Simple but effective is the order of the day at new bakery-slash-café Norah in Newhaven. The décor mixes 1970s-style Formica tables and elegant Scandi-blond wood with big windows looking out to Newhaven’s landmark lighthouse and the grey or blue sea (depending on the weather) beyond. Along this often wind-whipped coast, a cosy café with honest, Irish-inspired food feels like a haven; each dish on the breakfast and lunch menu centres around one or two ingredients and lets the quality of the produce speak for itself.

The packets of Tayto crisps and Flahavan’s oats lining the shelves nod to chef Claire Hanrahan’s Irish roots. Comfort dishes like an unctuous potato tartiflette and delightfully simple sausage, egg and chips warm your bones. Smoked haddock chowder, dotted with fat mussels, embraces Newhaven’s fishing history and is perfect for blustery days by the sea. A bitter-leaf salad with pear and walnut is topped with a mountain of Boyne Valley Bán goat’s cheese, while a serving of simple soda bread and butter will stave off any hunger pangs if you’re opting for one of the carbohydrate-light dishes.

Breakfast is served until 11.30am, but Norah is a laid-back spot and they’re happy to present two menus at once and play it all by ear. Focused on what’s grown locally, you won’t find avocado toast here but rather pear and honey paired with soda bread, classic bacon sandwiches with a homemade tomato chutney and a deliciously spiced panisse (like a chickpea polenta) with aubergine and cumin. The menu changes with the tides, reflecting the seasonal availability of vegetables, game and fruit. The coast’s not just for summer though: as the wind picks up and the skies turn steely, it’s the perfect time to enjoy some warming, Irish-inspired food. For this, Norah has you covered. 

Norah, 3 Pier Place, Edinburgh; average price £18 for lunch with coffee.