MILK at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop in Edinburgh, City of

Can’t understand why some reviewers put the boot into this great café, which is tucked away on a local-knowledge walking path. I don’t love the brutalist architecture, nor does there ever seem to be anyone working in the attached “sculpture workshop”, but the brunch menu is well-curated and everything we ate was extremely tasty. Couldn’t fault the quality of the service either. We are returning this week for a special event featuring a competitively-priced gourmet “spring has sprung” evening meal, happy to be making another visit to an excellent spot.

My wife, young daughter and I stopped off here for coffees and something to eat. It looked ideal, especially for some shelter out of the howling wind and rain! The place was busy but there was one empty table with benches which we thought was ideal with us having a pram (which was housing a soon to be dozing baby). We parked the pram next to the benches and sat down. We were sitting there for a few minutes deciding what to order from the menu when a large party walked in. As my wife and I waited for the party to disperse slightly so that we could go up to the till to order (& also to have a look at what cakes they had) an employee then came over and asked us to move to a table for 2 in the middle of the cafe (with no room for the pram) so that they could accommodate the larger party. When I asked where the pram (with our baby in it) was meant to go we were told it could go over to the other side of the cafe. Clearly that wasn’t really an option. My wife and I just decided at that point to leave given the particularly unwelcoming atmosphere created. There was no apology, no nothing. despite the fact we were there and sitting down but yet were essentially forced to give up our seats for this larger party despite it operating on a first come first served basis. We shouldn’t have been put in that position in the first place. If I was operating a business I certainly wouldn’t be adopting such an approach. It’s common sense more than anything. Operating a hierarchy of customer is pretty weird, especially for a cafe which operates on a first come first served basis, and none more so than when you’re on the receiving end of it! The other option for us was to dig our heels in and create a scene but that’s not our style. We quietly left but were massively disappointed with the approach taken and general ignorance displayed. We definitely won’t be back or providing our custom to any of the other outlets that the business operate across the city. I’m sure the business will survive and thrive without us though…

13 of us stopped here while on a walk (we had booked a table) and were very pleased with both food and service. Soup was lovely, as was the sandwich and toastie though both big enough for sharing. Will go back.

What a delightful and helpful service from a young Irish girl. Praise due where it’s warranted. 😉👍🏻

Ordered online at table 24 and was duly served by a very polite Irish girl. Lovely service and the coffee was brill too. Stuart Collinson.

I don't know if this place is resting on its laurels because quite frankly, I don't understand the good reviews. I've been there 3 times in the last few months, but will certainly never return. Since Covid, your food is still mysteriously presented in high-sided cardboard boxes, even though you're sitting in. Coffee in throw away cups. You can't even get your fork into the box so the food is impossible to eat. I don't know who the surly, disinterested servers think they are, but I sat there one day for 10 minutes and nobody approached me to ask if I might like anything. In spite of you ordering your food online(what a a faff), an automatic 10% tip is automatically added. The server will bring your drink over, in my case with the tea bag dripping all over the place. But apart from that, you have no interaction with them. It was utterly shocking. Go elsewhere.

I was at Milk yesterday and ordered a black coffee. It was very water and had no crema. I took it back and asked for a replacement which they kindly did. However, the second was just as bad, and I left the whole cup. Why is this layer of foam important? Simply put, it's an indication of how fresh and prominent the flavour of the coffee is. The majority of a coffee bean's flavour compounds are trapped in CO2 gases. Over time—as the beans lose more and more CO2—the potency of the coffee's flavour notes will decrease, resulting in a stale coffee. Therefore, a coffee with less CO2 will produce a smaller amount of foam as it blooms, lessening the flavour compounds present.

We often get takeaway coffee and cake from this beautifully positioned little cafe, right on the cycle path. The coffee is always hot and the cakes are always lovely.

Very expensive for what you get piece of cake was not worth the money, coffee was luke warm at these prices will not be back

Loved our little pit stop here whilst walking the dog. We shared a blackberry slice and it was absolutely delicious! Can I have the recipe??? 😀 lovely to sit on the terrace when the sun is shining.

