Project Coffee

Project Coffee

196 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4DF

Telephone 0131 229 6758
Food served Mon–Fri 8am–6pm; Sat/Sun 9am–5pm
Average price £7 (lunch)

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Eating & Drinking Guide

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This review is taken from the 2011 edition.

Bruntsfield doesn't suffer from a lack of sociable coffee venues, but that hasn't deterred relative newcomer Project Coffee. Like sister businesses Kilimanjaro, Press and Wellington Coffee, they use beans from small artisanal roasters to make their excellent cuppas, including antipodean arrivals the flat white (cousin to the latte) and the long black (espresso added to hot water). Here, both are strong and full of flavour. This sparsely decorated but welcoming café doesn’t provide Wi-Fi, so it is abuzz with the gentle hum of chatter throughout the day. Those with a hunger to satisfy could do worse than grab a bite here too. There’s a breakfast menu, including a full veggie version and eggs benedict and florentine. Daily soups like hearty tomato and pancetta or tomato and basil, plus various sandwiches and paninis (e.g. sweet chilli chicken), are enjoyable and filling. Also on offer are freshly made smoothies and milkshakes, and if something a bit sweeter takes your fancy, a range of homemade cakes, such as a wonderfully moist carrot cake or sizeable slices of traybakes, are also on offer.

High point: Knowledgeable and passionate about their main product
Low point: Slow and somewhat disinterested service

Provides: Vegetarian options (at least ¼ main courses), Wheelchair access, Outdoor tables
Music on stereo: Staff iPod. Eclectic, unobtrusive mix at a reasonable volume.
Capacity: 30
Largest group: no bookings
Open since: August 2010

Comments & ratings

5. MEH – 12 Feb 2012, 7:36pm Project Coffee Report

I've always enjoyed dropping in here on my irregular visits to the area. In maybe 5 or 6 visits over the last year I've never had less that truly excellent coffee that can happily stand its own against the best in the city.

I've only ever had cakes to eat and they have been great too.

Service has always been competent, if not friendly and the place is always clean and tidy.

I guess all I can say is go and make your own mind up....

4. Freddie C – 31 Jan 2012, 12:32pm Project Coffee Report

Couldn't agree more with Beardy Weird.

I'd passed this place a few times and thought it looked good, and well worth supporting as an independent coffee house.

On my only visit my impression from the staff was that they were doing me a favour being there and there was no personal touch at all to the service, such as it was.

Coffee and food were OK but nothing special although the prices were.

I can understand such indifference if they were the only coffee place in Bruntsfield and had the area to themselves (not that it would make it any more acceptable) but that isn't the case, so I hardly feel compelled to rush back.

3. Bertrand – 25 Jan 2012, 3:20pm Project Coffee Report

I'm quite surprised by the reviews, i've visited this cafe a number of times and found the staff to be prefectly pleasent and welcoming.

It has a charming albeit sparse interior with nice big sofas and great windowseats, it is always fairly busy with a wide variety of different folks giving it a friendly neighbourhood atmosphere.

On a street with an abundence of cafes, i would say that Project Coffee comes out on tops, the cakes and scones are tasty and the coffee is fantastic.

2. Beardy Weird – 16 Oct 2011, 10:54pm Project Coffee Report

I have been to Project Coffee three times in the last two months and every time I'm left wondering why.

For a venue with such a great interior, in such a great location, you might expect service and quality to reflect these characteristics. Unfortunately the staff seem to see you as an inconvenience and the quality of the food is only just above that of a cab stand greasy spoon, with prices that do not relate to the overall experience.

With a fantastic artisan bakery just round the corner, and one of Edinburg's own coffee institutions on the same road, why would you put up with this?

1. carpe diem – 27 Apr 2011, 1:56pm Project Coffee Report: Bought a coffee to go. The disposable cup was marginally bigger than a thimble and cost the same as it would have to sit in. If I wanted to be ripped off I could have gone to a some bland multinational coffee chain round the corner. The coffee was good but totally overpriced.

Average rating 2.5/5 from 5 reviews of Project Coffee.

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