Pep & Fodder

Really am a fan of this place.
I especially like their visual depiction of the different types of coffee.
A very friendly staff and some good pastries as well.
Nice location on the Royal Mile.

Wanted to catch my friend before he left the city to head to the Glasgow so we went to this place for tea and cake.
The café is pretty close to Waverley station but away from the crazy foot traffic in the area. It’s a cute café that offers the typical coffee drinks and an assortment of sweets and scones. I really wanted cake and luckily they had a carrot cake but gluten free. I was a bit hesitant to try it but the girl said it was really good so I got a slice.
Let me tell you… the carrot cake was AMAZING! It was moist and the icing went perfectly well, not too sweet like most icing. My friend who was also skeptical about eating the cake tried it and surprisingly liked it as well. Truthfully, I’d come back to this place just for the cake! Ha!
My friend got the million pound shortbread square…(or whatever it’s called) you know the ones with three layers– chocolate, caramel, and short bread. It was decent, nothing amazing about it.
The staff were pretty nice and the facility is clean. It’s a good spot just to chill from the hustle and bustle of that part of city centre… If anything just go to try their carrot cake! Mmmmm

Almost too regular to review. This is my local café of choice when at work. Helpful that local workers get a cheeky wee discount. The basics are essentially right: decent coffee, wholesome food, friendly staff. WiFi and accommodating if you want to hang. Its beginning to suffer as against some of the more interesting cafes in Edinburgh — it’s more functional than some offering nothing terribly distinctive. Still if you’re in the area, check it.

From the second we walked in I instantly fell in love with the décor and cosiness of this café and loved the diagrams of what makes each different type of coffee above their menu board.
I originally ordered the porridge with compote but they were out and so had to settle for porridge with honey (~£2.50) instead. It was not a tough decision as the cold weather outside called for a warm and filling breakfast dish. To go with my porridge I ordered a tea (~£1.80) and choose the ‘Scottish Breakfast’ option from their tea selection. It tasted similar to many other teas I have tried and I cannot say that any flavour stood out to me. I ended up needing some help to finish the porridge as it was quite a dense and filling portion, however it was very delicious and S my travel companion for my Scottish road trip enjoyed it also. S for his breakfast had a latte (~£2.55) and pain au chocolate (~£1.50) to go with it, he liked both and had no complaints about either.
The staff at the counter were friendly and easy to chat with, even with the constant stream of customers coming into the café. The café was pretty much filled the entire time we were there along with a stream of people doing take away orders showing that it is a popular café in the area. Overall I enjoyed my meal and would happily recommend it to anyone in Edinburgh and looking for a friendly, delicious and very reasonably priced meal for breakfast.

This place is small and subtle in the bustling heart of Edinburgh, but it’s definitely worth a visit. I popped in for a quick lunch one day, and had a delicious soup with a big chunk of bread. There is of course an excellent selection of sandwiches and cakes as well, and all with friendly, helpful staff.
Unfortunately, the small size means seating is limited, and we had to sit outside on a chilly afternoon. However, I’m sure this is an excellent takeaway option if you live/​work nearby. :)

One of my favourite places to pop into for a bite to eat and a nice pot of tea. The food is great, they make delicious cakes and the staff are always warm and friendly.
Don /​

Popped in to avoid a freak snow storm and also get a warm drink. Lovely chilled vibe with a simple but nice menu to give you the right foods to keep you going. Ended up getting one of the best Hot Chocolates, so good I ended up getting a second straight away. (Visit — 02/​01/​2015 Brunch)

It would be easy to walk past this place but come inside and its bright counter and interior make you want to stay. It was busy during the lunch time rush but the queue and efficient staff moved things along quickly. I ordered a cheese and tomato toasted croissant which was delightful and toasted well enough for the cheese to melt (a must for me)…happy days! It was deliciously buttery and the sweet and savoury kick went well with my flat white coffee. A great location and find in the city centre with a good selection of lunch time sandwiches and decent coffee served with a smile. Definitely worth a stop after my gym session today but hopefully not undoing my workout completely… I’m into balance!

This place has been on my ever expanding list and I’m pleased to say I’ve now ticked this baby off.
It’s lunch time on a dreary afternoon in Edinburgh and I’m in need of something to eat.
I’m quite happy with the chicken pesto panini. It’s tasty, toasted and filling. They stock my fav ginger beer — bunderburg, so all happy here. On a plus they even serve up dear green coffee — fab flat white too! Shame no room for cake as they all looked pretty tasty!

