Victor Hugo

Pretty much had lunch here on a daily basis once upon a time. The «Basque» is still my favourite baguette. It is gourmet heaven made of sun-​dried tomatoes, prosciutto and chilli jam. They also have great coffee. I’m not a big fan of caramel shortcake but theirs I would happily eat on a daily basis.

Had a great breakfast sandwich! Eggs cheese and BACON!
One of the best tasting bacon on a sandwich I have ever had.
Plus they had tons of other things to satisfy my sweet tooth.

A nice little deli in a great spot. All the typical deli ‘stuff’ and nice coffee and cakes. Would be a great spot on a summers day with the seating outside. I’ve been a few times recently while visiting the Sick Kids hospital nearby and I’m quite amused at how staff seem a little disorganised when even just a handful of people in. Otherwise a nice little drop in for a snack or treat.

Really good hot chocolates! Good service but it would be convenient if theyre was more space for seats as its always packed! Not really recomended for children/​teens because they dont do food for this type of ages group, though they do serve sausage rolls and toasties. So overpriced though, but good service.

I have been coming here for years and was a little saddened when the previous owner sold up and moved on. However the place was spruced up and new deli items were offered a few years back. For one reason or another it was quite some time till I managed to get back.
I have visited several times for coffees over the years and pop in ever few weeks/​months for a pizza slice as this is the only place I can find that sells these inside out school pi\zza slices (base/​cheese/​sauce). I gave up on the other deli offerings some time ago, due to various bad cheese experiences etc.
Each time I have the same issue. The staff really don’t seem to have a clue about the products they sell or how the work flow behind the counter needs to work. it took 20 minutes for the couple in front of me to be served and for me to pay for a pizza slice and a quiche. This also somehow tied up all 3 staff for each transaction… mmm. Every time I am in there seems to be new staff, previously it was the same staff for years and years. I think this may be where some of the problems lie.
Okay for a coffee if you not in a rush, but many of the food items are expensive and seem a little past their best on occasion. Staff really don’t seem to know about the products or the service they are delivering.
The good points
— Pizza slice
— Potatoe Salad
— Quiche /​Spanish Tortilla
— Sit outside over looking the meadows
— The coffee
— Nice clean, well laid out shop
The Bad Points
— The service, it is slllloooowwww
— The staff don’t seem to understand what they are selling and how the till works.
— My missus is veggie and ended up with a quiche Loraine rather than the tomato/​pesto one on the signage. Veggies and bacon don’t mix well. ;D

Quite a disappointing experience at Victor Hugo
Because they have a good selection of food. ie cheese
Ham etc but the service itself and the hot food is terrible.
The view is great when u choose to sit outside looking right across the meadows. The reason why I’ve giveb two stars.
I ordered the steak and mushroom red wine pie. which was extremely salty. had new potatoes with it. it was average.
Went to the fridge for several types of cheese .it took the staff about a good 5 minutes to serve me. I chose around 7 types and all wrapped in brown bags with no labels so I know I wont be remembering which is which when I get home.
When paying for the cheese. the staff basically shoved all the bags into one of the tiniest brown bag… it came up to £9.80 and he told me they are currently doing a deal if I spend £10 or over on cheese I get a box of crackers. So I got some Brie too. and yep he shoved the Brie into the already nearly exploding brown bag…
So when I finally sat down for the very salty pie… I was put off and left it aside after a couple bites and looked at the crackers they gave me. By Rude Health. I opened the box. .and the plastic wrapping inside was opened… a couple pieces were missing too. there I’ve lost it… went back in. exchanged it… and left.
I wont be going back again…

I would so like Victor Hugo’s to be better! It has all the ingredients but comes up short time and again. Brilliant location and essentially a good business model let down again and again by poor execution. Often freezing cold too as the door is left propped open in midwinter!
The use of boards as trays or plate substitutes seems like a good idea (they look nice) until they plonk them down and spill your coffee (they don’t work! –have you not noticed!!) This is after waiting ¹⁰⁄₁₅ mins for said spilled coffee to arrive. (In the freezing cold wind tunnel!) Oh dear! Please sort it out.

Have had a lovely time chatting with a friend today.
Sadly no plugs to charge phone or free wifi.
Spacious and gentile. Had lovely prawns on baked potatoe with salad. It was perfect. My friend loved his coffee.

I really like this place but the slow service knocks of a star for me.
Popped in for a post-​run brunch & although it was busy I counted 5 staff. I’m not sure if some were fairly new but no-​one seemed to be in overall charge & it was fairly chaotic.
The service was really slow — we waited 10 mins to get a pot of tea, the couple next to us hadn’t even received their drinks by the time they’d finished their food & our food — bacon baguettes –were cold when they arrived & the bacon was sparse. It used to be so much better.

