Machina Espresso (Tollcross) in Edinburgh, City of

I've known Machina since its early, rustic days in the former Tollcross venue. Then it evolved into a sleeker operation, and now, in Marchmont, it's at its sleekest. Large, very nicely designed multi-room environment, beautiful varied displays pf coffee equipment, in sum an appealing place to sit in and sip your coffee and perhaps savour one of the nice-looking sweets. What about the coffee itself? It used to be superb. Now, it is still ]good and well-executed, but the blend they served seemed a little more ordinary to me. Maybe cost-control, maybe my tastes have evolved, the fact is that I no longer find the coffee here to be at the same top-top level. But, I repeat, it is certainly very good. Prices are very high. Staff varies: I've met some friendly and competent, others disengaged and not well-informed. There is a policy that regulates the use of laptops - perfectly understandable in view of the tendency of many people to use coffee shops to get a workplace where to stay half a day on the cheap.

Not good value for money. I asked for a regular black coffee and got a cold ‘fruity’ tasting blend. No problem changing it but staff not very engaged. I understand they are probably earn a minimum wage. The sandwich was ok but overloaded with rocket leaves. As we were leaving the table I noticed mouse droppings on the floor. Had we noticed it before I wouldn’t have stayed. I couldn’t find a member of staff to report it to. The only girl serving was busy with a customer. Would not return.

we came a few time the lady with short hair always have been helpful, its a nice place to go , they have tables outside witch i prefer at this times

I have known Machina since its early days, when it was a much smaller and "rustic" operation. Much water has flown under the bridge and while the shop remains small, it is now a big player: but the superior quality of the coffee, both the raw material and the execution, is undiminished. Long live Machina Espresso!

Conseguí un café con leche para llevar y pan de plátano como regalo, ¡bastante caro pero muy sabroso! Espero poder sentarse cuando todo vuelva a la normalidad.

Good quality coffee, nicely made and very well presented. Small place, but very good located, nice atmosphere, highly recommended!

I love this place, I have been here severals times and the service always put a smile in my face. The selection of cakes is marvelous and the coffee is the best one I've tried in Edinburgh. No doubt I will come back again next time I'm around! P.S: Totally recommend the banana bread!

Lovely friendly cafe with the best coffee ever. We will return! The venue is so conveniently situated with a buzzing ambience and knowledgeable staff who know their stuff. Great food too at reasonable prices.

A lovely wee place, friendly and welcoming staff, great for catching up with a friend. Their cakes and pastries are lovely and fresh.

I've popped into Machina on a couple of times for a coffee, on the first occasion I wasn't sure, so when I was passing last week and in need of a coffee I thought I would give it another chance. My second visit left me with the same feeling as the first. The service is okay and the coffee was fine but nothing to write home about. However for me, I just feel the place tries to be to cool, I'm sure it is for most of its customers but for me, maybe it's just not my sort of place.

Staying around the corner in an AirBNB. Recommend for the coffee. Locally roasted. REALLY good latte and Florentines. Surprised to read the negative reviews. Staff friendly. Service quick. Welcoming to my hound as well when they realised she was sitting outside waiting for me. Definitely will visit for my morning coffee before dog-stroll around the Meadows!

This is a quaint little coffee shop near the Meadows which does great coffee and bakes. Seating is limited so be prepared to wait if you want to sit in

We were told, by a normally reliable source, that this place is pretty special. And, after a hard night at the Edinburgh Fringe, we rose early this morning and made our way to Tollcross to see for ourselves. First, and not exactly unimportantly, the service here is dire. This could be overlooked, had they finally produced the first class coffee we were expecting, but they didn't. My flat white, to paraphrase Donald Trump, is the highest level of bland. The Americano, to quote my wife, is 'peculiar'... so peculiar that it is undrinkable. Disappointment hangs in the air like a lead balloon. That is often the way when one is on the trail of excellent coffee here in Scotland. Rumours abound. The reality is hard to swallow.

I’ve one question, why does it take 10 minutes to make an espresso. The simple answer is that it doesn’t. To cap it all, even with sugar my coffee was quite bland. Could do a lot better guys.

My husband and I went here based on the reviews and it was really good! We really liked the fact that we could get coconut milk in our coffees and they had vegan baked goods. We tried the coconut blueberry cake without dairy and it was delicious! Would definitely recommend!

