Williams & Johnson Coffee Co

Williams & Johnson is the work of two baristas — Zachary Williams and Todd Johnson — who turned years on the bar into one of Edinburgh's most respected micro-roasteries. Their home is Custom Lane, a design-and-studio hub set in a repurposed 1947 industrial building at the Shore in Leith. Step outside the cafe and you're met with one of the city's prettiest scenes: the Water of Leith, the old bridge, and the boats that drift through countless photographs of the area.

The roasting philosophy is built on freshness. The team roasts on a single machine and aims to release each coffee as soon after harvest as possible, so what you drink is genuinely at its peak rather than sitting on a shelf. The influence is unmistakably Australian — they cite Melbourne's Market Lane as a touchstone — which shows in the clean, bright, modern cup and the unfussy way it's served. Even the packaging reflects the ethos: minimal and biodegradable, so there's no guilt in the bin afterwards.

The cafe and roastery share the same airy room, open seven days a week, with the smell of the roast never far away. It's a destination worth the walk down to Leith — order a filter, watch the water, and taste coffee from people who clearly care about getting every detail right.