I Heart Cafe

Up a few stairs into a warm little place like I Heart Café is where you’d like to be on a grey Edinburgh day.
Like many fellow reviewers, I concur that this place is very nice. There’s no flashy gimmicks that swing the vote either way but they make a nice coffee for a nice price and their lemon drizzle cake is superb.
I also really like the big bookcase, the comfy sofas and the friendly staff. Hey, I Heart Café!

Should I review or not after just one visit? Tough question, I’ll be back though for more!
I was walking close by recently and noticed this café, 4 – 5 steps above the street level, massive glass area at the front, a few comfy sofas, nice music and relaxed staff, so I added it in my to-​visit-​soon list!!! (true, it does server porridge so that was an extra tick for me!!!)
I came over on a Monday morning, ordered my Americano and porridge with honey and sat at one of the tall tables to review news online and my book. But then I noticed that there is a decent choice of the day’s newspapers, and gave them a go!
My coffee was strong, just the way I like it, and the porridge took roughly 15 – 20 minutes to be served, freshly made. The honey was already added to it and I was a bit lazy asking for more, but hey…
I enjoyed the jazz music, quite chillaxing. Staff were helpful and I tried also their WiFi (fast enough).
After reading Sara’s review, my next visit will definitely include trying their breakfast!
So is it a 3-​stars one or 4-​stars? Well, I’ll have to decide after trying their brunch! :)

I Heart Café! I love tea! I love the java-​jive and it loves me! Coffee and tea and the java and me — a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup!
How strange. This place looks enormous from the outside, but it’s not actually that big… Anyway, deceptive proportions aside, it’s rather nice. My hot chocolate was swoonsome — rich and frothy with a big heart stencilled onto the top — and our waitress was chirpy and helpful. There was a bookcase behind me (always a good sign) and I must go back and try their food. It came to less than £9 for two lattes, a hot chocolate and a rooibos, so I’m happy financially too. Their teas are from Eteaket, so I had been hoping for a crème caramel rooibos, but they didn’t have it. No worries, I’ve got a box at home…
So why three stars? Well, to be honest, I’m not sure. It’s not a five. It’s not a four. It’s definitely not a two or a one. I had real trouble writing this review, in fact, because I just couldn’t really pull out any details about anything at all. It was all very nice; there was just nothing that made me think «oh, I’d totally come here for x y or z…» I’m not sure what it offers in the way of being unique. It’s just a very nice café, and I do heart it for being just a sweet, no-​gimmicks café. For sure, it’s A-​OK and, as I said, I’ll be back to try the food sometime :)

This is becoming a regular brunch spot and I’m pretty sure my other half is popping in for bacon breakfast rolls when I’m not looking!
I was hesitant about I Heart Café at first, I had been in once or twice for a coffee and had mistakenly sat at the high tables while trying to get some work done. Despite the cheerful and friendly staff I was a little put off, it was ok but not yay.
However, one sunny Sunday The OH had suggested we go for brunch and I was so glad! We sat in the back room area, instead of the more ‘kid-​friendly, slightly uncomfortable unless you get a couch’ front section. Decorated with high shelves and local art, with bright walls and high windows it was quite a treat. There’s even a little nook where you can see into the kitchen.
I can definitely vouch for the sandwiches here, the P&B is divine though the Crunchy Lad (a local take on the croque monsieur) gives it a run for its money! The tea is from Eteaket and served in giant teabags, in a pot with a chine cup. OH YEAH! Proper tea, for the win.
So now, almost every Sunday you can find me here (or in WoM down the Walk)!

Despite being nowhere near New Orleans, I Heart makes a solid Muffuletta. I’m usually the first person to hate on olives, but their olive salsa tapenade almost had me convinced otherwise.
They also make an UNBELIEVABLE iced latte. No sugar required.

Great place for lunch or even just a cuppa and some cake.
The staff are always friendly, the atmosphere is relaxed and the food is always fresh and delicious.

Cool place, lovely staff. And the food is not only yum, but also great value! The sandwich and soup deal is a bargain (definitely don’t just have a sarnie on its own). They like their spicy soups here too, but if you’re no partial to that, then the fries deal is just as good.
The peanut butter and chocolate cake is amazing, too. (Depends on your love of peanut butter, no doubt.)
Oh, and the coffee is super too.
A great Leith find!

