Cafe Calton review: I visited the new cafe on Edinburgh's Calton Hill - here's my verdict

This place has the best views of the city, on a clear day anyway

Apparently, haar is otherwise known as sea fret.

That’s apt, as we were fretting, when we decided to visit the new Cafe Calton, up Calton Hill.

Contributed

By the time Edinburgh’s Disgrace came into view, my hair had puffed up to double its size, and we’d both deployed our emergency cardigans. We could barely see The Balmoral, while Leith was blanketed in grey, and even the top of the Glasshouse hotel was coated in a thick layer of mizzle.

Still, the views are usually incredible, from this unique spot.

It was formerly The Lookout, but that closed down at the end of last year, with its chef and owner, Dale Mailley, going on to open the excellent Stockbridge Eating House.

As a fan, I was sad about its demise. It was something of a destination restaurant, and seemed to work for a while, until it didn’t.

The venue has now been taken over by The Rocca Group’s Stefano Pieraccini, who also owns The Seafood Ristorante in St Andrews and The Broughton in Edinburgh.

This young restaurateur has opted for a more flexible all-day casual and more affordable vibe, with takeaway offerings and outdoor seating for 40 people, as well as cakes, from eclairs to heavily-iced carroty ones, in the window.

It’s a great idea, especially as this hill is so popular among tourists, who might just want a chicken burger, haggis toastie, bacon roll, or pasta, before trundling off to look at the Castle.

We visited for breakfast, as that menu looks slightly more exciting than lunch or dinner.

I’d actually already had a smaller version of my usual brekkie, because I don’t get out of bed for less than a half bowl of muesli. And I certainly don’t climb hills without eating something first.

Otherwise, I probably would have kicked off with the homemade hazelnut granola with seasonal fruits and yogurt (£7).

There are also various pastries, including almond croissants; a full Scottish (£15), with bacon, sausage, haggis and most of the trimmings (except, sadly, a tattie scone) and gluten free porridge with honey and berries (£8), among other things. They’re not really trying to reinvent the wheel. Probably the most outre thing on the breakfast list is the matcha “cookie” (£6), which I wanted to order, just so I could find out why the word was in inverted commas.

Instead, I chose the Scottish smoked salmon and buttered crumpets (£12).

Gaby Soutar

It was very pleasant - a satisfactory but small-ish portion, if you’ve not got an appetite for some of the ginormous eggs Benedicts I saw coming out of the open kitchen.

There were five slices of peppered fish, two palm-sized and heavily buttered well-fired crumpets, a wedge of lemon, and a little blob of creme fraiche with dill on top.

I had this with their Calton is Red (£6) smoothie, which has a name like a political statement rather than a drink. This frothy and calamine-lotion-pink drink contains plant milk, strawberry, banana and not-too-many chia seeds, for a yogurt-y and fresh tasting combo,

My pal had gone for the avocado and sourdough (£14) option, with salmon (add £4) rather than bacon (for a further £3). It was the Arthur’s Seat-sized portion to my neat hillock.

Gaby Soutar

There were two perfectly liquid-centred poached eggs, tons of lime and chilli injected smushed avocado, crumbs of feta and spring onion, a caper-y pesto, a handful of rocket and pea shoots, plus plenty of smoked salmon, all heaped onto a paperback-sized plank of crisp sourdough. She was very happy.

While she excavated the last bits of crust and finished her black tea, I ordered a CC matcha (£4.50) - iced, though you can alternatively have it hot, with my choice of coconut milk, and waited for the green caffeine to kick in, so I could be powered back down the hill to Waterloo Place.

At this point, the haar was lifting and, as the seats on the outside terrace started to fill up, this cafe was increasingly looking like an excellent summertime proposition.

It may not be a destination restaurant, like The Lookout was. This concept is something more everyday and, thus, more useful than that.

Next time, I’ll brave the hill for a slice of carrot cake, or maybe take away a bacon sandwich. I might even eventually find out what the mysterious “cookie” is.

And, yes, I’ll make sure to take my emergency cardi.

www.cafecalton.com

Read more: “I tried the £49 lunch from Edinburgh’s best chef and it was incredible”

Read more: “I’ve eaten at all of St Andrews’ top restaurants, but this new addition is easily the best”.