Freemans

Yep, it’s busy. It’s so busy. As I slip in through the door, a young woman sliding out from behind a tiny table near the counter gives me a nod, conspiratorial, comforting. I smile in relief and prepare my bag for being quickly dumped as soon as she vacates. The world and its dog is here.
But there is a reason — many, in fact — that it’s so close to impossible to get a seat sometimes — it’s that Freemans is the real deal. They know coffee and so, rightly, they are known for coffee. They’ve also got a range of rather stunning-​looking eatables, and I was delighted to get to try a white hot chocolate (which, as many of you will have picked up by now, is my holy grail) with vanilla and lemongrass. Holy moly, that was good.
It’s light and the bare wood manages to be chic without being too hipsterish. You’d predict cool alt/​indie music but they keep things upbeat (or at least, when I’ve been in) with a more unexpected dancey mix. Also they are dog-​friendly and have a big bowl of water inside for the canine companions, so provided you’re not averse to the joyful greetings of a shaggy friend or two, this is a fine, fine place to be.
A couple of minor hitches dock that final star: last time I was in, the young lady zooming to and fro past me seemed deaf to my timid «excuse me“s as I tried to ask for the wifi password. (Oh, yes, there’s wifi too) — I assumed, probably correctly, that I wasn’t being heard over the throngs and the pumping music, but when I toddled up to the counter and asked again while she was standing still (in the process of making a coffee), there was definitely no response. When she’d finished, I got a curt «yes?». Just a simple «hold on a sec» in the meantime would have been nice… Also, password having been obtained, I couldn’t actually connect to the wifi in the end — connection timeouts everywhere. I ended up hotspotting from my phone so no real problem.
But really, the main point is that I got my work done and had a lovely time while doing it. Generally speaking, Freemans is the bomb, and it appeals to all demographics: young, trendy professionals; yummy mummies; older folks hunting out a tasty lunch spot and chatter on a sunny Marchmont afternoon… Whoever you are, don’t come here in the early afternoon if you want a quiet chillout with a cup of tea or a Skype call. But do come here — any time of day — if you want energy, vibrancy, a seriously cool atmosphere, and some truly kickass coffee (I’m told) or sandwiches (I guess from the look of them) or hot chocolate (I know first-​hand).

Slap bang in the middle of Marchmont, Freemans has become something of a haunt for me over the past year and a bit of living in the area. The décor is something like that in a old primary school — wooden classroom chairs, a blackboard and numerous maps, all a bit mis-​matchy.
Freemans is a fairly ‘serious’ coffee shop. It does all sorts of special roasts and the coffees are not the massive cup sizes served in Starbucks (still, whatever takes your fancy). And the coffee is really good. For those not into caffeine, there is a range of herbal teas (I’ve tried a few of the more exotic ones, and it’s safe to say I’ll be avoiding the Matcha green tea in the future) and hot chocolates.
The cakes are also pretty good — the flapjack is very tasty (and not too dry or chewy, which has ruined many a flapjack) and the cookies are moreish.
The meals are a bit on the expensive side, but the portions are generous. I’ve not had lunch here in a while but the breakfasts recently were tasty. The granola is recommended, and they do the best fresh OJ I’ve tried in a long time.
Word of warning — much like Toast up the road, this place is usually full to the brim by brunchtime at the weekends, so you need to strike it lucky to get a seat.

Another great coffee, another great afternoon.
Loving the relaxed vibe and seating arrangements. The décor just gives a warm homely feel. Just perfect for chilling!
Had the usual flat white and bought some beans too. It was busy but managed to squeeze into a space at the end of a table! Part of the fun with this place!

Great coffee — seriously!
Reminded me of school — its all in the chairs so I’m not sure how comfortable they would be for a leisurely brunch so it might be worth grabbing a couch if they are available. Good menu and I spied some gluten free lemon cake :-)
Came here for brunch and we lucked out as there was no hot brunch on that day — boo-​hoo! We did however grab takeaway coffee and it was fantastic. I’m not sure what blend I had but I’ve been dreaming about it all week. I’ll return.

The set-​up is awesome, super cute and rustic. Very bohemian. Long wooden tables to share and the staff is very friendly. I did not order a food, but it looked delicious. I had an iced coffee and it was really good. Nice and refreshing with a super nice coffee blend.

