brew lab

i am not a coffee person at all and for one of my first coffees ive ever had this was a super good one. i was there for my brunch so had a croissant and it was very good. staff are super friendly and there is there is plenty of comfy seating all over the place.

pleasant coffee shop where a mix of people can be found (not just students with laptops as i had presumed). i was a little disappointed with the limited number of choices of savoury dishes but went for the chorizo and chickpea salad which was delicious and came with a side of chunky bread.

unfortunately i was too full for a cake and coffee however the selection of cakes looked fantastic and i will definitely be back to try the brownie.

the coffee menu on the wall didn't state whether they have syrups for coffees which is a big deal for a vanilla latte lover like me but
i guess i'll find out next time. gavin henderson however highly recommends the latte and thoroughly enjoyed his pain au chocolat.

loved the interior design - very similar to black medicine which is just across the road and one of my favourite coffee shops.

i don't think brew lab tops black medicine for me however it is definitely worth a visit. i've never had a better salad.

i have my boyfriend to thank for finding brew lab. we met here for lunch and i had such a great experience that i headed back for a second visit. the menu here isn't big, but the food is big in taste. we shared a steak baguette and a bowl of soup; i chose the soup again on my second visit. the food is amazing, i found both soups and the baguette to be filled with flavour. the set up is perfect for dining as a group or by yourself because they have so many types of eating areas; large tables, small tables, benches, comfy seats with a ledge. at this time of year it's a great place to escape the cold weather and warm up with a delicious bowl of soup or a tasty hot chocolate!

i went for a coffee excursion in edinburgh. looking for a perfect cup in a rapidly multiplying options of independent coffee houses. my first stop was brew lab, convenience located nearby my hotel, just by the university.

excellent coffee! they really focus on the process of making a proper cup of coffee. however, because they care so much about the coffee itself i wouldn't recommend it if you are on a hurry cause it can be slow (plus it's usually crowded so it's also not that good if you want to work). anyway, as said before, the coffee is amazing!

brew lab is my favourite cafe at the moment - they serve high-quality, speciality coffee and have an incredible selection of breads, cakes and pastries from local, artisan bakeries. definitely try the passionfruit slice if you see it - it's delicious!

the decor is a mix of modern and distressed, with brick walls, exposed light bulbs, vintage school desks, and a few comfy couches and arm chairs. there is ample seating, although it seems to be quite busy most of the time, and it can be difficult to find a seat. 

i love their cold brew coffee (which is brewed overnight in water and triple filtered, but never heated), and nitro brew (cold brew infused with nitrous oxide). the nitro cold brew is similar to a pint of stout; it's smooth and creamy with a sweet finish, and noticeably lacks the acidity and bitterness you'd normally find in a regular cup of coffee. so good!

lovely little place where you need to escape and do a few small bits! coffee, laptop and treat! great for small one on one meetings! tucked away in the centre!

so many cosy little nooks to sit in and just hide from the world for hours. always an amazing selection of cakes (if they have the malted pecan blondie, get it- it will change your life), and such good coffee. not to mention thealthy soups/salads from union of genuis....perfect place to set up camp and do some studying/work.

firstly a great place to grab a coffee. and if you are in at the right time of day to catch the sun on a warmish one, you can sit outside on the bench and people watch whilst enjoying every moment of that cuppa.
next is layout and interior, which i love love love. old brick walls and old reclaimed school gym hall floors are lining this glorious coffee hub.
food isn't bad either. recently i've a very yummy prosciutto and emmenthal croissant. before that i've had countless coffees with the filled baguettes and almond croissants. they do soup and cakes! get in there and grab a seat as its another favourite with the student crowd.

proper coffee, delicious coffee and with wonderful food on the side. stripped back building and a chilled out attitude. easy to totally lose track of time whilst enjoying coffee at its best.

brewlab is at present one of my favourite spots to have a coffee in the old town. i would go as far as to say it does serve the best coffee i've had in the old town (as well as amazing flat whites they do a great selection of single origin bean coffees served black) and i would recommend any one to try it.

the best things about brewlab; the coffee is amazing, the food very delicious and the venue is pretty funky.  i flit between flat whites and single origin beans, i really love the latter has tasting notes and you know passion goes into making the coffee. the brownies there are also some of the best i have had. try the cream cheese brownie....you won't regret it. for coffee/food i'd give it 5/5

the interior is also pretty cool. very industrial feel to it, lots of exposed brickwork, slabs of wood, i like it a lot.

however, a couple of things that prevent me from giving a full 5 star review;

1. brewlab is great, so it's often mobbed and i often don't get in. some people tend to set up their computers and spend a lot of time working there which takes up space which is a bit of a shame.

2. service is a bit clinical. occasionally there will be a friendly smiley face, but again as it's so busy you don't really get the chance to engage the staff in conversation about the amazing brews they have on offer.

the positives far outweigh the minor negatives for me here and i look forward to many more great coffees to come.

a bright new kid on the university block, brewlab does coffee slightly differently from every one else. no screaming espresso machines here, instead there’s an intricate brewing system that’s supposed to make the coffee better. i have mine with more milk than coffee so can’t tell the difference, but i enjoy the gym hall floors, exposed brick walls and benches of this instantly popular café. they do nice soups and sandwiches, have pastries large and small and i’m rather fond of the lemon and rosemary cake. it’s always fairly busy and i enjoy the mix of people chatting or working, young and old. since it’s on south college street it’s handy for jordan valley foods and blackwells for leisurely sunday afternoon shopping.

im not a coffee expert as ive only been drinking it the last 6 months but i really lovely the ice cold coffee i got in brewlab this summer. it was nice and milky like i love and the setting was so relaxed i sat there reading happily for a chunk of time. ive not yet sampled the food but im hoping to in the future.

after a years-long clever marketing and research campaign on social media to find out what the public really wanted, brew lab finally opened to much attention in september 2012 - and from day one it was busy. their focus has always been to make excellent coffee and most people think they've succeeded. each drink is made individually - and you can see this - with no re-using milk or making do with things being just about right. coffee which is described as tasting of blueberry really does, and not because someone has added a flavour but because it's good stuff made right. the hot chocolate/mocha ingredients come from chocolatiers edward & irwyn and tea from pekoetea, using local businesses that are also of exceptional quality.sandwiches are fresh every day with a range of ever-changing fillings; salads - often suitable for people with various food allergies - are far more than a few things in a bowl and are meals in themselves; soup from union of genius and a whole bunch of cakes round off a very pleasing range of edibles for most tastes.the ambience is unusual - with bare brick walls, recycled school gym flooring and mixed seating and lights - but it seems to work. plenty of sockets and decent free wifi to get stuff done, if you can get a seat. for the only real flaw in this place is that it's never quiet. there are always people working, chatting, having meetings, and sometimes there is no seat left untaken. a sign of success, but it can be a bit of a gamble planning to meet there.

he asked what i normally ordered from coffee places and i cringed and closed one eye (i don't know why i do this) and said a mocha. he didn't look down on me from his great big coffee pedistool but was graceful and recommended a milk blend. i didn't know what this was but said sure it sounded great.