reasonably empty, suddenly felt quite claustrophobic.
I hope to return to try the food, (£1.60 bacon roll? Yes please!) However, after my experience I’m not sure I would find it comfortable to hang around given the noise level and the lacklustre tea doesn’t put this place high on my list.

Good. Potential for greatness here as well. The pancakes are pretty fab. Tried the brownie pancakes and they are all that and more. The vegetarian breakfast is also very good. Tattie scones! Coffee quite good. Atmosphere is relaxed and homey. Service a little haphazard but extremely friendly and the prices are good. Needs a catchier name. I suggest The Offay Café. Will return.

A nice grunge feeling…
People and coffee were great!
Take a pass on food…

Lured here by the high reviews of others and the high accolades of the pancakes, I was disappointed by my brunch here. I was excited that they not only featured fairly-​priced pancakes on the menu but also four different types of pancakes! I went for the chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup. While it was my choice to go for sweet pancakes, the bready, overly fluffy pancakes were drenched with sickly sweet essence-​of-​maple syrup (the cheap stuff and not the pure maple syrup). I did eat them all but didn’t feel the best afterwords and felt that the pancakes could have had more flavour and that the maple syrup wasn’t the best. The redeeming part of my breakfast was the mocha, which was fantastic.
This place seems frequented by locals on Leith Walk and both young and old came here, but I felt the ‘greasy spoon’ atmosphere and downtrodden interior weren’t the most inviting. Also, the chairs has side tables between them and this made it tricky for eating messy dishes like pancakes with syrup. For me, it wasn’t a place where I’d want to sit and chill but perhaps would come here for takeaway coffee sometime down the line.

A Fairtrade coffee shop in the middle of Leith Walk!
The postcode took me down Albert Street (wrong street as its Albert Place) and I would have nearly walked by as the front of the shop does not stand out. There are two areas: The shop front where you order your food and the the back with nice comfy seating. We got a nice cozy area just beside the window and the couch was really comfy.
The girls ordered pancakes with various toppings. For me it was bananas which were the best part of the breakfast. I tasted more of the flour than the actual pancake and maple sauce. The american coffee was fine, nothing special so. Nice medium sized cup. It appears that the boy ordered his normal kind of breakfast and enjoyed it. Lucky choice. Nice plates so.
The place seems popular amongst the locals and it was very busy. The staff really friendly and caring.

Fair Trade Coffee Shop is a local no-​frills greasy spoon café in Leith. I have walked past it so many times, but never stopped by. Today was time to try it out with a couple of fellow Unilocalers.
I had a medium cappuccino and pancakes with strawberries and cream. My coffee was just ok. The pancakes… mm what can I say. Well I ate the strawberries as they were the most delicious part of the dish. Three fairly big american pancakes with strawberries scattered over and cream. Not whipped cream as I had imagined, but just cream. The pancakes sadly lacked any flavour and they didn’t have a good texture either, so I ate only one.
The service here is friendly and the whole place has a very informal place and it seems it is visited by regulars a lot.

Stumbling from my sister’s flat in Leith after a night of very little sleep, I had a hankering for a good breakfast before I hopped the bus back to Glasgow. Low and behold, I spied this wee gem on the Walk and practically hopped skipped and jumped across the road eager for a full Scottish breakfast and a cuppa tea.
Coming in out of the cold, I was greeted by a cheery lady behind the counter and we had a bit of banter while I waited for my food. I was going to take it away and eat on the bus (how uncouth), but decided I should give myself some chill-​out time before the long sit in a vehicle and subsequent birthday celebrations.
The food was fantastic! For a full Scottish, it was cooked to perfection, not drowning in grease as many other places serve it, and the ingredients were obviously fresh and super tasty. The yumminess and a wee herbal tea put an end to my undead shambling that morning. Next time I’m in Edinburgh, I’ll be sure to pop in again. Thanks for rescuing me from zombification!

sunday morning and all i can think is must find coffee and food to combate this quickly onsetting hangover. and of course it being a sunday morning means that no shop appears to be open, except as i near tesco i see a beacon of light, the Fair Trade Coffee Shop, hooray!!!
i was immediately drawn in by the advertisment of flavoured coffee and the fact that i could get a sandwich made for me instead of going to tesco to buy the ingredients and then have to make it. the last thing i wanted to do with a pounding headache.
this wee place is great! i walked in looking a bit confused and the two lovely women serving were so nice pointing out that i could have a sandiwch or something off their breakfast menu. they didn’t rush me as i stood looking at the menu trying to decide what i wanted and they greeted a number of customers as regulars which really endeared the place to me. it’s clearly somewhere that the staff know your name if you come often but even if you don’t they are still super friendly to you.
i ended up ordering a gingerbread latte and a chicken, pesto, sundried tomato, and brie roll. the sandwich was made fresh with the option to add salad at no extra charge. it appeared that all the ingredients were made on site as my chicken was nice and tender and the pesto was dark green in colour and very tasty. they also pack loads into the roll, so for £2.50 for the sandwich it was an absolute steal!
i hate to say it, but the gingerbread latte was actually better than the ones i’ve had from starbucks. i don’t know why, it was still espresso, skimmed milk, and flavoured syrup but it was so much nicer than my usual starbucks. maybe it’s because it was made by such friendly staff who obviously take a lot of pride in their lovely café.
this place was absolutely perfect for what i needed this morning and hangover or not, i will definitely be to this café for more gingerbread lattes and tasty food!