Popped into Victor Hugo for lunch bites, and to order soup. Staff not sure if there is any left, goes to check. Is it still lunchtime I thinks. Quick time check shows it’s around 1pm, and wah-​hay soup is available; Broccoli & Stilton.
Quick service and soup looking good, but thats where it ended. I was presented with a
bowl of soup, chef had not told staff it was cold. Surely that’s the first thing to do? I asked for it to be quickly blasted with some kind of heat, that done it was fine, no worries?! Not salty either (another gripe of mine), but it was tasty.
Staff helped with wobbly table and straightened it with technical cardboard, so I was happy with that as needed to work. But again something upset the apple cart? BT was only connection for wifi shown here. I kind of thought they used to have a varied connection here?
With the chocolate moose cake arrival, which I must say was delightful looking and so easy to eat whipped up so soft and light (more pls), coupled with soy cappuccino was great. I quizzed staff on what happened to wifi and if VHugo still had its own dedicated wifi. No idea was the reply and would check, but guess what — never came back to me.
So minuses for no wifi, another for staff not getting back to me, plus another for resurrection of cold soup, after making a fuss. I don’t like to critique much but when it wasn’t really busy, what can you do — discreet suggestion box? VH I know you can do better; lots of people agree with this. 4 stars for tasty food, but nothing else.
Overall a pleasant place to have food, as it’s quieter, has an appealling Italian feel to it with shelves stock full of deli products. Look forward to another visit when I don’t need the Internet… may be for late supper as it’s BYOB.

I think like most other Unilocalers I am a little bit indecisive about Victor Hugo’s. From the exterior, it is everything I want a café to be: a position in a bright red corner of Marchmont, continental tables outside the café, the meadows as the its front garden. This image promised a French love of food and picnics in the park.
There is a cheese counter inside, the cheeses do seem way too overpriced. The fridge has some interesting options like stromboli, yet these also seem a bit steep. There’s a gluten free cupcake! I’ll take it! I took it home, and the frosting was just overpoweringly sweet and crumbly, the sponge was dry. Some of the other cakes looked good, yet the scones were not the best in town.
I had some kind of vegetable soup here once, it was that forgettable that I can’t remember which vegetables it had in it. It was just a thing to fill the void.
I have tried the bread in the past, and it was good when bought fresh, though I am not sure whether they make it on the premises or buy it in bulk from au gourmand (not so much of a bad thing, the lovely people at au gourmand bake very well).
So… hit and miss, a little overpriced, somewhat pretentious. Nothing to call home about. I have never heard anyone rave about the coffee here either.

Another branch of Victor Hugo, this time in sunny Portobello.
Went here for a coffee and ended up spending a good couple of hours here. You order at the counter (and then pay) as its not table service. Coffee was good. Usual selection of deli items and cakes and they even had gluten free brownies which were lovely and moist but not too heavy. Decent brunch menu and seating outside and inside.
Nice addition to Portobello and would return as its a great place for a catch up without feeling rushed.

Nice coffee and very nice selection of cheese etc… Ruined by a weird Eurodance playlist they were playing there when I went, incidentally on a «coffee date» with a really nice girl.
Lesson learned, don’t take a girl there.
Or, if the girl’s into that type of cheesy Eurodance music, don’t invite her on a date ;-)

Ive had a love/​hate relationship with this place for a few years now but I think it’s starting to grow on me. It’s in a great position to pick up lots of passing trade from the wide and varied residents and users of the meadows. As a deli it’s fantastic with lots of fabulous cold meats and cheeses to choose from and a wide range of accompaniments from olives to grilled vegetables it can be easy to get carried away — although you have to be careful as it’s definately not cheap but great for the occasional treat!
They also stock a range of cakes although unfortuneately for me they are still very slim on the gluten free choices although the introduction of a gf chocolate brownie is a step in the right direction! If breakfast if your thing then I’d recommend a good old bacon sandwich (my pre gf days!) with your choice of fresh crusty roll and home made sauces or chutney is well worth the visit!
All in all a good place for a catch up over coffee (Not a coffee drinker myself but am reliably informed it’s very good!) and a spot of people watching in the meadows, better in the summer (well if the sun shines!) as the outside seating makes for a more enjoyable experience!
Oh and if you like this place then why not try their new place down in Portobello which is opening soon…

This has become my ‘corner-​shop’ and whilst it might be a bit more pricey than the old Spar of my youth, it’s far more tasty. How good my morning poached eggs and bacon taste coupled with the spicy tomato chutney. Or how delicious my lunchtime sandwich with the thick-​cut Blacky ham. Or how deliciously different a dinner of tapas can be with the chickpea salad, smoked duck and one of their home-​made desserts.
There aren’t many other delis in this area, and Victor Hugo does provide very well for the continental meat and cheese lovers, as well as olive oils, balsamic vinegars and other pickles, and jars of spices and flavours. They have tasty cakes too, although I think the ones atop the counter are bought in (as many can be in delis in Edinburgh).
The customer service here is still what lets it down. The staff are always a little confused about who is doing what task, it’s slow, there’s often a queue. It happens far too frequently, in fact it never *not* happens, for it to be a fluke or coincidence. I do like Victor Hugo for the food, and it’s not that the staff aren’t nice — it’s just ever since my last Sunday brunch incident I’ve not wanted to sit in, and several times I’ve had to wait 20 minutes in a queue just to buy a jar of my beloved tomato pickle. Ah well.
It is popular with locals, a great spot in the sun for a coffee. The home-​made food is nice, and their Supper Club looks good on a Friday night. I’m glad Victor Hugo is my very fine ‘corner shop’ for milk, rye bread, and houmous. Oh and don’t forget the morning rolls. Sunday saviour.

