The Clock

Normally I like the Clock. However, today i ate inside the venue for the first time since lockdown was relaxed. I was concerned to say the least that the staff were wandering around without masks and customers weren't putting on face coverings when getting up from their seats. . When I pointed this out to the manager he said 'oh but you take your masks off when you come inside'. Really? The government advice is: "Face coverings for customers and staff is mandatory when entering, exiting and moving around hospitality. There is an exemption for when customers are seated for the service of food and drink and for back of house roles such as kitchen staff or staff who are behind protective screens separating them from customers." So I will no longer be eating inside the Clock until after the pandemic is over. I may still visit and sit outside but inside? No. Please get your staff to wear masks, please tell customers that they need to wear masks when getting up from their seats, please make track and trace more obvious, please have hand sanitiser in an obvious location near the entrance. Please clean all surfaces regularly (you may of course be doing this, but I didnt' see any cleaning and given the lax approach to the other issues, i wouldn't be surprised if the place doesn't get cleaned very often either.

We like to go here for breakfast. It has a homey feel to it. Not the most modern place, furniture downstairs could use renewal. But fast and friendly service, and the food is definitely OK!
Looks small but tons of seating downstairs.
I’ll keep going here. Wouldn’t go out of my way for it but when you live in the area it’s definitely recommended!
Just a plain and simple good local spot!

my favourite spot near home.
Love to stop by here for a tasty mocha or a delicious big breakfast.
My to go spot to take friends that come over to visit. Just homy, cozy and good!
Especially the mocha :)

I’ve been to The Clock several times over the last few years. I headed here today, seeking refuge from the dreary Edinburgh afternoon, and instantly remembered why I’m always drawn back.
One mighty big cappuccino later and I was all set for the rest of the day. — A huge, warm mug of coffee with a generous amount of perfect milky froth and an equally generous dusting of cocoa. — This; this could brighten even the dreariest of days. I challenge you not to feel all perked up after a cappuccino like this one!
Service was as chirpy as ever. I’ll be back soon, no doubt.

The Clock is a great little café on Dalry Road. It’s not going to blow your socks off, but it does a pretty solid job at providing very reasonably priced food and drink that puts a smile on your face every time.
In my opinion, cafes shouldn’t be fancy. They should be casual, rough around the edges and serve simple, cheap and calorific food. The Clock certainly ticks all those boxes.
There are a few small tables upstairs, but I don’t think any of them can sit more than 2 people. Head down the spiral staircase in the middle of the floor to reach the much larger downstairs area.
Things are a bit worn down there, with some rather tatty chairs and sticky table tops. But they do their best to keep the place presentable and it doesn’t feel dingy or depressing at all, just a little… well loved. One slight negative, though, is that they don’t have any background music or radio or anything down there, so being away from the traffic noise and hustle and bustle from the kitchen makes the place as silent as a graveyard, which doesn’t make for a good atmosphere!
The food is served in big portions on thick plates and is super tasty. There’s loads and loads on the menu, and all of it will fill your belly for a mere few quid. The coffee is fairly decent too! The waitresses have always been perfectly friendly and efficient as well, which is a nice change from most humble cafes where you often get your food virtually thrown at you.
On the whole, there is no better place to grab a decent cheap breakfast or slap-​up lunch in this part of town. Just don’t expect the Ritz!

Are you looking for a simple, delicious meal for a good price? Want to feel comfortable and at home while doing so? Well hot dang I think the Clock is the place for you! It certainly tickled my fancy.
I’ve only had a full breakfast once before after my arrival in the U.K., and remember feeling vaguely «was that it?» afterwards. To an American girl, beans with breakfast seems quite an exotic affair – but somehow, my first experience with a full breakfast was good, but left me missing that ZING of «wow, that was good!» Lemme tell ya, the Clock left me feeling that zing. Everybody has a go-​to joint in their area for certain things: I think the Clock may well be mine now for breakfast!
The hubs and I arrived totally famished after a gym visit one day. We promptly ordered two flat whites, his regular, mine large, and when mine arrived I was stunned by the fish-​bowl sized beverage that was presented. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that big: but heads up! You’ll get yer joe here, that’s for sure! Food-​wise, we both ended up getting the full breakfast, which we were pleased arrived with a glass of joe alongside. Everything on our plate was just perfect. Standard diner fare, buttery and delicious.
Where I think I would waver on my review is the interior: the bottom floor of the Clock is a bit ramshackle in feel. But somehow, it made me feel at home – diners in the small town I grew up in were much the same, simple and comfortable. Who can be bothered with fancy art and pristine, sterile architecture when there’s good grub to be made? ;) Anyway, the wee spiral staircase smack dab in the middle of the place makes up for any questionable interior design. And that FOOD.
Will totally be back!

