Capital Coffee – Disposition Coffee waking up Roseburn
Roseburn has, in recent years, been the focus of some degree of public controversy. The City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL), a cycle lane into the city centre, has caused a degree of disruption and disgruntlement. Many locals and local businesses have been adversely affected.
With roadworks now finished, can this area now recover?
One thing that brings people to an area are good shops and cafes. Roseburn Terrace boasts three cafes, representing different eras of coffee. The Roseburn Café is a well established ‘greasy spoon’ (serving traditional fry ups), while Vigo is characteristic of the type of cafes common in the 1990s and early 2000s. Vigo serves traditional Italian style espresso, dark and strong. On the opposite side of the road sits Disposition Coffee, a representative of the contemporary coffee scene, serving excellent Third Wave coffee. Opened in 2022, Disposition has quickly established itself in the area. The shop was previously Ruth Davidson’s constituency office and prior to that a branch of Spar – and before that a restaurant. It’s evidence of change in the area.
Disposition has a strong connection with the highly regarded Machina Espresso coffee bar and roastery (now based in Marchmont), who supply their beans. Recent highlights include the fruity Nyabirongo, from the Ugandan Rwenzori Mountains. As an espresso it is balanced and smooth with distinct notes of blood orange, toffee, and marmalade. On my trips there, it’s been evident that the Disposition baristas are very capable of extracting the best from the high quality beans. The coffees I’ve had there have been consistently good, with plenty of character. Others I know who are into coffee have been pleasantly surprised to discover top class coffee in the area. Previously, they’d tended to head towards the city centre. Increasingly, good specialty coffee can be found outwith the usual hot spots. Other ‘outliers’ include Mr Eion in Trinity.
My most recent visit was on a sunny Sunday morning; the place was absolutely packed, with all seats taken. This meant that some customers had to take their coffee out. Luckily, Roseburn is, in terms of quiet walks through the city, one of the best situated places It sits on a connection point between the ex-railway paths (remnants of the old Murrayfield Station are evident in the undergrowth), and the Water of Leith Walkway. From Roseburn Cliff, walkers and cyclists can enjoy one of the most beautiful sections of the walkway, taking them to the Gallery of Modern Art. Going out of town, the walkway takes you through Roseburn Park, past Murrayfield Stadium and to one of the ‘hidden gems’ of Edinburgh: the restored and improved walled garden at Saughton Park. Soon this area will be even better connected to the path network via a new link between the Union Canal towpath and the path junction at Russell Road. Work is ongoing at Sauchiebank Gardens, earth-movers carving out this new ‘green corridor.
Disposition Coffee shares the premises with Hordeum Botanical Studio. This coffee and plants combination has become increasingly common across the city, including at places such as Grow Urban. Certainly, the foliage helps create a really lovely environment in which to enjoy your coffee. As Disposition describes it, their ‘space is one in which to relax, be present with yourself and others and fully appreciate the moment’. This may be true on a quiet day, but perhaps not at the weekend when it soon fills up. In addition to specialty coffee, Disposition serves a range of teas and tempting baking. For brunch, they offer a range of tasty grilled sandwiches, including a aubergine parm. They’ve recently introduced the Bertha sandwich, combining She’s a Company Bakery sourdough, with chorizo iberico, mature cheddar, artichoke, truffle acacia honey & aioli.
Disposition is a great new addition to the specialty coffee scene and a top spot to visit during, or prior to, a wander along the many wonderful paths that converge near it.
Disposition Coffee
29 Roseburn Terrace,
Edinburgh EH12 5NQ