Archive Coffee in Orkney Islands

Coffee was nice but there was a member of staff who was exceptionally rude, with extremely poor customer service. She knew we were waiting, we even made eye contact twice as she proceed to then potter around doing nothing whilst we waited, and a queue of others formed behind us. Eventually the poor barista who was already rushed off of his feet took everyone’s orders whilst this member of staff chatted to people in the kitchen and drank water.

The staff was both efficient and friendly. The food was delightful. We really liked the creamy mushroom soup and the French toast topped with honey roast shredded ham and Orkney cheese, was fabulous.

Slightly off the main street in Kirkwall, this is a fantastic spot for lunch. My husband and I had some of their open sandwiches which were both delicious. I don't drink coffee often but I really enjoyed my cappucino - not too bitter and service was quite so it was also lovely and hot. Even though we were there at a really busy time, service was great and we'll definitely be back again.

A local suggested this was a good place for coffee and they were so right! Best espresso I had in Scotland! The home made chocolate cake I got to accompany it was just as good. They also had more substantial food but I wasn't that hungry. They were very busy, I got the only open table, but service was pleasant and prompt. It is a larger open space with an intentionally spare atmosphere which I found a little off putting, but the food is excellent and the staff welcoming - highly recommend.

ARCHIVE COFFEE is a cafe in what I think is a repurposed old library. Whatever, it makes for an original ambience if a bit noisy. Some soundproofing in the ceiling would be a good investment. Their menu is exciting, and the food was definitely tasty as well as filling. The espresso was good too. Staff friendly and attentive. Definitely the first place to head when in Kirkwall, for breakfast/ brunch/ or lunch (not open in the evening). My only disappointment was with the prices, which like all Orkney eateries, are higher than they should be.

An excellent place for breakfast. I like a cooked breakfast and my wife prefers a healthier option. I had the french toast with bacon, sausage and egg, while my wife had the granola with berries and yoghurt. Nice location with friendly helpful staff. Coffee and home baking great too😁

Possibly the best espresso to be found in Scotland! Each cup created with immaculate care and loving attention to detail. The extra minute or two made all the difference. Should have tried to GF carrot cake on my first visit, as it was gone the next one. Wish I lived in Kirkwall just to be a regular there!

Visited for brunch on a Saturday. I had housemade soup and a fish sandwich. Both were excellent. Service was just ok, slow and had to flag people down. The atmosphere is very stark and modern.

The. Best. Coffee. In. Kirkwall. Or perhaps...Scotland? Their use of Dear Green beans made it especially marvellous for us - when you know, you know. The decor, service and style was exceptional and drew us back daily. Yes, I know. THAT GOOD. A safe retreat, a contemporary hang out, it could be anything you want it to be. 100% on point!

Visited one Saturday. Had a question about one of the dishes which resulted in the tall young waitress with long brown hair smirking about it behind the till to her colleagues. The chef seemed pee’d off at the request too which resulted in the waitress coming over, dictating what the chef had said to our table, and then walking off giving us zero chance to respond or ask anything else. There was no “can i get you anything else”, or “is that ok”, or even an apology that it wasn’t quite as what the menu had described.. just defensive, poor, non existent ‘customer service’. Another waitress did indeed ask how everything was when we went to pay, and i said “oh .. okay” with a not so great face on, to which the waitress didn’t pick me up on or anything so at that point I left it with a view to perhaps not bother returning. Shame.

Came here for lunch and breakfast (twice!). Really good coffee and the breakfast menu is great, not your average fry ups, but other options too like granola, eggs in different ways, porridge etc. I tried the scandi plate which was a bit like a fry up, with a side of granola, yoghurt and orange slice. I also tried the pecan pie French toast which was my favourite!

Really lovely and cosy place in the centre of Kirkwall. The portions are really big, totally filling and if you don’t manage it, they very kindly provide a take away box. Delicious loaded fries for lunch and salmon 🥯 for breakfast. Very good coffee although would appreciate soy milk as they only had oat. Overall 5/5, lovely place with a modern and very relaxed vibe.

