By Gaby Soutar

Copyright scotsman

At this time of year, I officially switch my cafe order. I go from a take-away iced coffee, to a hot flat white to sit in. That hour has just come to pass. It makes me a little bit sad, but I am no longer going to be striding down the street in my sandals, while ice cubes clink in my cup. Paper straws, no more. It is cosy indoor cafe season, and I kicked it off with a weekend visit to a new venue that has been on my list for a while. Santu on Union Street. I’ve been to their mini place on the Canongate, but never the newer roastery and cafe. And what a spot. It’s owned by a couple – Washington, who grew up on his grandparents’ coffee farm in Brazil, and Erin Vieira. They offer direct-trade coffee – they know all the farmers by name – that will blow your socks off. My brew was delicious, and heady, with a perfect crema that looked like a satellite image of a hurricane. Can you read the crema, like tea leaves? If so, I’m sure that was a positive omen. I’d say it’s probably the best in the city. However, it’s not just about the excellent drinks, or a rather appealing orange loaf cake that was sliced and sitting on the counter beside the high-tech-looking coffee machine. It makes me love Edinburgh even more, to know that you can hang out in such a cool C-listed property and that it should be occupied by a truly independent business. (There are quite a few new coffee shops in the city that look independent, but very definitely are not). The building was formerly Edinburgh Printmakers and, before that, a public washhouse or steamie, built in 1931 and in operation until 1977. It’s lined by white tiles, with a bright yellow floor, and a glass ceiling that must have once been so opaque with condensation that you wouldn’t have been able to see the sky. Being here made me wish that I’d worn my headscarf and pinnie. You can’t smell the Persil, though, only the beans, with the roasting gadgetry sitting quietly at the back of the space. There are just a few seats, around the edges, and we commandeered the raised spot with the sofa, which is roped off like a VIP area. I’d say that stands for Very Impressively Percolated. I know, every year, we all complain about the ever increasing outlay for a coffee. Indeed, Dolly from The Steamie would be horrified by the cost-of-living. That’s fair enough. Still, I’m yet to find a nicer way to spend under a fiver. It’s better and cheaper than going to the pub. Have you seen the price of a good cocktail? Also, booze makes you stare at the wall, while coffee makes you want to chat. No wonder it powered the Scottish Enlightenment. And, you only need a single drink, unlike the boozer. Mind you, I used to know someone who’d have three coffees, whenever he visited a cafe, but he’s a jittering oddity. You also often hear people gripe about how many cafes there are in the Capital, but, I think, if the demand is there, someone has to supply it. I remember when Edinburgh had nothing, as far as decent coffee was concerned. Back in the Nineties, my favourite venue was a three-storey coffee house on Victoria Street. If only I could remember the name of this amazing Bohemian space, with little cushions and window seats everywhere. It was a lovely setting, but the brew was absolutely bogging. I had to brace myself before every sip. They specialised in flavoured ground coffees, which were a thing back then. Those were the bad old cafetiere and Gold Blend days, and I never want to go back. I was a tea girl up until the third-wave coffee revolution of the Noughties. Anyway, after my visit to Santu, I bought a box of their beans for my home grinder and coffee machine. This drink is one of my main pleasures in life, so I don’t mind the weekly outlay. Our daily ritual involves a post breakfast coffee, and another after lunch, which I have alongside a little bit of tablet, like a good Scottish lass. That keeps us airborne, until the 4pm slump and, at that point, it doesn’t matter so much if we’re feeling a bit wabbit. It’s only downhill under bedtime. We take turns buying our coffee supply in my household. These beans, with flavour notes including milk chocolate and marzipan, are my new favourites. I’ll add them to the rota along with versions from other Edinburgh businesses. We regularly fork out on Artisan Roast’s dependable Janszoon beans, anything from Modern Standard, Machina Coffee’s Clockwork, and we tried our first bag from Little Havana on Leith Walk the other day too. It’s a tiny take-away shop, lined with jars and brown paper bags of beans, and they boast a very friendly and chatty non-intimidating service for those feeling overwhelmed by choice. We may both spend money on the beans, but I would say he’s fussier than I am. If we ever get a bag that he doesn’t like, he won’t drink it. You can take a horse to water. On the other hand, I would probably drink pond dregs if they contained a good hit of caffeine. Still, it won’t ever come to that, while there are fabulous places like Santu around. Read more: “I moved to Leith two months ago and this is what I’ve learnt about Edinburgh’s ‘coolest’ area” Read more: “I went to Scotland’s first pug cafe and it’s going to make normal coffee shops seem boring” Read more: “The gorgeous new East Lothian bakery that’s opening in time for autumn”