As i’ve just moved very close to Victor Hugo and i’ve heard very good things about it i’ve been dying to try it out. I walk past it everyday and my mouth waters at the sight of all the cheese in the deli counter. So today i finally went in.
We sat in and i had a tea and my friend had a sandwich and water. I do like that they have bottles of tap water and glasses in the chiller cabinet so you can just help yourself, it’s a nice touch. My tea was nice and everything was nicely presented on wooden boards.
The staff seem friendly and i want so badly to love this place but i was a little disappointed. The door is kept open so it is really cold when sitting in, and the seating is a little odd. We had to sit at the end of a long table and then some people with lots of children came in and so sat at the same table. This made it a little difficult to have a chat with my friend.
I do love the thought of this place so no doubt i will be back again soon so i will review again :) I do look forward to it on the summer as it has lots of outdoor seating and it’s in a lovely location!

This place is quite delicious. Been here many of times for every meal of the day.
Pros:
Sundays they have great brunch food and if the weather is good we like to sit outside and stare into The Meadows.
Fridays are super because they have Supper Club every Friday with a rotating prix fixe menu at a fairly affordable price with 3 courses including a amazingly tasty cheese board (mmm do I love me some cheese!)
During the week I’ve come here for lunch mostly. The food is tasty and they always have vegetarian options. They have great sandwiches and quiche too.
Cons:
They tend to take a while to get their food out. I am usually not in a hurry when I go here but when you order to sit in, it takes twice as long as take out it feels like. Which really, that would be fine, but the setting isn’t that comfortable inside because most of the time the main tables are taken up. I wish they had a big comfy chair in there and then maybe that would make it better but they truthfully have no where to put one.
Otherwise this place is really great and I love stopping in when I’m passing by. My favourite would have to be the Friday Supper Club and, if you’re not in a hurry, head here for some good coffee, cheese, olive oils, and hot foods.

I’ve had the pleasure of tasting Victor Hugo’s many delights. Some nicer than others, other just a disappointment.
My first recent experience (in the past month) was trying there smoothie. Meh, small serving, with okay flavours, but one could tell it was made from real fruits, which was the saving feature.
I next tried the deli, ordering olives, artichokes, and bread. The bread was freshly made an hour before hand, but taste wise was lacking. The olives were amazing. Rosemary and garlic! The artichokes were a let down, for a large size, grilled to bring out flavour… there really wasn’t much to them! I hate saying things like this but adding a little spice, or even salt would make them much better.
I’ve ordered two hot chocolates in the past month, and both times they’ve been a let down. The second time was absolutely bad in that they hadn’t stirred in the chocolate, which resulted in warm milk until i got to the bottom where I had to scrape the chocolate with a spoon. (tasted like Cadbury’s which is another let down)
I’d ordered a breakfast roll, which was delicious, but took a very long time to arrive, and wasn’t really worth the price they were charging.

It’s a deli, brilliant, nearly an instant high scoring for offering exciting and exotic foods arranged in an attractive manner, although obviously if the food tasted horrendous despite looking amazing then that would be a different matter, but anyway. This establishment also has a really catchy name, or maybe it’s the dramatic Les Miserables connection.
Victor Hugo isn’t really anywhere near my ‘hood, which is unfortunate, as it means I don’t frequent this deli as much as I would. The first time I came in here I was on the way to a friend’s house in Marchmont, and Victor Hugo appeared as my red painted solution to the fact I hadn’t bought anything to bring over to my friend’s flat for dinner. One tub of plump mixed olives, a good bottle of white wine, and some organic, crazy flavoured chocolate later, I was all set to shower my friend with culinary joys.
Everything you would expect from a deli is here, and there’s a fairly extensive range of goods on display on the full to the brim shelves. Victor Hugo has a very traditional look and feel, with its stacked wooden shelves and wooden counter, which I always feel is quite comforting. A lot of the brands and produce here are quite unique, or at least I hadn’t ever seen a lot of the products before, and there seems to be a lot of smaller, local producers on sale, which is always good chat. Victor Hugo hosts quite a few tasting events, so I’d get in there for a enthusiastic nibbling if I were you.

Victor Hugo is in an excellent location for catching a great sandwich as you walk along Melville Terrace. The first time I came in here I wasn’t too impressed as it was nearing closing time and it just looked under-​stocked and expensive. Since then, however, I’ve been back several times and discovered that it actually has plenty to offer. The service is friendly, inviting and knowledgeable about the produce they sell. They have a decent range of organci, healthy cereals as well as the usual olives, cured meats, wines and a vast selection of cheeses. Further, they have freshly baked bread on a daily basis which makes for delicious sandwiches. My personal favourite it is their salty, smoked ham with strong cheddar and tomatoes.
Their prices aren’t exactly cheap, but they make up for this with the quality of their produce.