The coffee is the best I have tasted in England and Scotland. We loved the coffee so much we went everyday we were in Kirkwall. Great variety of food. Staff were super helpful when we had changes to our flights a no where to leave our bags.

Visited on County Show Saturday morning. Had the black pudding Benedict.....So delicious I thought I'd try the pecan pie French toast as well. Breakfasts don't get better than this.

Fine spot with fine coffee and cake in a pleasant setting, just a shame the service was slow despite being fairly quiet.

What initially looks like a tiny cafe, opens out into a light and airy restaurant. Friendly staff and most importantly….. excellent coffee at a good price.

Breakfasted here on a whim - so glad we did. Service was quick and friendly and the food was delicious!

My 1st visit was to pick up coffees - I discovered it’s a tardis! A small unassuming entrance leads to a large, light & airy cafe at the back. Very unexpected! The coffee was delicious so we returned the next day for brunch. I thoroughly enjoyed my Mexican eggs - on guacamole with chilli & coriander with extra bacon. Daughter & husband had black pudding & poached egg on toast & pecan French toast. The service was personal, efficient & friendly. Highly recommend.

The best flat white in Orkney. Great service from the staff, who were all very pleasant. The food was very tasty, absolutely fantastic.

Dont be put off by the appearance of this place. From outside it looked more like a takeaway joint but we went as recommended by a friend. It’s like a Tardís inside , bright and modern with a buzz about it. We went for the brunch menu. Husband had eggs with black pudding, hollandaise and crispy onions on sourdough and I had Eggs Royale which was poached eggs on hot smoked salmon with hollandaise again on sourdough. The poached eggs were fine to perfection and the hollandaise was very tasty. Excellent servings of the black pudding and salmon, not just a bit. Really good value as well. Shame we didn’t have the opportunity to go back during our stay. Husband said coffee was good too.

Came in for lunch with partner and 1 year old. Ordered soup for her from the kids menu. When it finally came I tasted it before offering to my daughter and found it was incredibly salty so I chose not to give it to her. I would have thought given its a child's meal that it wouldn't have salt. It's a good job I had some snacks with me as she would have gone hungry. Nobody came to ask if our meal was OK and when mentioned about the soup when paying the waitress did not seem bothered at all and gave no offer to remove it from our bill. Poor show Archive. The food used to be so much better. P.S Our meals were not much better either.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch while visiting Kirkwall. Lovely setting, great staff, and super food too. A brilliant addition for Orkney

We were so pleased to find such a great modern place for lunch. The staff were great - we enjoyed our lunch and I love the decor. Interesting choice of meals and coffee nice. I thought it was called The Old Library but I guess its called Archive ! Thanks for lunch ! I think its also open in evenings when its maybe more of a night out type of place.

What a find! Hidden up a side street Archive has the most wonderful coffee- we went 3 times in a week! Service is table service and a bit slow as they don't always notice you come in but the coffee and cakes we had were worth it.

This is a great place for coffee and fabulous deserts. We most enjoyed the fish and chips. Service was very organized , food high quality and many locals support it so you know- you want to go there!

Visited three times in one week. Once to try their cakes, which were delicious. I'm following gluten free and dairy free diet, and I noticed that every time we were there, there was at least one cake on the counter that was gluten free and...

Great, great coffee. Best I had in three weeks in Scotland. Also very good restaurant. Just up Laing St. from Albert, the main shopping street. Very good service. Clean place.

There's really no downside to visiting Archive. Friendly, welcoming & efficient service, great food (best eggs benedict I've ever had) lots of choice on the food menu and for drinks

A coffee, Tea and a slice of tray bake in quiet surroundings. good value, very friendly staff. Clean and spacious inside.

A hidden gem in Kirkwall. The food is fantastic and the staff are lovely and welcoming too! Well worth the visit when on Orkney. Well done 👍

We visited three times during our trip to Mainland Orkney, happily returning as this is such a great place for a coffee, lunch and afternoon tea and cake. We enjoyed all aspects of this place. Gets very busy and tables cannot be booked, but turnover...

A real find. Great ambience, well spaced tables. Hidden away a bit but worth seeking out. Had great coffee and large fresh scones. Clearly they also did brunch etc that looked delicious. But for us it was the quality of the coffee that made it.

