The Fruitmarket Gallery

As an arts graduate, I have a fondness for all the galleries in Edinburgh. That being said Fruitmarket manages to do what a lot of contemporary galleries get totally wrong in Scotland, it is not stuffy, pompous or too clinical. Fruitmarket manages to get relevant artists through its door and puts on great shows. The exhibitions change regularly, which is great as this is a relatively small space and needs to be refreshed to stay exciting, and that is exactly what this place is — exciting.
You might not like whats on, but it will be different and is most certainly the most exciting thing within 10 minutes of the train station.
Plus is excellent value for money, being free and all.
Brilliant wee gift /​book shop with a nice selection of high brow texts and nice postcards.
Have a pop in, its worth a nose!

This little art gallery is just as you exit the Waverley train station on the old town side. It’s a small little place but always has interesting exhibitions on. It rotates quite often and highlights local and larger modern artists. It’s normal one artist at a time that creates installation pieces downstairs and upstairs. There is often a movie or books about the artist or their form in a little side room upstairs to understand more.
As you enter the exhibition they always provide you with a leaflet about the artist and their work!
Sometimes the art is not to my liking, but I always pop in to see and sometimes I’m very surprised and come back multiply times to see the same exhibition if it connected with me.
There is a modern art book shop at the front and a little but excellent café connected!
It’s free but takes donations ;)
Anyways it’s worth popping in especially if you have some time to kill at the train station!

I always try to take a quick look round this gallery when I stop off in Edinburgh — it’s so handy being right next to the station and usually has some interesting and eclectic exhibitions. It’s big enough without being too much of a walk around, and the little book shop has an impressive collection of art books and quirky gifts.
The café is also worth a mention — friendly staff, and lovely cakes.

Loved the Tania Kovats exhibition, is an excellent space. I was expecting it to be a significantly larger venue but was nice little gallery. Perfect for a quick modern art fix.

This review is of the café and service received and not anything to do with the upstairs/​gallery sections of the building.
If it wasn’t for the person I was meeting I probably would have never known this place existed, as I am rarely ever venture down these streets of Edinburgh. Me and my fiancée arranged to meet a possible wedding photographer here as it was close to the train station. So close, in fact, that at times you can feel the trains rumble below you.
The coffee is pretty strong and tasted decent as well which was good. I also got the falafel that came with a crème fraîche dip and a chilli jam which were lovely. It did stretch the wallet a bit further than I had expected, with a hot chocolate, cappucino and 2 portions of the falafel’s with dips coming to £15.90.
Service could be doing with a little bit of improvement too. After we had the meeting with the (what was decided at the time) wedding photographer, we just sat about trying to find someone to ask for the bill. After 10 minutes we went and asked how we could pay and we were told we could get the bill at our table. 15 minutes later, after I had got up and looked at almost every book on offer in the book section and having a quick play on my phone, we got the bill. The café wasn’t overwhelmingly busy either but maybe the staff were preparing for an event so I won’t hold any of what I have said against them permanently, there are two sides to every story.
I did enjoy the atmosphere here, having a café and bookshop (mostly books on art or artists but some classics and general fiction mixed through) right in the middle of an art gallery is usually something I would be up for at any time of day, I just seemed to go on the wrong day. Will probably go back to try it but won’t be in any immediate rush to do so.

Absolutely a go-​to, whether you are a resident or a visitor.
It has a fair amount of space for a contemporary gallery and brings in big shows.
There is a café (which I haven’t tried) and a bookshop (which is full of exciting things-​pricey, but just like all art books).

I love the Fruitmarket. It’s a great place to go and see artists that you might not otherwise discover. The bookshop is great (although watch your pocket as it’s easy for you to spend a lot!) I would recommend anyone studying art (history, theory, culture etc) or critical/​cultural studies or architecture (like myself) to come see the books and magazines on offer. The shop is also great to buy presents for your more arty and imaginative friends. I’ve loved every exhibition I’ve seen here and there’s often events and seminars connected to the exhibitions that are always interesting and informative. I haven’t tried the café yet but hope to soon.

