I had overindulged and I was feeling a little fragile, so I thought the best solution would be to head somewhere with nourishing vegetable goodness, in a bid to reawaken my flagging system.

Exterior

But then, due to meat taunting from NusrEt, in Istanbul, where a friend was celebrating his birthday, I felt the need to take some retaliatory burger action. Cue a fairly aimless wander, which brought me to the door of the Fair Trade Coffee Shop, which provided me with the perfect solution: soup and a burger.

I’d been aware of Fair Trade for a wee while, having plodded up and down Leith Walk on various occasions, most recently when visiting the excellent Sicilian Pastry Shop. It looked like a fairly run-of-the-mill place, but I was pleased to find it deeply joyful, on today’s visit.

Quirky table

It’s one of those places that has such a relaxed and welcoming vibe to it, that you feel waves of replenishment washing over you, as you sit in their informal seating area, spend a little time catching up on world events, and taking a few minutes away from the rigours of the workaday world. The warm welcome added to this, in no small measure.

As mentioned, I opted for soup, with a vegetable broth being perfect casting as their soup of the day, and a burger, with a bacon cheeseburger my choice.

Burger

The two items arrived together, after I’d been initially refreshed by sipping a glass of water. Both looked good, with the burger amply stocked with accompanying foliage. I tested the soup, which was on the stewy side, with a profusion of barley, split peas and carrots, but left it to one side, as it was volcanically hot.

The burger proved to be very decent, with well-balanced mouthfuls combining the beef, bacon, cheese and crisp salad crunch, with the fresh roll. It hit the spot, very nicely.

Soup

The soup was very good. It was exactly what I was requiring, with its some pulses playing a great role in restoring my sense of well-being.

So overall, I found the Fair Trade Coffee Shop to be a really enjoyable spot. The relaxing ambience combined with joyous exuberance from the friendly staff, with an added dose of simple, tasty food, came together to produce a winning experience. I’d happily pop back here, next time my batteries need recharging.

Scores
Blythe scores the Fair Trade Coffee Shop
3.5/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3.5/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving an overall 14/20

Today’s quester was: Blythe

I ate: vegetable broth; bacon cheeseburger

I drank: water

I wore: tweed

Total bill: £5.50