Kate's

Kate Murphy put the kitchen at the back of the room so she could bake and welcome people at the same time, and the counter changes with whatever is in season.

Why go

Murphy spent eight years as communications and development manager for the Kitchin Group, then took a former vintage-homeware unit on Causewayside in November 2021 and opened under her own name.2 She learned to bake alongside her mother, and the first cake she made was a Victoria sponge: I still use the recipe now and know it off by heart.2 Almost everything comes out of that back kitchen, down to the elderflower cordial that soaks the sponges and the rhubarb jam that goes with the scones.4 She forages part of it herself, in wild garlic, elderflower, herbs and berries.2

Order this / avoid

Order: a Kintyre cheddar scone. Gaby Soutar calls them excellent and notes they have been a fixture since day dot.3 Tom Kitchin buys the same thing and takes the jam with it.1
Order: the pork and herb sausage roll, whose curried apricot chutney is made by Murphy's mother.3 The List has also found venison and pheasant versions on the savoury side.4
Order: the Victoria sponge, dusted with icing sugar, which is the bake the shop opened on.2
Order: whatever the season has put out. Strawberries top the Victoria sponge in June and rhubarb runs through May.4
Avoid: a Monday or a Tuesday, when the shop is closed, and a late afternoon, since the counter shuts at 3pm.4

What locals & experts say

Tom Kitchin, chef-patron of The Kitchin (The Relisher, August 2026): his pick for a first-time visitor, chosen against the shops with queues outside them. On Murphy: Kate's an incredible woman who is fanatical about delivering the best experience possible. If the coffee's not good, she'll throw it out. His order is one of her scones, proper granny baking, an irregular scone that spills over the edges, plus her homemade jams and whatever tart of the day she's done. Disclose the connection: Murphy worked for his group for eight years before she opened this shop.1
Gaby Soutar, The Scotsman (August 2025), in the paper's Festival bakery roundup: The excellent Kintyre cheddar scones have been a fixture since day dot. She also flags the counter for classic bakes, naming strawberry shortcake, coffee and walnut, and lemon and poppyseed muffins.3
The List, Eat & Drink 365: Nearly everything at this bakery-cafe is homemade, from the elderflower cordial used to soak sponges to the rhubarb jam that accompanies the scones.4
No critic has published a scored review of the baking. The two lines above come from a roundup and a guide entry, and the strongest word on the counter belongs to a chef who buys from it.

Good to know

Timing: Wednesday to Friday 8am to 3pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 3pm, closed Monday and Tuesday.4
Booking: walk in. There are seats inside for a coffee and a bake.
Getting there: Causewayside, a short walk from the Meadows and off the main Southside crush.2
Price: the cheapest band The List records.4
Online: the shop runs no site of its own. Its Instagram is @kates_edinburgh, printed by The Scotsman.3
Hygiene: Food Hygiene Information Scheme Pass, inspected 16 November 2023, with no re-inspection pending as at August 2026. That is nearly three years old, so read it as a pass badly in need of a refresh.5

Jeff's take (his words)

Note: Not one of my saves. The case for it is Kitchin's bakery pick for a first visit to the city.

Verdict

should-visit — Kate Murphy spent eight years as communications and development manager for the Kitchin Group before she took a former vintage-homeware unit on Causewayside in November 2021 and put the kitchen at the back of the room so she could bake and serve at once. The counter runs on what is in season, with Kintyre cheddar scones that have been there since the first day, sausage rolls whose curried apricot chutney is made by her mother, and a Victoria sponge off the first recipe she ever learned. Tom Kitchin picks it over the bakeries with queues and orders a scone, the jams and the tart of the day. No critic has scored the baking, which is the only reason it is not higher.

Kate's.