Leith has quietly become one of the best places in Britain to drink coffee, and our first crawl barely scratched the surface. Beyond the Shore and the big names sits a second wave of independents that locals queue for and visitors walk straight past. We went back, checked the Google Maps reviews, and picked four more spots that earn their reputations the honest way, one flat white at a time.
Williams and Johnson Coffee Co, Custom Lane
Tucked into Custom Lane at 1 Customs Wharf, EH6 6AL, Williams and Johnson is the real deal, a working roastery with a cafe attached rather than the other way round. You can smell the roast before you see the door, and the beans on the bar were roasted a few metres from your cup. It holds a 4.6 star rating across 319 Google reviews, which for a room this serious about single origin coffee feels about right.
Order the flat white if you want the classic, or ask what is on batch brew. The house espresso has real character, and the cinnamon buns have their own fan club. There is outdoor seating with harbour views for the rare sunny Scottish morning, plus bags of freshly roasted beans to take home.
Reviewers call it the best coffee in town and praise the calm, unhurried room. A few grumble that the decaf does not live up to the hype and that prices have crept up. Fair enough, but the core product is superb.
Open Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday 8.30am to 5pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm.
Printworks Coffee, Constitution Street
Printworks Coffee at 42 Constitution Street looks like a music box from the pavement and feels like a bookshop inside, all warm wood and quiet corners. It carries a 4.5 star rating from 499 Google reviews, and the love is easy to understand.
The flat white is creamy and properly made, and one regular insists the mocha is the best in Edinburgh. Food goes well beyond cake, with a lime and coriander chicken panini and a biscoff cheesecake that reviewers mention by name. Prices are gentle, the WiFi is free, and there are loyalty cards for the regulars.
It opens 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm at weekends, which makes it a natural first stop on a Constitution Street wander.
Artisan Coffee, Leith Walk
Artisan Coffee at 274 Leith Walk is the neighbourhood local done right. It holds a 4.7 star rating from 819 Google reviews, and the comments read like letters from friends. Friendly baristas, a perfect flat white, and a steady parade of dogs watching the world from the window seats.
The biscoff cake is the order if you have a sweet tooth, while the delicately spiced cardamom and cinnamon hot chocolate is the cold weather move. Opening hours are generous for an independent, 8am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 6pm on Sunday, so it works for an after work debrief as well as a morning stop.
Little Havana Coffee Store, Leith Walk
Do not let the size fool you. Little Havana Coffee Store at 94 Leith Walk, EH6 5HB, is a tiny specialty nook with a 4.9 star rating from 79 Google reviews and one of the most loyal followings on the Walk.
The draw is single origin coffee treated with real care, with beans like the bright Ipanema Yellow brewed to show off soft milk chocolate notes. The dirty chai has devotees, one reviewer calls the cappuccino the best in Edinburgh, and the friendly owner will happily talk newcomers through the bean menu. Dogs are welcome, which tells you plenty about the vibe.
It opens 10am to 5pm every day, so plan it as a late morning stop rather than an early one.
How to do the second crawl
Start at the Shore with Williams and Johnson while the harbour is quiet, drift up Constitution Street to Printworks for a late morning bite, then walk the length of Leith Walk with Artisan and Little Havana as your afternoon anchors. Four stops, zero chains, and a proper taste of why Leith drinks better coffee than almost anywhere else in Scotland.