We walked through Freemans doors with empty bellies and no direction and left feeling satisfied and with purpose. Basically we were fed, hydrated, and were able to use their free internet to plan our next moves.
I ordered the spinach, eggs, and toast and a rose hot chocolate. The rose hot chocolate was definitely the star. I am a lover of floral tastes and was pleasantly surprised at how good this tasted. I though of ordering another, but thought that would be a bit gluttonous. The eggs and spinach were perfectly cooked. The slices of toast are massive.
You order at the counter, but if you order food they do bring it over which is nice. The atmosphere is very comfortable with a good mix of large and small tables and couches. The staff are very friendly.

This is a cool café! I’ve been here a few times now, and I like the look and feel of the place. It’s nice and chilled, with a mishmash of different chairs and couches. The BBC tv series Pramface has been filmed in this café a few times too!

This is an Awesome coffee shop. From its chic rustic, vintage interior to the perfectly brewed coffees, this is a most welcome addition to the Marchmont neighbourhood.
Serving a selection of food, baked goods and a masterful range of coffee (and tea and ooohhhhh the rose hot chocolate, will warm the cockles of your hear on a winter’s day), Freemans is a joint that knows its stuff.
There are lines out the door on Saturday and Sundays for brunch but it is well worth the wait. On weekdays its populate by cool students, mums and the odd freelancer partaking in the free wifi and coffee highs. It is very kid friendly (blackboard wall to draw on), dog friendly (water bowl and lots of attention for my wee Springer pup) and sit back in a chair and read your book friendly.
I love the seating options (indoors & outside), I love the very friendly & knowledgable staff and I love. LOVE. the flat whites.

What a great coffeeshop! My latte was delicious, as was my accompanying banana bread. The staff were very friendly and the vibe was great. I loved the variety in seating options (from tables to couches and armchairs) and the sheer amount of light in the shop makes it a great spot to enjoy a book or get some work done.
Can’t wait to return next time I’m in Edinburgh!

Really very good coffee. Friendly staff let me try the soup before committing. I didn’t ask — they offered. Green apple and courgette. was excellent. Spent 2 hours working and watching the local crowd and their babies trotting about. Perfect stop — good bustle and atmosphere — I could happily live next door to a café like this.

I live close by to this place and I was on my way to Café Artista the first time I spotted the café after they had recently opened. Café Artista was rammed, so I thought why not. The décor is great, very bohemian feel to it with mismatched furniture. The atmosphere is relaxed and the staff are friendly/​polite/​helpful. I have ended up coming here quite a bit for a late breakfast or to read a paper with a coffee of an afternoon and it always delivers.
I visited recently with my partner who is vegan and the staff made her a salad off menu to accommodate her. This consisted of salad leaves, olives, tapinade, hummous (I think) and some of there fantastic bread. I was actually eyeing her breakfast salad over my eggs thinking she had the better choice, even though the eggs, spinach and mushroom were excellent.
I am a bit fussy to say the least about coffee and the brew they have here is great. Espresso and Amercanos have been really consistent in quality between visits, which after the barista Unilocal coffee training I was quite surprised about (This is a good thing, and so is the barista training: D). I have never tried anything other than the eggs and coffee options, but my friends report great things about the cakes and sandwiches.
Off topic from here in I guess:
On another note the other patrons of this place can be really quite interesting. I have had many a conversation with people in passing, while sharing tables etc — this place seems to attract a wide range of folk. One such character was the actor Mark Beltzman, who was here during the festival to perform in a show. We ended up chatting about all sorts of topics over an hour or so before realising he was here to perform in the festival. Reanimator the music no less. Not a fan of musicals per say, but I am a keen horror fan. This was right up my street one of my favourite good bad movies turned into song and dance. That was a great start to a Sunday afternoon. :D

