Quick info
About Library Café
Inside the university library on George Square, Library Café serves as a walk-in stop for students and visitors moving through the building. Much of the menu is prepackaged, with a small amount of vegan options mixed in, and soup is served with bread when available. Coffee comes with a range of sweeteners, and student pricing applies to coffee orders. Canned drinks are also available from a vending machine to the left of the counter. There is no reservation system, so customers order directly at the counter. Dogs are welcome inside, making it accessible to those passing through campus with a pet in tow.
Good to know
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention coffee, student pricing, soup with bread and prepackaged meals.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention coffee, student pricing, soup with bread and prepackaged meals.
Customer Review Summary
Coffee is the most frequent draw, with reviewers calling it good or decent and praising the student price, and one noting a variety of coffee options with sweeteners. One reviewer finds the hot drinks and express meals suit studying or meetings, and another names the soup, served with bread, as the best thing to order, though they say it was hot enough to burn them. One describes a quiet, peaceful spot inside the university library, and another found the atmosphere nice for a new build. Food draws the most criticism: two reviewers call it overpriced, one adds that most of the menu is prepackaged with few vegan options, and another found it tasteless. Staff also draw complaints. One reviewer says the manager screamed at a student who took a sugar sachet, another says staff would not give them a fork, and a third alleges a server laughed with colleagues all night and showed bias. One notes dirty tables and sofa, yet a graduating student says they will miss the place.
Customer Review Summary
Coffee is the most frequent draw, with reviewers calling it good or decent and praising the student price, and one noting a variety of coffee options with sweeteners. One reviewer finds the hot drinks and express meals suit studying or meetings, and another names the soup, served with bread, as the best thing to order, though they say it was hot enough to burn them. One describes a quiet, peaceful spot inside the university library, and another found the atmosphere nice for a new build. Food draws the most criticism: two reviewers call it overpriced, one adds that most of the menu is prepackaged with few vegan options, and another found it tasteless. Staff also draw complaints. One reviewer says the manager screamed at a student who took a sugar sachet, another says staff would not give them a fork, and a third alleges a server laughed with colleagues all night and showed bias. One notes dirty tables and sofa, yet a graduating student says they will miss the place.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“I was pleasantly surprised as it's a new build the atmosphere was nice. We didn't stop for food”
- Google user
“The manager is actually evil. Saw her literally screaming at a student who took a sachet of sugar because she “wasn’t a paying customer” (that she knew of— I think she was because she had a library cafe coffee cup on her!) So stingy and not at all worth the price for your dog yogurt pots”
- Google user
“It's a cafe in the library. convenient. Food on par for a uni. Heard some very good gossip here.”
- Google user
“Decent coffee, dirty tables and sofa, but definitely will miss this place when I graduate”
- Google user
“Cold, mechanical, and depressing atmosphere. Rude staff that wouldn’t even give me a fork to eat their overpriced and tasteless food with. Definitely the worst cafe I've been to.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
- Great coffee
- Popular for breakfast
- Popular for lunch
- Popular for solo dining
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Dogs allowed
- Dine-in
- Casual
- Coffee
- Quick bite
Show more amenities
- Dessert
- Solo dining
- Restroom
- Trendy
- Dining options· 2
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Crowd· 1
- Groups
Location
Cafes near Library Café
- Snax Cafe4.47130.2 mi£1–15Outdoor seatingVegetarian optionsDelivery
full Scottish breakfast, haggis, hash brown bites
- The Elephant House3.94,3990.3 mi£15–30Vegetarian optionsReservations
butterbeer, jk rowling's writing desk, edinburgh castle view
- The Café3.2460.4 mi
Too Good To Go bags, fish and chips, leek and potato soup
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Library Café | 3.867 | — | £1–10 | coffee, student pricing, soup with bread |
| Snax CafeOutdoor seating · Vegetarian options · Delivery | 4.4713 | 0.2 mi | £1–15 | full Scottish breakfast, haggis, hash brown bites |
| The Elephant HouseVegetarian options · Reservations | 3.94,399 | 0.3 mi | £15–30 | butterbeer, jk rowling's writing desk, edinburgh castle view |
| The Café | 3.246 | 0.4 mi | — | Too Good To Go bags, fish and chips, leek and potato soup |
The 3 nearest cafes by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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