Artisan Roast

Artisan Roast saved my life... after a month of touring Scotland with my partner I had just about despaired of ever finding a good coffee. Then we landed in Edinburgh and by a happy coincidence rented an apartment (well worth booking if you're in Edinburgh for an extended stay) next door to Artisan Roast. As we offloaded our bags the wonderful odours emanating from the cafe told me my luck was about to change.

When I finally made it down for a coffee I was not disappointed. As you walk into Artisan it is obvious they are all about the coffee - the first thing that catches your eye is the "Roasting Den" where they fresh roast coffee for the cafe and retail (wholesale coffee is roasted at their facility outside Edinburgh). The second thing is the espresso machine on the left. Apart from that there doesn't appear to be much to the cafe, there are a few stools next to a bar in the window and a table. A closer look reveals "The Mooch" off to the rear. In there you can relax on cushioned bench seating with your coffee and enjoy the experience.

The coffee definitely lives up to the first impressions of the store. Artisan clearly train their baristas well and combined with the excellent quality beans I had some of the best lattes I have had anywhere in the world. Even if you don't have the good fortune to be staying next to the cafe it's worth the pilgrimage and you can always take home some of the beans.

I only have one complaint about Artisan. Well, OK, two but they are both minor. Firstly, I like to have something to eat while I lounge, read the paper and drink my coffee and Artisan's minimal selection (croissants or pain au chocolat) got boring after a while. Secondly, as I get up at the same time on the weekends as I do on weekdays I found the 10am opening time too late and was forced to have my first coffee of the day elsewhere.