I liked the concept of Leo's Beanery before I even arrived there. This was for several reasons.\n\nLeo's Beanery is a new-ish cafe in the New Town, and this is an exciting event. I don't know how many times my finger has frozen due to a complete lack of inspiration when I get a text from someone, asking where we should meet for coffee. Ok, fine, there are a multitude of places round Edinburgh to drink a half decent coffee, but I always try to keep it varied, so that I'm not sitting jaded and glassy-eyed one day in a coffee shop I used to love, but went to far too much.\n\nAlso, prior to making my way over to this new and exciting cafe option, I read online that I could expect coffee, tea and coterie. Coterie...coterie? Don't mess with my head here Leo's Beanery. A group of people with shared interests and banter? Do you mean that when I get there, there'll be other people that used to collect stamps, and who incessantly listen to old school dance, and who circle sentences in magazines that they like the look of? if this is the case, then I fully embrace this coterie business.\n\nThe day I chose to go was a busy Saturday afternoon. I have no issue with busy places if you're meeting friends, and it's almost always a good sign if somewhere is packed to the rafters anyway, but if I was coming along on my own, I would choose a different day. I don't mind sipping away on an Americano and working when other people are around, but it would be nice to experience this place again in its chilled out form.\n\nMy friends and I sat at a table through the back, near a bookshelf, so if you do get stood up, this is a good place to sit, because it means you can swiftly grab a book and leaf through it casually, hopefully concealing the fact you didn't mean to come in on your own. There is also a pretty awesome sewing machine as part of a table combination going on. I want that table the next time.\n\nThe cafe has that comfortable, lived in look to it, and has definitely gone down the vintage route, which I like, as I'm always a bit suspicious of anywhere too gleaming. For some absurd reason, I wasn't hungry enough to eat anything from the savoury menu, but I will be back to attend to this. There were plenty of sweet choices to select from, so I went for a tasty and lightly sponged lemon cake number, teamed with a sturdy latte. Both good, both worth returning for.\n\nOh, and there's free Wi-Fi. This instantly reinforces the four stars.
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