Ask EADith: Where can I procure luxury pastries in Edinburgh?
Got a food dilemma? Need a killer rec to seal the deal? Or just want the inside track on Glasgow and Edinburgh’s eating and drinking scene? Then why not ask EADith, our Eat & Drink team’s helpful agony aunt. This month, EADith leans into lamination that won’t make you late for work
Dear EADith
I want to jump on Edinburgh’s pretty pastry bandwagon but I simply don’t have time to queue for over an hour for laminated baked goods. Where can I go?
BusyBee63
Dear BusyBee63,
I’m delighted to find a kindred queue avoider. I don’t have the knees for it. Besides, I find hunger and queuing don’t work together. I’ve often observed the snaking lines outside various Edinburgh bakeries and carried on walking with a wry smile because I know where to get my pastry fix without pitching a tent the night before: The Pastry Section. You’re never too far from their sweet treats if you’re north of Princes Street; they’ve got shops in Leith and Stockbridge and a pop-up police box in Drumsheugh Gardens. The original shop is in Stockbridge and while the slick interior probably won’t have fickle influencers clicking away on their phones (there’s no vintage cash register or dark-wood fixtures), the selection of cakes in their window always prompts passers-by to stop and stare.
My favourite indulgence is their rich chocolate brownie topped with the lightest, golden-singed Italian meringue… or anything topped with Italian meringue. The EADith household pre-ordered their yule log last Christmas and, let me tell you, it went down a storm. Mr E should have taken a few photos for the Instagram thumbs-up, but I was too busy enjoying the damn thing.
Cupcakes, topped with edible violas and sprigs of lavender, are cute as a button and I’m sure would have the likes and whatnot pouring in, if that’s your bag. The Persian love cake is another highlight; a honey-sweet celebration of almond, cardamom and the slightest hint of rose. You don’t have to whisk your spoils away to a soggy bench around the corner or furtively gobble your pastries at the outdoor tables of a nearby bistro either. There’s space to sit inside and sip a coffee alongside your morning cinnamon bun oozing with cream cheese icing. Skip the line and hop on over to The Pastry Section for your performative pastry needs.
The Pastry Section, 86 Raeburn Place, 143 Great Junction Street & The Box at Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh; average price £7 for coffee and a cake.