How many coffee shops are there in Edinburgh's busiest areas?
We counted 451 coffee shops within 1 km of the centres of 8 Edinburgh areas. Old Town is the most crowded at 50.6 per km²; Portobello is the least, at 4.1.
Mapped
451
in 8 areas
Busiest area
50.6/km²
Old Town
Average rating
4.5★
places with 10+ reviews
Last scanned
13 October
2026
Coffee shops by area, most crowded first
Measured within 1 km of the centre: LOW under 5, MODERATE 5–15, HIGH 15–40, INTENSE over 40 places per km².
| Area | Within 1 km | Per km² | Avg rating | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town4.4★ average | 15950.6/km² | 50.6 | 4.4★ | INTENSE |
| Newington4.4★ average | 5818.5/km² | 18.5 | 4.4★ | HIGH |
| Bruntsfield4.6★ average | 5718.1/km² | 18.1 | 4.6★ | HIGH |
| Leith Walk4.7★ average | 5617.8/km² | 17.8 | 4.7★ | HIGH |
| Stockbridge4.5★ average | 5517.5/km² | 17.5 | 4.5★ | HIGH |
| Leith4.6★ average | 3310.5/km² | 10.5 | 4.6★ | MODERATE |
| Morningside4.4★ average | 206.4/km² | 6.4 | 4.4★ | MODERATE |
| Portobello4.5★ average | 134.1/km² | 4.1 | 4.5★ | LOW |
Where is it least crowded?
- PortobelloLOW
13 coffee shops within 1 km (4.1 per km²), averaging 4.5★.
- MorningsideMODERATE
20 coffee shops within 1 km (6.4 per km²), averaging 4.4★.
- LeithMODERATE
33 coffee shops within 1 km (10.5 per km²), averaging 4.6★.
Fewer coffee shops is not the same as more demand. Look at foot traffic and rents before you read a quiet area as an opening.
How they are rated
All 451 coffee shops in the 8 areas, by rating. Places with fewer than 10 reviews are counted apart.
- 4.5 and up267 (59%)
- 4.0 to 4.4130 (29%)
- 3.5 to 3.919 (4%)
- Below 3.58 (2%)
- Under 10 reviews27 (6%)
Chains seen most
Brands with two or more outlets inside one area circle.
- Black Sheep Coffee11 outlets · 3 areas
- Starbucks Coffee10 outlets · 3 areas
- Costa Coffee9 outlets · 3 areas
- Caffè Nero5 outlets · 1 area
- Not Just Coffee4 outlets · 2 areas
- Blank Street Coffee2 outlets · 1 area
- The Milkman2 outlets · 1 area
- M&S Café2 outlets · 1 area
- Fortuna Coffee Bar2 outlets · 1 area
Check competition at your exact address — free
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Questions
Is Edinburgh saturated with coffee shops?
It depends on the street. Within 1 km of the 8 area centres we mapped, density runs from 4.1 per km² in Portobello to 50.6 per km² in Old Town. 5 of the 8 areas count as high or intense competition (over 15 per km²). Check the exact address you have in mind before you commit.
Which Edinburgh area has the most coffee shops?
Old Town, with 159 within 1 km of its centre (50.6 per km²). Next come Newington (58) and Bruntsfield (57).
What is the average rating of coffee shops in Edinburgh?
4.5 out of 5, across the 424 coffee shops with at least 10 reviews in the areas we mapped. The highest area average is Leith Walk (4.7), the lowest Old Town (4.4).
Which coffee shop chains are most common in Edinburgh?
In the areas we mapped: Black Sheep Coffee (11 outlets in 3 areas), Starbucks Coffee (10 outlets in 3 areas), Costa Coffee (9 outlets in 3 areas).
How was this counted?
We scanned a 1 km circle around the centre of each area on 13 October 2026 and counted every coffee shop on the map inside it. Places missing from the map or opened since are not counted, so treat the numbers as a floor. Circles of neighbouring areas can overlap, so a place near two centres is counted in both, and the figures are not a total for the whole of Edinburgh.