The Edinburgh Reporter September 2023

16 FOOD AND DRINK

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 A long spear with an axe blade and

a pick at one end (7)

5 Reprimand (4,3)

9 Exaggeratedly impressive (9)

10 Speak aloud (5)

11 Congenital disorder caused by

abnormality in chromosomes (5,8)

13 Not standard (8)

15 Having a common race or

cultural tradition (6)

17 Incentive, driving force (6)

19 Extremely hot period (4,4)

22 Gentle on the skin (3-10)

25 Food blended to a pulp (5)

26 Proverbially, one who catches the

worm (5,4)

27 Vengeance (7)

28 Extremely heavy downpours (7)

DOWN

1 Elevated (4)

2 February 29th in certain years (4-3)

3 Provide a source of income

by bequest (5)

4 The end of the world (8)

5 Colour materials in various hues,

using knots (3-3)

6 Violent overthrow of a

government (4,5)

7 Obselete, no longer in fashion (7)

8 Extremely fanciful (10)

12 Device for heating a bed using

hot coals (7-3)

14 City in the north of Scotland (9)

16 Mended (8)

18 Outburst of petulant bad

temper (7)

20 Fishing (7)

21 Muscles, especially in the

upper arm (6)

23 Pastoral poem (5)

24 In the Roman calendar, the 15th

day of certain months, including

March (4)

BEATNIK IS THE most interesting

recent arrival on the Edinburgh

specialty coffee scene. In November

2022 this slightly mysterious new

venture opened on Brougham Street

in Tollcross.

This was in the location where the

pioneering Machina Espresso had

been based for several years, prior to

their move to their expansive new

premises on Marchmont Road. There

was little evidence of what this new

business was, with markings on the

exterior and window very minimal.

you have to visit in person to find out

what was going on. Beatnik culture of

the 1950s emphasised those artists

and creatives who rejected some of

the mores of conventional society,

and this is certainly something a

little different.

Beatnik offers a house espresso,

alongside with a regular guest bean.

What is noticeable is the variety of

coffee they use, from a number of

different specialty roasters and

indeed a variety of countries.

Largely spreading through word of

mouth, Beatnik has quickly

established itself as one of the leading

places for top notch espresso (as well

as batch brew etc) in the capital. In

contrast to some of the slightly

cramped coffee houses you find,

Beatnik has a very open feel

emphasised by the high ceilings, and

well spaced seating. The interior

shows flair and imagination.

The idea behind the café is,

according to one of the co-managers

Jemma, to ‘revive the social aspect’ of

coffee houses. It’s become common

for coffee spots to be dominated by

lap toppers, using them as work and

study spaces. Such places echo to the

sound of clicking and clacking

throughout the day. In contrast,

Beatnik is a laptop free zone - and not

just at busy times. This creates a space

where people can escape screens and

notifications for a while, or to gather

and engage in meaningful discussion.

The energy is warm and

welcoming and Beatnik often seems

lively. Trying to visit one Friday

morning, I found the place swarming

with people, with a social event

taking place. Even at quieter times

there is a definite energy to the place.

The baristas at Beatnik have a nice

balance of friendliness alongside clear

seriousness and focus as regards the

coffee. The baristas are keen to let

customers know about the coffee they

are serving but do so in clear

language, avoiding battering

customers over the head with jargon.

Beatnik have a number of suppliers

from around Europe, all interested in

experimentation and new ideas

resulting in a great variety in flavour

profiles. Crucially though, when it

comes to extracting the best from

these beans, their baristas have the

requisite skills. What they produce is

consistently excellent and is right up

there with another leading coffee spot

Source, only five or so minutes walk

away on Spittal Street. Both cafés are

really raising the bar in terms of what

is now available in the city. This will

hopefully lead to further

improvements and lead to the

sort of consistent high quality

that customers deserve if they

are spending over three quid on

their coffees. 

Beatnik, 2 Brougham Place EH3 9HW

http://www.beatnik.cafe

New Tollcross café defies convention with great coffee

ANSWERS

1 Halberd, 5 Tick off, 9 Grandiose, 10 Utter, 11 Down’s syndrome, 13 Atypical, 15 Ethnic, 17 Motive, Across:

19 Heat wave, 22 Non-irritating, 25 Puree, 26 Early bird, 27 Nemesis, 28 Deluges.

1 High, 2 Leap-day, 3 Endow, 4 Doomsday, 5 Tie-dye, 6 Coup d’etat, 7 Outworn, 8 Farfetched, 12 Down:

Warming-pan, 14 Inverness, 16 Repaired, 18 Tantrum, 20 Angling, 21 Biceps, 23 Idyll, 24 Ides.

No laptops, discuss

Pasta perfection in Porty

PASTA SPECIALISTS Via Aemilia

have found the perfect pairing

with Portobello neighbours

Smith & Gertrude (S&G) wine bar.

At a one-off Sunday pasta pop

up on 24 September Kip and

Giada will take over S&G’s

kitchen to serve up a set pasta

menu matched with a one-time

only bottle and by-the-glass list.

There are two sittings from

5-6.30pm and 7.30-9pm,

and the £32 ticket includes a

welcome snack, glass of

sparkling wine, pasta and

focaccia, followed by dessert.

S&G owner, Amy Findlater,

said: “If this first event goes well

then we will hopefully look for it

to become a regular monthly

event. We are really excited to be

working with Aemilia - we

absolutely love their pasta (and

eat it regularly) and they are

great customers at S&G too - with

one of our Bulgarian red’s being

their favourite wine of choice.”

Follow S&G and Via Aemilia on

Instagram to learn when tickets

go on sale.

CAFÉ REVIEW: Beatnik By Charlie Ellis