I have to tank Tanja R. for introducing me to this place. The Clock is bigger on the inside. (like the TARDIS).
We went down the stairs and sat in a quiet corner. I looked over the menu and I thought that the with prices like that how much would they actually serve. As it turns out: alot. I took a full breakfast and this came with toast and a glass of orange juice. £5.50 only. It was very tasty and filling.
This place is hidden in plain sight! Very popular locally and I am suitably worried if writing a review will introduce this place to too many people and I will not have a seat next time. — However they have got several other dotted around the city. Leith and Morningside. So perhaps it will encourage them open more branche.

One of the best coffees in Edinburgh and the baristas are usually skilled even producing the odd latte art fern or love heart and the coffee is always at the perfect temperature. However the food lets this place down. Fairly average fair. Uninspiring chilli and the baked potatoes taste microwaved. The side salad is always nice and you can’t go wrong with their breakfast omelette or a bacon roll.

Its a typical diner and perfect for locals. From the outside it looks nothing like what you can expect from the inside. The upstairs is very small, just a few tables, but as soon as you walk down the spiral steps you are entering two more rooms, more spacious this time. On the walls are paintings and prints from various artists, which you can buy for a price.
I ordered the traditional breakfast, which comes with Orange juice, bread, eggs, sausage, really awesome crispy bacon and beans and all for a price of £5.80.
You are definitely getting your money’s worth and even more.
The service is really nice and the atmosphere is very cozy, jusy perfect for meeting friends and loved ones alike.

With the addition of WiFi, this café now gets 5 stars. Great service, great food, cosy atmosphere, able to work from there too now.

Great café food. Professional and polite service. The décor is really nice, especially that spiral staircase and basement seating area.
My new favourite breakfast/​coffee spot. Luckily I relocated in the aera a few months ago, so it’s never too far away for me.

Nice little café on Dalry Road. There is a good variety of breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, paninis etc. on offer. From the outside it looks quite small, but a staircase leading downstairs reveals a large space.
The Clock also has a few seats outside which is great on a lovely summer’s day.
I had the cheeseburger. It came with chips and a little side salad. For drinks they have three different kinds of beers on the menu and a house white /​red which you can ask for a 175ml glass or a full bottle.
Food was good. I was also happy with the service and it is very good value for your money — cheeseburger and chips for £5.50!

I have a spicy chicken mayo and pineapple baguette once a day. You’d think it would really work, but IT DOES.
P. S. My brother says their sweet chilli chicken panini rocks his balls

i totally adore this little café! prices are sooooo cheap, portions are huge, staff are friendly, service is (normally) super fast — what more could you want?
Me & my boyfriend always eat here when we just need a quick bite but want a nice relaxing place. i like how they remember you & you feel like a valued customer.
panini’s are ace… everything comes with chips too (which i find a bit odd, but this is scotland after all!) & a nice salad!
I love this place :)

The Clock is an unassuming little café and coffee shop in Dalry, although inside it offers quite a surprise! The upstairs is small and only really caters for couples, but if you do downstairs there are lots of tables, couches and comfy places to sit and enjoy some grub and a hot drink.
For a ridiculous £3 I ordered a ham and cheese baguette. Expecting it to turn up with a wee salad garnish, I was instead rewarded with a plate overflowing with food. A nice side salad featuring cherry tomatoes, red onions, peppers and mixed leaves and a perfectly munchable helping of chips were included as part of the price tag. For £3?! Amazing. The food was tasty, too.
The ambiance is relaxing and friendly. The Clock is a great place to soak up the weekend vibes with the Sunday papers and a coffee. Service was also friendly and prompt, so I really can’t fault this place.

