Despite having lived in Edinburgh my entire life, I still love exploring parts of it that I’m not very familiar with, finding those little hidden gems between the cities walls.
Recently, after a walk through the Meadows, we decided to go find somewhere to grab some brunch. We headed up and in the direction of Marchmont to see what we could discover.
With a little help from one of my favourite Instagram accounts, @edibledinburgh, a fabby foodie account that showcases the best that the city has to offer, we decided to pop into Wild Wood Cafe.
Walking in, the cafe immediately hit me as a lively, hipster type eatery. The walls were strewn with artwork from locally based artists, the wooden wall seats piled up with comfy cushions and the coffee fresh.
The laid-back atmosphere was further enhanced when we were given our table, sharing with another two guys (although, individual tables are regularly available; we just arrived at a really busy time).
The menu offered a huge range of drinks; hot, cold, smoothies and alcoholic concoctions.
As we arrived late morning, we were offered the brunch menu. A truly diverse and interesting twist on the usual brunching options. Homemade baked beans, french toast, pancakes, bagels and porridge were among these exciting choices.
We opted to go for eggs. Scrambled or poached, each dish was offered up both in a traditional fashion, or with the choice to spice things up (quite literally as it happened).
I chose traditional Eggs Benedict with bacon. They were served on a warm english muffin, with the most delicious hollandaise sauce, lovingly poured a top.
My other half was a little more adventurous, and after a laboured and difficult choice between the Scottish Breakfast and the King Benedict, he opted for the later.
This plate was loaded with the traditional muffin and poached eggs but was delivered with a helping of black puddings, and in place of the usual hollandaise, a twisted Sriracha version.
The food was well worth the wait (only the case due to how busy the place was; we probably only waited 20 minutes from ordering to plates arriving). The flavours were well balanced and the positions were a perfect size, just what you need to fill you up without that too full feeling.
While enjoying our brunch, we got our caffeine fix with a mocha.
Personally I’m not a fan of drinks being served in glasses unless it’s a flat white, but I’m happy to over look this if the coffee is good. Which it was. So good, we ordered a second one each.
By the time we were all finished up, the cafe had been restored to a sense of calm. The waitress commented that it had been unusually busy for that day and time, and that this calm, relaxed atmosphere was the regular ambience.
The bathrooms were clean and bright, offering a nice hand wash and plenty of towels to dry your hands.
The only negative about the place was the space. Like most converted buildings, there wasn't much manoeuvring space, and taking a pram, buggy or wheelchair (although possible) wouldn’t be overly easy. However, like I said, it is possible and going by our experience, the staff would be more than happy to help, accommodating whatever needs you may have.
Wild Wood was a hit with us, and we will certainly be revisiting in the future. A great little stop before or after tackling Blackford Hill, or a walk around the Meadows.
You can have a look at the food over on their Facebook page, or by checking out @edibledinburgh on Instagram. They also have a great, and easily useable website, which you can find here:
http://www.wildwoodcafe.co.uk/