The first espresso goes through the machine at Taste of Italy just before 8am. Outside, the trams are running along Picardy Place, people with wheelie cases are coming up from the bus station on Elder Street, and somebody at the window table is already working through a plate of haggis and black pudding.
That mix tells you a lot about breakfast in Edinburgh. The city takes its morning fry seriously, but it also loves a good coffee and something lighter on the side. This guide covers what makes a proper Scottish breakfast, what an Italian cafe brings to the table, and where to find both at the top of Leith Walk.
What makes a great breakfast in Edinburgh?
Ask ten people in Edinburgh for the best breakfast in the city and you’ll get ten answers, most of them involving a particular cafe they’ve been going to for years. Underneath the loyalty, the things people actually care about are fairly consistent.
- The fry is done properly. Crisp bacon, a sausage that tastes of something, eggs cooked the way you asked.
- The Scottish extras are there. Haggis, black pudding and a potato scone are what separate a full Scottish from a full English.
- The coffee is good. Not an afterthought from a filter jug.
- There’s something for the person who doesn’t want a fry. Porridge, eggs on toast, smoked salmon, a smoothie.
- You can walk in. Breakfast is rarely planned. Nobody wants to book a table for 8.30am.
Taste of Italy ticks all five. It’s an Italian cafe with a Scottish breakfast menu, which turns out to be a very good combination.
The full Scottish breakfast, explained
If you’re visiting Edinburgh, the full Scottish is worth having at least once. It’s similar to a full English, with a few additions that are worth knowing about.
What’s on a full Scottish breakfast?
A traditional full Scottish usually includes:
- Bacon, often back bacon rather than streaky.
- Sausage, sometimes a square Lorne sausage, sometimes links.
- Eggs, fried, poached or scrambled.
- Black pudding, a blood sausage with oats and spices.
- Haggis, sheep’s offal with oatmeal, onion and pepper, sliced and grilled.
- Tattie scone, a flat potato scone fried until golden.
- Grilled tomato, mushrooms and baked beans.
- Toast with butter.
The Taste of Italy Full Scottish (£13.25) has all of that: grilled bacon, sausage, haggis, egg cooked how you like, grilled tomato, baked beans, a hash brown, black pudding, grilled mushrooms, potato scone and buttered toast. It’s a big plate. Prices are from the current breakfast menu and may change.
Is there a vegetarian full Scottish?
Yes. The Veggie Full Scottish (£10.50) swaps the meat for a roasted veggie sausage and keeps the egg, beans, grilled tomato, hash brown, mushrooms, potato scone and toast. It’s a proper breakfast, not a plate of sides.
Haggis for breakfast?
It sounds like a tourist dare, but haggis at breakfast is a normal thing in Scotland, and it works because it’s peppery and savoury next to eggs. If you’d like to try it without committing to a full plate, the eggs with haggis and chilli jam (£9.95) is a good introduction: two poached eggs on toasted sourdough, a slice of haggis and a sweet-hot chilli jam that cuts through the richness.
The Italian cafe side of breakfast
Breakfast in Italy is a different thing altogether. Most Italians start the day standing at a bar with an espresso or a cappuccino and a cornetto, and they’re out of the door in five minutes. A cooked breakfast isn’t part of the tradition.
What an Italian cafe brings to an Edinburgh morning is the coffee, the bread and the light touch.
Coffee first
The coffee at Taste of Italy is Italian Aroma espresso, pulled properly. An espresso is £2.60, a macchiato £2.70, and a latte or cappuccino £3.90. Soya, oat, almond and coconut milk are 80p extra. The dessert and drinks menu lists the full range, including a chai latte and an iced coffee frappé for warmer days.
Lighter breakfasts
If a full Scottish is too much before 10am, there are plenty of lighter options:
- Eggs Benedict (£9.50): homemade sourdough, two poached eggs and hollandaise, with a choice of black pudding, spinach, crispy bacon, Scottish smoked salmon or crushed avocado.
- Smoked salmon and cream cheese half ciabatta (£9.50): Scottish smoked salmon on toasted ciabatta with a side salad.
- Scrambled eggs on toast (£6.50): three eggs, with smashed avocado or smoked salmon added if you like.
- Scott’s porridge oats (£4.50): with honey, fruit compote, banana or Nutella.
- A three-egg omelette (£8.95): with two fillings of your choice, plus beans and toast.
