La Viola Cafe & Bistro in Edinburgh, City of

The owner/manager guy was trying to he helpful but the American woman serving - simply rude and off hand!!! The bacon rolls used to be amazing here - I can't be sure obviously but it feels hat they have stared using cheaper bacon - it's too salty for me now and it was missing the brown sauce I asked for!

Lex was my server, she was amazing! Very professional and excellent service.

Lovely little cafe and great waitresses however the food was a let down. I ordered a smoked salmon bagel with coffee. The coffee was great, the salmon was good but the salad, slaw that came with it were old and dry… it’s really a shame as the cafe offers a range of lovely cakes…

You're absolutely guaranteed to get excellent food and great coffee here. I've been a regular visitor to Edinburgh for the last 5 years and found this place on day 1 and it's never been beaten. I've tried many of the items on the menu and always been impressed. This weekend I sat close to a bunch of visitors and all I heard was each of them praising every dish they had; one had Eggs Benedict, one had porridge, another had a Full English and another the Hangover Omelette - ALL of them were impressed... I knew they would be! (Occasionally I've tried alternative cafes, but I've always been disappointed, so I've decided that this is the only place I will go). It's a very popular cafe; that should tell you something! I would recommend it to everybody. Keep up the good work!!! (My ONLY criticism is that sometimes the coffee is not hot enough, but I've learned to ask for it extra hot).

It's a really lovely food joint at the Edinburgh City Center. Great for lunch breaks on a work day. I really like their wraps menu items

Lovely little cafe, not far from west end tram stop. An extensive menu with great prices, even better portion sizes, and lovely staff! We had the croque vegetables & goats cheese and breakfast burrito with bacon and avocado and would recommend both. The banana smash smoothie was also SO GOOD! Plus, there is a great selection of sweet treats to sample.

Lovely little café for a good daytime treat. Excellent variety of brunch and breakfast foods and/or cakes.

Lovely place! The Lotus cake was amazing.

Such delicious breakfast and lunch. Their smoothies are always refreshing, especially!

A café with very good food and friendly service!

Very good little snack to take away!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ La Viola is an absolute gem! The food is always fresh, flavorful, and a level above most places. You can really tell they put care into what they serve. It might be a little pricier than some spots, but it’s 100% worth it for the quality and consistency. A huge thank you to Amad for his amazing hospitality—his customer service is top-notch, and you always feel well taken care of. If you're looking for great food with excellent service, I highly recommend La Viola! — Craig Sneddon

Very good place with many gluten-free options. They have gluten-free breakfasts with bread and many other things. I recommend going

Lovely food! I especially love the decoration on the wall. 2025/1/25: Marlenka was very delicious!

Lovely bistro with comfort food. As a good tourist, I tried the hearty Scottish Breakfast that kept me full for the day. Great service and ambiance, reasonable pricing.

Me alojé en Edimburgo por una semana y nunca voy al mismo lugar dos veces Vine aquí mi primer día y volví todos los días por el resto de la semana El servicio era impecable, el personal era increíble y la comida era fantástica Incluso acomodaron para mi novia con celíaco, que es un hallazgo raro para nosotros generalmente Si estás en Edimburgo, ve aquí. Es de propiedad familiar y una experiencia maravillosa Gracias por cuidarnos.

I can definitely recommend breakfast in this lovely cafe&bistro ! Service was excellent and people are friendly 🙌

Had an absolutely elite veggie breakfast here, all of my family loved theirs. It was really beautifully presented, not greasy, and had a great variety. Veggie sausages, hash brown, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado and spinach. The coffee was exceptional too, which just made the whole experience perfect. I would love to come here again!

Finalmente decidió visitar este café después de pasar muchas veces y siempre aparece ocupado con una ventana de sabrosos pasteles en exhibición. Al entrar había una gran selección de pasteles, bollos y postres en exhibición que parecían recién hechos. El lugar era pequeño y estaba muy ocupado sin embargo me las arreglé para conseguir una mesa pequeña para 2 en la entrada de la puerta. Esperaba lo que estaba por venir, sin embargo, desafortunadamente las cosas se fueron cuesta abajo rápidamente. El hombre que servía estaba muy bruscamente y parecía más interesado en hablar con una mesa de sus amigos compañeros varones que en servir. Después de navegar por el menú pedí la sopa que venía con una rebanada de pan de masa madre y mantequilla. El servicio fue rápido y la sopa estaba sabrosa, pero se sentía ligeramente apresurado para terminar. Era como si quisieran la mesa de vuelta para los clientes en espera! Además, £ 7. 90 para un pequeño tazón de sopa de lentejas y pan es muy caro para un café casual. Hubiera considerado pedir más, pero el frío servicio del personal me hizo querer irme. En general, no planeo volver corriendo, pero puedo probar algunas de sus opciones de panadería como una comida para llevar.

