Café 1505

Café in Surgeons Quarter known for elevating humble lunch options to delicious favourites.

The 2019 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

From the outside, Café 1505 appears a little underwhelming in relation to its Surgeons Quarters neighbours. But behind the discreet entrance you’ll find a lunch spot that is working hard to serve every facet of the Newington community. Students seeking a library alternative, families taking advantage of the 10% café discount offered if you explore the Surgeons’ Hall Museum beforehand, and weary Fringe performers in need of comfort food and calm flock here. Customers are treated to changing daily specials such as Moroccan lamb tagine, a fragrant dish of tender, slow-cooked lamb in a rich and fruity sauce. The gentle heat from a bowl of butternut squash soup is a delicious way to thaw off on a cold day and, if you choose to sit in, you can enjoy all of this while reading the fascinating timeline of the medical institution’s history that snakes along the walls.