Edinburgh University Library Cafe

It’s an okay café at the Edinburgh University Library. The location and convenience make it very attractive to the student population, and we all tend to end up here at some time or other to socialise with friends. The value is moderate at best, and the drinks are nothing special, but there are often some nice traybakes, and some comfortable chairs to relax on.
I will spend many more afternoons here because of the pure convenience, but there are better places to spend your money.

The University library café offers a selection of inexpensive drinks, cakes, cookies, muffins, sandwiches etc. (no freshly squeezed juice :-(). I usually get an Americano and a carrot cake, and they were ok.
If you’re an alumni, you can get a membership card from the Library next doors which entitles you to free Wi-​fi, otherwise you’ll have to use your phone for accessing the Web.
The reason I keep going back to this place is that it has MASSIVE windows all around it, giving natural light, and also from the North corner of it you can get a view of the Meadows! Oh, and if you have a laptop, there are tons of power sockets all over the place (floor).

The library café is a relatively new addition to the library after the renovation work that had been ongoing there. The café offers a range of food such as baked potatos, salads and nachos. However, for being a student café, some of the prices do seem a bit expensive, with nachos costing £3.50 and paninis costing around £3.25. There are other places where you can go on Nicolson Street are cheaper, but sometimes when you are getting an essay done in the library, this is a pretty good place to come.
When I ordered a pint of milk with one of my meals, I found that the milk was a couple of days out of date. When I brought this to the attention of the sales assistant, she brought over her supervisor, who refnded me the cost of the milk and gave me one for free, which was good customer service.
The café also offers wifi and there are also a good number of university computers that can be accessed here too.

This café is a God send for the students, as it’s the only part of the library building one feels able to talk in without pangs of guilt (or evil glares). At peak time during the semester, which is probably between 11 and 1.30pm, it can be a nightmare to find seats and the queue is intolerably long, but when my food has eventually come, it’s never been disappointing. They offer a range of paninis, baguettes, baked potatoes and your usual extensive list of coffees, mocha, latte and the like. Around four kinds of smoothies are also on offer. They’ve got the exact same menu as the JMCC bar at the University’s Pollock Halls of Residence, but for some reason the food is incomparably better over here. There’s a bunch of computers with internet access to the right of the cashier, and some booths and veeeeery comfortable armchairs and sofas to the right. For those of you with your own laptops, there’s also wireless internet throughout the café which students and anyone else affiliated with the Edinburgh University can access; I’m not too sure about how guests would gain access! That said, it’s difficult to imagine anyone non-​student becoming a regular over here…

If you ask students what they want from a café in their local area (or any shop anywhere or that matter) they will probably tell you they want cheap and they want large portions. Basically they want value for money. You would expect a café situated in the library, conveniently called the Library Café, would know its audience.
The Library Café has been open since the beginning of this year to coincide with major renovations. All are welcome into the Library Café though it clearly exists for the student populus. I first acquainted the café the way most do, after spending too many hours in the library, I decided to relax over a coffee. Despite the-​not-​too exciting, IKEA aesthetic (plus some funny glowing lights) the library café was a nice place to take a break or meet friends and just relax. However before long I realised the essentially problem plaguing the Library Café, it is one of the only places nearby to for a light lunch or hot drink. As a result it is mobbed. Beware this café during lunch time!
Nevertheless if you can come at the right time, the Library Café remains an okay central location for meeting friends over a coffee. Any more than this and you might want to go elsewhere.
The library café is not run by the university student union which might explain why its prices seem a little less than reasonable. The price of a sandwich or Panini is hardly competitive and not what you expect. Unfortunately this can make the café feel less like a café set up for the benefit for students and more to take advantage of them.
The Library Café is still an okay place to spend a couple of hours drinking coffee over a book or a chat, especially during quieter months, for anything more exciting, go elsewhere.

Having already slated the Edinburgh University Library for its endless spate of construction I approached the newly built Library café expecting some sort of impressive long awaited result.
Really! Honestly! Is this the best you can do!
A smattering of brightly coloured seating and… well actually there’s nothing else, failed to provide any form of long awaited result.
I use the café because it’s the only option when you’re milling about the library but other than that I would firmly avoid it. A shambles.

I probably don’t frequent the library as much as I should (sorry mum) but I do often meet friends in the café for lunch. The café is a new extension to the library, and a welcome one at that. It’s nice to have a comfortable place to sit and meet up with friends, when you can get a seat. This is the main problem of the café, there are never enough seats. If you’re meeting someone at lunchtime, there’s no point in even looking for a seat. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve stood waiting on a table, watching some poor soul try to scoff down their Panini as quickly as possible.
It’s a nice enough place with really friendly people, and the food is ok — nothing adventurous or particularly exciting, Panini’s, salads and soup feature heavily. As I said, the seating is an issue and they don’t accept cards. This wouldn’t be a big problem, but the nearest cash machine is a good walk away (uphill) and you lose your place in the queue.