It was a month before opening, and Eleni and Filippos still didn’t have a name for their cafe. Nothing was clicking. ‘One morning we woke up, we said you are my lady, you are my bear, and for thirty seconds we stayed still. That’s the name’ and The Lady And The Bear was born.

Edinburgh isn’t short of great places to eat, which is why with any new opening, you’ve got to be exceptional. The Lady And The Bear joins Edinburgh’s bustling culinary scene with their Mediterranean-inspired cafe and art hub close to the meadows. Large windows look onto the street, perfect for people watching, while the bright cafe transforms from a buzzy brunch spot to a multi-purpose art space and bar, with a selection of spritzers, signature cocktails, 
local draft beers and mocktails available.

Partners Eleni and Filippos always knew they wanted to do something that combined their love of cinema, theatre and art with great food, and they began working on the cafe during the pandemic. ‘From the moment we met, we said that we would love to open a multi-art space that has quality coffee and organic food; a place to spend some quality time. Edinburgh is a vibrant and multicultural city. It couldn’t be anywhere else,’ insists Eleni.

Spinach filo pies, focaccia, cinnamon tsoureki and pistachio praline tsoureki (a Greek bake similar to brioche) are all freshly made on site by the team (plus birthday cakes can be freshly made to order). ‘Making food from scratch using organic ingredients means to us that you care about other people. The smile of a friend or a customer and the satisfaction on their face mean everything to us.’

Lady And The Bear’s approach isn’t just about great food; it’s also about the stories and community that we build around it. ‘When we travelled to Zagorochoria in the Epirus mountains in Greece several years ago and we tasted an authentic Spinach pie with Feta made on the spot, a new world opened up for us,’ says Filippos. ‘Imagine waking up every day as a child to the smell of a fresh pie in the morning. The freshness of the mint, the crunchiness of the filo, the taste of the fresh spinach, and the tangy authentic feta from a barrel beat everything.’

While the food is important, the sense of community is as much a part of The Lady And The Bear’s DNA: ‘We started with some live events with authentic Rebetiko nights and some Jazz nights, which proved successful. After August, we are planning to introduce cinema screenings and theatre and cinema workshops.’

1 Hope Park Terrace, Edinburgh, ladyandthebear.co.uk 

From Monday 24 July, opening hours are Monday–Friday 8.30am -11pm; weekends 9am -11pm. Event catering services also available.