The place is super nice, the customer service is magnificent, the food is super delicious and the place is beautiful

Excellent service! Delicious food 🥰✨

A special and warm corner in Edinburgh. The service and attention was excellent. The delicious food. Highly recommended.

Best Scone in town. The red fruits scone is unbelievable. Baked fresh and delicious. The staff is super kind. Very welcoming atmosphere. ☕️🧁

Tuvimos la gran oportunidad de descubrir éste bistro. La verdad que quedamos encantados de la variedad de platos sus precios, y abundancia de comida. El bistro esta bien decorado con ambiente acogedor,muy limpio y el servicio muy rápido. Nos sentimos muy bien y con mucha confianza para comer. Recomiendo este restaurante en Edinburgo.

Lovely staff, decor and atmosphere. Nice menu selection

Heerlijk ontbijt met goede koffie!! Zijn hier tijdens ons verblijf paar keer geweest voor ontbijt. De binnenkant is ook mooi aangekleed en tijdens kerst was de vitrine uiteraard prachtig ten toon gesteld met de nodige kerst versiering.

Came here for breakfast and the food was phenomenal but we got stuck at a table right outside the bathrooms which was frustrating as we didn’t really have enough space. Definitely recommend heading here early so you avoid the brunch rush.

Such a cute little place. Straight outa fairytale feels. Amazing ambiance. Lovely and friendly staff. Good menu with plenty of options. Pastries looked lovely but I was in mood for savoury sadly. Fast service and everything served with a smile and a lovely interaction. If you get a chance, please do give this place a try !!

Creo firmemente que el desayuno a este acogedor lugar es uno de los desayunos más sabrosos que tuvimos durante nuestra estancia de cinco días en Edimburgo. Sin ser irrespetuoso con otros lugares que sirven desayunos o brunch, los chefs y los chicos de servicio fueron increíblemente educados, rápidos con verdadero interés para el cliente. Los platos eran sabrosos, con tranquilidad y cantidad excesiva. Precios al nivel medio. Parece que la cultura del propietario y el personal han elevado el sabor de los platos a diferentes niveles. El lugar es muy recomendable.

I strongly belive that the breakfast to this cozy place is one of the most tasteful breakfast we had during our five days stay at Edinburgh. Without being disrespectfull to other places serving breakfast or brunches, the chefs and the service guys were amazing polite, quick with true interest to the client. Dishes were tasteful, with quility and exceeding quantity. Prices to average level. Seems like the culture of the owner and the personnel have elevated the taste of the dishes to different levels. Place is highly recommend.

This is a great little place. Family owned and family run. Great service and the food is fab. Anything off the entire menu at any time of day. And the presentation matched the taste. Delicious! Long weekend in Edinburgh and we had breakfast here every day. 10 on 10. Great place. Fully recommend.

Really enjoyed lunch here. Great selection. Great buzz and good value

Has one vegan option for breakfast. Was nice.

Everyone was so nice and the porridge was filling and delicious!

Generally fine. I ordered a smoothie and eggs benedict. Unfortunately, the 'fresh' smoothie was not made from fresh fruit. The eggs benedict had a soft-boiled egg instead of a poached egg, too bad! Other than that it's fine, but there are nicer and better places where you can have breakfast in Edinburgh.

Definitely large portions, split one meal with person I went with. A hearty way to start your morning. The service was great!

We really enjoyed the breakfast there while we stayed in the city. Coffee was great too

Fabulous breakfasts for everyone, vegans, pescatarians, veggies and meat eaters. Good quality produce. We needed to be served quickly as we had a train to catch and they were super quick with the service. Breakfasts £11.90 and £12.90 vegan. Great cakes which we took away for the train journey too. Highly recommend.

Exquisite French toasts and eggs Benedict, a very pleasant atmosphere, the rays of the sun coming in from outside in the morning, efficient service and smiling staff I recommend!

Locally owned cafe serving excellent food with an amazing staff. Portions are generous and fresh. Great vibe!

Delicious breakfasts. Perfect pistachio cake. Fast and nice service. Generally, a great place for breakfast. A varied selection, so you can eat tasty and varied meals even several days in a row.

The breakfast is good, self-service, and the atmosphere is uncomfortable. There is no space between the tables

Fantastic atmosphere, food and overall service! Get the la viola breakfast and chicken ceaser wrap! Reccomend this place 100%!