Something sweet
The warm waffle with crispy streaky bacon and maple syrup (£8) is the kind of breakfast you’d usually feel guilty about. Nobody needs to know.
Breakfast on the go
Not everyone has time to sit down. If you’re catching a bus from Elder Street, heading for a train at Waverley or walking to a meeting, the breakfast roll is the answer: £4 for one filling or £5 for two, from sausage, bacon, black pudding, fried egg and haggis. Add a coffee to go and you’re done in a couple of minutes.
You can also order ahead for collection if you know what you want.
Smoothies and milkshakes
For a lighter or colder start, there are three smoothies at £5.50:
- Breakfast Blast: banana, strawberries, honey, yoghurt, oats and milk.
- Green Machine: banana, spinach, mango and coconut milk.
- Mango Tango: mango, carrot, lime and ginger.
Milkshakes (£5) come in vanilla, strawberry or chocolate and hazelnut.
Where to have breakfast near the top of Leith Walk
Taste of Italy is at 9 Baxter’s Place, where Leith Walk meets Picardy Place. It’s one of the easiest breakfast stops in the city centre if you’re:
- Arriving by coach at Edinburgh Bus Station, a few minutes’ walk away.
- Staying in a hotel around St Andrew Square, Picardy Place or the east end of Princes Street.
- Coming off the tram at Picardy Place, which is on the line from the airport.
- Heading up Calton Hill for the view, roughly ten minutes away on foot via Leith Street and Waterloo Place.
- Shopping at St James Quarter before the shops open.
It opens at 8am every day, including weekends, and there’s no booking. Just walk in.
Breakfast on busy weekends and festival mornings
Edinburgh breakfasts get busy at weekends, during school holidays and especially in August, when the Festival and Fringe bring huge numbers of visitors into the city centre. Popular brunch spots can have queues out of the door by 10am.
Because Taste of Italy opens at 8am and doesn’t take bookings, the simplest advice is to come early. Before 9.30am you’ll usually get a table straight away, and the food comes out quickly. Later in the morning it’s still worth popping in, as tables turn over regularly.
Breakfast before a matinee
If you’ve got tickets for a matinee at the Edinburgh Playhouse, which is two minutes away on Greenside Place, a late breakfast is the easiest way to fit in a meal. A full Scottish at 11am will see you comfortably through to the interval. Our guide to restaurants near the Edinburgh Playhouse has more on timing a meal around a show.
Brunch, lunch, or both
Breakfast runs into lunch at Taste of Italy without much fuss. If you arrive late morning, ask whether breakfast is still on, or move on to panini, pizza and pasta from the a la carte menu. For midday ideas, see our guide to lunch in Edinburgh on a budget.
Frequently asked questions
What is a full Scottish breakfast?
A full Scottish breakfast typically includes bacon, sausage, eggs, black pudding, haggis, a tattie (potato) scone, grilled tomato, mushrooms, baked beans and toast. The haggis and potato scone are what set it apart from a full English.
Where can I get a full Scottish breakfast in Edinburgh city centre?
Plenty of cafes and hotels serve one. Taste of Italy, at the top of Leith Walk near Picardy Place, serves a Full Scottish with haggis, black pudding and potato scone from 8am every day, plus a vegetarian version.
What time does breakfast start at Taste of Italy?
Taste of Italy opens at 8am every day. You don’t need to book, as the cafe doesn’t take reservations.
Is there a vegetarian breakfast option?
Yes. The Veggie Full Scottish comes with a roasted veggie sausage, egg, beans, tomato, hash brown, mushrooms, potato scone and toast. There’s also porridge, eggs Benedict with spinach or avocado, omelettes and smoothies.
Can I get breakfast to take away?
Yes. Breakfast rolls with one or two fillings, coffee, smoothies and most of the breakfast menu can be taken away, and you can order ahead for collection.
What do Italians eat for breakfast?
A typical Italian breakfast is light: an espresso or cappuccino with a sweet pastry such as a cornetto, often eaten standing at the bar. Cooked breakfasts aren’t part of the Italian tradition, which is why an Italian cafe with a Scottish breakfast menu is a very Edinburgh thing.
Start the day at the top of Leith Walk
There’s no wrong way to do breakfast at Taste of Italy. Have the full Scottish and a cappuccino, the eggs Benedict with black pudding, or just an espresso at the counter like you’re in Naples. The breakfast menu is online, and the door is open from 8am.