A central Edinburgh breakfast-and-brunch cafe with strong coffee, generous portions, and real crowd-pleasers, but service consistency and value complaints keep it from being an easy yes.
Cafe Hanover 71 delivers solid breakfast and lunch fare in an attractive Hanover Street setting, but inconsistent execution and uneven service prevent a stronger showing. Food quality is above average when it lands, yet visit-to-visit variability in both kitchen output and staff attentiveness creates uncertainty, while mixed feedback on value for money further tempers the overall experience.
Cafe Hanover 71 comes across as a bright, central Edinburgh breakfast-and-brunch spot that can absolutely hit the mark when it’s on form. The strongest reviews talk about a cosy room, friendly faces, and a properly satisfying plate of Scottish breakfast or eggs Benedict, while coffee fans frequently praise the flat whites and cappuccinos. It also seems to have a bit of a regular-following effect: several people say they return whenever they’re in town, which is usually a good sign that a place has at least one reliable lane it does well. The cooking feels like accessible cafe-brunch fare rather than a chef-y destination: Scottish breakfasts, waffles, panini, toasties, burgers, and coffee with a few vegan and vegetarian options. When the kitchen is firing, reviews describe fresh ingredients, generous portions, and neatly presented plates; when it misses, the complaints are pretty blunt, especially around blandness, burnt items, or dishes arriving wrong. So this is best for people who want familiar comfort food with a good location and don’t mind a little inconsistency in exchange for convenience. Families can make it work, and the menu definitely helps: kids are likely to manage toasties, waffles, rolls, burgers, pancakes-style brunch plates, and desserts like cake or brownie. One reviewer explicitly went for breakfast with kids, and the broader menu is friendly to picky eaters. That said, it’s not a magical kids’ venue—busy brunch times, slow service, and accessibility problems mean it’s better as a casual family stop than a stress-free family standby.
Area vibe: Historic central district mixing tourism, commerce, and nightlife.
Safety: Generally safe with good lighting and steady footfall in evenings though pickpocketing can occur in tourist hotspots.
What's nearby: Close to Princes Street, Waverley Station, Edinburgh Castle approach, tourist attractions, shops and offices.