As a local this is one of the places I pop to. Good coffee & good cake. Simple & clean cafe on a busy street. Friendly staff. Next door to the Italian Institute.

Nice simple and small place, tasty coffee. For a little break it’s really Good place to order a cup of coffee.

Photo of our breakfast which we had, friendly environment, fresh food, best for breakfast or quick snack 😉

Popped in here for a coffee on Sunday afternoon. The coffee was nice once we eventually got served. Unfortunately the staff were too busy chatting about their weekend or whatever to notice that there were customers looking to be served - we nearly left as we weren't sure if they were serving at all. Really felt like a burden mid-coffee after one of the staff reached across us to put a dirty cup next the the dishwasher and then proceed to walk round to the dishwasher to deal with said cup!..... as I said nice coffee but shame the customer service left a bitter taste in our mouth.

Discovered Machina by accident during a walk on a cold February morning around Edinburgh. The cafe has warm and welcoming staff, a good ambience and most importantly serves good coffee (I perked up after it!). Seems to be a meeting place for the young locals.

One of my favourite places to drink coffee in Edinburgh. Great selection of equipment to take home too. Will always return!

A cosy place to have a cup of coffe and enjoy friends company. Not the cheapest place to come, but worth every penny

Family friendly (although limited seating) and friendly service with delicious coffee. I ordered the piccolo and it was just the right amount of coffee and milk. Some pastries and bags of beans to go!

Just popped in to warm up thanks to the bracing winds and rain out. Latte and hot chocolate really hit the spot!! Very friendly staff and extremely clean place. If I lived here I could see it being a regular haunt.

Sono tornato dopo due anni e ho trovato il posto completamente rinnovato. Una bella sorpresa. Caffè sempre buonissimo

I'm always welcomed to machine with friendly smiles and great service, and the coffee is one of the best I've had in Edinburgh. Couldn't recommend more!

Cosy place with great coffee and good vibe. good to see they have the own roasting and its mega. I think this just became my new top caffeination station

Lovely coffee shop with friendly helpful staff and excellent coffee! Good customer care who go the extra mile for a relaxing enjoyable atmosphere. We will be back!

We found this place after a re-exploration of Edinburgh, we could understand the over priced coffee, food and everything else, as I understand profits have to be made one way or the other.

Stumbled upon this place in the south side of Edinburgh and very glad we did. Really friendly staff, the Australian (?) guy with the beard was lovely and chatted with me for ages about coffee and various brew bar techniques. Not at all snobby or pretentious which is the case in a lot of similar shops in Glasgow unfortunately. So nice to get a good coffee served at the right temperature by people who will actually give you the time of day and a wee chat. Will be back :)

This is a very compact and clean coffee shop, serving nice coffee and with a good range of pastries available. Service was friendly!

The coffee here is so perfect and very tasty cakes. Staff are very friendly and cafe has good atmosphere.

This is another one of my favourite coffee shops in Edinburgh and luckily just around the corner from where I live. The coffee is always of good quality and well made by the efficient staff. Great for take out or sitting in (although as it is near a student area it can get a bit crowded). They also serve good savoury and sweet foods - I would recommend the cinnamon buns they are divine!

This place has spoiled me for all other coffee. (Well Artisan Roast is also good but Machina Espresso is far friendlier).

We first visited Machina Espresso maybe 18 months ago, and the service then was pretty weak--they brought our coffees out ten or fifteen minutes apart, so the first one had cooled... Staff said they'd been 'slammed,' which didn't look evident, and did offer some macaroons as apology.

Stopped in for a coffee and a cake and I'm glad we did. Slightly cheaper than generic chains but the cakes are to die for and the sandwiches looked delicious too!

1st time I went in( it had just opened) 2- men were too busy talking to serve.

Popped into this place for a coffee and a tea while over that side of town. The tea was average and the coffee was nice but I don't understand why it comes so small at these places in Edinburgh!?

Visited both the Brougham Place and Nicholson Street shops, great coffee with great service! Would highly recommend to anyone.

Great coffee, nice cakes and some very interesting teas (Hazelnut tea, really?:) ) Also serves as a gallery, so you can come and check out what's contemporary in Edinburgh. Fresh interior, nice staff

We have been to Machina several times so I thought it was about time I did a review.

