Beanscene

While not the most outstanding coffee shop I’ve ever been in, Beanscene has much to recommend it. I’ll be honest — its main draw for me is its convenience. It is literally right across the street from my flat, which makes it quite convenient if I want to meet a friend for tea or just duck out for some quiet study time. Would I travel a long way to come here? No way, not with all the other great coffee shops in Edinburgh. But Beanscene does have some strong selling points:
1) The atmosphere is charming. Leather sofas, comfy chairs, an antique feel… It really is quite homey. The downside of this coziness, however, is that the place is quite small and can feel a bit TOO cozy when you’re literally touching knees with the person next to you.
2) Great drinks. I love their teas and coffees! I think my favorite part of them is actually the cups and mugs they’re served in. The whole place feels quite high-​quality, rather than a franchised chain shop.
3) It’s not just about coffee. While I have not yet had the food here, people seem to really enjoy it — especially the pizza! That’s great, because it’s not often that a place will be great for a coffee date AND lunch. Give it a go.

This particular Beanscene is one of the better ones I have ever been in. The service there was quite impeccable. The gentleman serving me made a decent dry cappuccino which is what I like. Also the food was not to bad either. The place is not to terribly packed when I go in or walk by which is good. A coffee shop that is always slammed is not my cup of joe. For example Starbucks everywhere in this country seems to be a novelty or something and is ALWAYS busy. Anyways the place can be a bit messy with dishes and such lying about like some kind of dorm kitchen. And the internet is only good for an hour or so with the wifi pass you get which is kind of lame but I suppose it promotes an artery type flow of customers. Otherwise not a terrible place and a good little place to duck in for a little cup of coffee and some soup.

I’ve been seen in Beanscene before, supping a post-​work brew with a friend. On that occasion, I rather enjoyed the wood, the worn leather sofas, the summer sunlight through a glass wall that opens wide onto the street on hot days. We didn’t stick around long but I wondered what it would be like for a spot of breakfast one morning. Having done some heavy suitcase-​lugging before work today, I popped in to find out.
Friends: sadness ensues.
I was met with sullen weariness by the girl at the counter. Bearing in mind that it was only 9.15am, I can’t in all fairness put it down to «maybe she had had a bad day» as I ordinarily might. Having placed my order — tea and a bacon sandwich, please — I went to sit down, opting not to sit in the big comfy sofa but instead by the (closed) glass wall to watch the morning go by for a few minutes.
A goodly number of these minutes later, the young lady plonked my tea in front of me and wordlessly turned away to straighten the cushions on the sofa. «Excuse me,» I asked her back, tentatively. «Is there any sugar?»
She pointed. «Over by the trash.»
Ah. I trundled over and picked up a couple of sachets, noting that it was, indeed, in an intimate spatial relationship with the greasy, flip-​lid bin.
The arrival of the bacon sandwich was as unceremonious as that of the tea. Two slices of floppy granary bread appeared before me, with something baconish-​looking just discernible between them, and a knife. Perhaps it’s out of consideration for those who are fussy about triangles/​rectangles, but otherwise I shouldn’t have thought it was beyond a café to cut one’s sandwich before delivering it.
The bacon itself would have been good — nice and crispy — but it was cold; there are a few tricks to a hot bacon sandwich, one of which is not using ketchup straight out of the fridge. This sandwich was a glum disappointment.
I am reminded that I had a nice enough time here when just having a cup of tea in the summer, but that memory is, alas, insufficient to cheer my grieving inner breakfaster.

Average
Everything was nice, apart from the coffee. Popped in during a Sunday in the festival, quick service, and my bacon roll was fresh and came pre-​sauced with TK. I got excited reading the posters about shows on at the Zoo nextdoor, but did not have time to stop.
This is a comfy place with indoor and outdoor seating, and it was quite busy. The service was nice, but the coffee however, was pretty sub standard. If you see my comment on my check in, I spoke too soon…

Mixed feelings about this place. Food was okay. Wi-​fi for only an hour isn’t but y’all in Scotland are very uptight about it. Barista dude was very accommodating towards me wanting an iced tea once he realized that I just, really, literally, wanted tea with ice in it. Good service, average food, decent ambiance, disappointing wifi averages out to a three.

