I have to admit the reason I decided to visit this cafe is the story that this is where JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter books, because she couldn't afford to heat her flat. It was during my cold, winter visit that I walked past and in, so in some ways my motivations was the same.

As I was mainly just looking for somewhere to get out of the cold, and having recently had lunch, I didn't have anything to eat, but it did all look quite scrummy.

Rather I ordered a hot chocolate as I always do, and was very pleased to be served the best hot chocolate I have ever had. Perfect richness, bitterness, amount of cream, everything! The chocolate fish on the saucer just topped everything off. Bliss!

The Elephant House is a great place for a hot chocolate and croissant, but they also provide something more substantial and do interesting quiches, salads, and sandwiches. Sit at the back and you get an unusual view of the Castle. You will be surrounded by students from the university and sharing tables is the done thing. Newspapers are usually on the tables and board games are also available.

The Elephant House is a coffeehouse on George IV Bridge. This is my favorite coffee shop in Edinburgh because of the pachyderm motif. There are over six hundred elephants decorating the walls of The Elephant House.

There are an abundance of coffees, teas, and gourmet foods to choose from. After a long day of touring the city, this is a prime place to rest your feet, enjoy the castle views, and play a boardgame.