Library Café
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
- ReservationsWalk-in only
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention soup, student coffee price, overpriced food and dirty tables and sofa.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention soup, student coffee price, overpriced food and dirty tables and sofa.
Customer Review Summary
Coffee draws the most consistent praise, with several reviewers calling it good and noting a student price they appreciated. Close behind, the soup gets singled out as well made and served with bread, though one diner mentions it arrived hot enough to burn them. Beyond that, opinions split sharply on value and atmosphere: multiple reviewers call the food overpriced, one adding that much of the menu is prepackaged with only a small amount of vegan options. Complaints recur around cleanliness and service, with dirty tables and sofa noted by one visitor, no fork provided to another, and a manager described by one reviewer as screaming at a student over a sachet of sugar. A separate reviewer describes a male server as unprofessional, laughing and talking with staff instead of attending to customers. Others simply valued it as a quiet, convenient spot for studying or meetings between classes.
Customer Review Summary
Coffee draws the most consistent praise, with several reviewers calling it good and noting a student price they appreciated. Close behind, the soup gets singled out as well made and served with bread, though one diner mentions it arrived hot enough to burn them. Beyond that, opinions split sharply on value and atmosphere: multiple reviewers call the food overpriced, one adding that much of the menu is prepackaged with only a small amount of vegan options. Complaints recur around cleanliness and service, with dirty tables and sofa noted by one visitor, no fork provided to another, and a manager described by one reviewer as screaming at a student over a sachet of sugar. A separate reviewer describes a male server as unprofessional, laughing and talking with staff instead of attending to customers. Others simply valued it as a quiet, convenient spot for studying or meetings between classes.
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.”
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 miOutdoor seatingVegetarian optionsDelivery
full scottish breakfast, haggis, tattie scones
- The Elephant House3.94,3990.3 miVegetarian optionsReservations
butterbeer, jk rowling's writing desk, edinburgh castle view
- Pirlous4.56310.4 miOutdoor seatingVegetarian optionsDelivery
cinnamon buns, breakfast burrito, focaccia sandwiches
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library Café | 3.867 | — | soup, student coffee price, overpriced food |
| Snax CafeOutdoor seating · Vegetarian options · Delivery | 4.4713 | 0.2 mi | full scottish breakfast, haggis, tattie scones |
| The Elephant HouseVegetarian options · Reservations | 3.94,399 | 0.3 mi | butterbeer, jk rowling's writing desk, edinburgh castle view |
| PirlousOutdoor seating · Vegetarian options · Delivery | 4.5631 | 0.4 mi | cinnamon buns, breakfast burrito, focaccia sandwiches |
The 3 nearest cafes by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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