Love this cafe. They are dog friendly and sell freshly made delicious dog treats. They are food allergen friendly (gluten, lactose, etc) and vegan friendly. The staff are always friendly and inviting.

A well designed layout for a compact cafe. We had a very nice cappuccino and flat white. Staff member was amiable and didn't hassle us to move on after finishing coffee. All sorts of interesting coffee making equipment on the walls. I'll be back!

Title says it all, I've been in a few times this week, really great tasting coffee, friendly and helpful staff and a nice space for hanging out or working. Outside seating is great too if the weather is decent.

There are a number of good coffee shops in the Tollcross/Bruntsfield area. This is the best. Rotating beans from a variety of origins and roasters and staff who know their stuff. They sell everything from tea, to whole beans, to cakes, to barista equipment.

Coffee prepared with loving care & they serve good soup & bread too. Friendly staff and a trendy vibe.

One of the best I ve ever passed . Their flat white is one of tasty all around . Or try their special esspresso , you will like it .

Small and cramped but girls still think it is acceptable to sit there with their laptops and empty coffee cups for hours on end. The coffee is bitter and cold. Just because coffee is artisan does not necessarily mean it is good. There is so much snobbery about so called artisan coffee. My flat white was verging on the disgusting.The baking is nice but the choice is very limited. Union of Genius soups which to me always taste of stock powder. The brownies are usually good.The staff very pleasant but all in all I just don't see why anyone would want to go to this place.

Great espresso and a good chat about different ways to prepare coffee...lots on offer the the coffee fan. Staff are relaxed and friendly. I usually come away from Machina with a first-class espresso and plenty inspiration.

Son stato qui tante volte (ci vivevo a fianco) ed era come entrare a casa....cordialità, gentilezza ed uno dei caffé (espresso) più buoni mai consumati (italia compreso....).

This is categorically the best place to get good coffee in Edinburgh. It might take longer than your local Costas, but the quality is out of this world. Staff are always very nice. I normally go here if i know I'm going to have a bad day and need a black gold morning cheer up :)

I want to rate this place as good (not average) as the coffee blend is tasty and the atmosphere rather charming, they did a lovely job with the decor. We found our coffees lukewarm and, interestingly, a girl told the barista the same.

Stayed in Edinburgh for 4 days around the corner from Machina Espresso, This cafe became the go-to place to get my start-the-day coffee. Enjoyed the coffee-themed ambience and the end product of coffee was superb.

Excellent coffee with different beans available depending on your preference. Usually very popular so you may not get a table but great for a take away coffee too. I personally like that dogs are welcome here

I love this place, the coffee is fantastic but I really do not like their policy of allowing dogs (non-assistance variety) inside. And permitting owners to have their dogs sitting up at the table with them is just plain wrong. A barista defended it by "well, it's so close to the park it's hard to refuse" - despite the fact there are 3 outside tables. I may have to bypass the place in favour of somewhere less dog-friendly.

I love this little place and their great coffee and small but very well formed food selection. You will always get excellent coffee from knowledgeable staff here.

It's not only a very nice place to visit (with very friendly staff) but it's got one of my favourite coffee in town, with a variety of flavours and origins. One of the plus is the fact that you are, literally, a 3 minutes (or less) from the meadows.

ci vado spesso per colazione e per pranzo, accoglienza ottima, cibo buono, non c'è tantissima scelta (non è un ristorante ma un bar) però zuppa deliziosa e anche porridge. un locale piccolo ma veramente tranquillo. con possibilità di collegare il computer alla presa di corrente e free wi-fi.

Spare yourself the trouble of walking all the way to Machina Espresso. The people are friendly but that's the only pro. The espresso was luke warm, no 're-do' offered when I told them so. On top of that I believe that 30 cents (British currency) for 1 scoop of foam is ridiculous.

Visited on a Sunday and chose it as they allow you to bring your dog in. The coffee was fantastic and we also tried the soup and sandwiches which were all delicious. Will definitely go back.

Coffee is the best you'll find in Edinburgh. The owner is the most passionate person you'll meet if you want to get chatting about quality coffee and he really knows his stuff. The shop is small intimate and you really have to look no further if you want to sample the best drink you're likely to have in the city.

Amazing coffee! I ordered a flat white and my boyfriend a Chemex, they were both great. The staff is friendly and very competent. They also have a lot of coffee equipment at good prices.