The soups here are fantastic and home made! And the sandwiches are all served on fresh thick cut bread. Prices tend to be on the high side, but the quality of food is evident.
I take my 5 year old here all the time for a nice chilled lunch. He’s partial to the caramel shortbreads, and likes chilling out in an ‘adult’ environment. They are really child friendly here, and community focused. They have a community board with whats happening, interesting advertisments, and other bits and bobs.
I always find the staff fairly friendly, sometimes a bit slow in their service. They have a tendancy, if you are sitting in, to bring your order to you. Sometimes very speedy! Sometimes, like when I ordered a caramel shortbread, which you simply need to put on a plate… very slow. Not to knock them, they are all quite chilled and laid back. But when you have an impatient 5 year old, not always ideal.
What I really like about this place, however, is that they do have options for everyone. Including the wee bairn just learning to eat squished peas. I can’t exactly remember the brand, but they stock an organic baby food that has become quite popular. They also stock bottles of adult refreshments which is ideal on a sunny day when you want to sit on Leith walk (they have outdoor seating all year!) and watch all the interesting people walk by.
The ambiance, while not really quirky, is clean and bright. I wouldn’t say it’s entirely lacking character, but it does have the tendancy to feel slightly cookie cutter. However, this is saved from the massive display case of foods, salads and the like, the quicky two person tete a tete nook, the large bookshelf containing books and games through the back, and the huge window fronting. If the décor doesn’t inspire you, the freshly made sandwiches and soups certainly will. And, they make a mean latte!

Really excellent place for lunch while I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express down the street. The soups and sandwiches were my go to for those four odd days I spent in Edinburgh. Really interesting and efficient café experience. I Heart Café is super unique and relaxing. Your choice of high bar tables, low tables, and some couches. This place seemed to function as a cultural hub for café goers, the huge bulletin board with events and postings really gave the place a sense of heart warming camaraderie. Hope to visit again!

I can’t think of another place that is like I Heart Café. when this was originally Berits & Brown i only ever visited once, mainly to quickly leave again after i saw the price they were charging for a sandwich! so when this re-​opened as an independent shop many month ago i was very excited to see the same great food but much reduced prices.
it’s not just the price that makes me love this place though, it’s the food. it’s high quality and they make everything fresh when you order it. they have a great selection of proper sandwiches, the kind that i miss so much from the states. these are sandwiches made with nice thick slices of fresh bread filled with lots of fresh ingredients. my favourite sandwich is their classic chicken with tender roasted chicken, fresh tomato and rocket, and basil mayo, just yum!
the café also offers a nice array of salads, the very best of these is an amazing couscous salad they’ve had during the last two visits i made. it’s a heavenly combination of giant israeli couscous, tangy green apples, dried cranberries, fresh parsley, and another ingredient or two that i can’t quite guess but wish i could so i could recreate this at home!!! i might need to ask for the recipe next time i’m in…
in addition to sandwiches and salads, they have a daily list of specials and soup and also some scrumptious looking cakes and tray bakes. they also do take away at a discount to the menu price which means that i can grab a quick dinner on my way home from late night shopping!
I really can’t say enough about how great this place is, i just wish Edinburgh had more places like it!

If, like me, you like nothing more than chilling out on a sunny day watching the world go by then this café is for you… a great little sun trap on Haddington Place, for when the sun makes an appearance! This used to be Berits & Brown-​however, I much prefer the more casual «I love Café»…which still serves wine & beer! This was my 1^st time eating here, having walked past quite a few times… I will definitely head back, I hear they do a mean stack of pancakes! Need I say more… **Independent Edinburgh Supporter**

Newly opened on the site of the old Berits & Brown (and run by the same folks, now divested of the Berits & Brown brand), I Heart Café offers really good quality lunch and snack options, including excellent soup.
Overall, we said: «As an independent café that knows what they are doing in the kitchen, I had a rather enjoyable lunch there. And I plan to go back again, and again. Next time, perhaps, I’ll even take my laptop or book and try to get some work done too.»