Cafe Artista in Edinburgh, City of

Best traditional Italian food in Edinburgh.

We recently moved to Edinburgh, and this was our first meal in the city. The food was good, but we were frustrated to find that while the bill for the table next to us did not include a service charge, ours did. We don’t mind paying a service fee, but when the bill showing an "optional service charge" becomes compulsory without consulting the customer, it feels disrespectful and unfair. It left us feeling like we were being treated differently, possibly because the restaurant assumed we were tourists. We paid everything that the owner would like us to pay but - Unfortunately, this left a bad impression, and we won’t be returning due to this unequal treatment.

Very good thin crust pizza; kind, fast, and attentive service.

A bit chaotic but the food and service was good so no problem

Great pizza, great atmosphere with friendly staff and very good value!

Regularly visit this fabulous Italian restaurant. Family run, service with a smile, bring your own drinks and most importantly delicious pizza and pasta. Dont miss this place. Well done to Bruno and his family team👏🏿👏🏿

Lovely local family restaurant with amazing food. Cosy and friendly staff. Highly recommend for a good Italian fix.

Such a great restaurant and the food is just sooooo good. Corkage is £5/bottle for BYOB.

I ate here while holidaying in Edinburgh, following a recommendation. Great little place but the food was a big disappointment. Having travel round Italy they allways did the classics well. So ordered the lasagne off the menu. It was pretty poor, mostly layers of pasta… not much filling at all and the sauce was pretty bland…

Food is excellent. Service is a questionable. The first time I came here, I asked for a full breakfast and the owner said “no, pick something else,” as he didn’t want to cook it. I settled for something else on the menu which was delicious although, obviously, not what I wanted. I have since returned for lunch / dinner and was, again, very impressed by the food. We were the only customers in the restaurant and some staff were sitting at another table talking very, very loudly, making the atmosphere a little uncomfortable. Waiter made some minor mistakes with my order but I wasn’t too bothered as the food was still fantastic. I’d recommend coming here if you live close by or happen to be in the area. Perhaps not worth travelling far and wide to dine here though.

Incredible food, worth the high prices. Waitress was a disaster, though. She wouldn't check on us, another person did. She would sit at the table behind us to have a call super loudly and walk around on a call in a very loud voice. The atmosphere was ruined by that. When we paid, my friend said I'd pay 45 and he would pay the rest. She didn't pay attention it seems, because she also charged my friend 45. My friend didn't say anything because he thought I paid his part and he paid mine. So we left almost 20 quid tip for awful service without realising. Food is exquisite 10/10

Food was fantastic. We sat outside with the sunshine on us . One of the best pizzas I’ve ever had. The owner Bruno explained he had modified his family recipe and said what it was . Would definitely recommend to anyone and will be back

As Italian as an Italian person can get in 🇮🇹

Absolutely stunning food! Starters were delicious and the pasta and pizza (I tried a bit of everything) were mouth watery. The service couldn't have been more professional and nice to us 😍 thank you very much for making our friend's baby shower so special. You guys are amazing, see you soon 🩷

Best local Italian restaurant 🎉

Had a great time with friends at this establishment! We had a delicious meal :)

too much topping on the pizza it was disgusting I think they were having a laugh

We had takeaway from here as we didn't book and the place was full! True Italian food! The brusetta was perfect, the Cabonara and Cannonolli was so good and the Hawaiian pizza was a hit with our son! We can see why the won the awards last year!

Delicious Italian restaurant...

Delicious seafood spaghetti and fantastic pizza! The service was good, and despite the small size, the food quality was top-notch. Highly recommend!

Kids enjoyed particularly the pizza.

Cafe Artista is excellent. Bruno cooks traditional Italian dishes with great expertise. Everything he prepares is genuine and high quality. My Italian husband swears that his pizzas are better than any he has had in Italy. Buonissimo, squisito, grazie Bruno.

Lovely pizza and others at the table really enjoyed their meals

Fantastic super authentic Italian restaurant. Everything is spot on - the food is amazingly tasty, the service is friendly and attentive. They really made us feel welcomed in such an intimate atmosphere. This is a true hidden gem.

Myself and an acquaintance both got food poisoning here months apart, do not recommend.

It is deeply re-assuring that places like Cafe Artista still exist. Our food, Lasagne, Bruschetta Siciliana and the Diavola Pizza was superb; the dishes were traditionally presented and exceptionally tasty! Staff are equally superb and attentive. We will be back for sure!