We ate breakfast here twice, absolutely delicious on each occasion. We enjoyed eggs royale and chilli beans and egg. Very friendly and efficient service, lovely atmosphere.

This is a modern cafe with friendly service. We had a chicken and noodle salad and a monte cristo sandwich. Really good and good value.

Fantastic food and service. Despite being very busy and short staffed (as told when taking my order) the food was delicious and quick. Certainly worth a visit

This used to be my favourite place for a coffee and lunch. Although the food is still very good the customer service is absolutely appalling. I have visited twice recently and been very disappointed so much so that on the second occasion I walked out...

The food was good and quickly done, despite being busy. I always eat my lunch with a side salad and I ordered it. The waitress didn't tell me they don't serve it, she told OK and put it in order. Of course, I never got...

We loved our breakfast at Archive coffee. Efficient service, great coffee and modern menu in contemporary setting. Wish we’d visited earlier during our trip, we’d definitely have eaten there again.

Food was tasty but there was a few issues : fries were kind of greasy; i had the chicken burger and the chicken was only half the size of the bun; service was sort of put the plate down then didn’t see our server again;...

Great experience! Loved the chilled, friendly vibe here. Full.of locals, which is always a good sign! Fantastic coffee, they really know their stuff. Loved the mint aero cake. Shame they weren't open in the evening as the bar was very well stocked with Orkney gins.

A family group of 6 adults and one child. We came her 2 or 3 times on our recent trip to Orkney. Great service, great food and very generous portions. Their selection of cakes are amazing and huge portions. Highly recommended.

We visited Archive Coffee for our first breakfast in Kirkwall but were very disappointed with the food. My toast was charred, the chorizo was dry and the black pudding was like charcoal. Their porridge was unnecessarily over-complicated by things like peanut butter! All of this...

Really great cafe in the centre of Kirkwall. We visited twice on our holiday to Orkney. The menu is wide ranging and the food we had was lovely. We went back for a second time to make sure we could try the cake, which was...

My favourite place in Kirkwall for quick lunch and coffee. Food is always good there, staff friendly.

Superb food and service. Restaurant was busy but this was not a negative - good atmosphere and felt safe. Smoothies are very good!

Called in for a Latte and lunch, great atmosphere and food, staff really friendly.Dogs welcome and nice outdoor courtyard.

Great atmosphere, great food and great staff. Gutted we only found this place on our last day on the islands! 100% recommend.

A good place for cake and coffee or a snack meal Nice ambiance and reasonable prices Friendly service staff Only downside is that there is no wifi

Very popular, good cakes and coffee. Salads looked good too. Often need to queue for a free table. Staff friendly and helpful.

There are some great places to eat in Kirkwall but, in our opinion, this is the best. Great food, incredible cakes, superb coffees and a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. This is our third trip to Orkney and we made a point of staying across the...

Always really nice! Interesting menu including breakfast & brunch selection. Coffee is always reliable & staff friendly & whole place feels Covid-safe. Thoroughly recommend.

Visited today with a pal. Very limited vegan options. Soup had to be sent back as it was tepid. There were no choice of cakes that were vegan either. All in all very disappointed

My partner and I found ourselves child free this afternoon so decided to head to our absolute favourite place to eat: Archive. This place ticks every box it really does. Service is impeccable. The building is beautiful. Trendy without being unwelcoming and always busy. The...

Same old Orkney really. New kid on the block with it's nice new premises that everyone flocks to & scandalous prices for lazy sub par food. • Butter milk 'fried' chicken sandwich This was an all round disaster. When you think of a fried buttermilk...

So had a few hours to fill in and asked a local where to eat... immediately they told me about The Old Library which turns out to be Archive Coffee. Managed to get a seat and although the menu isn’t massive it’s probably perfect in...

We moved here 1 week ago and I’ve already been twice and plan to go again tomorrow. Great coffee, great selections of cakes, excellent eggs Benedict but perhaps too much mustard in the ham? Banoffe milkshake is a must!