So leckere hausgemachte Kuchen!!!!! Kaffee und die Qualität des Kaffees sehr gut. Sehr freundliches Team! Ein Geheimtipp!

A little bit hidden and would be much nicer to visit on a day when artists are working outside. The atmosphere is not quite hipster, not quite scandi but has a pleasant, light vibe. Staff was friendly. Plenty of seating outside, it was hopping inside and I didn't get there until after 1pm. Menu was fresh, modern, with quality options for vegans, vegetarians and those who require gluten-free alternatives. Tasty and fast.

Visiting a friend for lunch who has a workshop at the sculpture gallery. Chicken salad was just delicious, generous portion with succulent thigh meat. Others had soup, all topped off with cake and tea Great selection, relaxed vibe and friendly service

What a find Milk is. Just off cycle path and serves beautiful food. Soups, salads, wraps, cakes, scones and gluten free options available. A fantastic place to stop for lunch or cake and coffee.

Great food, great service, great craic. Perfect spot for our cycle pit-stop. Veggie breakfast to die for. And the cakes are not too shabby either!

Unusual artists space cafe, with good sized outdoor terrace area and from inside, views of the courtyard and artisits' studios. Good coffee and range of bistro food options - sandwiches, cakes etc. Quite roomy so good for groups and families. Browse some of the short term art courses available, while sipping on your brew.

Excellent cafe, nice clean and bright, friendly staff, great coffee and perfect scones, cakes and muffins,really good value lunch deal for soup and sandwich, babies buggys and well behaved dogs are made welcome.

I never knew this place existed but I’m so glad I’ve found it! I’ve had lunch - very generous soup portions, and had a selection of their cakes, including vegan. Lovely. Very handy for those of us who need to access somewhere with wheels, whether that be wheelchair or a pram.

This cafe adjoins the Sculpture Workshop and is frequented by sculptors and knowledgable others. The food is excellent, and vegetarian friendly. It’s worth seeking out!

Forgot my element of the order, utterly unapologetic staff who even said ‘we are only human’. Awful customer service - never has worse.

For those out for a leisurely stroll or an energetic run or a place to finish up from the bike ride this cafe offers excellent food and coffee. Lovely service and appetising food makes this a very popular destination and well worth the visit.

My friend who lives local suggested a late lunch here and was really taken with the surroundings. There is outdoor seating on 2 levels which must be lovely on a sunny day. The café itself was welcoming with a very open 'scandi' vibe. Initially I was disappointed not to have arrived in time for the breakfast/brunch options as menu sounded very appealing. However perked up when I read further into the menu and saw selection of sandwiches and salads. We settled on the onion bhaji salad which was a wonderful combination of bhajis, baby spinach, tasty and tangy slaw and yoghurt dressing along with what I think was a homebaked flatbread, Good veggie and vegan options as well as some meat dishes too. Selection of cakes looked really appetising too but decided to save that for another time. Lovely laid back atmosphere and friendly staff. Will definitely visit again.

Found this place via instagram as they were having an Argentinian inspired bbq at the weekend.

Whilst staying in Leith, near Edinburgh, found this wonderful cafe in the lower level courtyard of Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. The staff are wonderfully polite, professional and friendly and the menu is a real feast to behold, with plenty of veggie and vegan friendly options. We had a soup and half sandwich for £7.95 and were treated to a steaming bowl of delicious and aromatic celeriac, onion and fennel soup and beautifully filled flatbreads filled with tasty fillings. This is a staff who know how to combine their flavours to give simply presented, delicious foods down to the smallest detail of the scrummy dressed leaves on the side. We left feeling well satiated and will definitely be returning to try some of the delicious looking breakfast/brunch menu.

This place is magic. Situated on the cycle track you’ve always earned your cake. And their cake is INCREDIBLE: hand made, tasty, generous portions and inexpensive!

After waiting for 20 minutes the bacon sandwich was not fit to eat, it was cold, over cooked and the bread was stale. As we had waited so long we had plenty of time to look around tha cafe, which could do with a good clean, the toilets were absolutely disgusting, smelly nappies, dirt all around the skirting. Having been her before the place has gone down hill rapidly. Won’t be back, try the The Haven along the road much better service and food.