This coffee shop has a great set up, staff are welcoming however I was really disappointed with their coffee. Very, very bitter.

Despite working nearly opposite Pep & Fodder for the first 4 months of its existence, I had never noticed it before. Oops! And since moving jobs I’ve not been up Waterloo Place way for a while, or at least not in search of food. But, this Saturday, after a stroll up Calton Hill and in desire of some lunch and a cup of tea my boyfriend and I strolled past and thought «Yep, that place looks nice», and it was.
The décor’s lovely, the lime green tiles particularly, and they were playing a Beatles best-​of (FAB). The chap who seemed to be in charge was very friendly, to everyone and not just us, which really makes you feel appreciated as a customer (I was asked twice how my soup was).
I had a breakfast tea and their soup of the day, carrot and corriander which was served in a mug with a slice of bread. I’ve been trying to cut down on starchy carbs but couldn’t resist the bread, mmm. My boyfriend ordered a mocha which was served in a little glass cup. Sweet. Price wise it came to less than £7, which wasn’t too bad.
I’d agree with previous reviews that comment on the selection available (or lack thereof), only one soup, and teas listed as «Breakfast» and «Herbals» (I assume if you enquire further they have several, as I spotted an Eteaket sign, but it’s not obvious). Oh, and whilst the breakfast menu looks decent it was strangely lacking in eggs.
But, it’s a nice café, and perfectly located for a quick pick-​me-​up after visiting Calton Hill and if I’m in the area again I’ll pop by for a brew.

This is a nice little coffee shop near the western corner of Regent Gardens. My sister and I stopped in and had coffee and (I believe) a sweet lemon bread, both of which were good. The staff were friendly and chatty. The décor was also pleasant, with bright colors and some neat art hanging on the walls.

I kept forgetting about Pep & Fodder. As soon as I heard it had opened, by the owner of the Bön Vivant (a favourite bar), I put it top of my ‘to try’ list. But it’s in such an innocuous wee spot and not in an area I normally pass, that I kept forgetting.
Until one late Saturday afternoon after a hike around Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill found me more than hungry and in need of food and coffee, and just about to head to Broughton Street. Wait, no! Pep! Let’s go.
I really like the interior, and the friendly smiling staff. The only reason it’s currently sitting at three stars is the choice seemed to be a little lacking. It could be that it was slightly later in the day (2.30pm) but they had one type of soup on and maybe 4 sandwich choices? And a few of your standard cakes. Now this is still good, but the Edinburgh café scene is a varied and strong one. Specialist coffee shops, specialist tea shops, specialist soup cafés, cafés with the best caramel shortcake, cafés with fresh juices and smoothies. I think for me what Pep & Fodder was lacking was anything special that helped it stand out. If I were in the area, I would certainly go here again, but I wouldn’t come out of my way.
That is the only reason though — it’s not convenient. The carrot and orange soup was quite nice, and a good portion. And the pastrami and beetroot panini was really good and generously filled. I really enjoyed my lunch here, and the chilled out quieter atmosphere. And I’ll definitely go again to see what else they have to offer. It could be that it’s new and still finding its feet. I imagine perhaps more deli items, like cheese boards and olive selections and 4 types of bread might bring out its strengths more.
Knowing the Bön Vivant and how good their food is, from their £1 starter bites to their full mains, I think perhaps Pep & Fodder is just still growing into itself and I hope it’ll catch up.

great addition to the central café scene. I work nearby and despair of Starbucks etc. P&F provides a nice relaxed space with great food and coffee, and friendly service. I feel strongly about the need to support such places but this is a place that I would come to anyway because its great. I thought the pastries were fresh. The paninis were interesting and packed with flavour. Above all for me, the benchmark, great flat white.

Very, very friendly, good lattes, nice croissants and pastries. We stopped back im after a few days and the staff remembered us and asked how our trip has been. Very charming atmosphere, kind folks, good teas and great vibe.

Newly opened on Waterloo Place, Pep and Fodder, from the team that brought you the Bön Vivant, is a smart and stylish city centre café. The cous cous salad I sampled was beautifully seasoned, packed with flavour and a complete riot of palette pleasing joy.
Overall, we said: «So I was very pleased with Pep and Fodder. It certainly merits a return visit, once they’ve had a chance to bed-​in a little more, and once they have their soup on the go. It has a nice array of cakes and pastries, too, so it may well be worthy of a visit from our Cake Questing friends soon, too. I’d heartily recommend you pop in, next time you find yourself at the east end of Princes Street.»