Coming from the States, service culture in Europe can seem... not great.
That being said, Roseleaf offered the BEST service in all of Scotland. Our waiter was amazingly friendly, attentive and informative.
The atmosphere was dominated by relaxed locals and a homey ambiance in the Leith district of Edinburgh.
The food looked great, but we were just popping through for beverages and sweets. The drinks were sublime, and the dessert was too.
We would go back in a heartbeat. 5 stars!
Came here for brunch - staff were accomodating about enlarging our booking. The menu is full of choice for everyone. The smoothies and coffees were fab. If you're hungry this is the place for you.
Braved the "low road" - 2 poached eggs, 2 slices of meaty haggis and homemade hollandaise sauce. V Rich!
Perfect for those looking for a feed away from the city cente.
The food is made from scratch.. and you can tell!!
We both had the soup of the day -delicious!
I then had the macaroni cheese, made with smoked cheese - heaven on a plate!!
My sister had the beetroot burger ( even though she's not veggie) - A.. maz..ing!!
We also washed our food down with some fantastic Pot-tails!!
Cocktails served in Tea pots.. and you drink them out of mis matched china tea cups!! Felt verg "mad hatters"
We loved it!!
Can't wait to go again!!
Great quirky wee pub restaurant. We went for breakfast, plenty to choose from and food delicious. Only downside is the coffee which is served in old fashioned tea cups which are smaller than modern cups and they charged the same price as other coffee houses. Still well worth a visit. However book first .
Awesome place with friendly staff, great food and delicious cocktails (served in a tea pot!). Nice pub vibe, would definitely recommend to anyone!!
Really cool little pub in Leith. Wife and I had breakfast here when we were holidaying from Melbourne in August 2017. Friendly owners, tasty food and good coffee. Look forward to coming back.
I've read that this is a local favourite - Cullen Skink (the name sounds quite funny for one who has never heard of it). It's basically just creamy soup made out of fish and potatoes. I didn't enjoy the fishy taste in the soup actually. Mac & Bacon (£9.95). This was surprisingly one of the better dishes among all, freshly baked and served on a mini cast iron skillet.
Excellent place which is located very close to te shore of Leith. If you are looking for a place far away from the touristic ones, just try this one. I have tried a ginger sponge cake with a delicious sorbet on top it and it was perfect. Their beer menu is also very rich.
A lovely little pubby stashed away in one of the by lanes of a very concrete Leith. But if a good pub brunch is what you're looking for, hop in! Or better still "three hop" in. Discovered this fragrant and citrus beer in this pub and no other pub in Edinburgh quite matched that flavour. Had a simple mushroom on toast with poached egg and it was yummm. The desserts are avoidable but hey, it's a pub; only raging sugar addicts, like myself, would even bother ordering one. The toilets are a must visit...such character! Anyway the multiple pints of three-hop will send you there at least once ;)
Brunchalicious! The Roseleaf has to be one of the best brunch spots in Edinburgh
Quirky and cute, with lots going on, it's no surprise it's best to book in advance. Do yourself a favour and try the veggie haggis benedict, it's amazing!
Last night I went to this lovely tiny restaurant in Leith with Urban Traveller and Kate Re The place was warm and cosy and the staff very easy going. Moving on to food I can just say it was great, I got the burger which was very good and very big, delicious was the cullen skink soup that my friend got! I'll definitely go back maybe for brunch
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I finally managed to visit Roseleaf last night and I absolutely loved the place! I heard so many great things about it and I had very high expectations. They didn't let me down! I had St. Clements lemonade which was lovely! I was pleasantly surprised with how much choice of non-alcoholic drinks they had on their drinks menu. A lot of homemade lemonades which made me very happy since I wasn't drinking that night. I then couldn't decide about the food. So I went for the fish soup - chunky cullen skink which was absolutely amazing! Very filling though and it also came with two pieces of fresh bread. I loved this dish and would happily have it again. It's perfect for cold days coming up in Edinburgh! Then I went for the venison tartare which was a special of the day. I really enjoyed the meat which was accompanied by crispy bread and salad. Overall I paid around £12 for both of these dishes which was an amazing value for money! We also had an espresso after the dinner and I can confirm their coffee is good as well! Plus it was served in the cutest china I've ever seen! Roseleaf is quirky and buzzing bar cafe with amazing atmosphere, friendly service and the best food! It's worth to travel down to Leith just to visit them :)
Me and the wife came for breakfast and we were not disappointed... Best fry up I have ever had!! Big statement there.. My wife had French toast and loved that they left the maple syrup at the table.....
Highly recommended!