Free exhibitions, always.
Sometimes I can’t quite comprehend just how lucky I am to live in a city so rich in culture, art and theatre. A veritable cornucopia of independent theatres and galleries, art classes and dance houses, as well as several National Museums and Galleries.
The Fruitmarket Gallery is certainly one of my favourites. Whilst normally I prefer classical art, and occasionally find modern art exhibitions somewhat pretentious or confusing (this is purely my own personal taste!) the Fruitmarket Gallery always hosts the most interesting modern exhibitions that have real impact. And as I mentioned, they are always free. This is truly fantastic.
The last exhibition I saw here over winter was of child’s toys and playthings in a grotesque manner. The exhibition itself freaked me out a little. The current exhibition showing until July 2011 is Narcissus Refleceted with an original Dalî and Jess, along with many other pieces. It is really wonderful. It doesn’t hold too much pomp. Instead the works of art and simply displayed along the walls. Dalî’s ‘Narcissus Reflected’ is in its own room with the original poem written to go alongside it laid out. Really interesting.
The Gallery space itself, no matter the exhibition, is very well maintained and suits any exhibition I’ve seen in it. With two film rooms (one upstairs and one downstairs), tall ceilings, white walls and wooden floors it has that hush, revered tone without being too vast or cavernous.
When I pulled out my iphone to take a flash-​free photo of the Jess piece (I was truly stunned by it) the staff member came over quickly to tell me no photos. I genuinely hadn’t realised, and apologised. She was completely ok and smiled and laughed. So, very approachable and down-​to-​earth staff too.
The fact that there is a wonderful bookshop here, with a range of books from art, writing, to philosophy is something I love to. Sometimes I pop in when I’m meeting a friend at the train station and am early, just to browse.
The café, listed seperately on Unilocal so see my seperate review, is also really really fantastic. Amazing home-​made food, great for veggie options, and divine cakes (including the infamous rhubarb tart).
In such an innocuous and central wee spot, it’s easy to completely not realise its there. But pay attention when you come out of Waverly, or come to the bottom of Market Street /​Cockburn Street. You’ll see the pink sign, see the glass walled building, and I’d highly recommend popping in.

The Fruitmarket Gallery is a shiny, salmon coloured contemporary exhibition space in the heart of Edinburgh.
Showcasing the work of modern artists from all corners of the globe, the Fruitmarket is very much for art enthusiasts. It’s free though, so people passively interested in art have the opportunity to gander and possibly discover new art they enjoy.
There is normally only one exhibition on in the Fruitmarket Gallery at a time. This is great for avid fans of the showcased artist, but it means there’s no room for variation. Saying that, since the Fruitmarket Gallery only exhibits these artists for a short period of time, it’s not long before another extensive exhibition appears. Every visit will be different from the next, and usually the kind of art broadcast in here is interactive, intelligent and thought provoking.
Not one for the kids but there is a fair amount of space for adults to enjoy. I have yet to sample what sounds like a lovely little café, but I noticed it was spacious and a good place to pop into if you’re wanting to get a bit of downtime (I can imagine students may come here to study since it’s a peaceful environment.) The Fruitmarket Gallery also plays host to a fantastic bookshop, full of books concerned with visual imagery and anthologies on contemporary art (handy for arts students!)
From photography to film, the Fruitmarket is a great space to discover and appreciate highly acclaimed modern art.

A quirky little art gallery on top of Waverley station. I quiet like the café here if I am in the area it tends to get quite crowded. As for the art selection– well that’s up to your own taste and opinion. If you have free time keep you eyes peeled for the various free talks and tours that are organised here– it’s a bit hit and miss but you may find something that suits your taste.

This art gallery is a nice tourist attraction, and a refreshing wee change if you have shopped your face off all day.
I had a coffee in the lovely café which was nice and very reasonably priced, not to mention packed! I have heard that the peak time in here is lunch which isn’t surprising as it is homecooked food at great prices.
The art gallery itself is very modern, and although I don’t know much about art, I know what I like. No dusty old paintings in here, and the exhibits change often which keeps it fresh.
Another great gallery which is often overlooked because of its location.

The Fruitmarket Gallery is a contemporary space in Edinburgh’s city centre that showcases the work of contemporary artists both well known and not so well known. I find that the exhibitions here can be a little hit or miss, but obviously art is a subjective thing and you’re never going to be able to please all people at all times.
In addition to the gallery space there is a lovely and very popular little café, the menu is pretty exciting and it changes with every new exhibition (often the food is more exciting than the art…).
The gift shop on the ground floor is one of the best gallery gift shops I have ever been in — there are all sorts of interesting books, cards and knick knacks laid out for you to browse through. Time seems to just disappear whilst I am in here and I have been known to spend more time looking at things in the gift shop than at the actual works exhibited.

