Thomas J Walls Coffee in Edinburgh, City of

Cute coffee shop with a lovely menu. Had the bacon egg and avocado roll and it was delicious. Coffee and tea were both good, staff were attentive and prompt even though it was fairly busy morning.

I’m not understanding the negative reviews here! Which are mostly about staff attitude - well, how happy do we expect baristas to be in such an expensive city? Just embrace the boujie vibes and know you’re going to get a good cup of coffee here. Their Guinness cake is delicious too! I was expecting to see this place way higher in the TA rankings 🤔 they have great reviews on Google, as they should. Dog friendly so it’s 5 stars from me 🐾

Great tea and scones, lovely decor, great music and atmosphere. Loved it! We’ll be back. 😁

Lovely ambience and coffee. My wife enjoyed the reading chair!

Early mornings are quiet and relaxing.

Coffee was great, however, the customer service left a lot to be desired, as we were made to feel more of a hindrance than customers. Such a shame as it’s an amazing venue, but sadly I don’t think we’ll be returning.

THIS is the place for scones. Large and fluffy, super fresh and served with a great wodge of blackcurrant jam and creamtastical cream. Also bacon brioche. Yes our jeans feel tighter but what of it?

I recently visited this coffee shop and had a disappointing experience. I ordered a double espresso, but they only served me a single shot. Despite the high price, the quality of the coffee was shockingly poor—it tasted like vinegar. I almost never throw away coffee, especially not when it's this pricey, but I just couldn't finish it. To top it off, they requested a tip even for takeaway orders, which felt a bit much considering the quality. Overall, I can't recommend this place, and I definitely won't be returning.

Great design, imaginative service and delicious

Ask for the hot chocolate with the marshmallow and you won't be disappointed! This place has the best hot chocolate in all of Edinburgh, and the homemade marshmallow melts into creamy goodness in the drink. Perfect for a cold, rainy day. There are also lots of seating if you need a place to rest in between shows if you're here for the Fringe Fest.

Nice coffee but about 15% more expensive than nearby competitors. No WiFi and poor service inside so not the place if you're working on a laptop.

What a wee gem. Beautifully conserved former opticians space, with lovely lighting, wood panels and super inobtrusive background music. So atmospheric, but still so relaxing. Excellent decaf and very good, buttery, scrambled eggs with lovely crisp toasted artisan bread. Nice touch serving with some marmalade on the side; loved that.

Very tasty cake, cold service, horrible Americano.

Decide to stop at this cafe and the coffee was good. Great service, nice and cosy place.

Same expensive menu, same dated decor, same pervading sad atmosphere as ever. Staff sometimes are cheery, depending of who's on duty. The persistence on showing/asking for 10%/ 20% gratuities on the top of expensive charges for what's provided, is definitely not welcomed, or indeed warranted, as the service is patchy. Management could do much much better, but it looks as if they don't want to.

Not the best atmosphere, there was a strange smell for some reason. I only had an americano and it was almost double the price of the coffees I've had in Edinburgh so far. Also I ordered it black and it had some chunks of what looked like cream that had started to clump? Definitely not limescale (and that would also be strange for Scotland), so not sure what happened but I ended up not drinking it.

Worst Coffee in Edinburgh? Possibly. Espresso tasted like luke warm cat piss (undrinkable) and the Americano was bad, but at least hot. Staff unfriendly.

A very nice and quiet place to have a coffee or have breakfast. The toast and coffee are of very good quality. Recommendable.

Super nice place! Great atmosphere and I had a delicious cup of coffee with my professor here! The staff are friendly too <3

We stood at the counter, being completely ignored by the staff. The lady behind the counter even proceeded to lay napkins onto some plates, turning her back to us. We stood there for almost 5 minutes before giving up and walking out.

Comes up as a WiFi cafe but has no internet and the mobile reception sucks - not usable for working

Nipped in here for a soup during a shopping break , staff chatting to themself rather than showing me some service , soup arrived and it was just warm and £6 plus for a bowl . With so much competition near by you would think they would make an effort and get the temperature of a bowl of soup right , it’s a NO return for me .