You enter Café Artista and it is like entering any typical trattoria in Italy. We were surprised by the good quality of their products. Bruno is the owner of the place, a charismatic Italian man who strives to make each dish perfect. It was an absolute pleasure to have you serve us. Totally recommended if you want to forget about the cold a bit and take your mind to the streets of Italy.

What a great meal! The pork flank and pasta were both impressive.

Awesome authentic Italian food in a cosy neighbourhood in Roseneath. We tried their spaghetti Carbonara, spaghetti Bolognese, Prawn risotto, a pizza and a salmon pasta. Everything was so delicious and well balanced, we love it! Will definitely recommend this place to family and friends. Try to make a reservation before coming to avoid disappointment.

Cafe artista is consistently the best cafe ive ever been to, their disserts are amazing, their pizza is the best ive ever had! Its absolutely delicious, the carbonara is excellent but the pizza is both affordable and excellent, heats up well and keeps itself hot.

The owner is fantastic! It feels like a little Italy. The food was great I got focaccia with Parma ham, rocket and balsamic vinegar! If you are about and you feel a bit meh, you will definitely get a good laugh here! Well done Bruno!! 👍👍

Ho conosciuto Bruno, il titolare, sull'aereo per Edimburgo e già da come parlava del suo locale ho avuto la certezza che avrei dovuto provare a cenare nel suo locale e così siamo andati a festeggiare il mio anniversario di matrimonio giusto il 29 settembre. Mi fido sempre delle mie prime impressioni e mai come questa volta ho avuto ragione tanto da constatare con piacere di essere riuscito a mangiare "italiano" in Scozia meglio che in Italia. Grazie della vostra gentilezza e disponibilità ma soprattutto per i buonissimi piatti. Ci rivedremo per assaggiare il resto.

Years ago Cafe Artists was a bright, vibrant coffee place with super cakes. I returned last Thursday for coffee and cake to find a dismal, dark interior with 4 members of staff all on their mobiles!! Coffee was fine but the carrot cake was obviously well past its date, dry and hard - and bought in from Costco. For this I was charged £6.95 for the slice!! Outrageous!! I shall never return here again.

What a nasty little man who works there, not content with being challenged for driving across the pavement in front of me and a woman pushing a buggy, he started revving his engine aggressively to get us to move out of his (incredibly entitled) way. After the challenge he was more than willing to propose violence to further escalate the situation. What a nasty little man, no sense of community except what's in it for him. I'll certainly not be eating at this place ever again.

What a lovely meal, warm service, and fun night! Thank you to Bruno and team. Never had a bad meal here, just a nice place to hang out and grab some excellent food and decent prices

Excellent local pizza restaurant

What a find! A gem of a restaurant. Fresh pasta and the pizzas are freshly cooked with a thin base and delicious toppings. We will defiantly be returning her next Fringe Festival! Highly recommend!

AVOID THIS PLACE, ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING FOOD AND STAFF TOTALLY DISINTERESTED. MY SISTER-IN-LAW AND I WENT THERE FOR LUNCH TODAY, THE PLACE WAS EMPTY WHEN WE ENTERED, ALL 3 MEMBERS OF STAFF WERE GAZING AT MOBILE PHONES WHEN WE WENT IN. WE DIDN'T WAIT LONG TO BE SERVED BUT WHEN THE FOOD CAME IT WAS OBVIOUSLY STRAIGHT OUT THE MICROWAVE. WE BOTH ORDERED CANNELLONI, IT WAS CURLED UP AND BROWN AT THE EDGES AND VERY VERY DRY. WE STARTED TO EAT IT BUT SOON HAD TO GIVE UP. WHEN WE COMPLAINED TO THE WAITRESS, THE GUY BEHIND THE COUNTER (THINK IT WAS THE OWNER) OBVIOUSLY HEARD US BUT CHOSE TO IGNORE US AND KEEP GAZING AT HIS MOBILE. WE WERE THEN PRESENTED WITH A BILL FOR OVER £30 FOR 2 PLATES OF DREADFUL FOOD AND 1 DIET COKE.

Bonne pizza, service sympa et rapide

Authentic Italian food and great Italian welcome. Shows why real Italians running,managing and cooking at an Italian restaurant can deliver a great experience.

Lovely pasta dinner. Great service and atmosphere and well priced. Recommended

Small neighborhood spot serving thin-crust pizzas. Food is surprisingly slow to come out. Pizzas were decent but had too much cheese for my liking. The Diavola was good (nice heat on the chilis), but the Margherita was a miss. They accommodated our walk-in party of 6 with 2 kids, so that was nice.

