Lowdown Coffee in Edinburgh, City of

Intended to only have coffees but couldn’t resist the delicious looking pastries once we saw them on the counter. We were fortunate enough to get a table so spent an hour or so enjoying our coffees, pastries and the chilled atmosphere.

Very cute location, avocado toast was fresh and tasty, best hot chocolate i’ve had in a while, came back for seconds later in the day, coffee delicious, lovely staff

Not too much option for breakfast , I hope they make improvement for that , the coffee was nice

Absolutely amazing coffee and food. We had a latte and a hot chocolate, and avocado toast with tahini, pomegranate, and lime. It was amazing. Well worth the visit, highly recommend!!

Impressive coffe, so delicious. Nixe staff and cool vibe

Lowdown Coffee is my favourite coffee shop in Edinburgh. The coffee is consistently excellent. The staff and owner spend a lot of time dialing in coffee so it tastes as good as it can. The pastries are also great!

Great place, will definitely visit again in my travels.

The lack of decaf pales in comparison to the attitude with which I got told how they don't do decaf.

Undoubtedly the most delicious of London's cafes. The breakfast is avocado with eggs, my brother, very delicious, and the coffee is beyond amazing. The staff are nice and helpful, and the service is fast. I strongly recommend it.

Went to lowdown to sit in for a coffee as I’d heard such good things, even with such high praise around the shop I was blown away. The coffee itself was amazing, perfect milk texture, dialled in beautifully and picture perfect latte art. The service was better than anything I’ve experienced in a coffee shop before, felt like I was in a michelin star restaurant! Water brought to the table without asking, and filled up when needed, coffee & cakes brought to the table. I was sat outside so I could have a smoke and even had an ashtray brought over to me. The team here are happy to go above & beyond to assure a great experience. Would recommend this place to anyone (& the choc chip banana bread was grand) Only down side to the place is the lack of accessibility, it’s down a flight of stairs.

Best brunch I’ve had in a long time and the coffee was great- highly recommend!

The coffee flight was perfect. Excellent value if you're into specialty coffee. Service was good too.

Best café in town! Service is impeccable which is rare in a busy coffee shop! Amazing experience and cozy vibes.

Don’t bother looking for other coffee shops when in city centre,go straight to LOWDOWN

They deserve more than 5 stars.

Best coffee in town , frindly staff .. dont forget to try the GTA : ) cheers

Vine a probar este café como me recomendó mi amigo y ahora entiendo por qué. El café era excepcional, como nada más que haya probado. La presentación y la explicación fueron puntuales. El servicio fue increíble y generalmente disfruté de mi tiempo allí. Tuve el pan de plátano tostado y desearía poder tenerlo todos los días jaja. Definitivamente volveré.

El personal más rudo que he encontrado. Mi marido y yo hemos visitado muchas cafeterías y esto tenía el personal más rudo que hemos encontrado. Vinimos el domingo para tomar un café para llevar el lugar es peculiar y dulce, pero la chica que sirve era un horror mi marido simple preguntó si podía tener un poco de hielo para su americano y ella respondió groseramente si quieres café con hielo hay otras cafeterías en el camino que hacen eso! Simplemente innecesariamente. El personal y el servicio es todo en estos lugares y ella nos dejó tan enfadado que quería salir, pero mi marido tomó el café. Aunque el café era bueno el servicio no lo era. No pierdas el tiempo aquí hay muchas más cafeterías pequeñas y buenas en Edimburgo que valorarán tu costumbre a diferencia de esta. No volveremos pronto.

Un amigo sugirió visitar Lowdown, así que fuimos a comprobarlo durante un viaje de compras. El personal era muy amable y servicial. Recomienda si te gusta un frijol limpio y cuidadosamente seleccionado. Volveremos la próxima vez que estemos en la ciudad.