Had coffee, tea and cake with a friend, but when we'd consumed everything, and were chatting, an unsmiling waitress came over and cleared the table, including the water jug that we'd brought to the table and my friend's non-empty glass of water - I was holding mine - in an obvious signal that she wanted us to leave - even though most of the other tables were empty. So we left, never to return.

Excellent coffee and fresh scones!

Stumbled upon this cozy place, the coffee is very fragrant, aromatic and deliciously smooth. We had an espresso and flat white, both were crafted to perfection. The ambience of the place reminds me of scenes from a movie. Nostalgic, intimate and combination of warm lightings and natural light from the front window is very very dreamy.

Nice scone, good vibe & comfy chairs

This is a pleasant cafe in a venue that retains its historic charm, situated in a stunning area of Edinburgh. Breakfast, scones and pastries were all very nice. Coffee was also nice, although I would of liked it a bit warmer. Staff could of offered a warmer welcome and cheered up a bit, but overall an enjoyable breakfast.

The barista is very nice, I recommend the asparagus, halloumi & avo sandwich, the coffee is not so strong, which makes it very enjoyable.

Great place for coffee and brunch! We always come here when we visit Edinburgh!

The coffee is very good, big cups and a great taste to it. The scones are fantastic, with jam butter and or clotted cream. Wonderful relaxed atmosphere music in the background quiet enough for easy conversation. Can sit outside when weather allows. Not the cheapest, but then quality doesn’t always come cheaply. Overall highly recommended.

this is a really cute and beautifully decorated cafe in the centre of edinburgh. the canned music isn’t too loud, so it’s a great place for conversation. the prices are a touch higher than the edinburgh average, but the portions were generous and the granola was wonderfully filling - i didn’t have a scone but they were HUGE! excellent service as well, friendly and polite. a great place to stop in if you’re visiting the national museum or greyfriar’s kirk

Excellent food, environment and service. 100% recommended. You need to try the fruit scones, delicious!!

coffee was bad, but staff was efficient and polite

Stopped by just to kill 15 minutes, ordered a decaf flat white. To the server's credit it came almost immediately, but it tasted so sour I have to wonder if the milk was even still in date. I didn't have more than a couple sips before giving up. The tables were so cramped together that I felt unable to sit comfortably without pushing into another group, and not one of the available spots was clear of crumbs.

Excellent cafe. Delicious cheese scones.

Ordered 2 sandwiches for take away, took an hour to prepare. They keep saying its being handled but its not even that crowded. Will never go back again to this place

Good, though could have had some sugar with my tea.

The coffee here is expensive, usually cold, and does not merit the reviews the shop currently has. Much better coffee around, and it comes at a cheaper price with better service.

Pleasant cafe to enjoy a latte and read a book. There is a back room with a few tables and a couch that is quiet and cozy.

Manners cost nothing, and staff here don't have them. That's a shame, as this seems like it might be a decent cafe with different staff.

Bread and delicious coffee. The place was nice, the coffee prices a little expensive but the sandwiches were completely worth it. There was little interaction with the staff other than ordering at the inn.

Very good latte!! Nice place to relax!

got a pot of elderflower tea, so i can’t talk to the food, but the cups and teapot were adorable and the atmosphere was very cute!

Quaint little coffee shop we found on our way home from the National Scottish Museum. Everything was very tasty…scone and jam, yogourt and granola and our chai latte and americano. Would recommend.

good food, bad attitude, great atmosphere.

Average service with dubious coffee quality. Inconsistent. Noisy

I just popped in for a coffee. Lovely little cafe, cute on the inside and wasn't too busy when I went in on a Sunday morning. Coffee was nice and service was fairly quick.

Really nice cosy place, cute fireplace. Delicious coffee, mocha is yummy. The mirrors in the women's toilet are really high, good for tall people, but they should have one lower down for shorter people 😁

I don’t usually care about the staff behavior but the girl at the counter is so rude it even shocked me. Not even a reply to our hello and obviously has better things to do than take our order. Took way too long to bring over 2 chai latte. Also told us they didn’t serve any food (we came in at 5), but were serving cakes&sweets. Chai latte was pretty good though

Service can be bad when busy but coffee is fab

Had the most delicious breakfast and chai latte here. The food was generous and so well made. We enjoyed a few coffees too that were great. Defo recommend!

