Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch

BBL is a simple, no-​nonsense café on Pleasance, with a wide selection of breakfast and lunch foods. Fry-​ups, rolls, sandwiches, hot drinks, and a small choice of larger meals as well. The service was quick, which I liked, and the food tasted pretty good. I had a breakfast roll, and Mary had macaroni and cheese.
The prices are higher than I expected, higher than similar places such as Snax. On top of this, prices are higher if you sit in, due to VAT. I must admit I didn’t notice this at first, hence this updated review.
The food is pretty good, you know what you’re going to get. A reliable breakfast or quick lunch option in a good location. Quick service is also a bonus, but slightly too expensive, in my view.

I have been here twice. The first time I had a panini which was good, but it wasn’t what I ordered… whoops! Second time I had the pleasure of eating their Scotsman burger, which is a haggis patty with cheddar and toppings. I also tried their lemon cake tart, which I did not like. It tasted like processed frosting. However, they traded it for another pastry free of charge.
Overall it’s a nice place to chill for a good meal at a cheap price. I definitely recommend the burgers and paninis.

Finally got to get my face in a breakfast roll here. The little takeaway café was mobbed with punters; if I worked over the road at the Pleasance theatre I’d put on weight. They do loads of morning rolls, wraps, etc. savoury cheese, mature cheddar, tuna… I don’t remember exactly but all the usual stuff you’d find in a takeaway café. My beeline was for their homemade vegetarian, suitable for vegans, lorne sausage — or more commonly called in Scotland, the Square Sausage. I don’t remember exactly what it tasted like from the 25 years or so since I last ate one, but this was very tasty. I did expect it to be pinker in colour and crispier, but regardless it tasted great. I also got a roll with their own homemade vegetarian link sausage and an added potato scone, with sweet chilli sausage. It was also delicious, and I liked that adding a potato scone was cheaper — at 60p extra — than paying to double up with a meat (or veggie) item.
No toilets. It’s a small place but there is a small breakfast bar and stools at the window, and three tables and chairs for outside on a dry day. Staff are friendly and helpful, and they also have gluten free breakfast roll options (not sure if also vegetarian or vegan).
Extra 20% VAT added on if you sit in.
Soy milk available for teas and coffees at 30p extra. I didn’t notice any smelly oily /​lardy smells you get in some cafes then you leave and your clothes stink of oil (though we did sit outside). I will be back!

As someone with coeliac, I get very excited when I see places advertising gluten free options. Sadly, this place disappointed me in pretty much every way. The first time I came by, they were out of gluten free bread. I came back a few weeks later, and they were out of gluten free bread again. They still had a gluten free English breakfast on the menu, so I ordered that instead. I explained to the woman taking my order that I had coeliac, so nothing could touch any bread or anything that wasn’t gluten free. She took notes, and I felt ok about it — until they brought out my plate. It was not the gluten free breakfast, it was the regular breakfast with no toast. I explained to them that I couldn’t eat it, and she brought it back into the kitchen, only to bring me back the same plate with the gluten-​containing parts just scraped off. I had to explain AGAIN that I couldn’t eat anything that had touched gluten, and I would need a new plate.
TL:DR? If you’re looking for gluten-​free for other reasons, I’m sure it’s fine. If you’re coeliac, do not eat here.

Well, as expected I returned to bbl to try out their burgers, and yes, it is some high quality minced beef. I’m still not giving this place a higher rating though. The burger came in a quite tough sesame bun, which had it been filled with something else I’d have praised for its tastiness but it was a bad match with the burger. A bit of me kind of feels that the extra mile these guys go on their meat products is a little ouch of place in the greasy spoon establishment. Maybe they just need to work to improves the general standard of things to match their high quality meats.

Best sausage rolls you will ever eat! Great soups too. The staff is amazing, friendly, and extremely helpful. Love this place. Don’t pass up a chance if you are in Edinburgh to drop in, you will NOT be disappointed!

The Ronseal of Edinburght cafes, BBL does exactly what it says on the tin. The food is run by a couple of no nonsense ladies who specialise in good, stodgy, home-​style food.
Breakfasts range from hot-​filled rolls to cereals, porridge and fry-​ups. Lunches come in the form of the aformentioned hot rolls with a plethora of cold fillings, which in turn extend to their range of wraps, baked potatoes and salads. Furthermore they offer daily spcial main meals such as cheeseburgers, curries, mac ‘n’ cheese, and other such delights of that ilk. Brunch well, take your pick from the above!
BBL is one of a few cafes focussing on pulling in the breakfast/​lunch crowd. Within a 5 minute walk they face competition from the likes of Holyrood Café, Chapters at Holyrood and Dovecot. So what do they have in their arsenal?
I suppose what sets BBL apart from their competitors is experience. The ladies in charge know how to cook a fry-​up. They know how to fill a roll or a ladle up a curry for you. They know their clientele, ranging from students to office crowd to labourers. They get the lot, in more ways than one. Their prices are higher than say Holyrood Café, but they offer a better-​looking end product.
At the end of the day most of these cafes are punching in the same weight class, no one outdoing the other by any great stretch. But at the same time if any of these guys were a boxer they’d be middleweight.
Worth a look, if only to make up your own mind.