Tamsin from Edinburgh
The Haven Edinburgh
Delicious cakes
The joy of The Haven café is its friendliness. It’s not a beautiful part of the city, but nearby Newhaven Harbour is worth visiting. The staff are welcoming, the decor homely, and the fare great.
Although it serves a range of breakfasts (Scottish, Vege), my favourite savoury dish is scrambled egg with mushrooms and tomatoes, and the sweet offering I choose is the raspberry scone served with home-made jam and cream. I wash it all down with green tea (made from real leaves), and they know me so well that they start to make it when they see me coming!
I enjoy meeting friends and family for brunch or writing on my laptop if it’s not too busy. There is something about the ambience: the eclectic mix of arm- and dining chairs, the old sewing machines and many-shaped looking glasses, the comfy cushions and vintage crockery which makes me feel at home ... except that I don’t have to cook my own sweet potato and coconut soup, berry pancakes, delicious smoothies, or bake my own Victoria Sponge!
Open Tuesdays to Sundays, The Haven attracts local people plus those in-the-know. You can take-away or sit in. The playlists mean there’s always jaunty music and the frequent laughter from behind the counter makes for a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The toilets are clean, there is WiFi, and in winter it’s warm enough to coorie in (Scots for snuggling up) out of the sea wind. What more do you want from a café?
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