With a slightly limited amount of time, this lunchtime, I was in need of somewhere nearby for a quick bowl of soup. I headed to Cafe Cockburn on Cockburn Street.

It’s a slightly odd little place. The interior is relatively smart, with a range of seating and table options. Maybe I’d chosen a bad time for my visit, but rarely can I remember a place with such a dreary atmosphere.

Anyhoo, their soup of the day was lentil. At £4.30, this looked a little expensive, and with paninis starting at £5.90, making a notional soup and sandwich combo north of a tenner, this looked suspiciously tourist-trappy. I ordered the soup and took a seat.

After a minute or two, it arrived accompanied by a slice of white toast. The soup was surprisingly good with a nicely balanced flavour and good texture. The toast was more routine, but I was pretty pleased with things.

So overall, the soup at Cafe Cockburn was very good, but a combination of a curiously dour atmosphere and a tendency towards over-pricing make it a place I wouldn’t particularly recommend or see myself visiting again.

A few changes to liven things up coupled with a drop in the pricetag could quickly make it more attractive, so hopefully they’re able to make those changes in the coming weeks and months.

Scores
Blythe scores Cafe Cockburn
3.5/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3.5/5 for setting
3/5/5 for food
giving an overall 13/20

I ate: lentil soup

I drank: water

I wore: black and brown

Total bill: £4.30