The food was absolutely amazing and delicious! The staff was super welcoming and helpful, though the tables are quite small and we were a party of five, so we struggled a little bit. Overall amazing experience, happy to return any time and highly recommend!

Beautiful cakes, the pistachio cheesecake was delicious and the scones we took back to our hotel were so good! Staff were incredibly nice

Lovely place. I had full Scottish breakfast that was delicious the plate was so big I even skipped my dinner.

The food was and coffee were good. Pancakes were not that great but the other dish my husband ordered with eggs and the lot were amazing.

Delicious, traditional breakfast (also vegetarian/vegan) in a nice atmosphere

The titles bold as there are a lot of good brunches, but I’m serious. We have loved going into this cafe in person and it’s delivered every time. Beautifully cooked food with incredible ingredients. I have a young baby so ordered for delivery as a treat - somehow just as good at home with presentation, taste and portion sizes spot on. Thank you La Viola!

Place without infamy and without praise. I don't recommend the pancakes, they're a bit tasteless. The English breakfast was very good.

Best Red velvet cake in the world. Very friendly and welcoming staff especially Francesca she’s the best!

This was a good drop-in establishment. It's counter service, friendly, french and the owners care about delivering a good product.

Went with my kids and ordered chocolate cake and a pot of tea. Unfortunately the cake was very dry and not very tasty. Maybe because it was the end of the day , but I thought the pricing wasn't justified for the quality. However I haven't tried other items on the menu, so maybe this is a one off as it seems like quite a busy cafe whenever I pass by.

Asked how long a wrap would take and was told 5 minutes, 25 minutes after I was told sorry we forgot. Wasted my entire lunch, I went there because it was quiet and they still unfortunately couldn’t get the food out timely

Delicious food, excellent service and great choice for everyone. Staff are always so helpful and make you feel so welcome.

Yesterday i went to eat croissant with my brother. When i came back home, i found out that i had brutal diarrhoea. I still have it, i took all the meds, and im still not well. I cant go outside. I dont know what are they putting in those. But i do NOT recommend

5 stars is just not enough for the best breakfast in Edinburgh by a mile. Sublime hollandaise sauce makes the eggs royale a real royal treat, or large and tasty omelette with generous stuffings. The service is also outstanding.

Mega good food with good portions, super service and cool little kitchen

Really welcoming and accommodating staff at the cafe with delicious food and even more delicious deserts! An excellent place to relax close to town centre.

Great service good food. The soup was delicious and the service people were good.

Fantastic cozy atmosphere, nice staff, can only be recommended 🥰🥰

We were very disappointed with our visit. They got our order wrong and were very rude trying to seat us. They claimed they had no open tables inside (outside it was cold and raining) and we were looking right at two open tables. They said we thought you wanted to sit outside (which we never said) and then proceeded to tell us that we were in the wrong instead of just apologizing for a miscommunication. We tried to cancel the order then but the manager came out and told us to sit down on one of the open seats. Our food came out later and was incorrect. My sandwich was also nearly empty, I was basically eating bread. I also saw them sit a couple of 2 at a 4 top table, serve them their coffees, and then proceeded to ask them to move tables so they could sit a larger one at theirs. Didn’t help them carry their things at all. I would be angry that they shouldn’t have sat me there in the first place if they would just move me for other people. The entire time we sat we were not checked on. Scarfed down the food and ran out because of how uncomfortable they made us feel.

Good breakfast in a nice environment.

Great food & fast service! Came for breakfast & our waiter was attentive & efficient.

I love this place and come here a couple of times a month, but this is my first review. The Viola is always busy, deservedly - nice atmosphere, quick and cheerful service, plenty of choice on the menu, including different breakfasts, salads, croque monsieur, cakes and coffee. I often have a salad, which are quite substantial, and the smoothies are freshly made and cost around a fiver.

Beautiful and cosy cafe, very well done coffee. The chocolate slice cake was soooo delicious. Omg the taste was wonderful. I definitely love it!! Would love to come back, highly recommend.

Such a cute spot. Has amazing chai lattes, the pastries looked so so good. Can’t wait to try one soon. The barista was super friendly! Edit: went back and had breakfast here. It was so so good. The menu is massive so it was a tough decision but I had the pancakes and they were really nice. The Scottish breakfast was also very good. The owner is so nice and positive. Loved the experience.

Been looking for somewhere to satisfy my craving for omelette. Found it here. They have a wide selection of food on the menu. Service excellent just like the food. Will definitely be making a return visit. Highly recommend you do to.