Mi novio y yo visitamos Lowdown por cuarta vez durante nuestro fin de semana en Edimburgo, ya que nos encantó tanto - es realmente un café - el sueño de los amantes! Ambos pedimos un vertido - más y el barista explicó las notas únicas de los frijoles que estaban usando ese día. Se puede decir que obtienen solo los mejores frijoles de primera categoría y los preparan con cuidado. No podría estar más en desacuerdo con la sugerencia del personal grosero, ya que cada visita el personal era amable, bien informado y claramente apasionado por lo que hacen. Estaban más que dispuestos a charlar sobre el proceso de elaboración, judías recomendadas para la elaboración casera y también lugares para visitar en Edimburgo durante nuestra estancia. Es una vergüenza absoluta que alguien diga lo contrario y desacredite una joya oculta tan hermosa. Ya sea que seas un conocedor del café o alguien que aprecia una buena taza, ¡añádela a tu lista! Volveremos (muy pronto) !

Lowdown Coffee es una joya escondida en Edimburgo para los amantes del café. El derrame fue impecable, suave, rico y lleno de profundidad. Combinado con una rebanada deliciosamente húmeda de pastel, fue el regalo perfecto para la tarde. El ambiente minimalista y relajado lo convierten en el lugar ideal para relajarse. Sin duda una visita obligada!

Possibly the best spot for speciality coffee in town!

I genuinely enjoyed the coffee here! The baristas looked very cool and experienced, and gave a very detailed explanation of the coffees they had on offer for pour-over. Having to walk down the stairs I was seated on a quaint little area within the cafe. I had a pastry which was quite good although it was the last one on offer, which was paired with quite a great pour over, in such a cute cup! The cup was genuinely the best part of all. I must say this cafe is now part of my top three cafe's in Edinburgh!

I tried their coffee, delicious salted caramel brownies and delicious lemon cake He has amazing Colombian filter coffee, and without exaggeration, it is the most delicious coffee I have ever tried in my life. The day I wanted to buy the same coffee, it turned out to be sold in a small bag of 100 grams and its value is 20 pounds. It is an astronomical price because the crop is rare, but for lovers of elite crops, you will like it.

Visited yesterday and got the tasting flight and it was great. Place has a nice European coffee shop feel to it and the staff are very knowledgeable about what they sell. Visited other speciality coffee shops on my Edinburgh trip but lowdown was the best.

Great place with great coffee. Will definitely be back :)

This is such an amazing cafe in many ways! Loooove the setting, the coffee is dripped right from heaven and the avocado toast is one of the best I had! I recommend strongly but please don’t promote this on instagram as a hidden gem and ruin the vibe!

One of the best cafes in Edinburgh brewing some amazing coffees from all over the world. Module roast flat white is a must try.

The coffee shop is run by a nice, beautiful family. You can see your food being prepared up close; Due to the small place 😂👍🏽 My review: 5/10 Today's coffee (acidic) 6/10 cinnamon roll 10/10 🌟Avocado sourdough (although I am not a fan of avocados) ⚠️The location down the street may not be noticed The coffee is working by a nice family, you can see your food being prepared up close; the place is small 😂👍🏽 My rating: 5/10 Today's coffee (sour) 6/10Cinnamon roll 10/10 🌟Avocado sourdough (even though I'm not a fan of avocado) ⚠️The place is down the street, so it might not be noticed

Visited last week for some filter coffee and espresso. Coffee was excellent! Cafe is in a great location too so you can’t be forgiven if you go to Starbucks/black sheep next door - come here instead! Don’t be afraid to ask staff about the coffees and they’ll chat you through them.

One of the best coffee places in Edinburgh. Knowledgeable staff who care for the cup they provide. Always new coffee in which provides variety and different experiences. Service is always great. Excellent food too… from an avid Avo Toast fan its top! Much better than the dross coffee on offer else where.

My go to place for lunch highly recommend the burrata and mortadella The sugar morning buns are delicious Coffee is delicious all the staff always make me feel so welcome

Would have loved to try the coffeeshop but was told they can’t serve milk alongside americano. Appreciate you might want to stick to classic coffee drinks but coffee with milk is really a staple wherever you go.

Ridiculously small hot chocolate for 4 pounds. What a scam.

Really interesting cafe with very knowledgeable staff. Great for those who like their single-origins deeply fruity and sweet.

