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The orange front of Union of Genius on Forrest Road.
Edinburgh

Union of Genius

A small soup cafe on Forrest Road since 2012, under new owners since 2024, with the day's soups, bread and sandwiches.

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Welcome

On Forrest Road, a few steps from Greyfriars and the gates of the Meadows, a small orange-painted front with its name above the door is Union of Genius, a cafe given over to soup.

It opened in 2012, and in 2024 it passed to new owners, who have kept its soups and added to the menu.

There are several soups each day, from thick, warming bowls to lighter broths and chowders, with plenty for vegetarians and vegans, served with good bread for dipping, and there are toasties, sandwiches and salads alongside. The room is small and simple, with a counter, a row of stools at the window and a few tables, and many carry their soup away to eat on the move.

Union of Genius opens every day from late morning, and it is a warm stop between Greyfriars and the Meadows on a cold day.

Round the cornerCheckpointA restaurant and bar in a former church of 1899 on Bristo Place.1 min by roadSee itGreen banquette seating and wooden tables inside a bar with large sash windows
Before you go

Open every day from late morning, later on some evenings.

Where
8 Forrest Road, Edinburgh EH1 2QN.

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
11.30am–5pm
Tuesday
11.30am–5pm
Wednesday
11.30am–5pm
Thursday
11.30am–8.30pm
Friday
11.30am–8.30pm
Saturday
11.30am–8.30pm
Sunday
11.30am–5pm
Where it is

On Forrest Road, between Greyfriars and the Meadows.

Close byForrest Road and Greyfriars.
  1. Greyfriars BobbyGreyfriars BobbyA bronze of the Skye terrier said to have kept watch over his master's grave.Under a mile1 min by road
  2. Greyfriars KirkGreyfriars KirkThe first church built in Edinburgh after the Reformation.Under a mile1 min by road
  3. A cloaked guide addresses tourists on a bridge above Edinburgh's Old TownThe Potter TrailThe Potter Trail has run free tours of Edinburgh since 2012.Under a mile1 min by road
  4. Carved walrus-ivory Lewis chessmen, king seated among bishops and wardersThe Lewis Chess PiecesUnder a mile1 min by road
  5. Taxidermy sheep displayed in a glass museum caseDolly the SheepThe first mammal ever cloned from an adult cell, born at the Roslin Institute in 1996 and now on show in the National Museum of Scotland.Under a mile1 min by road
Directions
Green banquette seating and wooden tables inside a bar with large sash windowsRestaurantsCheckpointA step away
Museum panel titled "Arthur's Seat Coffins" with text and William Burke execution illustrationAttractionsThe Arthur's Seat CoffinsA step away
Transreal fiction shopfront at 46, with blue door beside itAttractionsTransreal FictionA step away
Red-fronted shop reading "The Elephant House, Birthplace of Harry Potter" with hanging flower basketsCafeThe Elephant HouseA step away
Candlelit tables and wooden chairs beneath an oval plasterwork ceiling in a restaurantRestaurantsThe OutsiderA step away
A round table and chairs stand before tall curtained windows looking onto stone buildings, a sofa and mounted television to the right.EdinburghMoment George IV BridgeSleeps 2 · A step away
Illustration of Paradise Palms pub on Lothian Street, corner of Bristo SquareRestaurantsParadise Palms0.2 miles
Timber slabs laid along the wooden floor of a grand columned galleryAttractionsTalbot Rice Gallery0.2 miles
Sandstone facade with arched windows and yellow door, plaque reading Magdalen ChapelAttractionsMagdalen Chapel0.2 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near Union of Genius, and when each is next free.

A round table and chairs stand before tall curtained windows looking onto stone buildings, a sofa and mounted television to the right.Moment George IV Bridge
  • Sleeps 2
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  • Sleeps 4
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from Union of Genius
Check datesA turreted sandstone building with conical spires catches the evening light above rooftops, a large pine tree standing beside it.The Scott Hotel
  • A hotel
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