Coffee was lovely. Staff seemed distant and automated, must have been an off day. Ordered food, took forever to arrive, food arrived burnt.

Está bueno porque tiene un horario amplio, algo que no encontrás fácil en Edimburgo. Precios normales.

Great atmosphere to sit drink and chat, recommended.

Lovely coffee shop on a nice setting. Good atmosphere and friendly service. Nice as something a bit different to the chains and novelty in old opticians

Really lovely spot for breakfast. Very friendly staff.

The decor is quite nostalgia. The casual place offer excellent attentive but not intrusive service. The coffee taste is ordinary acceptable. But the food taste really sub-standard. The bread, the soup of the day is just just bearable. Despite of this, it is good place to relax over a coffee in a hustle downtown.

The food was outstanding, I had the Sriracha Benedict, which was very good and the fresh squeezed orange juice. The service was cold and rushed. When asking for anything, they seemed put out and bothered. Understandable if they were busy, but it was slow. Just looking to get back to the conversation with co-workers

Nice Coffee.. not self-service..

Very cool and large space turned cafe. Another warm spot to get out of the rain! Had a latte and mushroom/cheese sandwich which was an amazing huge filling treat. Busy place and with so many folks inside the windows were totally fogged over, so I think someone tried to prop the door open to air it out - but it got very drafty; I had to move tables. No complaints though, there was enough turnover that I found a new seat easily. Yummy!

£4.10 for a small latte is far too much even for Edinburgh especially as it was lukewarm. In fact, it was the second worst I have ever had in Edinburgh. Also, be warned that they don't take cash.

Always have to wait ages for food at the place. Today I had to go before my brunch was ready (35 min wait). They couldn’t refund me immediately - apparently it will take 2 days. Let’s see!!!

Lovely coffee and setting. Good service and a few GF options. Keep in mind - no wifi or plugs though so not a WFH/study friendly cafe.

I'm always happy to have coffee here! Nice staff and pet friendly

The staff was so helpful to us! We were looking for bookstores nearby and a staff member came to find us and let us know three local shops to go to :) Lots of smiles as well and it seems like there are many folk who regularly bring their dogs for a morning coffee. Was very calm for a Saturday morning as well. Will be back!

Don’t know about the brunch, I only go for the insane scones that this place produces. Freshly baked in the morning, they are still warm when they open. They are massive and delicious. First time I went the staff were so cool and friendly, and the second time I went there was a bit of a weird atmosphere, not sure why. But yeah, just reviewing the scones here: best scones in Edinburgh. Their coffee is bangin aswell

Ich hatte das avocado Brot und einen Cappuccino. Beides war unglaublich lecker. Der Service war auch top & die Einrichtung schön gemütlich. Absolut empfehlenswert :)

The hot chocolate was particularly rich & tasty!

Really tasty food, very friendly staff and a nice atmosphere.

Best coffee I’ve had in quite a long time - so much so it compelled me to do a review! Beautiful coffee shop. Great opening times.

Could have been a great place, but the staff is rude..

The best hot chocolate of Edinburgh 🙌🏻

Caffè accogliente che serve un ottimo cappuccino e buoni dolci tipici inglesi. La clientela spazia dagli studenti della vicina università ai passanti di ogni età desiderosi di una bevanda calda, ma non solo, in un posto piacevole e tranquillo. Pagamento solo con carta di credito

Stopped in for a spot of tea and a light lunch on a chilly September day on a visit to Edinburgh. Lovely shop. Had a Moroccan soup that was honestly one of the best soups I’ve ever had!

Good social space. Very quaint environment, preserving the old features and fittings of the optician's that the café is named after. But, as part of the chain of cafes including Kilimanjaro, Project Coffee etc., there is no WiFi.

I enjoyed a very nice flat white with oat milk

Café admittedly busy but customers waiting to order were ignored at the counter. Eventually served by a surly member of staff. Had there been a smile and an apology, I wouldn’t be leaving a negative review.

Service poor. Coffee very bland. Croissant stale. There are better places!

Lovely spot with excellent food and coffee.

Tepid food, complacent staff. Ordered shakshuka - we waited quite a while and my wife’s arrived cold. Mine was tepid. We asked them to heat it up which they did, The you do lady who delivered the reheated food pretty much dropped the dishes on the table. And it was still only marginally warmer. Best avoided !

