On a dreich day in the city, I toddled along Princes Street to Waterstone’s to give their cafe, Cafe W, a try.

Entrance signage

It was to Waterstone’s considerable credit when it took the decision to turf out the chain cafe that previously occupied the space and embrace local providers. They now have cakes from Cuckoo’s Bakery and sandwiches from Hank’s, as part of their selection.

The cafe and bookshop blend into each other so it has quite a quiet and restrained atmosphere. The view from the window would no doubt have been highly impressive if the castle hadn’t been quite so wreathed in mist, today.

Flatbread

From the sandwich selection I opted for a chicken and chorizo flatbread. The counter woman arranged for it to be toasted. I added an espresso, which was decent, too.

Having taken a seat it was just a moment or two before my dish was with me. It arrived looking quite tempting. It proved to be very good indeed with plenty of good, flavour-packed chunks of chicken. The flatbread itself had a lovely herby topping to it. It was tasty stuff.

So overall, I liked the set-up at Cafe W. It offered a nice selection of items and delivered good quality. I look forward to visiting again to try another of their sandwich combos.

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

I ate: chicken and chorizo flatbread

I drank: espresso

I wore: a hungover expression

Total bill: £6.40