There’s a whole ambience that goes with a cool café and Curiofestival lists the city’s best:

Adventures in tea
For those keen to broaden their choice of a cuppa beyond PG Tips, this teahouse shop boasts 80 varieties of loose tea; more than enough to satisfy your tea obsession. Chai also serve alcohol-infused tea in boozy cocktails. So for a tantalising tea adventure …

Chai: Adventures in Tea, 3A Merchant St (013-477-1838)

Art Collective
The Forest Café funds the Forest Arts space, a unique self funded non commercial collective, that offers free studio, shop and performance facilities to local artists. Feel a part of this collective over a coffee (fair trade of course) or Vegetarian lunch.

The Forest Cafe, 3 Bristo Place, www.theforest.org.uk

Black coffee
Edinburgh is not renowned for its native American culture, so it’s a surprise to be greeted by a totem pole and an interior modelled on a log cabin theme. The Café’s proximity to Edinburgh University adds a laid back and slightly bohemian cleintele. The perfect medicine to escape a stressful day.

Black Medicine Coffee Co, 2 Nicolson St, (013- 622-7209)

Tea Potter
The place where J K Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book, she used to take refuge here in the days when she couldn’t afford to heat her flat. The café itself is notable for its vast collection of elephants, and stunning castle views. Hard to get a seat at Festival time but well worth the effort.

Elephant House, 21 George IV Bridge, (0131-220-5355)