The Clock Café is a curious little place, which is, by luck, my favourite type of place.
Walking in, I felt like I was thrust into a totally different world. The upper floor is small, with maybe 4 or 5 tables dotted around the counter and the spiral staircase which breaks through the creaky wooden floors and winds down to a yet un-​explored land.
I asked the lovely waitress for a take-​away menu, to which she replied I couldn’t take away the menu, perhaps a slight language mix up between us, but all was explained by someone who seemed to be the boss, and I was given a menu to peruse.
The vibe I got from the food was Italian, and I had my eye on the paninis which sounded right up my alley. Loads of chicken, pestos, rocket, mozzarella and sun-​dried tomato combos. I went for a chicken and mozzarella panini with sweet chilli, which sounded lovely. I was told to take a wee seat at one of the tables until it was ready.
The walls are adorned with paintings, which had price tags on, some quite expensive. I wondered who would buy such a thing on a chance visit to a café!
My lunch didn’t take long and I was handed a large box wrapped in brown paper in exchange for my £3.90.
Back at the office I was very pleasantly surprised when I opened it up to reveal some cheeky chips and salad alongside my panini, which was amazeboats by the way. Very nice flourish!
I will be back here, and I will descend those stairs!

Lovely place for coffee, cakes and socialising. The food is sometimes good. The price is unbeatable. Overall great place to hang out, and the owner is truly approachable and unafraid to greet customers.

With oak wooden flooring and pretty flowers dotted on each table, Clock Café us an excellent choice for an afternoon bite to eat.
The offer lovely surroundings with an excellent selection of all day breakfasts, paninis, sandwiches, baked potatoes and various other hot snacks. As Marj mentioned, the menu is extensive, much better than most cafes and the prices are also very reasonable too.
The whole atmosphere in this café is very relaxed and I stayed for quite a while with a cup of tea and the friendly staff couldn’t have been more pleasant.
I didn’t try to food, but I noticed a table beside me with a few different dishes from the menu and they looked and smelled delicious, so next time, I’ll definitely pop in for a bite to eat!

I have to agree with Marj on this one. You will not be disappointed. Just the sheer effort these people will go to make sure you get the exact meal you want is commendable. These people are sandwich gods.
The only thing I can add is when I went, there was an anonymous pool of black fluid in the corner, maybe 3ft across. I mentioned it to them fearing someone would trip but it wasn’t cleaned the whole time I was there.
Better a bad review than a bad lawsuit guys!

You know you sometimes get a gut instinct when a place is going to be good? I got that vibe about The Clock, and I was certainly not disappointed.
In an area with cheap eating options scattered all around, it can hard to settle on one of the many cafes. But something about The Clock stuck out from the other contenders vying for my hungry attention.
Perhaps it’s the neo Victorian fronting, complete with pillar box red paint. Or maybe the clock decorating on the exterior struck me as being different from the remaining cheap or samey options. But whatever it was that lured me in, I’m very glad.
The Clock is somewhat new to the scene but I can see it being really successful. For a start, it’s chilled out, nicely decorated with neutral art and cream coloured walls, and is spacious if you’re in with a larger group. It may appear smaller on the outside but they have a secret spiral staircase taking you to a much more open dining area downstairs. If you can’t get to this area, there’s enough space upstairs for wheelchair or buggy access.
Secondly, along with a vast array of delicious, well prepared food, they also have a bottled beer and wine selection! This added bonus, along with the healthy portions you receive with main meals and even with lucnhtime snacks opens it out towards evening diners.
The staff seemed to genuinely care about the customers and were certainly passionate about cooking. This showed in the standard of my panini (which was also generously served up with chips and crispy salad). I opted for the Turkish sausage and it was outstanding. For a lunchtime snack it was way above par — definitely of a higher standard. I also received the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted, it was perfect. The girl’s skills put me to shame since I would definitely 3 star my efforts half the time. But this one was a work of art! And all of that for a fiver!
It’s very rare that you find a café with such incredible choice. But what really stands out is the pride the staff take in their work. They went out of their way to look after their customers, and the cooking was to die for.
Watch as word of mouth spreads about The Clock — in time, this will become one of Edinburgh’s dining highlights.