We often pop in here for a coffee and some cake and are never disappointed. Lunch is good, with a limited but interesting choice.

They serve amazing coffee here. It’s lovely. They also have awesome cakes and really tasty food; especially the bacon and comté cheese sandwich. I would highly recommend this place. It’s a nice reward after walking along the cycle path.

Excellent coffee and cakes (meals look good, but I have not tried). Always friendly staff, even if just pooping in for a take-away.

Nice bright cafe near the cycle path. Great for the gluten intolerant. Tables outside for those walking dogs. Particularly good muffins and scones.

Interesting and quirky. Wonderful food and fabulous cakes. I've only rated this as a 3 as there was no soap in the toilets nor any hand towels. Perhaps an off day cleaning wise?

Milk is my wife's favourite cafe so I asked them if it was possible to arrange an evening meal with a collection of friends. It was a really relaxed atmosphere and the team at Milk were delightful to work with from start to finish. They were super accommodating with dietary needs and our budget. Most importantly the dishes were delicious.

I've been here twice now, once because I was cycling by and once because I was at the sculpture workshop. The cafe has expanded between my two visits and now offered an interesting lunchtime menu. There's a definite Lebanese theme. My friend had the soup of the day - large bowl of steaming hot soup with a good hunk of bread. She was very pleased. I went for the Lebanese salad with pitta bread. It looked and tasted wonderful. The coffee was good too. Definitely one to remember and go to when cycling around Leith. It would be worth a diversion onto the Hawthornvale Path.

Popped in here for coffee and cake, which was amazing! On a cycle route and good for dogs with outside terrace. Will try the food next time!

This is a perfect drop-in location for cyclists and walkers, being situated adjacent to the Hawthornvale Path. Two cyclists visited, looking for a traditional Builder's breakfast roll on Monday!!!!

This is my favourite place in Edinburgh to sit have a great coffee, cake, muffin or scone (cheese and sun-dried tomato scones are a must!) and get through a whole lot of work. The wifi is great and the space is nice and bright.

This little café is worth a visit. Lovely coffee and very unusual and tasty cakes. In fine weather you can sit outside. Very helpful and pleasant staff.

This cafe is one of the cafes we use at the end of our Victoria Park Friday walks. Always great service and there are always interesting specials and cakes on offer. Good Tea and Coffee as well.

A New Years Day lunch at cafe Milk after a brisk walk from Victoria Park along the old railway line. Milk has several cafes across Edinburgh.

Very impressed excellent service, just a bit too hidden away. Very popular with the buggy brigade however good outdoor seating areas food is of a good quality and full of healthy options.

Perfect cafe! :-) I had the delicious soup and Isle of Mull Cheddar sandwich wth a wonderfully tasty apple chutney, but there were lots of other delicious sounding dishes on the menu too! Will definitely return next time I'm in Edinburgh

There's a blackboard with a few items but if you just go to the counter, you might only think they do cakes. I didn't see the menu until after I'd placed an order and then sat down, and then discovered they did table service as well. My scone was good, though I wasn't sure what was up with the chunks of rock salt. Very friendly staff, and a nice design on the flat white.

This bright and cheerful cafe with south facing terrace sits just 20 yards off the Hawthornvale Path. The spacious terrace cafe, lying between the sculpture workshops and the courtyard, is a great place to sit, relax and do some creative thinking. Their cortado is excellent.

Superb coffee and cakes delish! It all just feels a bit cold inside the place needs a bit more colour but I am probably missing the point of the art space. Def recommend and they do good lunches and breakfasts

Love the coffee. The staff are all attentive and friendly. The cakes are amazing. The food is pretty decent too although a little overpriced. It's particularly good if you enjoy eating out regularly but don't want to be a fatty what with most dishes being served with spinach.

Tasty menu, healthier choices than an average cafe restaurant, welcoming staff. Too bad for them though that occasionally they gather moaning ladies that make a stop during their promenade and they have the time to complain about everything leaving a whole essay in a tripadvisor comment section.

