I visited Edinburgh’s John’s Coffee House – a Royal Mile tavern lost to the great fire 200 years ago

Edinburgh’s stunning architecture has long been part of its charm – and with a “new” tavern now open in heart of the city, blending modern comforts with structural ghosts, locals too can now revisit another part of their city’s history for the first time.

John’s Coffee House & Tavern, at 1 Parliament Square, in Edinburgh, reopened in February following an extensive refurbishment | NW

John’s Coffee House & Tavern in the corner of Parliament Square reopened after a £500,000 refurbishment in mid-February. It’s been reported that the tavern reopened after more than 200 years which isn’t strictly true – it already operated as a bar and reception area for The Court hostel that occupies the upper floors.

But the extensive refurb has restored the historic tavern’s ‘18th century charm and Enlightenment spirit’ when ‘some of history’s most influential minds’ frequented the cosy space until it was largely destroyed in the great fire of Edinburgh in 1824.

Similar to restoration work at the Edinburgh Futures Institute and Little Picardy, the impressive renovation elegantly combines old and new, with historical artefacts decorating restored stonework and modern furnishings complementing minimalist design to carve out a new identity for the historic space.

The historic tavern’s was once frequented by ‘some of history’s most influential minds’ | NW

The rebranded tavern is a vibrant, welcoming café and pub with a great selection of food and drinks throughout the day.

There’s a curated selection of locally sourced beers and ciders from Bellfield Brewery and Edinburgh Cider Co, and good range of red, white and sparkling wines. Its definitely a place for whisky aficionados with around 20 single malts to choose from.

Cocktails include ‘The Verdict’ (tequila, apple juice, lime and syrup), ‘Red Legs Negroni’ (gin, Campari and vermouth) and an enticing sounding mocktail, the ‘Edinburgh Exotica’ (coconut, mango, watermelon, peach, lychee pineapple and lime).

The original John’s Coffee House first opened in 1688 | NW

The breakfast menu, which is served until 11am, has a range of breakfast rolls, porridge dishes, waffle options and pastries. The all-day menu offers a good selection of flatbread pizzas, ‘home comforts’ including their popular mac and cheese, with small plates including haggis bon bons, nachos and chicken tenders.

For those wanting to pop in for hot drink, locally sourced tea and coffee is provided by the Edinburgh Tea Company and Common Coffee, with three specials on offer: The Enlightenment Irish Coffee, Hot Toddy and the Cauld Cock & Feather – ‘a glass of brandy and a bunch of raisins’ which owners says was a ‘speciality at John’s Coffee House’ back in the day.

John’s Coffee House & Tavern can be found at 1A Parliament Square, just off the Royal Mile. For more information you can visit the company’s website.