The staff here are so lovely and cheerful! The food here is so nice, the ham on their ham sandwich is very nice as well. Lovely, I always come here when I come to Kirkwall! For those of you who like full fat milk, they...

Had a really lovely brunch here today, the Hollandaise was a bit vinegary but other than that the food, staff and ambience were lovely. To finish I grabbed an orange hot chocolate and while eating the cream off the top I accidentally ate a hidden...

Lovely place for lunch in Kirkwall. Very good COVID measures in place which made us feel very safe. We had eggs Benedict and a toasted cheese and ham sandwich which were delicious. The selection of cakes was amazing too. After lunch we went through internal...

We came here twice for lunch on our most recent visit to Kirkwall as it was so good. It gets quite busy at lunchtime so expect to queue, despite this our service was fast but we didn’t feel rushed. The menu is so varied and...

This place is a wee hidden gem in the old widy streets of Kirkwall..... Food, Service & Decor are amazing. We have been 3 times in 2 days.... Breakfast - The eggs bendict i think is the best ive ever had Lunch - The steak...

Stopped by for coffee & cake - some great bakes to choose from. Excellent covid 19 restrictions in place. Friendly & polite staff. Menu has good choice of hot & cold food at good price as well as cakes & bakes. Also alcoholic drinks available...

A nice cafe for breakfast and a coffee. A good selection of breakfast items and drinks. Takeaway service also available. Excellent service and food .. oh a strong coffee 😀

Excellent breakfast, had the poached eggs and salmon. Good Covid experience, shown to table, form filled out, mask away from seats. Top notch service and food

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch here. I had a generous portion of smashed avocado on toast and my wife a salad bowl. Both enjoyed a glass of wine with our meal followed by good strong coffee. We didn't fancy the breakfast offering at the hotel...

Definitely worth a trip on your day out in Kirkwall. Tasty cakes and coffee and really pleasant staff. The cafe is also open a little later than others in the high street, so you can pop in when you have been shopping. Be sure to...

Visited twice for lunch during our recent holiday in Orkney. Very impressed especially with the salads and poached eggs with avocado. There is an amazing music shop with a good selection of vinyl lps to browse in the sane building.

Wonderful service by friendly staff, even during covid. Stress free AND helpful. And then there's the eggs benedict. To die for. One of the best ever that I've had. Ginnys beef sandwich also excellent. Reasonably priced too. A really Really nice place great food and...

Just returned from a short trip north to Orkney to visit family. Hotel was room only so chose to visit Archive Coffee one morning for breakfast. They were open at 0830 but may have opened earlier than that. I chose the eggs benedict and it...

Meeting friends for lunch & got a table early - ordered a drink which took 10 minutes to arrive, thought I had been forgotten & only a third of tables taken. Friends arrived & food came quicker than drinks did. Food is excellent & good...

The seating area has 3 distinct styles, ordinary tables and chairs, high backed benches which divide tables and provide a greater degree of privacy, and tables with bench seats on a raised platform at one end [these are less suitable for folk with mobility problems]....

Normally very good, but exceptionally slow service today. Been 30 mins and we’re still sat waiting for our food.

Nice spacious area, prices reasonable and some very tasty food - try the noodles. The shop next door is great fun and they host gigs too. A Kirkwall hotspot.

been here a few times this week. Every time the coffee has been excellent. Highly recommended. Especially the eggs Benedict, the ham is proper off the bone ham, and the eggs were done to a t.

We arrived for lunch and found the cafe very busy. However a member of staff attended to us almost immediately and got us a table. There was a good range of light lunches, soups etc and prices were on par with other Kirkwall eateries. We...

Light & spacious cafe, with booths & tables. Went for lunch & had sweet potato soup, which came with lovely chunks of brown bread - soup was nice, but could have done with a bit more. Friend had mix you own salad - noodles with...

Welcome coffee - lovely warm and unexpected cafe. Clean, modern renovation providing a great community refuge complete with local, well cooked foods and excellent coffee. Blissful break in a tourist morning!!

Unlike England, it seems kids are not allowed in the pubs in Scotland so unfortunately we couldn’t do the pub grub. Luckily there is The Old Library which serves good food, great coffee and is super kid friendly. A great place to stop for a...

