Glass Thompson - Edinburgh, City of

One of the classier deli/café 's in the New Town of Edinburgh, G&T is quaint, small, bright and cheery. Tucked away almost out of sight, this café seems to have a strong contingent of regulars. On offer are fresh croissants, good coffee, delicious and beautiful home made cakes and slices, and a variety of meats and cheese that can be made up into any kind of sandwich you could wish for. Of particular not is table 7, tucked away in an alcove of its own with a curtain that can be drawn for more privacy. You may well run into the rich and famous at G&T

I popped in with about 20 minutes left to use free WiFi and toilet but got a late a delicious homemade tart meringue. Excellent food and service. Fast WiFi too. It appears to be a locals place. Very nice to me when I let him know I'm lost. Offered a map and showed empathy that others get disoriented too.

You see, I would disagree with Helen5 and say that yes, the price is striking here. But you get that which you pay for as the faithful old saying goes. Their lattes are unfailingly delicious. Their cakes are exorbitantly expensive but delicious. I'm liking the frangipane with apricot or raspberry which I've gorged on most recently. They do a whole bunch of savoury stuff too. And yes, it's a little bit small but all the more charming for that. Mind you, I've been lucky enough to get the mirrored nook tucked away in the kind of ante room the last two times that I've been there. Whereas I can see that if you can't even get seated, the size is less of an attraction. But pick your time carefully. I'd recommend post 3pm to be sure. I'm also very fond (from a safe distance! of the silvery haired man who perhaps runs it. Elegant and continually polite, he adds a little touch of class to what otherwise might be dangerously close to just being a posh cake shop.

Dundas Street has a quite a few quirky and independent establishments to be found on its descent down the hill, and I think it's one of those streets that's well worth seeking out if you're a bit worn out by the bustle of the city centre, and you want to go somewhere slightly more tranquil. Glass Thompson can be found here, for hiding away from the world purposes, and also for coffee, cake and other tasty food substances. The food here is a cut above your standard cafe fare, so expect an experience similar to eating in a really awesome deli or somewhere equally as selective with the prime food it offers. The menu is quite Mediterranean in nature, and everything on the menu seems to have a bit of a twist to it to make it slightly different, so you never feel like you're getting something very samey that another cafe could easily have replicated. The cakes are to be noted, for the only reason cakes should be noted, because they're awesome. It is slightly pricier than your average cafe here, but I think the food is of that quality that merits charging a few pounds more.

I really like this place, but there are two caveats: A As it is quite small, it really matters which table you end up at. There is a nice high one in the window (usually occupied by a single man, nursing a capuccino for three hours and one really tucked in with hardly any room at all. We ended up at that one last time, and it somehow spoiled it all a bit as we were really famished and had lots and lots of plates, teapots etc which overloaded that very small table. The second caveat B is the price. Yes, Edinburgh is expensive, but here it's all abit over the top. It's all very nice and wholesome, and the chocolate cake is an absolute treat (you should try it yourselves! . I also recommend the salads, and the cheese platter. Were it not for A and B , I would give it a full five stars.