Where to enjoy pancakes in Edinburgh


Thanks to its coastal location and airy space, The Beach House seems like just the place to start if you fancy celebrating Pancake Day the way it should be celebrated; without rush and in a relaxing atmosphere. The menu mainly caters to customers with a sweet tooth: you can treat yourself to pancakes with hot chocolate/maple syrup and banana, berry compote and Greek yoghurt, banana, butterscotch and granola, or a mix of savoury and sweet with a bacon and maple syrup combo. If you like them perfectly fluffy and made from locally sourced ingredients, you won’t be disappointed. Plus the sea view is a great selling point, so make sure you keep the afternoon free and enjoy a sweet treat in a nice setting.

Pancake Day falls on a Tuesday and the beginning of the week is always a great excuse to treat yourself to something delicious. The Treehouse Café is a safe haven where you can relax, forget about work and indulge; whether it’s Shrove Tuesday or any other time of the year, the café specialises in heaping pancakes that will curb your appetite. You can have them both sweet and savoury, but we recommend a mouthwatering combo of berries, yoghurt, honey and cinnamon to begin with. If you don’t feel like making pancakes yourself this year, let someone else serve them for you hot and ready to eat, and celebrate without hassle.

Whether you’re out for breakfast, brunch or lunch, the Southern Cross Cafe has you sorted seven days a week. Nestled among the shops, bars and restaurants of the Old Town’s steep and curving Cockburn Street, it’s a bijou cafe with sweet treats aplenty. Here fluffy Scotch-style pancakes come with whipped cream and fruit, helping you towards your five a day, while still enjoying a calorie splurge. For those of you who like a no-nonsense plain pancake, you’ll be pleased to know you can order a small stack with nothing but a drizzle of maple syrup and a dusting of icing sugar. Opt for a table inside, or out in the sun to watch the world go by.

Haute Dolci knows how to fulfil your desires as far as food is concerned. Even though the venue invites you to indulge in pancakes all year round, it takes it to the next level on Pancake Day by keeping a promise of ‘me time’ with a stack of pancakes drenched in the most imaginative toppings. Examples from the menu include a luxury pancake tower with Biscoff sauce, Lotus biscuit topped with caramelised hazelnuts and Madagascar vanilla gelato, and something more classic such as a stack served with blueberries and maple syrup. For a lighter lunch, you can also go for crepes, which are synonymous with pancakes in some countries and come with the same choice of toppings. Another option is creating your own perfect pancake stack and mixing your favourite toppings; Haute Dolci knows how to step it up.

Designed to resemble an American diner, The City Café is one of the most popular hangouts in Edinburgh among tourists and locals alike. Apart from the trendy interior, the venue is famous for its all-day breakfast menu that wouldn’t be as iconic without its signature pancakes: vanilla flavoured with maple syrup and a blueberries and maple syrup mix – yum. If you’re feeling particularly hungry, you can treat yourself to a stack of five, although the fluffy texture and delicious toppings will make you crave more no matter how stuffed you are, so remember to arrive hungry! While the options might not be as impressive as at other places, comfort food is comfort food and The City Café knows how to deliver when it comes to quality and flavour.

Make a bee-line for the city’s oldest Chinese restaurant (it’s been around for nearly seven decades) to sample some Chinese-style soft, floury pancakes. These are traditionally paired with a Peking duck. Feeling hungry? Get a full-sized aromatic duck with enough pancakes to wrap for £45. Or you can have a half for £30, or a quarter if you want more of an amuse-bouche sharing experience, priced at £20. The plain nature of the pancake is the perfect bedfellow for the rich shredded duck meat (a mix of crispy and tender) that’s served with plum or hoisin sauce. Rendezvous Restaurant is in the city’s West End, open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday, and for dinner on Sunday.

Loudons likes to create a balance of healthy, hearty and indulgent dishes. So it’s fitting that the pancakes come with either blackberry compote, poached pear, blackberry maple syrup and whipped cream, or caramelised banana, toffee sauce, whipped cream and pecan crumble (ideal for the banoffee lovers among you). The OG Loudons, founded back in 2011 by Chris Loudon, is found in Fountainbridge, with large glass windows and an airy and simple Scandi-style interior. This has been joined by an industrial-esque venue hidden behind the Royal Mile at New Waverley. Both are kid and dog-friendly, and offer an innovative mashup of self and table service. Vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian diners will find these venues very accommodating too.

There’s no doubt that pancakes are an evergreen favourite with younger diners. So if you have little ones in tow and are seeking somewhere family-friendly in the Old Town that’ll cater perfectly to their less mature taste buds, book a table at The City Restaurant. For £5.95 they can get a generous stack of two large pancakes with either maple-flavoured syrup or Nutella. With any luck, they won’t be able to finish them and you can pick up the slack without the guilt of your own entire portion. They’ll also love the kiddie beverages available, like yummy babycinos and blue raspberry slushies. This family-owned Italian restaurant has been in business for decades and is now marked by a quirky piece of fishy street art on its exterior (getting the bairns to look out for this is a fun game to occupy them en route to eat).

Known as “jeon” in Korean, these pancakes can be sampled at Korean BBQ on Tarvit Street or at the Salisbury Place restaurant. Order one with seafood or the national staple of kimchi, the famously healthy fermented cabbage that’ll do wonders for your gut health. You can still partake in the full-scale cook-at-your-table BBQ experience; just get some pancakes as a side to share or as your starter.

When it’s cold and dreary outside, or you’re having a bad day, all you want is a big plateful of the kind of scran mum used to make. Fortunately for Edinburgers (and visitors), there’s a diner that’s designed to meet exactly this need. Formerly known as the Monster Mash Cafe, MUMS Great Comfort Food is a permanent fixture of Forrest Road, at the heart of studentville and the Fringe festivities. For £11 you can avail yourself of four freshly made pancakes, with streaky bacon or bananas and cream, finished with golden maple syrup. You can add in a side of ice cream too if you fancy. With 20 years of heritage hosting hungry diners with high expectations, MUMS Great Comfort Food is sure to put a smile on your face next time you’re searching for pancakes.