We have gone twice. One for breakfast and one for snack. The place is not very big but we were able to sit without problem. The product is of high quality. To have a coffee or tea with a delicious sweet it is perfect. The attention of the boys is unbeatable. It is a must stop

The place is nice, the coffee is good Honey cake is delicious and fluffy Medium pancake

La viola is one of the best places to eat. It is a perfect choice. It has a variety of dishes and it responds to many tastes. I really enjoyed eating their almost daily during my stay.

An amazing place to start your day with, offering delicious food and exceptional service. I would highly recommend it if you're visiting Edinburgh.

Best restaurant ever. Teasty food, nice service, kind staff! Don’t miss if You are in Edingburgh and want to have a perfect breakfast!

I came here two days in a row for a breakfast. Whatever we ordered was lovely prepared and delicious. I absolutely recommend this place!

Lovely place! We had breakfast here twice, everything was very tasty and beautifully presented! 10/10 recommend!

Excellent coffee And honey cake with cinnamon Khor Rafia ❤️❤️ Thanks

Very delicious food served beautifully! The staff is lovely and thus place makes me wish I've lived here so I could come more often!

Abundant and good Scottish breakfast. They were extremely nice to my son with fruit and sweets suitable for him.

Very good food - we tried a breakfast burrito, a scottish breakfast, porridge and burger, everything simply fantastic!

Really good food and friendly service!

This place is amazing delicious food very good service can’t find a single fault ❤️

Great little place. Delicious Benedict. The lentil soup was very good.

It is a beautiful cafe selling high quality food and providing 5 stars service. The cinnamon honey walnut slice was so delicious. I have never had anything like it before. The cappuccino was very good as well.

Such a cute little place! Stopped in for breakfast. And the food is simply delicious! Staff are super friendly as well. Definitely worth visiting! The atmosphere there is super chill and cozy!

A lovely morning brunch with family, welcoming and relaxing, and the food was incredible, wonderfully prepared, organised, presented and delivered, each dish was a special delight, thank you. 👍

Cute little French cafe with great food and pastries. Coffee was excellent and cool mellow vibe here

Spicy Istanbul and French toast.

Recommended. Delicious breakfast and super friendly service

Very careless staffs, went for a delivery and waited over 20 mins. They told me 5 min in the first place. Very wrong information. Very bad tretment

Great place with attentive and friendly owner.

What a lovely cafe. So nice inside. Food was excellent and the staff are really friendly. Cakes looked amazing. Didn't have one on this visit but I'm definitely going back to try them soon

The breakfast was really very good! Great selection! Everything tasted fantastic! The coffee tastes excellent! Very nice employees! We recommend!!!

This place has it bang on, definitely the best cafe I have been to in Edinburgh. Amazing food, price and overall environment. Can’t wait to go back!

Nice place and lovely people. Good cafe and food.

Great Scottish welcome! Ordered the veggie breakfast as the full Scottish breakfast wasn’t halal. Everything was cooked very well and delicious. The service was wonderful, they happily explained the options available to me and how they can accommodate. Didn’t have to wait too long and the portion was perfect for a lazy Sunday. Top quality table service, even had their wee helper ask if everything was okay with the food which made the day! Definitely recommend as an option to eat out (veggie, cakes, drinks are perfect), and hope you can add more halal options to the menu for Muslims too (as this is a Turkish-run restaurant)

The atmosphere is good, and the amount and overall quality of the food are satisfactory. Perhaps more goat cheese in the salad would be nice? However, something is wrong with the cakes; I'm not sure I got a fresh one.

One of the Best places I have ever visited. The breakfast Was more than delicious. I ate huge Scottish breakfast. It was so tasty that I could not stop eatting :) what is more you can also buy very good Coffee also in take away option. And what is the most important : amazing people who create great atmosphere and are willing to help with everything. Thank you so much for the Best birthday breakfast which we ever ate !!!:)

We waited over half an hour for 3 coffees and food, if they had just got us our drinks would’ve been happy to wait for food. Food was nice just the service today was so bad. Also bacon roll was deliberately pathetic we laughed it was the smallest amount of bacon ever.

I loved my experience at this café in Edinburgh! The servers are incredibly kind, everyone smiles, and there's so much respect. The food is quite good, but the coffee is amazing. The barista is incredibly talented at creating latte art, which caught my attention and made me smile, especially since coffee is my favorite drink. He even offered me a class to learn coffee art, which I really appreciated. This café made my trip to Scotland truly memorable with unique and wonderful experiences. I can't wait to come back! Thank you for everything.

5 people, baby and dog. Everything is a bit tight. Service was super friendly and tried very hard. You can watch the preparation of the food. We all really enjoyed it. We ordered various wraps, breakfast and smoothies, all very tasty. The ambience is nice (although everything is a bit cramped) the toilet is very clean. Parking garage nearby.