I’m not a fan of Beanscene. This one seemed to have what looked like strange black and white professional family photos on the walls which I’m sure was an advert for some photographer or other. Strange and off-​putting! I had a London Fog which was something I’d never tried before. — Sweet tea with a milky frothy top. Lovely! The staff were friendly and I was impressed that they host live music nights! The large front doors open wide on sunny days which is a perk. It’s okay!

I first visited a Beanscene many moons ago back in Glasgow (Skirving St, Shawlands) when Beanscene was still new, and then as a teenager frequented the Battlefield Road branch with my friends. Then, I moved to Edinburgh to study and with the Nicolson St being so close to the university I spent many afternoons attempting to study here. More recently though I’ve rediscovered it as I attend a dancing class at the Counting House, so every Wednesday some friends and I drop by for a bite to eat before the class.
Now in all the years I’ve been going to Beanscene it hasn’t changed. The décor is the same, the photographs on the wall are the same, and the menu’s maybe not exactly the same but it’s very similar. Beanscene does its job fairly solidly, but it’s never going to be great. Unless they feel that it’s better to stick with what works?
Our pre-​dancing munch tends to be pizza, as they do an offer for 2 pizzas for £10. This used to be a good deal, as the pizzas were between £6 and £9. But now, rather than having set pizzas, they have a list of toppings you can choose from. £5 for plain and £6 for two toppings. So rather than saving yourself up to £8, you’re only saving £2. But hey, better to save something than nothing at all…
The pizzas themselves are pretty good, with very thin bases. They tend to err on the oily side, and the wooden plates they come on are too large for the tables and spin round, which can make cutting them difficult. But they taste perfectly good. I can’t say the same of the baked potato though, which is absurdly dry (you have to ask for butter), and whilst my friends attest to the soup being nice there’s never been a soup-​of-​the-​day flavour that’s appealed to me. Mind you, their kitchen is small and they can only cook two pizzas at a time, so prepare for a long wait for your food…
All in all Beanscene is fine. It’s so conveniently located for the university that it’s never going to struggle for business, but when there are other better cafes near by they really should at least make an attempt at a refurb.

Last time I came here I was underwhelmed. The place is looking like its going downhill, the seats are all ripped, the place is just a bit shabby in general. There are a lot of places in this area that are far better in my opinion.

I love coffee; coffee, coffee, coffee. But when I ask for a skinny cappuccino, what makes then think that I want about four teaspoons of chocolate powder plonked on top of it? This was just bizarre, and it meant that by the time i’d stirred it in, it was a mocha, not what i’d asked for. In my experience it is often advisable to ask the customer if they’d like chocolate on top of their cappuccino.
My second issue was with the payment. They only take card on orders over £5, although there is a cash machine over the road, this is still a little inconvenient as I never carry cash.
Having said all that, i did not that they had a decent ‘lunch for a fiver’ offer on so i might go back and try that. The venue itself is a good size and as it was a warm day they had the floor to ceiling windows open which was fun to be exposed to the hustle and bustle of Nicholson Street.
A nice place for a coffee (if made properly) and I might go back to try the food.

Teehee I feel so sneaky writing about this one. It’s SO close to my home that I walk by it almost every day. The only thing I gues I’d have to say about it that’s less positive is that it’s got this strange pizza-​smell in the air, undoubtedly because it also serves pizza in the evening. Yet, the two smells don’t go together very well!
Oh well, other than that this is not a bad hangout, if you can grab the couch at the end of the room. Which is of the «I’ll hug your bum not matter how big it is» variety. The which I find very pleasing, for non-​disclosurable reasons.
The chai tea is absolutely fab here. Though for people who are looking for true tea and coffee-​experiences, this is not the place to go. But a late night pizza? Or a couple of hours hanging out doing some work? Sure, this is an easy place to pass the time.