The caramel brownie — oh man the caramel brownie!!! The coffee is also fabulous and the atmosphere so laid back and relaxed. It’s so airy and bright whilst still having gloriously comfy sofas and chairs. I must come back for lunch as the sandwiches look scrummy and the woman sitting on the sofa beside me had a delicious looking bowl of soup with doorstop slices of bread.
Just as well I no longer live near here or I could forsee spending lots of cash and consuming lots of calories, but I think I might have found my new favourite place in Edinburgh.
And the brownies… mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Well, aren’t you just delightful?
Granted, my first encounter with Freemans was on a sunny day but seriously, the bright airy surroundings, beautiful mismatched leather chairs and tables that look like they can take a knock or two… this place is so comfy and relaxing!
I’ve only been in to sit on a Sunday afternoon and the crowd was groups of students all in for brunch/​lunch and the odd person on a laptop. Despite the groups the atmosphere was cheerful, laid back and not too noisy.
I had just a scone and a hot chocolate but they were most definitely tasty. My friend had the egg and bacon baguette and, well, have you ever looked at food with pure lust in your eyes? Because I’m fairly sure when this baguette arrived that lust was evident on both our faces.
Just thinking about it now…
Ahem, after we each got a cappuccino and it was a massive thumbs up.
As a random reference, my friend is an Australian who has quite a few complaints about the lack of ‘real coffee’ in Edinburgh. Since her introduction to Freemans she says she’s finally found a place she can bring her visiting friends. If you new this girl, you’d take her advice!

Went back. Had the fritatta. Still 5 stars.
It’s just perfect for any time of the day, any day of the week. Relaxed, unfinished look. Great staff, super friendly. Wifi. A great range of savoury food, and sweet. And given I’m trying to eat less bread, they do all their sandwiches as salad, and the the special was the fritatta, win. But if you DO like bread, the scrambled egg and toast was cut like a beast.
And I love that this side of the street gets the sun. It makes the outdoor seating very useable, and often used.
It’s fast becoming my go-​to brunch or lunch spot in Marchmont.

Just discovered this place and became an instant fan. The coffee is pretty much on par with the best that Edinburgh has to offer (which does mean something these days) and the food and ambience is excellent. They let dogs in too which makes it a winner as far as I am concerned.

If you are looking for a coffee fix with a mega kick, Freeman is the place to go.
After checking it’s online menu, I went there with the intention of ordering Coco of Bruntfield White Chocolate, Lavender, Lemongrass and Vanilla, but I succumbed to the overwhelming aroma of coffee the moment I walked in. I ordered the machiato instead and my friend ordered Mocha, we loved it! The coffee is rich and very aromatic, definitely for coffee lovers!
Freeman as a café, has character! The furniture may not be perfectly matched but the atmosphere and the couches definitely gives it a homely feeling. For the kids, they even have a blackboard and chalk to boot! YAY for freestyle chalk art!
I wish I found this place earlier, would have been a good place to cramp for exams and fill up on caffeine fuel.
A final note, the children books on the tables are the menus. Having been fooled by the books’ cover, I actually looked around a bit for the menu but had a good laugh when I realised.

After a particularly late party the night before we all needed a great breakfast the next morning so we decamped into the sunshine outside the fabulous (and I mean fabulous) Freemans Café.
I can’t sing the praises of this place enough. The coffee and brunch (we had the scrambled eggs) was as good as any I’d had in Australia (and this is my brunch yardstick).
Freemans also sell Monmouth coffee which I had never heard of before, they seem to beLondon based, but they make an excellent flat white.

Lovely New York-​style coffeehouse, stylish and quite hipstery in a good way but full of all types mums, business types tapping away on laptops, students, a group of friends doing the crossword, etc. Staff is friendly and playful, the coffee is tasty, and the soup of the day (Thai chicken) was delicious. They had vegetarian and gluten free options and homemade flapjacks. Only suggestion would be to offer more cake!

the coffee was great. the flat white was full and round with a slightly choclatey smokiness. great milk texture and temperature. we’ll be back to try other coffee options including double espresso, espresso macchiato and piccolo. (also some good looking teas, fresh mint & honey and yunnan green grabbed our attention)

it feels like a big space with lots of height and a very relaxed vibe with a mix of sofas to lounge in or tables to sit up to. they seem like a creative bunch with thoughtful takes of salads, soups, cakey-​things, tray bakes, breakfasts and great looking bread. you order and pay with the friendly folk at the counter and then they bring your goodies to you. the coffee was great. the flat white was full and round with a slightly choclatey smokiness. great milk texture and temperature. their blackboard states they’re ‘the only supplier of monmouth coffee in edinburgh’. (a quick google search reveals they’re a london-​based outfit who’ve been kicking around since 1978 very much encouraged to try on our next visit)
twitter: @edinburghcoffee