Orb (Organic, Raw, Bountiful) Café is one of those great Edinburgh curios that regularly bring a smile to my questing face. It’s a raw food café, tucked away in a set of first floor premises that doubles as a community spiritual centre.

Exterior

You could easily walk past the place, unless you’re really looking for it. They have a little sign on the street, but the notice above the door still reads Shining Light School of Spirituality.

Once I’d made my way up the stairs, the welcome was a little strange, as presumably people are coming in here for more than just the café, so it was a case of a friendly “can we help you?” I replied “yes, I’m here to try your café”. I’m sure at busier times this works just fine, but a little improvement on the current entrance arrangements might be something to consider.

Interior

The spacious café area is light and airy. For now, it’s a slight mish-mash of smart café seats, and some mixed tables that hark back to the community centre feel. Once the place has bedded in, I have a feeling that the look of the place could be a real strength, but for now, “work in progress” is the best description.

My visit was at the start of the day, so breakfast was my requirement. From their selection, I chose the berry power granola, which was an array of fruits, nuts, seeds and berries, served with cashew milk. I accompanied this with a green tea kombucha, about which I had not the faintest clue.

Granola and kombucha

My items soon arrived, then owner Claire popped over to check that everything was fine. In terms of my granola, things were considerably better than fine, as it was a lovely bowl of wholesome goodness. I’d been slightly sceptical about the cashew milk, but it proved rather tasty, too. I was impressed.

The kombucha was interesting. Claire described it as somewhere between cider, beer and vinegar. Certainly, the latter was the dominant aroma of the fermented brew. It was drinkable, if a little intense for my palette.

So overall, I’m glad to have visited Orb and I’m very happy it exists, as it provides Edinburgh patrons with yet another choice across the diverse range of breakfast, lunch and dinner options that our city offers.

For breakfast, their price-point is currently too high, as I don’t think there’s a strong appetite to pay over a tenner for the items I sampled, but their lunch and evening dishes look much better value. They have some other refinements to make, but they are starting from a good position, with a nice space to develop and folks in the kitchen who know precisely what they’re doing.

Scores
Blythe scores ORB
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3.5/5 for setting
3.5/5 for service
giving an overall 14/20

Today’s quester was: Blythe

I ate: berry power granola

I drank: green tea kombucha

I wore: blue suit

Total bill: £10.50