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Cafés
in Lothian.

It’s 01:37 in Lothian.
Lothian

Sourdough, brunch and a Bass Rock view.

There are good cafés all round the Lothians, and plenty of them make a morning of it. In North Berwick, an artisan bakery turns out sourdough and French-style pastries, a roastery works in an old joinery warehouse, and a dog-friendly coffee shop serves breakfast rolls on the High Street. On a farm near the town, a clifftop café built from shipping containers looks over the Forth to the Bass Rock. There's brunch in Musselburgh, a tea room at the Cross in Linlithgow, and coffee in William Adam's old stables at Dalkeith. Go early for the pastries, which are baked fresh each morning.

Steampunk Coffee→
Drift→
Bostock Bakery→
Kaffeine→
The Coffee Neuk→
Zanzibar→
Café of the dayJust now

The Coffee Neuk.

A small family tea room at the Cross in Linlithgow, serving breakfasts, rolls, scones and cakes.

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From our guideJust now

Steampunk Coffee.

Steampunk started in 2012, serving coffee from old VW camper vans, and in 2014 it moved into a former joinery workshop in the middle of North Berwick and began roasting. The warehouse is tall and full of character, with bare brick, old timber, a wood-burning stove and a mezzanine looking down on the room. All the coffee is roasted here, single-origin lots poured as espresso and filter, with home baking alongside. Bags of beans are for sale to take home, and the station is a short walk away.

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From Issue 6 of Hidden Scotland magazineIssue 6Just now

A Weekend Exploring North Berwick

Stephanie Lothian, who runs a holiday cottage at Williamstone Farm, plans a weekend in North Berwick: cafés, the Ship Inn, Seacliff and Tyninghame beaches and John Muir Country Park.

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AfterwardsJust nowLothianDalkeith Country Park600 yardsLothianNewhailes2.8 milesLothianFisherrow Harbour3.1 miles

Round the corner from Restoration Yard.

The three good places closest to it: Dalkeith Country Park, Newhailes and Fisherrow Harbour.

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Drift.

On a farm clifftop east of North Berwick, half a mile from Tantallon, a cluster of shipping containers with big glass windows makes a café with a view. The Firth of Forth spreads out in front of you and the Bass Rock rises white from the sea. Everything is made on the spot, from scones and soups to brunches, often to family recipes and with as much Scottish produce as possible. Outside there are picnic tables on the grass and trailers serving coffee, ice cream and the famous bacon rolls. It's busy all year, so book a table.

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From the magazineJust nowThe printed copy of Issue 04Issue 04Spring / Summer 2022

Catherine Franks sold coffee from a vintage yellow VW van called Mavis before Steampunk Coffee found its home in an old warehouse in North Berwick, East Lothian.

Catherine, who comes from Washington DC and is a keen home baker, opened her first café in North Berwick when her children were young. After selling it she began roasting coffee in her garage, then ran pop-ups in a furniture store and a local museum. Next she took her coffee and cake on the road in Mavis, becoming a fixture at Stockbridge Market in Edinburgh and at festivals around the country. Steampunk settled in the warehouse in 2014. The name comes from a kind of science fiction powered by Victorian machinery, which suits her habit of fixing and reusing: the sinks are old copper brewer's funnels and the roaster is second-hand. Mavis retired in 2021.

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CafésJust now

Zanzibar.

A dog-friendly coffee shop on North Berwick's High Street, open every day, for coffee, cakes and breakfast rolls.

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From our guideJust now

Kaffeine.

On Newbigging in the middle of Musselburgh, Kaffeine is one of the town's favourite cafés. The counter is the first thing you see, stacked with cakes, traybakes and pastries. It's known above all for breakfasts and brunches: full breakfasts, stacks of pancakes piled with fruit and sharing platters of bread, cheese and ham, all in generous portions with good coffee. The staff are warm and welcoming. Start the day here before a walk round Fisherrow harbour and along the shore.

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From our guideJust now

Bostock Bakery.

There's often a queue outside Bostock on North Berwick's High Street, and it's worth joining. Everything is made by hand and baked fresh each morning: slow-fermented sourdough, croissants and buns in the French style, and cakes, tarts and savoury bakes filled with local produce. The hazelnut croissant has a following of its own. The shelves hold good things from small makers too, from honey to hot sauce. Seating is limited and fills quickly, so many people take their pastries down to the beach. There's a second Bostock at East Linton, with an open kitchen.

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From our guideJust now

Alandas Gelato.

On the corner of Quality Street, a few steps from the beach, Alandas makes its gelato fresh each day in small batches, with cream and milk from East Lothian. It has gathered a long run of gold awards for it. The cabinet is piled high with classics done well, like a rich Belgian milk chocolate, and playful flavours such as apple strudel and chocolate fudge brownie. There are a few tables outside for sitting in the sun, or take your cone down to the sands.

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