The City Cafe
The City Cafe is an Old Town diner-bar on Blair Street that has been serving Edinburgh since 1980. Expect comfort food and hard shakes, pool tables, sport on big screens and private karaoke rooms downstairs, a few steps below the Royal Mile.
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The City Cafe
Diner food, bar hours
The menu is built around burgers, loaded fries and milkshakes, including boozy 'hard shakes'. It suits a casual lunch or a late, noisy evening more than a quiet dinner. The headline act is the Ultimate Burger Challenge: a monster burger, loaded fries and a shake to finish inside 30 minutes, with finishers added to the Wall of Fame. It opens from the morning, so a late breakfast or early lunch is possible too.
More than a meal
There is pool, plus Sing City karaoke rooms downstairs that groups can book privately. The weekly line-up includes a music quiz on Mondays and disco bingo on Fridays, and big screens show live sport. It is a good shout for groups, stag and hen parties, or anyone wanting a night out without leaving the Old Town.
Getting there
Blair Street drops steeply off the Royal Mile near the Tron Kirk towards the Cowgate, so it is a two-minute walk from the High Street. Tables can be booked online or by phone, which is worth doing for weekends and during the Festival. The Cowgate below is one of the Old Town's late-night streets, so it is easy to carry on elsewhere afterwards. Wednesdays bring free pool for students.
Highlights
- Serving Edinburgh since 1980
- Burgers, loaded fries and hard shakes
- Ultimate Burger Challenge with a Wall of Fame
- Pool and private karaoke rooms
- Music quiz on Mondays, disco bingo on Fridays
Good to know
- Book a table online or on 0131 220 0125.
- Free pool for students on Wednesdays.
Frequently asked questions
Nearby
Sources: thecitycafe.co.uk