I love art galleries, and I love the Fruitmarket Gallery. When I was in 1^st year I chose to study History of Art, so my lectures were always in galleries and I fell in love with this one. It is so different from your bog-​standard art gallery with the likes of Rubens, Raphael and Seurat, but the Fruitmarket has modern and interpretive art — which I love. They have really brilliant, exciting exhibitions and always have a theme. the last exhibition I visited was all about America, but not what you would expect. They showed a cowboy and indian movie on a huge plasma screen over-​looking the gallery ²⁴⁄₇ at super slow speed — I’ll never forget queuing to get into a club and looking up to see an Indian towering over me.
The gift shop is great too, they don’t have much but they have good things. They have a really nice little café too, it’s always busy. Although the gallery is quite small it’s still worth a visit.

My main experience of the Fruitmarket Gallery is the café. My Granny loves this place and often takes me out for lunch here when she is visiting. There was one time I was horrendously hungover and I still managed to eat here, so there is a plus point– the food is edible while hungover! Aside from that, the food is delicious when you are feeling 100% also. You will generally find at lunch time that this place is packed, I think due to the fact that it is a reasonably priced café in the city centre which is 1. Not a chain 2. Has an interesting menu 3. Serves delicious food. Also it has the added bonus of the gallery, but more about that later.
The food here is so fresh and you can tell there is a huge amount of effort put into producing and serving it. The menu has a range of soups, salads and rolls as well as the specials on the board. I had a superb squash curry in here, and it seemed like everyone around me had gone for the same idea. The soup is also scrumptious and the rolls are a far cry from ham and cheese or tuna, instead fillings include smoked trout and lemon chicken.
The gallery is wonderfully light and airy with some interesting exhibitions which are free to get into. They also have a lovely shop which has a huge variety of books which will interest young and old.
The Fruitmarket Gallery is great for a nice lunch, then an hour or so wandering around the gallery and the shop.

Popped in here the other day for an after-​work-​coffee with a friend. Lovely surroundings, good coffee, good service. The food menu looked original and tasty too.
This place is conviently located next to Waverly Station and makes a nice change to the usual Costa.
Didn’t get a chance to check out the gallery but I’ll be back!

First of all, it is one of the free art galleries which often hosts contemporary art works and installations that cannot be seen in other galleries in the city. It is tiny in terms of space, however, the building has a very simple, neat and welcoming design. I find the café inside one of the charms of the place although I have never had the time to sit and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee there. In my view, it is a great place to unwind and grab a small piece of art culture at the lowest time expense of an hour.

The Fruitmarket gallery, for me, had a bit lacking.
It sometimes hosts the odd gem of an exhibition but is something of a rarity. The space is rather tiny too, only having one small bottomg room and an upper room.
The staff are it’s downpoint, rather cold and unhelpful, they stand emotionless in corners lacking any interaction with the visitors.
The shop is a small charm, but prices can sometimes catch you off guard.
The Fruitmarket is an okay place to waste away some time but nothing special here.

I’d first like to question why the fruitmarket gallery is listed as a supermarket on here?
Moving on from that niggle– I love the fruitmarket gallery. The bookshop is great– full of those books that you don’t need but lust after; the café is really nice, good atmosphere, fresh food; and the gallery space is gorgeous. Some of the shows are a bit hit and miss– I tend to enjoy every other show– but it’s FREE, and always worth checking out. The staff are really well trained and knowledgeable about the current exhibition which is really refreshing.

I’ve visited the Fruitmarket Gallery many times over the years but, while I could barely recall anything about the exhibitions I’ve seen, the food in the café very much sticks in my mind. This place is by no means a well kept secret and the competition for table space is fierce, especially at weekends, but once you’ve tasted the food you’ll know why. The detail of the menu changes fairly regularly but generally you can get lovely big salads (that will actually fill you up), filled rolls and homemade soups, as well as more exotic dishes with Asian influences, such as spicy tiger prawns and noodles. If you’re not quite ready for a full meal, it’s well worth popping in for coffee and cake as the range of sweets is excellent and everyone of them looks delicious. If you are prepared to fight for a seat, this place is a must.

the Fruitmarket is a great addition to the Edinburgh art scene. Its a great space that seems large thanks to the construction– not to the actual size. There is always something interesting going on in the galleries– recent shows have been excellent. The bookshop is also a great resource for people looking for hard-​to-​find art books– in addition to selling quirky post-​cards and for camera fans– a small range of Lomographic cameras and accessories. The café is a nice bit too, and the fare is reasonably priced. Worth a tuck into, and definately the place to go if you get caught in the notorious Edinburgh weather.