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Seemingly unique or quirky ideas are actually quite commonplace these days. That's not a bad thing. All it does is make one even more discerning and expect more than just gimmickry. We booked at the Roseleaf Bar expecting decent food, good cocktails and some of that quirkiness that everyone's been talking about. The exterior of the bar is quite unassuming and as you enter in, the giveaway that it's not a regular pub is the collection kitsch objects and hats on walls.
The service was friendly and we were looked after right from the start. The menu generated a lot of interest within our little group- I liked what they'd done with Nat Geo mags and I really liked the choice. I've had cocktails in China cups before but it still seemed like a fun thing to do. Even water was served in a china jar. The cocktails were very tasty. We tried a few but Rhubarb & Custard was out absolute favourite. Our brunch portions were fairly large and tasty. The desserts and cheese board were lively too. We were asked if we wanted hats and we said 'yes please'. Getting tipsy at midday wearing silly hats definitely sounded like my idea of fun. I couldn't fault the place at all and we had a fantastic time. I'd definitely recommend it!
I’m a sucker for a good market and the new Leith Market was no exception. Dock Place was the ideal spot for this great Saturday market and it’s wonderful to see Leith so rejuvenated. Edinburgh has a few great markets, I’ve listed them here. I developed a great affection for this area of Edinburgh during my time as Leith Festival Manager and now I can say “Aye Love Leith”.
One of my food challenges is to find the best French Toast in Edinburgh. So the hunt is on.A friend of mine said that the Roseleaf did great French Toast and they so do!The best part of this French Toast (ok there are more than one) – the super crispy bacon of which you get loads, the way the toast goes from crisp on the outside to slightly gooey then soft moist bread in the middle; it’s not saturated all the way through with oil or egg and the BEST PART, the glug jug of syrup! Are you honestly leaving that on my table so that I can pour as much syrup over my French Toast as I want???!?!? Yum. Heaven.So for now The Roseleaf in Leith have stolen my French Toast crown from Mimi’s Bakehouse with Treacle coming in a close third and I think I have had enough French Toast breakfasts for a while, but the search does continue.
Can only give this 5 but it should be higher. Have eaten here countless times and have never been disappointed. The burger is great and the puddings are fantastic. My partner gets a lot of fish dishes and she is always happy. The leith-al egg starter is brilliant. They do great non alcoholic drinks too. The carrot juice and ginger beer especially. Can't recommend this place enough.
Can't believe we're only getting around to writing about The Roseleaf. It's our go to place for brunch and also dinner.
The Roseleaf is a place full of character and for the outside it doesn't look all that special but once you're inside its a great place. Hats on the walls, cocktails in teapots and board games for rainy days.
We usually go for the full breakfast when in for brunch. It's served up on a skillet and my most favourite thing is how crispy the bacon. It might not be to everyone's taste tho. The full breakfast is a great size and sure to keep you full until evening.
The dinner menu is also great. We've tried the burgers and you'd be hard pushed to find as good anywhere else.
Top tip of you're planning on eating here is to book ahead. You'd be surprised how busy it can get during the week and at brunch time.
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The Roseleaf is a quaint little pub hidden away a bit on an unassuming street in Leith. The bar itself has a warm feel, which lends itself to the small venue. A group of us were trying out the mad hatter’s tea party. This consists of an afternoon tea and your choice of hat from those adorning the walls of the bar. Cocktails (or pot-tails as they are known here, as they are served in teapots with mismatching cups and saucers), are an additional cost, which is good for those who perhaps do not want to drink or are driving. Also, it does not automatically include tea me
There was a good array of drinks on offer and the cocktails all looked great. The teas arrived on traditional type cake stands. The two bottom layers were filled with savoury treats and the top layer consisted of two types of sweet delights. What hit me immediately was this was a much more modern afternoon tea as there was not a sandwich in sight and I think it was better for it. Firstly I tucked into some devilled eggs. They were really good, having a bit of a kick but were not overpowering. There was a salmon and prawn mixture sat on a seeded type crispbread/cracker concoction. The crispbreads looked homemade and were full of texture. Other savoury items included a mushroom and tomato concoction atop some type of bread square, croquettes, a type of hummous on a thin cracker and some cheese and fruit jelly on top of more of the crispbreads. Moving onto the cakes, there was a polenta cake and a brownie. The polenta cake was incredibly moist and fresh. The brownie was also moist and had a generous portion of nuts in it. There was also a vegan and a vegetarian in the group. The vegetarian received a mixture of foods on a plate, which she had mixed feelings over. The vegan actually got to choose from a special vegan menu, which had about five options on it, which was pretty impressive. Unfortunately she originally did not get what she ordered due to a mix up in the kitchen but this was resolved swiftly.
All through the meal the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly.
