Our Man in Edinburgh: Elephants & Bagels

I don’t know what it is about bagels, but I just can’t resist them. Be they sweet or savoury, plain or toasted, there is something deliciously moreish about them. It’s probably not wildly difficult to imagine that I would be quite a fan of a cafe that specialises in them, but that is exactly the situation I find myself in.

For those in the know, Elephants & Bagels is a bit of an Edinburgh institution. With its walls adorned by hundreds of brightly coloured pictures of elephants (some eating bagels, all highlighting that I have less artistic ability than a five year-old), this Old Town cafe is the less-famous sibling of The Elephant House on George IV bridge (where JK Rowling wrote much of the early Harry Potter books). Very much at home in the student heartland between Nicholson Street and Potter Row - 32 Marshall Street, to be specific - this bagel joint boasts an impressive range of options to whet your appetite.

Whether you’re feeling in the mood for a plain bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon (a classic that will never go out of style) or something more adventurous their expansive menu is a welcoming sight behind the counter. But choosing the filling is only half the fun - there’s still your choice of bagel flavour to go! Want it on a plain one? A spinach one? Maybe good old cinnamon and raisin? Depending on the time of day you’re in there are up to 12 (and sometimes more) different flavours of bagel to pick from. It’s bordering on too much choice for someone as indecisive as me.

Once you’ve made your choice - I imagine the staff are perfectly used to people responding with an “Ermmmm” when asked what they’re after - your bagel will be freshly made up for you to either sit in or take out. I like to sit in and take my time over my bagel, either reading one of the many local magazines or guides that are kicking about, or looking around to see just how much more artistic the 6 year-olds are than me. I’ve heard people moan that your bagel is presented to you on a paper plate - mine came on a paper plate with a blue napkin, if you’re so inclined to know - but I can’t say it bothers me (or most of the other people eating in, by the looks of it).

I really don’t come here often enough, but I popped in last Saturday about 2 for a late lunch on my way home from doing a bit of shopping in town. Expecting my first couple of choices to be met with a ‘we’re out of that I’m afraid’, I was pleasantly surprised to get my first choice - pastrami, melted cheese and salsa - without any difficulty and then a choice of about 8 bagel flavours to go with it (I settled on olive). Clearly there’s a bit of a lull between most of the students leaving and tourist season getting into full swing, but much the better for me. Sitting at the long table running up the length of the cafe’s wall, I was able to take my time over my lunch, reading a cycling magazine and engaging in a spot of people watching out the window. Its lack of business lends a greatly relaxed air to the place and also allowed, I noticed, the two members of staff to engage in tense-looking game of Scrabble when none of their patrons required attention.

The next time you are up in that part of town I would suggest that you ignore the chain sandwich joints (or worse still, the fast food outlets) and walk the extra 20 meters through Nicholson Square to visit Elephants & Bagels, you won’t be disappointed (and you can even draw them an elephant, if you’ve a little more talent than me).

Elephants & Bagels is at 32 Marshall Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9BJ

Craig (89 Posts)

Edinburgh-dwelling, baking and food-obsessed, twenty-something adventure enthusiast. Runs on liberal amounts of coffee, cheese, cake and gin; bribable with same.