Whynot? in East Lothian

Tried to go here to take out a family member for a coffee. There is no disabled access. So therefore we could not go in to look at the shop items or go to the cafe. No help offered either. What a shame!

Lovely to see a cafe in Why Not again. We had the soup of the day, which was delicious. The hot chocolate & the coffee were piping hot. Accommodated me, I’m gluten free, swapping the lovely bread (my friend said) for GF oatcakes which were wrapped & very tasty. Cakes looked lovely, that’ll be next time.

Used to visit here all the time. Not been for a while but called in on way back home from Edinburgh…no other customers in cafe..ordered two coffees one round of toast and chocolate cake… oh dear if u can’t get this right then something is wrong… coffee came cold with one portion of milk… no one around to ask for more god knows where the waiter went to toast the toast but when it came it could of put a hole in the window.. the cups had obviously not been washed in clean water as there was a nice rim of grease around the cup…. One portion of butter for the toast despite on the menu lashings of butter!! Not even going to mention the stale chocolate cake!! Asked for a scone but they were not ready to go in the microwave oh dear!!! Won’t be back.. £15 for 2 coffees a bit of stale cake and hard toast

Very disappointing. Poor cakes, Shabby ceilings, floor tiles etc, and very cold. In short, go elsewhere.We will not be back.

My partner and I were here a few years ago and like the place a lot. So we decided to go back again. This time my son and his wife visited us from Hungary. We were four of us. Two of us had cappuccinos, the other two had espressos and the youngsters each had a peace of cake. All were really lovely. Unfortunately I noticed only a few days later that I was overcharged with a cappuccino.(£3) Doesn’t matter where we go & what we purchase I always check the receipt. (I still have it.) This time I did not. It’s a shame as my partner and I ended up disappointed.

So, it seems like this place is going bust. They have done away with the café, according to a staff member because they don’t have the money to pay the staff. If what previous staff said in posts here and on Facebook then it’s deserved. Sacking staff rather than furloughing them because it wasn’t fair to the staff they were keeping on for people to be getting paid 80% for sitting at home whilst others were working for 100% wage. I also have it from a previous manager of the place that they used the furlough scheme to basically pay wages and they topped up with only 20% ( this was for employees still working ) Cheerio, good riddance! We won’t miss you.

visited Whynot? with family as the café had an outside eating space so with current Covid being high made sense. All in all nice meal although a bit of a shame they had sold out out the salmon. Good service and prices also good.

The food was excellent for lunch - serving the food they sell in the deli. Coffee was delish and the a warm friendly atmosphere. Was a lovely place to shop at afterwards! Selling everything from cheese to gifts to fresh fish to local art!!!

Walked out after waiting 10 mins to place coffee order and another 20 mins for the order not to show. Appt are you, It had been delivered to another table. Utter Shambles - staff don’t know the meaning of word “hospitality” and made no effort to apologise. Avoid

Massive sandwich with crisps and coleslaw. I sat in the sun out back of the lovely cafe/gallery. It was very enjoyable and staff were polite and helpful.

Had intended to eat there but was needing to use the toilet prior to baeing seated. I have a card for a disorder as I often need to use a toilet urgently i waited and asked if I could use the toilet and produced my card I was told that the toilets were only for seated customers. Then another member came up to me telling me I couldn’t use the toilet. I hope he never gets prostate cancer. Rather than cause a scene I left joined my waiting party outside and ate elsewhere

The fish counter, the deli counter and the cafe takeaways have been wonderful during lockdown. Good hot smoked salmon and good quality fresh fish including shell fish on occasion; the deli has offered cheese, bread, fresh veg and an interesting selection of pasta, condiments and a selection of fresh fruit and veg. Ring the bell at the entrance and someone will take your order for coffees, bacon rolls or sandwichs to takeaway!

Visited this morning and the place was freezing cold with both access doors wide open on a very chily morning with very cold dair flowing throughout the place. The heating is totally inadequate and when I asked the staff to light up a wood burning stove (siutated in the cafe) I was given a curt 'no'. We stayed just a few minutes (and could see our breath) before having the good sense to go elsewhere were we would't catch hypothermia! Attitide of the staff needs addressed along with how they treat their customers. Avoid.

Stopped for lunch, lovely chicken soup, friend also enjoyed the county veg. Nice, clean and spacious cafe.staff pleasant & kept busy cleaning tables between customers. Was a cold day so didn't pay garden a visit but did buy in the gift shop. Will come back next time in area

We popped in for a quick lunch on our short break. The woman serving took a while to come to counter to take our order... we almost walked out but we were hungry. When she came to serve us she just looked at us and said 'Yes?'. We ordered two chicken soups. She did not say a word when she put them on the table. It was not chicken soup but 'cream of chicken soup' like you we get out a tin. It was completely tasteless, underseasoned and watery. We seasoned as much as we could but still not good. I ended up leaving half of it. I understand that it is difficult working with a mask(I too work with one on all day) but surely it shouldnt stop you being friendly especially with paying customers who are keeping us in jobs at this difficult time. This waitress is certainly in the wrong job. However, the lady at the gift shop was so lovely, helpful and chatty. This little gem has the potential to be great...if they had the right staff. Pity really.

Called for coffee/lunch and enjoyed what we ordered. Toasty was delicious but came with no side salad or garnish. We had finished toastie by the time our coffees had arrived which was disappointing. Lovely outside seating area. Would recommend but could have been better.

My wife and I had lunch here last Sunday (13th). We had spicy chickpea soup which was very tasty and filling. We fully intended to have coffee and cake to follow but there was no chance after the soup! Foid was good and reasonably priced. Staff were pleasant and efficient and followed all covid legislation with a friendly manner.

Having researched places to visit in North Berwick I was looking forward to visiting Why Not? but wish I hadn't bothered. I was served by a scowling woman who could not raise a smile. There was little choice of items to eat, just 2 cake options. A tiny child's hot chocolate was £3.10, thought it was overpriced.The place seems a mish mash in a tatty area next to a fish counter at the back of a shop. I thought would be atmospheric and welcoming but it was a let down. The proprietor does not deserve the trade. To be avoided.

Went yesterday for lunch whilst out on a walk. Ordered a tuna salad sandwich and two coffees. Sandwich dreadful - stale bread and salad (five chunks of red pepper and a few strands of red onion) pathetic. When sent back the staff member stated ‘well that’s how I always make it’. Then given one lettuce leaf each to make up for it. £5.95 a sandwich!! Expensive, poor grasp of salad and very cold treatment from those serving. To make matters worse, on leaving, saw a staff member sit down with a sandwich from the premises with a huge amount of salad. Will not be back

My wife and I were first time visitors to Why Not on a recent trip to North Berwick. We initially entered due to the Deli but saw the eccentric looking cafe area and decided to give it a try. The coffee was excellent as were...

The coffee here is good and the ambiance is nice too. I love the longitudinal section of a tree that they've made into a table. You can browse around the interesting and unique things for sale by artisans after your coffee and cake.

There is a great selection of crafts for sale, mixed with local food and drink produce. There is also a fantastic cafe at the back that serves lovely cake and coffee.

The cafe is a little bit of a hidden gem towards the back of the store. On first look it’s a crafty type shop with deli, but on further look, it’s a dog friendly cafe. Had a lovely soup for lunch which certainly warmed us...

Never been to North Berwick before and arrived on a very sunny if cold day in September. We walked around the High Street looking at the many shops and also the beach and sea front .Getting the urge for a coffee we found the Why...