This is a great wee authentic Italian restaurant that I’ve tried a few times recently! In a word fantastic ! The owner chef and waitress are excellent but the food is the prize 👍 🍕 pizza’s are magic, pasta superb 🍝 Limited drink options but I think it might be byob ? Definitely worth a visit.

A very friendly atmosphere of traditional Italian trattoria, with lovely home-cooked food to match!

True delicious Italian cooking by the Italian owner chef with great friendly homely service.

Das war die vielleicht beste Pasta meines Lebens! Ohne Reservierung mit Glück einen Tisch bekommen und alle drei Pastagerichte waren unglaublich lecker!

The best pizzas in town. I highly recommend trying .Get on the right side of Bruno ( the owner ) and he pour you a wee whisky or two

We showed up with 1 hungry baby and 1 hungry toddler. Service and food were amazing. We couldn't have asked for more. The best pizza in Edinburgh for sure.

An excellent place to chill, dine, and enjoy the atmosphere of a mini Italia..

Great food, lovely service - can be challenging to make a reservation or check availability! Better to stick your head while passing.

This place is a hidden gem! Amazing authentic Italian food. Very good value for money and very generous portion sizes. The owner chatted to us and is clearly very passionate about what he does. BYOB also which was great. Definitely be going back.

This place is a hidden gem! Amazing authentic Italian food. Very good value for money and very generous portion sizes. The owner chatted to us and is clearly very passionate about what he does. BYOB also which was great. Definitely be going back.

Best pizza I've had in Edinburgh for a long time. 😋

nice local place, nice food, studens and older people

Surprising little gem of Italian food.. love the selection! Esp loved the Pizza Vegetariana. Will be going back to try more of the menu.

Great Italian cafe serving fantastic food. My wife and I have been back several times.

We needed a quick early dinner before going to the tattoo and came across Cafe Artista. We sat with the six of us outside in the sun enjoying a glass of wine and our pizzas and pastas. A perfect setting with lovely food. Very enjoyable indeed.

The meal I got served was clearly microwaved. The center was steaming hot while parts of the food were just room temperature or warm. Not the best experience for the price either.

Still the best pizza in Edinburgh.

Quite possibly the worst restaurant we've ever visited. The owner is rude, confrontational and completely ignorant of Edinburgh's public hygiene laws. If you happen to be in this area and are in need of sustenance I suggest you use the excellent chippy across the street. But if you need a quick pee, this is the place to go! [Although their bathrooms are disgusting.)

Nice little cafe with authentic Italian food and great service.

I love this place so much! My mum and I have been enjoying the lovely food from Bruno for over 7 years now and we’re never disappointed. They give you large plates of food so the price matches that and especially the quality. They used to have a pistachio soufflé dessert that I absolutely adored and couldn’t find anywhere else in Edinburgh but unfortunately they’re not sold here anymore. The staff are lovely and they always have nice chat!

Great fresh Pizza and delicious salads. Superb for lunch.

I have been to this restaurant several times now with my partner, and it has never disappointed. It’s a 5 min walk from our flat and it is the perfect spot. We always go for pizza, more specifically, Pizza Regina and Pizza Capricciosa and they are just perfect, without a doubt they are some of the best pizzas I’ve ever had, let alone just in Edinburgh. I would recommend this cute little restaurant to anyone who fancies fantastic Italian food (especially the pizzas), it’s also BYOB which is always a bonus. 10/10 restaurant 💯💯

Tiny authentic Italian cafe and restaurant with lovely athmosphere and service. My 11-yo loves the pizza (best in the world according to him). I had pasta and loved every bit of it.

Fantastic service, food and the people are awesome. I will recommend Cafe Artista any day of the week. Thanks Bruno.

2 morning rolls and 2 coffee's £17.80. The most overpriced coffee shop in Edinburgh. Coffee and rolls were nothing special. Prices here makes Starbucks prices seem very reasonable. At least Starbucks coffee is actually nice.

What to say.... Bruno e' un artista. Bruno is a character of Edinburgh, if you're looking for a pizza night out with good friends, cafe artista is a must.

Easy walk from our flat near The Meadows, nice neighborhood, good food and friendly service. We enjoyed it.

In Cinque di un gruppo di 7 persone abbiamo preso ognuno una pizza diversa. Io, come altri, ne ho assaggiato almeno altri due tipi. Tutti abbiamo convenuto che le pizze erano_fantastiche_ ! Per quanto riguarda i dolci ... irresistibili!!! Da leccarsi i baffi! (E io i baffi ce l'ho)!

