Café Artista Ltd
Quick info
About Café Artista Ltd
Meals run from breakfast through dinner at Café Artista Ltd, an Italian restaurant on Marchmont Crescent in Edinburgh. Mornings bring bagels, including scrambled egg and smoked salmon versions, alongside omelettes, focaccia and bruschetta italiana, while later in the day the kitchen turns to pizza and calzone, pasta plates such as spaghetti carbonara and salmon pasta, prawn risotto and steak. The menu runs to 72 dishes, with tiramisu and panettone among the desserts. At the close of a meal, a complimentary homemade limoncello arrives at the table, a small gesture that rounds off the visit at no cost. The owner-chef works front of house, greeting and seating guests, and tables are rearranged to accommodate larger groups. Reservations are required, and the restaurant opens Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays. Dogs are welcome. No automatic tip is added to the bill.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- ParkingSomewhat difficult to find a space
- AccessibilityHas wheelchair-accessible car park · Has wheelchair-accessible entrance · Has wheelchair-accessible seating
- Good for kidsGood for kids · High chairs available · Family friendly
- DietaryServes vegan dishes · Serves vegetarian dishes
Menu & Prices
72 dishes · mains £8–33- SCRAMBLED EGG ON BAGEL£7.95
- CREAM CHEESE & BACON BAGEL£8.95
- SMOKED SALMON & SCRAMBLED EGG BAGEL£12.95
- OMELETTE£11.95
- FOCACCIA£10.95
- BRUSCHETTA ITALIANA£7.95
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention the calzone, homemade limoncello on the house, tiramisu for dessert and no automatic tip prompt.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention the calzone, homemade limoncello on the house, tiramisu for dessert and no automatic tip prompt.
Customer Review Summary
Pizza and pasta anchor most accounts, with the calzone singled out repeatedly as a meal large enough that one diner was glad to have skipped breakfast and lunch. Close behind sits the tiramisu, shared for dessert by several, alongside spaghetti carbonara, bolognese, prawn risotto, salmon pasta, lasagna and panettone, all described as authentic and well balanced, one visitor rating the meal above ones eaten in Italy. A breakfast regular calls the egg bagel the best ever had, praising fresh bread and a hint of olive oil in the eggs. The owner draws warm mentions for rearranging tables for a large group and sending out homemade limoncello on the house, and diners note the bill arrives without an automatic tip or prompt. Two reviewers, though, report poor treatment: one coeliac guest asked about gluten free options and got a flat "no", and another describes leaving shocked by their reception within ten minutes. Several suggest booking a reservation to avoid disappointment.
Customer Review Summary
Pizza and pasta anchor most accounts, with the calzone singled out repeatedly as a meal large enough that one diner was glad to have skipped breakfast and lunch. Close behind sits the tiramisu, shared for dessert by several, alongside spaghetti carbonara, bolognese, prawn risotto, salmon pasta, lasagna and panettone, all described as authentic and well balanced, one visitor rating the meal above ones eaten in Italy. A breakfast regular calls the egg bagel the best ever had, praising fresh bread and a hint of olive oil in the eggs. The owner draws warm mentions for rearranging tables for a large group and sending out homemade limoncello on the house, and diners note the bill arrives without an automatic tip or prompt. Two reviewers, though, report poor treatment: one coeliac guest asked about gluten free options and got a flat "no", and another describes leaving shocked by their reception within ten minutes. Several suggest booking a reservation to avoid disappointment.
Featured reviews
- Shona Coyle
“Dropped in and nicely mentioned I am coeliac and asked if they have any gluten free food. Waitress just replied "no". Most places have at least something, but even if not, it's usually a nicer response than "no".”