Edinburgh cafe goat.... I can't remember any coffee shops in Edinburgh that only taste like milk, this is the best. This is the only Flat White that brings out the flavor of the coffee beans well. The long black also smells really good. The guy with glasses is kind and cool.

The place is small but it has a very nice atmosphere and super and cool people working there. The most important thing is the food 🥑 it's so delicious as you see in the picture 😉 and the guy recommended me a espresso 100% my taste. Thank you! Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪

They're so friendly and the coffee is the best. I had a flat white, and even though it was espresso-based, I was surprised by the aroma and fruity taste of the coffee beans. The balance between milk and coffee is also good. It was a coffee with a strong aroma that Koreans like. This is my first time seeing a flat white like this.

Toast with meat and burrata - 10/10 Toast with avocado and hummus - 10/10 The - 10/10 Cinnamon-bun - 9/10

Very good coffee and delicious desserts.

What a bland, boring ‘coffee shop’. The guy taking my order couldn’t have been further up himself and his self confidence was impressive for someone who cremated the milk in my flat white. The food was average but unfortunately the service from the member of staff left a distasteful taste in my mouth - not only from the coffee. Lowdown? The only thing that’s lowdown here is the quality of the coffee, food and service

The avocado toast was genuinely the best I’ve ever had. And as an Aussie obsessed with brunch culture, I’ve had a lot. I’d probably skip the hot chocolate next time and order double avo toast.

Lovely place. Delicious coffee and fresh pastries.

Greta coffee and very nice carrot cake

Food was so good, but the place is not spacious. Service is not too great. I loved the coffee.

Love the avocado toast!! Great place

This incredible coffee shop and cafe had the best pour over I've ever had in my life. We ended up going here three times during our short stay in Edinburgh. You definitely should try to visit when you're in the area. I would recommend trying to get a table so you can enjoy their breakfast as well.

The coffee is average, the place is small, and the employees are not pleasant

Coffee not to by taste (fruity) but the most amazing cinnamon bun I have ever had.

Properly made coffee, none of the overheated trash you usually get around the UK. Excellent baked goods too, overall worth a visit.

I visited the place today, and I couldn’t be happier! The food and coffee were absolutely delicious, but what truly stood out was the service. The staff were incredibly kind, casual, and made sure everything was well looked after. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making for an all-around amazing experience. Highly recommend! X

Exceptional coffee and service. Always a go to when looking for the best coffee in Edinburgh.

I had an espresso here a few weeks ago. It took me awhile to stop thinking about how amazing it was so I had to come back. And I'm having the same experience. It's changing my standards on good coffee. I also ordered an avocado toast, and there's an excellent blend of avocado and nuts, with balanced sweetness and perfect levels of saltiness. I just wish this place was closer to my house.

Some of the best coffee we ever had. We had a flat white and a filter coffee. The barista's took their time to answer our geeky questions, which of course we loved. We hope to be back soon!

Great coffee brewed with care and delicious carrot cake!

EVERYBODY THAT WORKS HERE CARES There is few coffee shops in the country where every staff member cares about the product, this won’t matter to many people but if your into your coffee lowdown offers: - water recipes for each coffee - fully manual, quality controlled espresso - well informed staff who tasted and know the coffees With a changing filter menu, changing espressos and a focus on the new latest and greatest in fun processing and light roasted coffees! Coffee is the focus with food second, but what a great little food menu too, they have no kitchen but have carefully seasoned classic dishes to have as a nibble or as lunch, That’s the lowdown on lowdown

The guy who was taking orders was so unpleasant and did not even try to be friendly . I have ordered take away he send me to wait on a bench on a main road while all the sits had been empty. Coffee is more expensive than in some other places . The order took ages . And there was no people

One of the best avocado toasts I had in my life. Matcha was perfect as well. Highly recommend 😊

Excellent coffee! Lowdown is one of my favorite cafes in Edinburgh. They are a great choice for specialty coffee. The staff is friendly and professional. Tried the coffee flight and was not disappointed!

