Roseleaf Bar Cafe is a breakfast restaurant in Leith, Edinburgh. Rated 4.8 stars from 2459 Google reviews. Known for cullen skink and mac and cheese and attentive staff and genuine warmth. Best for breakfast and solo dining. Price range: £10–20.

Rankings updated

Breakfast restaurant · £10–20 · in Leith

Roseleaf Bar Cafe

Across 2,291 rated reviews, 97% gave four or five stars.

Rating4.8★
Reviews2,459
1-star share0.6%
Best forBreakfast

In Their Own Words

Review highlights surfaced by Google — shown in English, with the original beneath

Better value than the Leith average

Around £15 a head, below the £25 typical for Leith and rated higher than the area at 4.8★ against 4.7★. Based on the 16 Leith venues we hold Google pricing for.

Popular for breakfastPopular for lunchPopular for dinnerPopular for solo dining
Back to Leith

Quick Verdict

Leith's most reliably excellent neighbourhood cafe—serious food and drinks, genuine warmth, and a room that feels like home.

Book if...

You want a cosy neighbourhood spot with serious food, great drinks, and staff who make you feel known.

Best for:
BreakfastSolo diningGroupsDogs welcomeNeighbourhood dinner

About Roseleaf Bar Cafe

Leith's pubs rarely feel this lived-in. Roseleaf Bar Cafe runs on quirky decor and a genuinely informal energy — antique china, art on every surface, the kind of room that looks like it grew rather than was designed. The kitchen leans into proper pub food done carefully: Cullen Skink and mac and cheese lead the mentions, haggis and scotch eggs close behind, and the pies are exactly what a Monday night in September calls for. Sticky toffee pudding is worth saving room for. The beer selection draws regulars, and the teapot cocktails are the house signature. Staff stay attentive even when the place fills — and it does fill, last table gone on a weeknight, so booking is the sensible move. Dogs are welcome, locals are plentiful, and the atmosphere earns its reputation without trying too hard.

Roseleaf Bar Cafe earns its romantic reputation through both atmosphere and a serious wines and cocktails — the kind of place where a dinner for two tends to extend well past dessert.

In the last 90 days, Roseleaf Bar Cafe has drawn 21 substantial written reviews (50+ characters of genuine feedback) — recent momentum that is one of the signals behind its place on the hot list.

What Stands Out

Cullen Skink and mac and cheese

Cullen Skink appears in 72 Google mentions and reviews praise its well-defined flavours; mac and cheese ranks second in Google topics with 55 mentions.

Attentive staff and genuine warmth

Recent reviews describe staff as 'attentive', 'friendly', and 'genuinely kind'; one local noted 'great service' even when 'very busy through the back'.

Great cocktails and coffee

GBP highlights include Great cocktails and Great coffee; reviews mention red cappuccino and Bloody Mary as standouts.

Practical Information

Opening Hours

Mon10:00 - 23:00
Tue10:00 - 23:00
Wed10:00 - 23:00
Thu (Today)10:00 - 23:00
Fri10:00 - 00:00
Sat10:00 - 00:00
Sun10:00 - 23:00

Contact

23/24 Sandport Pl, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6EW, United Kingdom

+44 131 476 5268Visit WebsiteView Menu

Frequently Asked Questions about Roseleaf Bar Cafe

Roseleaf Bar Cafe in Leith, Edinburgh, is popular for solo dining. The casual, cosy atmosphere and free Wi-Fi make it easy to settle in alone, and staff are consistently described as friendly and attentive. Board games are available if you want to stay longer.

Roseleaf Bar Cafe welcomes dogs both inside and outside. Recent reviews mention the place is dog-friendly, and it's a regular spot for locals bringing their pets.

Roseleaf Bar Cafe's most-mentioned dishes are Cullen Skink, mac and cheese, and beef shin pie. Breakfast and brunch are particularly celebrated—French toast and eggs benedict are standouts. The sticky toffee pudding is also highly praised.

Roseleaf Bar Cafe accepts reservations and recommends booking for brunch, lunch, and dinner, especially on busier nights. One recent visitor noted getting 'the last table on a Monday night in September', so advance booking is wise.

Roseleaf Bar Cafe has a cosy, quirky atmosphere with antique china and art pieces throughout. Staff create a warm, conversational environment even when busy. It feels informal and welcoming to families, groups, and solo diners alike.

How We Rank Venues

Rankings are recalculated monthly from live Google Business Profile data. Our Hot Score weighs review velocity (new text reviews), baseline rating, and Google Business Profile completeness. No editorial picks, no paid placements — just what the data says this month.

Hot Score: 69/100 · ranked October 2026

The written profile on this page is generated from real Google reviews and reviewed monthly. Quotes are verbatim and belong to the people who wrote them — not to us.

How our monthly rankings work

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