Coffee is hip and trendy, of that there's no doubt, but Machina Espresso manages to avoid any off-putting hipster feel simply by focusing on making you a cracking coffee. They know their stuff (I believe the people behind this started as coffee machine sellers - a dazzling array of which are dotted around the walls for you to ogle and purchase), and are more than happy to chat through coffee options, explaining the subtleties differentiating different beans (if you want the background, of course, you can just go in an order a coffee!).

I went in here as a customer wanting to drink great coffee. This is what i got: two excellent coffees on offer that are both very different, and prepared professionally- I felt i got the best flavours possible. I also went in looking for a lot of coffee cups and barista kit- I got amazing Incar cups among some other stuff that is helping me out loads. The service too is attentive and friendly. I live 50 miles away but will be back very soon.

Everything from the coffee to the food is of the best quality, service was fantastic helpful and friendly too. Would definitely recommend

We were a bit late (13.15 on Saturday) so only one portion of the Lebanese lemon, lentil and spinach soup left, so I hogged that and it was absolutely lovely. It left my wife and son with gluten-free caramel slice which was better than average with all sorts of fruity additions. Coffee was excellent. It is small and a bit cramped and there is no customer toilet but those are relatively minor complaints. The city was heaving (festival time) but Bruntsfield was pleasantly normal despite it's proximity to the city centre.

Undoubtedly one of the top coffee outlets in Edinburgh (which sets the bar pretty high!). The owner is a very interesting chap and will be happy to chat (if free): you can ask away for any information on the art and science of coffee making. The place is very small and pleasant, with a lot of fascinating coffee machinery on display (and for sale): you almost feel like you are in a coffee shrine :) . Prices are in line.

My first visit proved held no disappointments for me. The latte was perfect - will definitely return. The soup, fresh bread and cakes were delicious and not expensive.

Gorgeous latte and tasty coffee, good quality milk and a lot of different preparation to choose. The espresso is definitely the best coffee you can find in town, thanks!!!

This is a serious coffee bar :) I had a chemex with a great Costa Rican growth. Love watching the barista meticulously weigh the beans, grind and prepare the chemex. Great find in Edinburgh, if you are serious about coffee, this is a must visit!!

Someone commented on the soup being stupidly expensive; yes, it's not cheap, but you do get a fairly vast bowlful, unlike other places where you pay nearly the same for basically a cupful. HOWEVER | just go for the coffee; the flat white in particular is absolute perfection. I admit, I did once have a chocolate orange brownie - I make a pretty fair brownie myself, but this left mine strictly in the amateur class. It is only a small cafe, altho there are tables outside for when the weather improves, so it does get crowded, and not everyone's as considerate with their laptop leads as they could be, but for a truly excellent coffee, you now know where to go.

I love this place the same obsession over coffee machines that I have and they have the same machines I would hve selected after years of research. Also they service macines like mine. The coffee is super, Only downside is that the beans are really expensive. In fact I wouldnt buy beans from here but machina d'espresso yes!

Best coffee I've had in Edinburgh (which is saying something) and staff know everything about their coffee and the awesome equipment they are selling as well as being friendly and approachable! Chemex and espresso available as well as great soups! Loved it. Will be back.

If you love coffee you'll love Machina Espresso!

Machina Espresso is a real find for coffee lovers. As well as doing high quality, espresso-based drinks with different options of coffee every day (and proper flat whites!), it's one of the few places in Edinburgh where you can try a Chemex. They also do a range of teas and hot chocolates for those preferring something else.

This is a small but perfectly formed coffee shop in an area of Tollcross that hasn't really had an artisan coffee place until now. The coffee is beyond excellent, prepared to perfection. They also have a range of teas and other drinks.. But seriously - The coffee. Magnificent.

Great coffee and fantastic service at this small but perfectly formed cafe. I love it here and will definitely be going back. I actually purchased a coffee grinder from them for my husbands birthday prior to visiting the shop and the quality of the product and service I received impressed me enough to make me seek out the shop on my next visit to Edinburgh. It was well worth it!

I have visited several times. I'm under the impression that different coffee is used each day. Each time I have visited, the coffee has been ok but certainly nothing to write home about.

As a regular to the area, I had noticed that one of the local shops was being refitted, on closer inspection it was set to become the home of Machina Espresso.