Food is delicious (pancakes for my companion, egg roll w tomato, onion & mushrooms for me). Coffee is superb (I had 7 cups in 2 days and Fair Trade stood out) and the atmosphere can’t be beat.
Don’t let the corporate coffee shop down the street drive this place out of business!
Added bonus — the chef is yummy. Ladies, get in there just to have a hot guy make you breakfast.

Very friendly staff makes you feel like a regular even if you only come in a few times a month. Great spot for a quick bite, cuppa coffee or tea and some friendly banter.
Fair Trade is not my choice for a sit down breakfast. While there is a seating area, the seats and tables are quite low.
I can’t say I would send someone here from the other side of town, but it’s a cute local spot to frequent if you live on/​along Leith Walk. Thanks for the caffeine, guys!

I had a breakfast in here last week, which was served on a triangular plate. I thought it was the coolest thing since… well, sliced bread really.
Had to share that with you all. And it was only £4! Bargain!

Isn’t it funny when food tastes better when it isn’t yours? Well, there is a similar experience with the coffee here because you know it’s fairtrade and thus better for the world.
There’s quite an earthy feel to this place, as you would imagine there to be, and the staff are nothing short of wonderful. Nice job.
Although the things they sell are probably on the more expensive side of things, it’s worth it to save the planet from corruption and globalization, right?

Beard?
Sandals?
Penchant for champagne socialism?
Then this is your place.
Unfortunately, I have no interest in making poverty history, as without the shameless exploitation of sweatshop workers I wouldn’t live the luxurious and costly life I do nowadays, so I’ll stick to Starbucks. More unsrupulous than fair perhaps, but unlike the placard waving peaceful protesters, I at least know I’m being honest.

Situated in an area full of greasy spoon caffe’s, it seems fair to say that Fair Trade Coffee Shop bring in something with a bit more flavour.
It’s a cosy little place filled with gig posters, closely huddled together tables and an aroma of fresh coffee. Due to the tight space, it appears intimate rather than claustrophobic or crammed. One of the staff members smiled at me as he cleaned the window, so I felt like a local when I stopped by for a munch.
Their menu is nice and healthy, pretty standard for a coffee shop of this description. But their panini and sandwich selection is done well, and their prices aren’t expensive in the slightest.
But aside from that, the biggest winner for me is the pancakes. There used to be a lot more places in Glasgow and Edinburgh that used to do pancakes, but since the death of The Pancake Place (RIP) and the beginning of the continental coffee culture, we have lost our love of pancakes dolloped in syrup and ice cream. More’s the pity. Luckily for the population of Edinburgh, you can nab yourself a healthy dose of strawberry and cream pancakes in Fair Trade Coffee Shop for £4.50. Hurrah!
As Stuart said, you get that horrible sense of pride eating in here, thinking you’re a humanitarian because you’re drinking ethical coffee. You are doing your bit and that’s great, but before you puff out your pigeon chest like our favourite moralist Chris Martin does, also admit to yourself that you like Fair Trade Coffee Shop because it’s darn tasty. Even though it’s for a great cause, it would be a different matter for most if Fair Trade didn’t deliver such delicious snacks. Call me cynical, but there’s nothing wrong with admitting that. Chris Martin can afford to rest on his laurels since he’s also a millionaire — you can sleep easy in the knowledge that you’ve given something back to a good cause while also filling your belly with nutritious bites.

Fair Trade Coffee Shop seems to be one of the most popular of all the greasy spoons on Leith Walk. It’s a breakfast type place, offering a good fry up and filled rolls. As well as some paninis and cakes.
The winner for me is the pancakes. Whenever I am in America I eat pancakes every morning for breakfast. As much as I want to try something else, I am just in love with the American’s pancake making skills. Fair Trade Coffee Shop comes dangerously close to the real thing. Apparently the owner has spent a lot of time in America and has worked on getting the perfect pancake batter. Yum.
I agree with Stuart, the customer service can sometimes be a little shoddy.

Fair Trade makes everyone feel good about themselves, they get a better deal and you get a better quality. I’m going to look beyond all this and get down to the nitty gritty.
The place is tiny, you could maybe get 15 people in here max. The food is ok, but it’s nothing more than light bite. Nothing I would consider a meal. The choice of music will suit today’s Radio wankers to a tee and the walls are covered with gig posters that nobody has any interest in.
2 saving graces of this place. First is the coffee, which has to be tasted to believed. When I enquired about it, the staff member seemed a little too busy doing nothing to talk to me. Be kind to everyone sir, because some of us will review you!
Second is free Wifi, which I’m using right now to do this!

Best sandwiches i have ever tried. Also a very hot aussie serving!

This little café has quickly become one of my favorites to frequent. The prices are reasonable (and even cheaper than some other coffee shops), the food is good (think pancakes, bagels, paninis and more) and the staff are friendly. There isn’t much sitting room, but the room they have is cozy and inviting.

Fair trade is becoming a very popular ‘buzzword’ among the cafes of Edinburgh but sometimes you can’t help feel that it’s just a gimmick. However, this lovely bright café on Leith Walk (the address is Albert Place but it’s really on Leith Walk) feels completely genuine in its commitment to fairer trade and the quality is by no means compromised. The coffee is excellent and the staff are friendly, making this a great place to read the Sunday papers. Be warned, it can get busy around weekend afternoons and there are not a massive number of seats so if you can get one, don’t give it up too easily! A nice range of sandwiches, paninis and cakes to choose from and you can also buy fair trade teas and coffee to take home.