A small, basement cafe, but bright. The coffee was excellent and I didn't taste anything else since I arrived only half an hour before closing

Good specially coffee spot to hit up of in Edinburgh

Breakfast restaurant and specialty coffee The food is delicious The service is excellent Its downside is its small size

Un lugar que no te puedes perder, mi Toast de aguacate delicioso y el rol de canela el mejor, la atención de los chavos que trabaja.n ahí es más que exelente, tienes que probarlo

Best coffee I have ever had in Edinburgh. Definitely worth revisiting!

I can recommend the coffee flight! I got a V60 pour over with a split double shot from their own roast. The pour over was light and came with a lemongrass scent and aftermouth taste. The espresso was subtle and nutty, good combination with the oatmilk split. Soya milk is not available. The staff was great, we were served on the table, water was refilled constantly and I had some chats about their products with the baristas. The food is also decent, we had a brownie and a cinnamon bun. The café is cool and the coffeemaking seems to be the center of the place. I liked it, but there's also a lot of noise due to that.

Amazed by the rich and complex flavour of my flat white, chocolate floral and fruity. To be fair I’m not expert in coffee but their beans are really good and I’ll definitely be back

Probably one of the top 3 coffee spots in the city of Edinburgh. This cosy nook of a coffee shop, tucked below street level on George Street, has long been a favourite of mine. Their coffee quality and selection is excellent. The staff's knowledge of coffee is superb, you can always ask them questions. While not their focus, the food menu items are great too, and offers something more unique than the typical coffee shop. Atmosphere is usually peaceful and zen. However, due to the size of the location, it can become crowded quickly. The service is usually great, albeit not fantastic. Having visited this location in excess of 50 times, I have come to get used to the service style, which is usually one of either pleasantry or disconnect. I struggle to place my finger on it, but particularly during busy periods there is an air of coldness which gives off a "hurry up and order so I can get on with what I was doing" vibe. Is it pretentious? Maybe. But a little pretension never hurt anyone and these folks know GREAT coffee.

Great coffee! Service is super good too

I last reviewed this establishment in 2017 and it has been our regular "go to" place for Edinburgh visits ever since. It is quite small so seating is not always guaranteed but a table is usually available after a short wait (and it is worth the wait). The coffee never disappoints and the knowledgeable staff are happy to tell you about the brew that day if you have questions. On the coffee front, other establishments in Edinburgh are beginning to catch up but as far as my partner and I are concerned Lowdown still hold the crown. The cakes are fresh and tasty and seem to be designed to compliment the coffee! They offer a small range of light snack lunches including various soups which are always a treat. This is a small specialist coffee cafe who do what they do very well and for once the many five star reviews are well deserved.

It may be one of the best cafes for specialty coffee in Edinburgh The quality of the coffee was excellent and sufficient for a rather small income, but the atmosphere was beautiful.. Lighting some sweets with alcohol.

Remarkable coffee shop, cool ambiance in a hidden nook, and espresso that changed the way I view coffee. Would give it a 6th star if possible.

We have been regulars at Low Down for many years now. Hands down the best coffee in Edinburgh and the food is just as good. Paul and the team do an amazing job!

I came in alone to have a cup of coffee. While I was waiting for my order, which took around 10 mins, I wanted to use my laptop for an urgent matter. I was surprised by this guy coming up to me and saying that they have a “no laptop policy”. When I asked him what kind of weird policy is that, his response was that it is busy in the weekend and people spend 6 hours sitting in the coffee which has limited space. I mean what kind of establishment that does not trust its customers? I told him that I am here only for the coffee and won’t sit along, but he kept that I should close my laptop and sit idle till my coffee arrives. Also the way he approached had some unkind tone to it which I don’t appreciate. Definitely they need to work on their service communication skills. I drank my coffee and left in 10 minutes. One thing is for sure, I’m not coming back to this place.

I swear I wouldn't recommend their coffee unless it's sweet or hot chocolate

Delicious coffee, great avocado toast.