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The Roseleaf is an excellent little bar cafe situated in the heart of Leith. It’s been around since 2007 after popping up where the old Black Swan pub used to be on Sandport Place. The interiors pretty quirky with hats of various shapes and sizes on the walls, retro teapots that the cocktails (or pot-tails as they are known in these parts) are served in and menus made out of old National Geographic magazines. It all works well and along with great food and friendly staff makes for an excellent place enjoy a bite to eat, a drink or both. I’ve been in quite a few times now for Lunch and have always been impressed so a couple of weeks back we decided to head down for some Sunday brunch. To me there are few things finer in life than a good Sunday brunch and Roseleaf certainly didn’t disappoint. There’s an excellent selection on offer from their brunch menu such as French Toast: Chunky slices of homemade bread soaked in seasoned eggy batter, pan fried in butter & served with rashers of crispy smoked streaky bacon with Canada’s finest maple syrup served on the side. The wonderfully named Leith-al Egg: Locally snared haggis coated free range egg with a crusty coating & served with a fruity broon sauce, baked beanz & double dipped chips and a host of other unique and tasty sounding dishes. On this particular visit for both of us there was only one unanimous choice.. The Big Yin: Proper packed full ‘o’ pork sausages, Stornoway black pudding, slow roasted tomato, crispy smoked streaky bacon, beanz, flat cap mushroom & our own tattie scone with a happy egg cracked in the skillet & homemade buttered toast. The dish comes served in the skillet which is a nice touch. All the food was excellent, the Stornoway black pudding was fantastic and the homemade tattie scone was great. The crispy bacon is certainly that, very crispy. Miss Edinburger is a huge fan of very crispy bacon so that went down a treat with her. I prefer mine much less well done to be honest but still really enj
A hidden gem. Another of my regular-ish haunts. The place to go if you want an amazing night out!
the style is quirky & and the bar staff very friendly, gorgeous food in a totally awesome setting, the mismatched plates and cutlery are very unique!!
Great pub withan interesting array of fine ales wines & whiskeys
WELL WORTH A VISIT
I more than liked it, I loved it! Went in for a drink after dinner and was delighted to find a variety of great non alcoholic drinks (pregnant) and the friendly staff were happy to show us the food/drink menus... Whetted the future appetite nicely! Partner says the house red is v nice too!
Eclectic retro fun. Another of my regular-ish haunts. I love the retro decor: always sparks squeals of "do you remember that when we were kids?". Love the cocktails served in a teapot with teacups. Interesting varied menu but I must admit, I go more for the ambience. If you've got something to display such as photos/paintings, they let you hang on their walls free so always something interesting to look at too. Had a great Xmas lunch there last year - great fun, great food, great value for money.
Great restaurant - presentation is fantasic. Makes what would seem a simple meal look and taste fantastic. Highly recommended.
I'll definitely be visiting Roseleaf again. I think I'll try out brunch on a Sunday next time. The bar was very busy with groups on the Saturday evening and I feel that service suffered somewhat due to this. I can see Roseleaf being the perfect spot for a few drinks before heading out into town.
Additions to the burger fur a quid are smokey bacon and Stornoway black pudding and I decided to have some bacon as well. The resulting hamburger was a super tall burger, with a huge juicy burger, thick streak of bacon, melty cheese and tomato relish pinned
A local friend took me to The Roseleaf under the promise I would love it and she was spot on. This odd little pub is very pretty but also serves amazing food, as I soon discovered since we went there for dinner. In a group of 5, we all loved our dishes. The Royale Burgers were perfect, especially the one with haggis. And the venison was incredibly tasty. As for desserts, those were so so good that I would definitely go back for more. If you are around, try their awesome sticky toffee pudding or their brownie.
I have been recommended to try their afternoon tea... Guess I'll have to go back!
June 2015 Update: I have just been back for afternoon tea and it was amazing. One of the very best (and more original) in town. Also, the fact you can wear their quirky hats is also pretty cool
The Roseleaf is a quirky little bar set of The Shore area of Leith. It has cute decore IMHO and it's a relaxed atmosphere. The main thing I tend to go for is their Pot-tails, cocktails served in teapot & teacups. Although this isn't a strange, new thing these days when it first opened a few years ago it was the first place I had seen doing it. The Roseleaf have a decent selection of food, which being honest, I am yet to try and I will update if I do but I've heard very good things, especially about their full Scottish breakfast. There are also a good selection of beers and ales, as well as hosting Mad Hatters Tea parties with an assortment of hats & finger foods available. The venue is quite small so if you're going for food I'd recommend pre booking.
Anyone down in Leith should make a point of visiting the Roseleaf. It's has a wonderful vintage feel inside. From the fabulous hats hanging on the wall, to the quirky tea cups and teapots.
The food, especially the breakfast menu, is lovely. They do, for me personally, the best eggs Benedict in edinburgh. The big yin fry up is also really tasty.
