Darnley Coffee House

After spending two hours gallivanting around Stirling Castle (because that’s what one does in a castle), we were ready for lunch. There were two or three places within and directly adjacent to the castle, however, after spending 4 days in the UK, I wasn’t in the mood for spending 10 pounds on a ham and cheese toastie.
We walked a little ways down the castle (8 minute walk) and came across the Darnley Coffee House, an unassuming little place that wasn’t on my Unilocal radar (I was searching for restaurants, not coffee houses). I wasn’t expecting much but coffee and croissants, but it turns out they have everything from french press coffee (you get your own little french press) to fresh soup and award winning desserts (if they aren’t award winning, they should be).
I went with the soup (broccoli cheddar) and salad with buttered bread and a carafe of Kenya coffee to wash it down. The salad was fresh, the soup was very creamy, and the coffee was outstanding. I drink french press at home and was happy to see it here. All of the coffee is local (from Glasgow), which is another plus in my book. Not a coffee guy/​gal, no worries. They have a great selection of loose leaf teas as well.
Best thing? The prices. Very reasonable and definitely not reflective of the quality of the food. When one pays 4.50 pounds for a bowl of soup and a large salad, one expects cafeteria style food (at least I do). Not here. I was impressed with the taste, freshness, and portions. The coffee and tea prices were also reasonable, as they give you your own french press carafe of coffee or pot of tea. I grew accustomed to paying 3.50 pounds for a cup of coffee in Edinburgh, so it was a nice treat to buy a cup of coffee at a price the rest of the world is used to paying.
Do yourself a favor and skip the castle cafes, take a 5 – 10 minute walk down the hill and stop on by Darnley Coffee House. Your stomach (and wallet) will thank me.

Great place for afternoon tea. The place is small and cozy, wonderful atmosphere. Had the cream tea, fresh warm scone and delicious made in house thick cream, and a hot fresh coffee. Come here if you want a relaxing, old world break.

Had the smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich and it was phenomenal.
Coffee and tea were both really weak though.
Nice spot, I just wish the coffee had been stronger.

Was here for lunch during my visit to Stirling. The place itself is lovely!
They had the usual options for food; sandwiches, toasties, soups etc. nothing too special. I thought the portions were good though.
I think there were only two staff members the day I went so it seems like the were overwhelmed. They got our order mixed up like twice and also changed our soup order twice too.
They did offer to pay for our soup so that was good compensation for all the mix up.

There’s just no disputing it. — Carrot cake is my favourite cake of all the cakes. Anywhere that offers up a moist, light, fresh slice of the stuff will surely have me rushing back. And the Darnley Coffee House did just that!
Up at the top of the town, nestling by the castle and the Tolbooth, you’ll find the Darnley. I’d walked by countless times before, heard local praise of their delightful homemade cakes and soups, and generally just wanted to pay a visit for quite some time. It sure does look quaint and pretty on the outside and there’s definitely a rustic, historical feel inside the café. In fact, the café is in the cellars of a 16^th-​century house; one in which Darnley, the husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, once stayed whilst he paid her a visit. History geeks, rejoice! For me, this was certainly a nice place to have a cake and ginger beer after an afternoon of charity shop browsing.
We came in 45 minutes before close. Due to this, it seemed like things were starting to wind down. — Our table wasn’t cleaned before we sat down or during our stay. The layout does make it a little difficult for staff to keep an eye on the café floor. We were a little unsure of whether it was table service or not. I did pop up to the till and the lovely waitress said she’d come out and take our order. We ordered carrot cake and coffee and walnut cake which were really all kinds of ‘mmm.’ Very, very tasty stuff and just the sugar fix we needed after our lap of the town. The waitress had offered to show us some of the cakes which weren’t on the menu which was very nice to her. Although, to steal my heart from my beloved carrot cake would be an almighty feat.
It was a lovely stop before heading home and I do think I’ll be back for some lunch. I’m thinking soup or one of their ciabattas. I’m looking forward to it!

This is a great lunch spot popular with both tourists and locals.
There are three main high points here: the staff, the homemade soup, and the sandwiches. There are a large range of fillings on offer, plus homemade scones in the old-​fashioned style with clotted cream and jam, homebaked cake, and a selection of coffees and teas. This is a quirky wee place to while away an hour or so, or to stop quickly for bite, or to meet up with yer band members prior to rehearsal!
Niall, Kerry, Emma and Eilidh — all the staff, in fact — are friendly welcoming folk who really give this small business a sense of character and heart. The building is historical and has been given added character with the inclusion of world currency and a map where visitors can put a pin in their hometowns.
The cordials, iced teas, homemade lemonades and other daily specials in summer are especially worth stopping by for. proper old fashioned homemade fayre, the ultimate in refreshing!
The only things that stop me giving this charming lunch spot five stars are: the coffee isn’t actually that good, it’s kinda chilly in the winter months, and there aren’t enough plugpoints around the room to sit with a laptop for long. The character, food and the service make it well worth stopping by regardless.

An historically fascinating building which is quite a good place to stop for a coffee and snack. There’s not a lot of room as the tables are very close together — we were lucky to find one right at the back near the counter as it was standing on its own. The walls are covered with money — currency from many lands — which is interesting. there is also a world map with pins pressed in to indicate where people have come from who have visited the café.
The coffee and cake I had with my husband was very nice. Service was OK.
In short, nothing to rave about but a reasonable place to stop for a coffee if you’re nearby.