Had a nice almond milk latte here. The wraps looked amazing as did the baked goods. I like the style of the place but it was packed with hipster/modern parents with lots of kids. The staff were a bit slow but fine.

Conveniently located next to the Newhaven bike path, with a good selection of food and hot beverages. Very friendly staff, will come again!

Not sure what happened here but we are backpackers from out of town first thing in the morning we purchased 2 soy cappuccinos as I waited outside for my partner she commented to me stating that it was very expensive I then questioned to find out she had paid 10.50pound and I didn't even receive the large size I ordered. We didn't have time to complain as we were in a group and we all kept moving.

Café Milk is a lovely café offering a change to the other local breakfast and lunch menus nearby. Huge hunks of artisanal bread with delightful stews and salads as well as many cakes and biscuits to choose from make it a real treat for the tastebuds. The coffee is expertly made and the surroundings are calming and clean. The veg breakfast was sublime with rosemary tasting mushrooms and salty delightful halloumi on brown toast a true taste sensation!!

This cafe is situated at Hawthornvale,but can be entered from walk way(cycle path) heading towards the Harbour, it has seating inside and out, very friendly staff, very tasty home made scones, muffins, and cake, ect. they also do delicious soup,( yummy). on our last visit which was sunday morning, we popped in while on our walk for Breakfast, we both ordered the vegetarian breakfast, which consisted of Grilled halloumi, eggs,rosemary and garlic mushrooms, slow roasted tomatoes, spinach and toast.this was thee best vegetarian breakfast i have tasted, the bread was delicious as was everthing on the plate, we had Moroccan mint iced tea which was refreshing. we took couple of the cheese ans tomato scones home with us they tasted great witha cup of tea.

Clearly other people love this place. I have been twice, first time the soup was good, the falafel salad was average, far too dry but ok. Needed something else on the plate to pull it together and give it some dressing/sauce. But it was fine. so worth another go. My friend goes there regularly, and usually the places we go to together we have good food and a good laugh.

Efficient service. Friendly staff. Fantastic brunch menu. Highly recommend the burrito, the avocado toast looked great as did full english. Brownie was a nice sweet treat!

We found this lovely spot one afternoon while out walking. Since then, it has become my favourite, even for just sitting and working. Delicious drink, food, and baking. It's always interesting to see what the artists are up to as well. The only problem I had recently was when I ordered the peanut chicken wrap, it was delicious but the slaw was oversalted on the side of the plate and was hard to eat.

Took the wife here earlier today when out for a walk as always wanted to check out the sculpture workshop. Was going to stop for a coffee until we looked at the menu. One of the best cooked breakfasts I've ever had and incredibly good value.

Had a fantastic breakfast here, will need to go back and try the breakfast burrito because it looked amazing!

Very nice breakfast menu with quality produce, although a bit pricey the size of portions are quite large. Lovely creamy coffee served by pleasant staff. Could do with more toilets and bit of art work around the walls as the cafe is quite bland considering its locted in EDinburgh Sculpture Workshops.

Visited with friends this morning, struggled to choose what to have from a really good menu. Eventually chose the veggie breakfast which was really nice - eggs, mushrooms and halloumi with mushrooms and toast.

What a yummy breakfast just perfect might seem a bit prices if just expecting ordinary breakfast but when it arrives worth every penny and service was excellent spotlessly clean too

We often end up in Newhaven at end of our Victoria park walks using the cycle routes. This cafe which can be accessed from the hawthornvale path is perfectly placed. Good choice of healthy options as well as the very tempting sweet options. Staff are lovely.

This new cafe is superb and a much needed addition to the area. The food is absolutely delicious and the service is excellent. The nicest cafe in Edinburgh. Superb value for money. We had lunch for four adults and one child, including drinks and coffee/cake and it was about £50 - a bargain for such excellent food.

It was a cold, wet and windy Saturday when we arrived at Milk. The finer half had been out for a run and was starving. Not, too staving though as she took so long to choose.