Nice cafe, good food and friendly waitress. Was a little disappointed when at about 5:30 pm on a Friday they weren’t willing to serve us dessert even though I had a five yr old that had been so well behaved, and would have loved ice cream. The waitress looked embarrassed and said ‘no desserts’. Not sure why - maybe trying to get the next folk in. Shame as ruined experience, had a disappointed little boy and unlikely to go again.

There as a family, wife, son and girlfriend. Staff very efficient and friendly. The menu is a bit limited but we had starters which were substantial and very good. For main courses, a mixture of pasta, pizza and a chicken asparagus and roast potatoes. Some managed deserts again excellent, as was the coffee. It is worth mentioning that it is unlicensed but there is Sainsbury's, just opposite and you are welcome to bring in wine and the Cafe supplies glasses. I am a fan, you can buy two decent bottles and it is a lot cheaper than a bottle of mediocre wine in a restaurant.

Service was very good fast and efficient. Food travelled home very well. Best Pizza and Pasta we have ever had as a carry out

So we'd been driving round Edinburgh miking for somewhere to eat and peered in various windows but been uninspired. We came across this cafe by pure chance and my goodness it was SUPERB. The food was delicious. We have never had a tomato & onion salad like it and the pizza was heavenly. As an added bonus it was soooo clean.... the glass wear shone, the decor was in really good order and the toilets were spotless. We'll be back!

Lovely food but not a very child friendly restaurant as they don't have high chairs

Stunningly delicious food. And plentiful too. All fresh prepared and piping hot. Whenever I go out for lunch, this is THE place to go. The staff are very helpful and courteous too. Try it. You won’t regret it.

Possibly the best Coffee I’ve had. Super friendly Fantastic scones and served with way to much jam ( but not complaining) We will be back And looks like it could get the sun for sitting outside for a wine or two

Tasty pizza and pasta, I had a very enjoyable calzone that I couldn’t fault and my friend enjoyed her pasta too. Cute wee environment too, servers were friendly but one was not wearing mask over nose so not particularly effective.. bathroom was also very cold! Aside from that lovely wee place for lunch though, will return

Such a lovely wee place. Cosy yet spacious. Fab staff and amazing food. The hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream is to die for 👌👌👌

Café Artista has a unique Italian family dinning experience atmosphere. Food and the owner couldn't be more authentic and high quality. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. 101%

Poor quality and service. Wont be back.

Basic cafe-style decor but very good quality home made Italian staples, and BYO makes it very affordable..

Food was very good. Thin crust pizzas. Lasagna. Great service. Sitting outside. Toilets need much more attention.

Cibo ottimo e staff spettacolare .

No frills place but the food is great and the staff were friendly and helpful. We were there with the kids and they loved to food.

Just love this place. Been 4 or 5 times and it's always great value and great fun. That says it all really but the numbskulls at Trip Advisor tell me my review has to be at least 100 characters long.

Great friendly service and great food

Super!!! Will come back for sure ❤

Excellent service today, waitress very attentive, especially to the children. Mushroom ravioli deliciously creamy with different kinds of tasty mushies. Everything looked good, tasted good and filled us up.

Another part of secret Edinburgh - go through the front door and far from a wee cafe it's a full blown restaurant and stunningly understated pizzeria - the mushroom ravioli is sumptuous.

Really lousy coffee - we had a flat white and a latte. No milk alternatives available either. The food was average - won’t be back.

The food was decent it's just not my sort of place

Vine a este lugar y compré un café y un cruasán y me senté junto a la ventana llenando un formulario y ocupando muy poco espacio. Después de unos diez minutos como máximo, un hombre bajo, que supongo que era el dueño, me pidió groseramente que me fuera, ya que dijo que necesitaba asientos para las damas que podrían venir a almorzar incluso si el lugar estaba medio vacío. El café era normal pero solo era grosero.

Great excellent food and very good company

Really liked the food - great pizzas and friendly staff.

La focaccia e le bruschette sono buone. Il posto è alla buona. Il conto è un po' alto in rapporto al posto.

Un café local, estado aquí muchas veces por café y comida. El personal es amable, muy sensato. Si solo quieres un bocadillo, puedes comprar un sándwich de pan ciabatta. Me gusta el Linguine di Mare, para el que obtienes una generosa porción de mariscos.

Interesting place, best scrambled eggs and foccia in Edinburgh

The best Italian food I have ever tasted!

Pleasantly surprised and had a good time - staff were friendly and fun. Remember it's a bring your own bottle (BYOB) established with plenty of shops nearby.