Circle Cafe - Edinburgh, City of

Stopped into Circle Café after a wet and chilly walk through the Royal Botanical Gardens with my fiancé. The space was warm and inviting and I'm so glad we had the chance to eat there. The owner, Nadia, was exceptionally sweet and really took care of us. My fiancé got the tuna ciabatta and I ordered the BLT ciabatta with a side of tomato soup. Add in my hot lemongrass and ginger tea and it all came out to a great meal. Everything was fresh and light, which was a welcome change from the other fare we've had during our trip to Edinburgh. (Don't get me wrong, haggis and pork is amazing, but seeing green on my plate was very exciting. We also got a brownie and some fudge to take away. And dang that is a decadent brownie! I'd say it was much closer to a dark chocolate fudge (in a good way . And the actual fudge--so. good. The only way I could stop myself from devouring it all was a small shred of self-control...and by that I mean that my fiancé helped me eat it, too.

Despite living so close, Canonmills is like a deadzone to me I very rarely wonder down. However, after a walk round the botanic gardens I found myself needing to eat soup. Do you ever get that? A soup hankering after humouring someone while they look at boring plants? So settling down in Circle, we quickly realised that this is where all the good looking, foreign people hang out and eat soup.. How out of place we had become. The food was sexy though, everything tasted so much better sitting in a dark cafe on a sunny day for some reason. It was like being in a parallel universe. A very VERY stylish cafe for hot people, what else do you want? Some money to spend in it probably...

It was a Sunday afternoon and I was craving coffee, good coffee, strong coffee. I 'd never been to Circle Cafe before, having already tried the others on the block Moo, Coffee Angel and Earthy , but for me Circle is the winner. It 's small inside and is decortated in that back to the brickwork style, with a disproportionately huge clock and art for sale hanging on the walls. I was content with the coffee, three of them, enough to have me feeling a little twitchy, but I got food envy, looking at the people around me. Opting for the burger £8.95 was a very good choice big, juicy and flavoursome. You can have it with cheese and a variety of other toppings for an extra quid, but I just went for plain. Best burger this side of Princes St, so far... Thankfully I managed to get a table at the back by the window as it got very warm. Good burger and bloody good coffee. The only thing missing is a good... I 'll let you fill in the gap. ;

I immediately liked the intimate, cosy, homely, contemporary feel of Circle Cafe and being greeted by the friendly smiley staff. I had a large plate of warm root vegetables with green leaves, goats cheese and a honey dressing. As for dessert, well I was so full, I had to pass. Which is unusual for me after only eating salad. I'm coming back for you chilli chocolate cheesecake, oh yes! Overall there was a good range of delicious sounding meals on the menu as well as there being quite a few specials available. The service was great and prompt. The only thing that holds me back from a 5th star is the seating situation. Whilst the tables and chairs were nice looking furniture; the tables were really only ideal for pairs but 3 of us squeezed round one at a push. If you're lucky enough to find the table next to you vacant and are in a group, grab it. Also the smooth round finish on the chairs resulted in coats draped over them periodically falling on the floor throughout the cafe as though an invisible fairy was causing mischief. Although the cafe was small not the kind of place for young families; it didn't feel crowded or noisy but had a rather relaxed atmosphere and I would happily come back with a friend or two for a peaceful nibble and drink again. Also available to buy were some crafts/gifts which caught my attention on the way out pulling me in to browse them making this cafe a little more interesting than a place just to eat.

The Circle is one of those full proof, fail safe establishments that I always turn to when I want great food, locally. Friendly staff and a menu that combines classic dishes with a modern twist makes The Circle one of the highlights of the Canonmills area. In addition to the standard menu, The Circle also has a range of daily specials. I always find it hard to look past these, especially when they have the goat's cheese tart on the menu. Lunch times at The Circle are great, but where I think this eaterie has a real strength is in its breakfasts. Not only do they have the best Eggs Benedict I have ever tasted, they also have the genius semi circle breakfast. If, like me, you can't stomach a full English no matter how bad the hangover, the semi circle is exactly as implied: half a full breakfast. It hits the spot for me every time. The Circle has also started doing evening meals on a Friday and Saturday evening. I've sampled the evening food menu, and it is great and incredibly reasonably priced. From well cooked fish dishes, to a really good steak and chips, evening dinners at The Circle are a real treat. If you're more in the market for coffee and cake, The Circle is also a winner on that front. Just you try and make it past the tray bakes at the front of the restaurant I can guarantee that they will sing to you as they have to me, something along the lines of ... eat me!