Edinburgh Cafés

In the novel ‘Time to Talk’, most of the talking is done in various Edinburgh cafés.

Chapter 1                                                                                 

Max visits the Pentland Garden Centre to buy some plants for his new consulting room in The Warehouse.

While there, he is seduced by the Panola restaurant, which makes unusually good coffee to go with the home baking. On this occasion he is alone (and not in the picture).

But he doesn’t leave without getting what he came for – plants.

Chapter 6

Max and his friend Colin take a break in the Elephant House, on George IV Bridge not far from the Central Library  where Faith works.        

                                                                                                      

The Elephant House has been visited on occasion by J K Rowling, and on the day this photograph was taken by her father is in the picture.

This restaurant is an L-shaped establishment so, moving on to the next bit:

Chapter 10                                                                                                      

Finding a long queue at the Elephant House, Max and Faith cross the road to the Lucano.

Chapter 14                                                                                                                 

After making prints of the photographs Max will show at The Warehouse open day, Max and Colin take a break in Kilimanjaro. This café is popular with students a nd with me – one of the few places to have good shortbread.

 

 

 

Later that day, Max and Faith meet in Negociants. They have much to discuss. Since their visit, there has been a change of ownership and Negociants is no more. 

 

Chapter 16                                                                                                                 

The happy couple visit the Metropole for a quiet chat. This café used to be a bank and the strongroom (not pictured) still exists behind the scenes. Since their visit, though, the Metropole has become the Apiary.

Some people visit for a quiet read.

Chapter 20

Max, working for Faith’s friend Hazel, keeps tabs on her husband Henry and the new woman in his life, Lizzie Smith. Hazel suspects they meet in the Terrace Café at the Botanic Gardens. More photographs will follow when I have the opportunity to take them.

Chapter 21

Max and Faith take a break from Christmas shopping at John Lewis but have a break at The Camino, a haven of rest now no mofre.

Chapter 23

Faith collects Max when he leaves Leith Police Station. They go to the nearest place to talk, The Foot of the Walk. As its name suggests it is situated at the foot of Leith Walk. It is a large establishment with unusually well-fitted toilets. Not wanting to end up in the police station myself, I decided not to photograph them.

Chapter 27

Though Faith isn’t keen on the idea, Max agrees to meet Ian Kellock in the Filmhouse Cafe on Lothian Road. Kellock knows a thing or two about fraud. Rather more than Max, who is an amateur by comparison.

 

They meet here again in Chapters 31 and 34.

Chapter 33  

Max and Faith take a break from preparing for his trial at Two Thin Laddies. Since then, the café has changed ownefrs and name.

Chapter 35

Faith Finds Max in the library researching Ivan Illich. They go for lunch at the Balcony Café, part of the National Museum of Scotland.

Chapter 37

When the trial ends, Max, Faith, Hazel and Lawrence T Scott go for lunch at Biblos. Not the brightest of interiors, it wasn’t improved by being completely wrapped in scaffolding.

There are, of course, many other watering holes in the city, as you will find out when you come.