Brunch can be such a fun little event. It involves three of my favourite things; food, coffee and friends. There are so many great places in Edinburgh that would be fab for brunch but I thought I would share some Bruntsfield locations as the area is bursting with coffee shops and cafes. There’s nothing like a lovely walk in the Meadows in the morning followed by a hearty amount of food as a way to kick start your day. I didn’t brunch much until this year but now it’s turning into an obsession because I go out more regularly, trying to keep up with my ever growing list of ‘to visit,’ places.
Montpeliers
Montpeliers had been on my ‘to visit’ list for such a long time that when my birthday rolled around I used it as the perfect excuse to go and try out their infamous brunch menu. It’s one of the best known places to eat in Edinburgh and for all different types of meals. They have an extensive menu for lunch and dinner and a cocktail list that features some delicious sounding drinks, perfect to relieve some post-exam stress.
With such a large brunch menu, you really are spoilt for choice. On that particular morning I was in the mood for something sweet so was instantly drawn to the pancake selection. I chose the pancakes with caramelised banana and butterscotch sauce because it reminded me of my favourite dessert, banoffee pie. They were so, so good. I’m yet to find somewhere in Edinburgh that does pancakes better than Montpeliers and I often find myself craving them.For my next brunch visit, I really want to try the potato stack. I’m a complete sucker for black pudding and tattie scones and it looked so pretty on the plate.
I gave in and took so many photos of my food and the interiors because of the perfect backdrop. My friends are so used to me not eating for five minutes after my food arrives because I’m too busy trying to get a good Instagram shot, sorry not sorry. The quirky inside was filled with mix match chairs, plants upon plants and an alarmingly large stag head mounted on the wall. Quite a funny sight for when you’re eating first thing in the morning.
Honeycomb & Co.
Again we were out for a birthday brunch but this time at Honeycomb & Co. It’s located in the heart of Bruntsfield on Holy Corner, really close to Montpeliers. I went with a group of my friends to celebrate Sarah’s birthday and we were accompanied by Charlie, the cutest collie cross in the world. Any eatery goes down well in my books if they’re dog friendly.
For my brunch I had a black pudding and bacon ciabatta roll. It tasted pretty good but on the plate, it looked a little sad in comparison to my friends’ full breakfasts and Shakshukas which were much larger portions. What I found particularly exciting on the menu was that the French toast came with sticky toffee croutons. I make croutons at home for my salads but I would love to attempt making a sweet version so it gave me plenty of inspiration. I tried my first iced latte at Honeycomb & Co. but discovered that I wasn’t a huge fan of the concept. I’ll be sticking to hot coffee from now on but it’s nice to try new things.
They have such an aesthetic interior inside. In previous blog posts I’ve mentioned my love for gold metal accents inside coffee shops so Honeycomb and Co. was basically my dream. I love how the bee theme wasn’t overdone and was brought out by the yellow. They even had some cleverly done signs on the bathroom doors that made me giggle. There were plenty of plants around and overall I was a happy gal.
Salt Cafe
A little further down from Montpeliers and Honeycomb & Co. on Morningside Road is Salt Cafe. It was recently renovated and since then I have seen it cropping up on my Instagram a fair bit. I was charmed by the rustic looking interior and added it to the list. It’s also close to one of Edinburgh’s hidden gems so we had a wee photo session and a wander round some of the houses afterwards.
This is where I chose to indulge in a full breakfast. I’m always persuaded when there’s haggis and black pudding on offer, not to mention my persistent craving for bacon. It was so worth it and was honestly the first proper meal I’d eaten in about a week. The portion sizes were fabulous and we were all profoundly stuffed after we finished.
The interior certainly has a rustic charm with a variety of wood finishes being used throughout. The layout is focused around a central bar area but with tables, booths and a window seat there are plenty of places to sit. I love how bright it was inside, perfect for taking many photos of the food and of eachother.
Over Summer, I plan to have many brunch trips with my friends. I might even go by myself and bring my laptop along so I can do a little writing the same time. Expect loads more blog posts like these with my favourite foodie recommendations in Edinburgh from brunch to bars and of course plenty of coffee.
Becca x
Becca Marriner 
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