Cheery spot in the heart of the city.
Yes, Beanscene is a chain but something about the décor, light, staff and selection of this Nicholson St branch works well and never feels chain-​y.
In the warmer months, I love the big windows that open onto the bustle of the street. It’s a nice place to do some work when you fee like half working and half relaxing!
There is free wi-​fi — the one and only time it didn’t work I was comped a free coffee for the inconvenience. much appreciated.

This local chain of coffee houses is one that has seen me right through my years at University, right up until now. Started by a Scots man, seven years ago they were the epitome of cool. Seven years later, there are imitation and coffee shops on every street corner, and they’ve lost their edge; but they’re still a nice place to chill out, grab a coffee and muffin, and watch a Sunday afternoon go by.
This branch is quite a nice one. Nicholson Street is packed with coffee shops, and as I’ve said as Beanscene is now a ‘chain’ (despite being a home-​grown one) it maybe doesn’t have that cool edge as some of its neighbours. It’s the sort of place students will come to study, families will come for coffee, hot chocolate and babycinos. The music on the stereo is all James Morrison, Cinematic Orchestra, and Elbow.
The cakes are always yummy, especially the muffins. The coffee is really quite strong, maybe a little too bitter for my tastes. The nachos used to be an institution in their own right, but since the chain has been sold they’re not quite the same. Less chicken, more nachos. The pizzas and crepes are a bit ‘meh’. So if you want coffee and a muffin, you’re spot on; but the savoury food is a bit of an afterthought.
Me, I come here when I have a laptop date with myself and want somewhere fairly quiet, but warm, clean and mellow for a bit of Jen-​on-​Jen time. The late opening hours (until 10pm) are also nice when you want to head out, but don’t feel like any of the hard stuff. Works a treat.

I’m surprised at the average reviews on here, as I absolutely love Beanscene. Screw Starbucks, if you want a good coffee bar this is it. Decked out in nice Mediterranean colours, you always feel warm, even when Edinburgh tries its best to turn you into a human ice sculpture. It’s a good size, so you can almost always find a comfy sofa or a seat, despite the fact it’s often busy. And the staff are all really friendly, not like the mindless automatons that work in Starbucks.
And more importantly the coffee is awesome. Really warming and with a full-​bodied flavour (whatever the hell that means), it is some of the best around. And this is before i get onto the piece de resistance, the hot chocolate. It is so god damn good. Nom Nom Nom. Really chocolaty without being too sickly it comes topped with whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles and mini marshmellows. I know, awesome right?
They do good food as well, with the chicken nachos a good choice to share between two. It is one of the best all round coffee bars in Edinburgh, and with it being located so close to the Uni, students have no excuse to miss it.

This Beanscene has a couple of advantages over the other Edinburgh branches.
(1) The doors fold back so you can sit and bask in the sunshine if you grab one of the sought after window seats.
(2) It’s open til 10pm and has a Bring Your Own Beer or Wine policy.
(3) They have live music most evenings from emerging local singers and acoustic musicians.
(4) The staff ooze the kind of attitude that can’t be taught.
Other than that, it sucks just as much.

Beanscene certainly looks great!
The exterior and combination of food and music is quite alluring, but I’ve sadly only had one takeaway meal from this restaurant on Clerk Street. I had some nachos to go, which were quite delicious, if not a little pricey for the amount of it.
Everytime I’ve walked past, there’ve been announcements of live music on the boards outside, which is quite exciting. I’ve failed to actually hear any music coming out of the Beanscene though, and would definitely have to have a proper sit down there before I leave Edinburgh.