- Giada D'Amore
“We had a really upsetting experience at this cafe and honestly left shocked by how we were treated in less than 10 minutes. …”
- Emma Leech
“Popped in for an early dinner on a Friday night and had an incredible meal. We each had the calzone (suffice to say, I’m really glad I’d not had breakfast or lunch!) and then shared a tiramisu for dessert. Very friendly staff, great pricing and the waiter skipped the tip button (no pressure) and was surprised when I asked him to go back so we could leave one because the service was so good. I’ve been here before solo and had a range of dishes including breakfast and lunch and both were good but tonight was something else. Back again tonight (Feb 20) and had a wonderful meal, drinks, prompt service and a surprise limoncello on the house at the end. We had steak (not realising we’d actually get two steaks #winning) and a calzone. Amazing! A huge bonus point is that this is actually one of the only places that don’t add an automatic tip or flag the tip option when the bill comes. I’m always happy to tip good service so I did but it makes a lovely change not to have it automatically added whether you like it or not.”
- Yang Teoh
“Was recommended by an uber driver, turns out the guy was a friend of the owner. Service was top tier as the owner was welcoming despite having a really fierce look. We came in a large group and the owner rearranged the table to accommodate us. As we ordered a lot, the owner also gave us a few sips of lemoncello, which I believe was homemade and was really nice. Would recommend if you’re looking for authentic Italian food.”
- Hadeel
“Best egg bagel i’ve ever had in my life. No joke. Bread was nice and fresh. You could taste a delicious hint of olive oil in the eggs. I’m definitely coming back.”
Hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
- Serves great coffee
- Serves great dessert
- Popular for popular for breakfast
- Popular for popular for lunch
- Popular for popular for dinner
- Popular for good for solo dining
Amenities
- Has Wi-Fi
- Has wheelchair-accessible car park
- Accepts reservations
- Has outdoor seating
- Dogs allowed outside
- Has no-contact delivery
Show more amenities
- Offers takeaway
- Serves dine-in
- Family friendly
- Serves vegan dishes
- Has bar on site
- Casual
- Service options· 1
- Offers delivery
- Offerings· 12
- Serves alcohol
- Serves beer
- Serves cocktails
- Serves coffee
- Has free water refills
- Serves healthy options
- Serves late-night food
- Quick bite
- Serves small plates
- Serves spirits
- Serves vegetarian dishes
- Serves wine
- Dining options· 6
- Serves breakfast
- Serves lunch
- Serves dinner
- Serves dessert
- Has seating
- Has table service
- Highlights· 2
- Serves great coffee
- Serves great dessert
- Atmosphere· 2
- Cosy
- Trendy
- Parking· 1
- Somewhat difficult to find a space
- Family-friendly· 2
- Good for kids
- High chairs available
- Popular for· 4
- Popular for breakfast
- Popular for lunch
- Popular for dinner
- Good for solo dining
- Facilities· 2
- Has gender-neutral toilets
- Has toilet
- Crowd· 3
- Good for groups
- Popular with tourists
- Popular with university students
- Accessibility· 2
- Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Has wheelchair-accessible seating
- Planning· 2
- Reservations required
- Dinner reservations recommended
Location
Italian restaurants near Café Artista Ltd
- 0.8 mi£40–90
wine tasting flight, ravioli, carbonara
- Mia Italian Kitchen Dalry4.51,5451.1 mi
risotto, pizza, veal
- Scarpetta Edinburgh4.75291.2 mi£20–30
ragu pasta, tiramisu, carbonara
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Café Artista Ltd | 4.4326 | — | £10–20 | the calzone, homemade limoncello on the house, tiramisu for dessert |
| Divino Enoteca Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar | 4.71,503 | 0.8 mi | £40–90 | wine tasting flight, ravioli, carbonara |
| Mia Italian Kitchen Dalry | 4.51,545 | 1.1 mi | — | risotto, pizza, veal |
| Scarpetta Edinburgh | 4.7529 | 1.2 mi | £20–30 | ragu pasta, tiramisu, carbonara |
The 3 nearest italian restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
Similar Italian restaurants nearby
More to explore in Edinburgh
108 places
Restaurants in Edinburgh
Photo: Makars Mash Bar · 4.8 · 11,013 Google reviews
See all 108 restaurants in Edinburgh