For lunch we were looking for a nice location. Several restaurants we entered were really warm (too warm). Then we bumped into a sign of The old library/archive Coffee. A bit down the road where you would not expect a restaurant like this. Lovely seats,...

Went here for a late breakfast on the recommendation of the reception staff in the Kirkwall Hotel (who stop serving breakfast at 10:30). it was good advice. They have an interesting breakfast menu and poached egg on toast with smashed avocado was particularly pleasant. A...

This place, just off the main street, is great for breakfast or lunch. Nice relaxed feel, in an interesting building. Note: this place is often just referred to as "The Old Library". The toy shop next door is also terrific!

Had fantastic salads so we came back for breakfast. Just yummy and reasonable prices. Get a scone fresh out of the oven if you come in early enough.

This place serves very nice food, especially the open sandwiches that are excellent value for money, served hot and cooked with fresh ingredients. The cakes and the coffee is well worth it as well. A lovely place in Kirkwall!

without a doubt the best place for a coffee and a cake in Orkney. the service may come across as slow but it can be a busy bust place. take the time to wait for a seat if you can. the food is excellent and...

Up an unpromising looking side street Archive Coffee is a real treasure. We enjoyed very good coffee, and the best hot chocolate I’ve had so far on our Highlands road trip. Good choice of buns too, especially the Rocky Road. Planning a return visit to...

Archive Coffee is located just off Albert Street on Laing Street and is attached to the Grooves shop. It is a very attractively laid out coffee shop with seating at tables and booths. There is a good range of lunch options and hot and cold...

Huge portions of very tasty food. Good range of drinks too. Don’t miss this place for lunch. Hidden gem !

I visit the Archive regularly and also take clients there. It is a great place for the whole family, a great atmosphere and excellent food and coffee. The only problem is Finding a seat.

The food was lovely, really excellent. A lot of trouble has been taken to make the surroundings appealing. It would have been great, but - the music was way too loud. I love music, and like to hear it, when I'm out, but this was...

A first visit for four of us and it exceeded our expectations. Surprisingly spacious inside, there are a mix of regular tables and booths available with fairy lights hung across the ceiling. We had the open sandwiches and everything was very tasty and filling. Locally...

It's a shame because it looks so lovely, but as other reviewers have noted the customer service in extremely poor. The milk in my coffee was scalded which ruined the taste of my coffee. Perhaps the barista needs to be trained on the fact that...

This was a most unexpected find, as its up a side street and just noticed their coffee sign as we wanted a coffee break, having found it we returned nearly every day, well 3 out of 5 we did. the service was excellent and table...

Visited with daughter, great coffee for me, she had a winter hot choc, too sweet for me but she loved it. Clean, stylish surroundings and polite, efficient staff.

Quick visit for a much needed snack. First impression was that, although the cafe wasn’t very busy with four other tables occupied the waiting staff were less attentive than normal with the result that we failed to receive our initial service for at least 20...

This place is fairly recently opened, as part of a larger project converting the old library in Kirkwall. The whole thing has been done to a high standard, so for that alone the owners deserve credit - I expect there would have been easier projects...

Really enjoy the Archive always lively, friendly staff, the food is always very good. Firm favourite with the young men in the house.

Food is delicious- best sweet potato fries in Orkney. But very busy - they don't take table bookings for lunch and we had to wait half an hour for a table then over half an hour for our food, meaning we were late back at...

We visited here for lunch as it was the only place open in Kirkwall on a Sunday. It was really busy, but cafe cold with a weird atmosphere. Lots of staff but a bit chaotic and certainly not that friendly. The breakfast 'hash' was bitter...

Stumbled across Archive on our first day in Kirkwall area and couldn’t believe our luck. Kiwi friends voted the coffee not only the first “flat white” they had been offered in three weeks in Europe but also the best coffee, full stop (I thought them...

hi came across this café by accident wish we had been able to visit before on our holidays great café, with excellent customer services The chocolate malteser cake was delicious lovely building with loads to offer plan to visit the next time we are in...