Butterflies Cafe

I really, really want to like this café and I do — somewhat. I have very mixed feelings about it though. I will start with the positives: It is light, bright and aesthetically pleasing. The ceiling is all glass, the floors are wooden. It is modern, but built into and shares the stone wall of an ancient church. It has views out onto a picturesque churchyard through the back and opens onto a well-​kept pleasant garden on the side. You can bring your toddler here to play with lots of toys. You can sit on a sofa in the corner, drink a coffee and nurse your newborn — along with lots of other mothers, babies and children. It is one of the only cafes in town that caters directly to parents-​with-​small-​children. So, it is a place in which you can relax with a cup of coffee and your toddler without eliciting the annoyed glares of other childless customers. Which brings me to what I struggle with here.
It it is chaotic. And I do not think that it has to be. On my recent visit Friday, for the two hours I spent there, no tables were bused, despite dirty dishes piling up and there seeming to be ample staff around. We never were able to sit in the cozy couch corner as it was never cleared of the leftover dishes and food of previous customers. The toy corner for the children, although very much appreciated, is in dire need of a bit of care — and perhaps replacement. I am more than willing to tolerate the inevitable chaos of small children, but I would like to enjoy a somewhat tidy and clean place to do it in.
The menu also caters to small things and this is also much appreciated. But the choices for beverages for little ones seemed to be exclusively ribena and sugar supplemented ‘juice drinks.’ Maybe I just caught them at the end of a busy week, but in looking for a wee snack there appeared to be more than a few items on offer that were pre-​packaged sweets — not something I would expect in a café.
So, I am torn here. There is a lot to like about this café (and my small child loves it!), but there is some to be desired as well. But if you have a baby or a small child and you really want to relive your pre-​parenthood café life, this is one of the few places in Edinburgh you can head for. Give it a try and see what you think.

My favourite café in Edinburgh! This café is a part of the Marchmont St Giles Church on Kilgraston Road, just up from Marchmont Road, and is accessible from the 41 bus route. The Café is a real community hub, open between 10 and 4 it is thoroughly family friendly with an awesomely designed kids menu and a selection of toys and high chairs for the kids. The café itself is in a beautiful new addition to the church with a lovely skylight and views onto the picturesque graveyard. The staff are very friendly and make the best scone in Scotland always supplied with a little pot of home made jam.

Lovely café within Marchmont St Giles church. Lovely bright atmosphere and very friendly. Food is delicious and they do special small snacks for children. Very clean and spacious and extremely child friendly. Prices very good also and much cheaper than lots of the surrounding cafes