Okay, so I hate Beanscene, my friends hate Beanscene, my friends friends hate Beanscene, their friends hate Beanscene and the good people of Unilocal have spoken and they don’t seem to rate Beanscene much either. So why in the love of all things coffee related is it always so busy?! I just can’t fathom it out. No matter what Beanscene you go to, they seem to have a constant of rude staff, luke warm coffee/​hot chocolate and poor customer service.
I’ve never had a good experience in Beanscene cafes, from the time someone spilt their coffee all over me, to the time I had to wait 25 minutes for my order, to the time I got asked for ID to buy a hot chocolate. So yeah, I’m not a fan but I felt I had to go into this Beanscene to be fair even though I felt nauseous just looking in the window at this coffee shop bursting to the rafters with punters. Still, I’ll give it a chance, I thought to myself, and strolled inside.
Like all other Beanscene’s the dull brown décor is exactly the same, the trying too hard to be cool lounge music is exactly the same. I just went for a tea which was reasonably priced but pretty standard, the staff were the usual, unenthusiastic, can’t-be-bothered with customers attitude.
This is quite a large Beanscene so there are quite a lot of seats but we still had to look around until we could find one and even then it still had all the remnants of the previous customers half drunk coffee. I drank me tea quite fast so we could leave and I left feeling as uninspired and as bitter towards Beanscene as I always am. After so many awful experiences with Beanscene out of principle, I really don’t want to set foot in another one and instead always look for a nice small independent café. I don’t feel too bad though because lets face it, Beanscene is lacking in a lot of things but one of those things isn’t customers.

Trusty old Beanscene. Academic year after academic year this has been my favourite place to grab a large mug of Americano, pick up a copy of the Metro and slip into one of its leather booths for a quiet read and a flick through my lecture notes.
Inviting staff, mellow beats playing in the background and a more personal alternative to the bigger corporate café brands result in a pleasant and reliable service that will keep coming back for more.
Admittedly, I’ve never come here for the food: Nachos, Paninis etc are the typical fare. But for a coffee and a place to sit and read, Beanscene will do just fine.

A hugely popular café, that I have never seen empty — in fact, i was once in here during a power cut for the whole city area, and we still sat in Bean Scene in candle light, which was pretty awesome.
Bean Scene however, is really just run if the mill — firstly, its always hard to get a seat in here, and because people literally sit in here for hours on end drinking just one coffe, its not like the seat shortage is just at lunch times. Food is slightly on the expensive side, and while there is a large selection, its really not that great.
However, I do like the atmosphere in Bean Scene, its laid back, chilled and often has some really great music going on. I’ve never been let down by the service, and really I always manage to enjoy myself here.

This is a popular café in the area mostly for three reasons: good wifi, stays open late (11pm) and occasionally live music. The service can vary substantially– from very good to appaling.
When it is sunny they open the windows so you are basically almost outside. Coffee is good (the mocha was excellent!), and the food (at least the Panini I had) was lovely and fresh and hit the spot. In addition Beanscene offers a wide selection of cakes and bakes as well as really good sundae ice cream. They have little booths if you prefer more privacy as well but their couches are pretty comfortable. However, Fiona above makes a very good point– this city has a lot to offer the live music scene and Beanscene is just not the best venue– the music echoes badly off the walls and it’s far too cramped. Also their food for what it is, is overpriced. So OK if there is nowhere else and you feel like a coffee.

Beanscene should be one of the best places in Edinburgh city centre to catch up with friends. It has live music several nights a week, a great central location and offers comfort food such as nachos and pizza to go with your coffee or smoothie.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite live up to what you’d expect. Unless you want greasy fast food then it’s not a great place to go for lunch or dinner. If it’s a coffee you’re after, you’ll get much better value for money across the street in The Grind House or even Starbucks. Likewise, if it’s a live music venue you’re after then there are plenty more in Edinburgh that aren’t quite so cramped and chaotic.
Basically, by trying to be too many things at once it ends up being neither. It’s clean, staff are generally friendly and pleasant and it is in a good location, but still it just doesn’t quite work.