Poor experience! Food lovely but arrived cold…. They didn’t take well to bring asked to warm up… server returned the food… plonked it on the table without a smile or sorry- indolent and rude. Don’t go there!

We walked away from the old town looking for an alternative to the overcrowded tourist traps there, and fell in love with the window still showing the original destination of the shop, an optician. You order at the counter and then wait a little till they serve at your table. We had abo on toast and scones. The former was even better than the latter. Exactly what we needed!

Popped in for a quick coffee. Would’ve loved to have a bite to eat, but the kitchen was already closed. Coffee and (freshly squeezed) juice were good. My daughter had the lemon poppy seed cake - she really enjoyed that and am sure she will order it again when we visit next time. The building has great architecture - very spacious with plenty of seating. The service was friendly. I like that they brought the drinks to our table.

Deliciosos brunch y buena repostería. Las sopas del día son muy sabrosas y tienen opciones vegetarianas. Los sándwiches son buenos pero para mi gusto las rebanadas de pan son muy gruesas. Por cierto, el pan muy bueno.

Visited as I was passing by. Very friendly staff and was made to feel welcome. Excellent service, and lovely lattes. So nice I had 2. Great brownie also.

The atmosphere is lovely. The food and coffee taste delicious. I had a great time there

Eine sympathische Mischung aus Studenten, Touristen und zeitungslesenden Einheimischen in schönem Ambiente. Auch an unseren Scones, Capouchinos und Säften gab es nicht zu bemängeln. Hat uns prima gefallen.

Visited for the first time. Had bacon roll with fried egg and avacado on a brioche toasted roll with coffee and then biggest scone every bought. The scone was lovely. No issues with service it was fine and tables being cleared all the time as well.

Popped in for a sandwich and coffee, lovely decor and atmosphere. Friendly staff, great service.

Very bad coffee. Tried two different ones but had to throw both

Coffee is actually pretty good and their cakes are decent too. However, it's a cold atmosphere in there – it feels very stiff and quite inhospitable. Not the sort of environment you want to dine or drink in. There's no WiFi and when you ask you're given a sharp answer back. Maybe this is intentional as they don't want people to work/study there and with no phone signal to hotspot (not their fault), it leaves most of my visits pointless. Staff are quite rude and don't seem to care much. One pro is there's an accessible entrance and toilet. I'd grab a coffee to take away, personally. Always the satisfying visit here.

Nice coffee, happy service. First visit. Second visit had the Shakshouka which was more like chickpea stew with a poached egg on the side, no taste of any spices. Spinach Benedict was raw rather than wilted spinach so not great.

Nice place to sit and sip tea or coffee.

Sitio agradable. No tuvimos que esperar. Hay variedad de cosas. Lo mejor el brunch. Es una buena manera de empezar el día. Lo único, es un poco caro.

Nice atmosphere but cake was very dry and we waited a long time for a food (just toast!)

Enjoyed a super potato rösti with salmon and hollandaise here today. Coffee was great! No complaints. The vibes here are lovely, original features which give it a calming old time vibe 😀

Visited this afternoon at 1:30ish (Monday 5th June 2023). Staff were extremely rude. Got no eye contact when ordering at the till from waitress. Then when our coffees came and we checked that mine was decaf, the same waitress said we did not say decaf and huffed and puffed then walked off. She seemed to quickly start bad mouthing us to her colleague when back behind the till. She was looking at us and rolling her eyes, as well as pointing at us for her colleague to look over. Her behaviour was uncalled for, nasty and intimidating. She was young and had long red hair. This embarrassed my partner who went red in the face - seeing this really upset me. We were made to feel like trouble makers. Was relieved to leave. AVOID!

Excellent rosti (comes with eggs benedict, smoked salmon and greens) and scones at this place. Long black and flat white are quite good too.

Great atmosphere. Awesome breakfast it felt I was back in Oz but with a Scottish touch. The staff was outstanding .Thank you 🙏🏼 so very much. Ciao 😊

I work in cafes a lot of the time, which means I try a lot of them. And as far as coffee goes, this is one of the best cups in Edinburgh. Fast, and delicious food. Not the best place to work though, I typically come here to read or just reflect on the day. Highly recommend.