If you are a cocktail fan then you must try the tea pot cocktails. Really different flavours from your usual classics.
If somebody asks for a recommendation in Leith I always start with The Roseleaf, it's a regular haunt of ours and we'll often be found munching on the Royale With Cheese. It's certainly one of the tastiest burgers in Edinburgh and the gherkin that sits on the top is out of this world (I didn't even like them until I tried The Roseleaf's).
It's not all about the burger though, the menu has a whole host of other favourites, the french toast and Bloody Mary are sure-fire hangover cures!
The Roseleaf also offer up fantastic cocktails, served in teapots (pot-tails!), it's the most sophisticated way to enjoy cocktails in Leith.
But what if somebody asks us for a recommendation in Edinburgh? We usually advise which bus will get them to Leith so that they can enjoy The Roseleaf too.
Dinner without reservation, cosy and warm small cafe. Had soup of the day & fishcakes, sea bass main, sticky toffee dessert and a couple glasses of wine. Excellent, friendly service. Bar and side room seating, accessible restrooms.
The service was good and the recommendation by the staff was spot on. The hummus was delicious and was easily shared between two or more people. The real hot chocolate was great. If you love clam chowder or that style of soup their fish version is fantastic. The atmosphere is family friendly and relaxed.
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We chanced our luck and went here for lunch without reservation. It was busy so we had to wait for a table. The gent told us that it would be 10/15 mins or maybe slightly longer for a table to be available. It ended being closer to the 25 min mark. The pub itself was quite quirky with lots of things going on. I got a mad hatter vibe. The toilets were covered in comic strips which I thought was quite cool. Whilst waiting on a table we sat at the bar. The woman on the bar could’ve been a bit more welcoming, she was task oriented and I understand she was maybe busy but it isn’t difficult to crack a smile. All the other staff were friendly and helpful. We were seated for our meal around the back. Menus were inserted into a old magazine which was funny. They had boardgames which was a nice tough. I got gubbed at dobble whilst waiting for our food. Speaking of food, I was stuck between the mac and cheese and peking pork rosey open flatbread. The server was very helpful and said he could do a smaller portion of the mac and have it as a side. I was immediately sold. My wife went for the meaty mcleith burger. Firstly the peking pork was really nice. I expected a bigger portion but it was nice with beautiful flavours. The mac and cheese was one of the favourites but it wasn’t mine. For me it was a bit too watery at the bottom and I didn’t actually enjoy the flavour that much. My wife enjoyed her burger and she couldn’t really fault it apart from the price as it was quite pricey. I got a coconut cream pudding for dessert and it was pretty good.
Overall, good food for pub standards. Love the vibe of this place.
Food was some of the best we’ve had on our whole trip. Super fresh and flavorful. The sticky toffee dessert was phenomenal. The staff were all super friendly and helpful.
Fair drink selection. Great neighborhood pub feel.
Our server, Hannah, was incredible. Very friendly, attentive, and gave great recommendations.
My entire group loved the Mac and cheese. We added bacon to one and chorizo to the other. Both were amazing!
All of us were very happy with our meals. I got the Cullen Skink and it was incredible. Smoky and creamy and delicious.
The raspberry lemonade is a great drink choice too!
We will definitely be returning!
I’m so so picky about Sunday lunch after growing up in Yorkshire where it’s basically religion. Roseleaf was easily the best Sunday roast I’ve ever eaten in a restaurant, every bit of it was delicious and well cooked. Those Yorkshire puddings, cooked in dripping, are a thing of beauty. The roast roots and the tender, falling apart pork belly were standout. I wanted a jug of gravy when the whole thing was presented to me but it turned out the intense jus at the bottom of the plate was more than enough. I found room to demolish half of an extremely decadent sticky toffee pudding with banoffee ice-cream (which really worked!). Next time I’m coming back to try the brunch
A really nice spot. Drop by for breakfast occasionally and always great. On the slightly more expensive side but 100% worth it given the quality. Coffee is really excellent
A wee bar in the Leith serving good food and delicious desserts. I go there often because it's very cozy and the staff is friendly. This is the perfect place for sitting by the bar and chatting with bar staff or sitting with you friends on the table in the back side. This time they had cask ale on both of their taps.
couldn’t fault the place, friendly and welcoming staff, food was spot on.
cullen skink for starter and the ox cheek with mash was spot on, crispy kale and carrots were cooked to perfection ….. oh, the house cider is worth trying if your a cider lover
It's pretty cool and lovely place , full of roses and things which will enchant you.
An update to the second visit to this bar
It's so classic nad always and this time had the food. And believe it the desert here is wonderful, something I will keep coming back and back for the brownie with those ice-cream and cherry sauce was a completely awesome.
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