The Lodge Coffee House in Edinburgh

Not a lodge. Sorry.I'm wholly unaware of a delight greater than the one produced by chancing upon a hidden coffee shop, but with the emergence of satellite smartphone applications, a concept so wild and so inconceivably grand, our daily expeditions have been unfortunately sterilized and our lives have been robbed from that sense of discovery which we used to hold so dear when we where young.So imagine my shock when my expedition towards one of Edinburgh’s greenest and most affluent neighbourhoods, an expedition made with the promise of abstaining from any device which would tempt me with the forbidden and time-consuming fruits of internet connectivity, led me, after numerous twists and turns and back-alleys and hidden paths that I felt that I had no business being on, right on the doorstep of a grand, magical expanse of trees.A forest was now spread before me, beckoning me to treat the surrounding buildings as a mere afterthought and to take the path that unravelled before my feet until I can hear nothing but the flow of water, the rustling of branches and the crunching of leaves.But first... Coffee.Having been roaming around Morningside for the past couple of hours, as it was my day off work and I had been in such a fervent exploratory mood, the sight of a tiny, ancient, stone house that featured a signage with the name ‘’The Lodge Coffee House’’ literally put a spring in my step.What’s worth noting is that the position of the entrance meant that all guests would be lucky enough to sip on their coffees and munch on those plump, delicious looking scones in full view of the forest that lay before them, with the west-facing wall cloaking their eyes from the buildings and the passing cars which would otherwise severely injure the natural aesthetic.But in a surprisingly underwhelming turn of events I would soon be informed by one of the ‘’Lodge’s’’ patrons that the space which once served as a haven of peace and tranquillity, had now been converted in to a storage facility.A crude, untidy little warehouse, where boxes and tables and chairs and other lifeless and soulless objects appear to have grown so terribly important for the management of this stunning but unfortunate little establishment that they seem to have overshadowed the significance of creating a space of calm, comfort and relaxation.So no. This is not a lodge.Ordering your coffee by leaning over an open window not only creates a transactional dynamic similar to the one experienced when ordering a large coke and a big mac from a MacDonald’s drive through, but also completely eradicates any chance of sustaining a positive and fruitful customer experience.Its isn’t easy writing these sentences. My heart goes out to all small business owners that have truly suffered over the past two years and there is nothing that I wish more than to leave a five star review, accompanied by something simple, easy and uncomplicated. Something like ‘’Lovely scones’’ or ‘’Truly a hidden gem’’ or ‘’Will definitely visit again’’.But I can’t. Not until you stop shooting yourselves in the foot and begin to realize that the short-term convenience of not having to deal with the fuss of letting your customers indoors will result in grave long-term consequences.Will be visiting again, but not shortly.Sometime towards the first weeks of October.When umbrellas are glistening with rain-water, wellies are fitted over cold, damp socks and t-shirts have vanished under mountains of long-sleeved shirts, jackets and woollen jumpers.Looking forward finding rest and relaxation within your lodgings.Will be seeing you then.Much LoveChris

Stopped in here today during a nice walk in the sun with my wife. The coffees were really nice and the lady serving was lovely. They also had lots of nice treats and lunch food. Well worth a pit stop

Popular place for a post Hermitage walk snack. Bit pricey but food OK. Not sure if any inside tables but dog friendly outside tables.

A great meeting place for a coffee and a scone, good for dog walkers and Hermitage of Braid walkers. Friendly staff too. Plenty room and seating and Parking on street.

The only reason I come to walk my dog in the braid is for one thing. The scones produced by this cafe are to DIE FOR!!! owned by a lovely couple who make EXCELLENT SCONES and yummy hot chocolate. 😋

I’ve walked in the Hermitage since I was 5 years old and my mum and I used to talk about how great it would be to open up a little coffee shop. The Lodge Coffee House is the perfect answer to our pipe dream. Even better, it’s lovely and has delicious coffee, which can be hard to come by when it comes to decaf.

We love this cafe. A lovely place to eat before the pandemic, and a lovely take-away treat during the pandemic. Staff are always friendly (even when they are so busy), often remember people's drink of choice, and definitely go the extra mile in customer service. Would highly recommend, and am very thankful they have managed to keep going, and thriving, during the past year.

As always it was fab - delicious crepe and good coffee - photo from the hotel just up the road

Fantastic little coffee shop open offering good value for money. Has a well established clientele of locals dropping in, as well as walkers, some with dogs as it's dog friendly. We particularly like the carry outside seating area, as it's astro turfed, enclosed and has a couple of tables under cover. Inside it's cosy warm but not huge, just perfectly formed.The tea and coffee are excellent and cold drinks are available. We like their soup and toastie combo if were passing around lunchtime. As the soup is wholesome and the bread and fillings are very tasty. Earlier in the day we go for their home made scones or the ginger cake. World's away from big brand outlets offerings.

Nice place after a lovely walk. Coffee and soup are good. Sitting outside would be great if it isn't cold. Dog friendly is also a point!