First time coming to this cafe and I love the vibe inside already. It’s so chill and laid back, also homely. Really good atmosphere to bring friends or just hang out with yourself. Love that there’s a photographer around. It makes us engage more to the staff. Staff are friendly and service is good. Haven’t trued the proper food here. But the cinnamon bun is delicious.Would be back again and bring friends in here.

Poor service. Coffee average at best. Issue with milk. Difficult to see any real commitment. Poor attitude of servers.

Probably the best coffee I've had in Edinburgh. Incredible filters and the espressos were very tasty. The quality on show was evident and I can't wait to go back. Service was warm and efficient, and our group was made to feel very welcome. The staff were knowledgeable and helpful. We had some sweet treats also which tasted super fresh. We've been to several coffee shops on our trip but this place was the highlight. Not to be missed if you're in Edinburgh.

Definitely not a good coffee, but the tea and desserts (I had an excellent brownie) were super good! The staff too, all really nice.

The best coffee in Edinburgh. I dont say that lightly either. I was without decent coffee for like 10 months before I was lucky enough to cone to Lowdown. Ive been here about 6 times now. Cinnamon rolls are also really good. Great value. Limited savoury cabinet (but they do have a menu).

Some of the best coffee I've ever had. The Mortadella and Burrata on Toast was also amazing. Would easily go back again!

Amazing coffee place. We had three coffees all from columbia roastes by the café. They all had unique taste profiles and where brewed perfectly! Will definitely come again and am looking forward to ordering some beans in the future!

Delicious coffee, friendly staff. Great atmosphere. I will definitely be back ♥️

Delicious coffee in a heart of Edinburgh. Very friendly place overall. 💛

It’s difficult to understand how people can like the coffee in this place: it was the worst we tried in a while and we ordered cappuccino, flat white and macchiato to make sure we didn’t get the wrong one. If you are from any place with a decent coffee culture (southern europe, Middle East etc) stay away

10/10 oat milk cappuccino! Smooth rich and flavourful without being overpowering ❤️

Really cute cafe with nice pastries! They carry vegan and gluten free options.

Outstanding. One of the best coffees in my life, excellent tea, with attention to detail in every aspect of serving, mugs, and aesthetic. Pastries fantastic as well. Go!!

Specialty coffee and the place is nice, but the staff's behavior is nothing. Pistachio cake is very ordinary and not good.

Great cup of coffee, knowledgeable staff.

The coffee is located downstairs in the basement, but Sharh and Munawar offer you water as soon as you enter as hospitality, a nice gesture for the time being. Requested Latte: 10/10 Brownies: 10000/10 The most delicious brownies I have ever tasted Carrot cake: I liked the one I had, I mean, I didn't like it at all Or the brownies were ruined because it was literally my taste 😅 I highly recommend and will visit again 🫶🏻

Great coffee, friendly staff and nice atmosphere.

Fantastic coffee, they obviously care about their craft. In fact everything seemed thoughtful, even the outside tables - looked like round black steel but the surface had a smooth rubberized surface, so no constant clinking when you put down a glass. Nice.

Great coffee shop! Lovely staff. Dog friendly 🐶🐾

Ok. No real atmosphere, but we sat outside in the basement gap.

Exceptional coffee shop, a must visit when in the city centre! I've had the pleasure of visiting Lowdown many times over the past couple years and they always deliver with warm friendly service, immense coffee knowledge and a relaxing comfortable atmosphere. They use only the best European roasters and recently have even started roasting themselves. So they always have great options of different coffees to suit what you fancy on the day, just talk to one of the knowledgeable baristas who will guide you to coffee heaven.

A coffee shop that serves specialty coffee. You can enjoy breakfast with multiple options. This is my third visit to them

Absolutely the place to go if you are into specialty coffee. I had a pour-over and an espresso, for which I could choose the beans used. Both were really good but the espresso was outstanding with vibrant acidity reminiscent of lemon sherbert. My girlfriend had a wonderful cup of tricolore tea. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. We had a lovely chat about the coffees, of which one was from my home country.

Pistachio lime cake Salted caramel brownies

I enjoy going here. Staff are nice. Nice coffee. Fun space to be in.