A review of Kilted Donut, a donut shop on Great Junction Street

Update: 23rd April – I still recommend the Kilted Donut but Great Junction Street closed its doors a while ago. I usually pop into the Kilted Donut on St Stephen Street, but they have one now on the Grassmarket, and I made its opening weekend to confirm it’s just as good.

Can something be a treat and an anchor of stability simultaneously?

I think so, and I hold up the charismatically petite Kilted Donut on Great Junction Street as my evidence.

I remember the buzz when it opened. I didn’t take advantage, and I didn’t hurry to test the donuts out. I wasn’t in the Food Is Great phase of my life; donuts weren’t even something I’d cross the road for.

Things have changed! For a start, I’ve now tasted Kilted Donut grub. There’s also the matter of the pandemic, global lockdown and my new post-relationship life.

Now, I cross the road for a donut, even a road as dangerous as Great Junction Street. Now, I plan a trip to Kilted Donut as a treat and do it a week or more in advance.

Planning the trip as a presumed reward for a well-lived week, work goals met, and blog maintained becomes a thing to look forward to. It’s the anchor. As you can tell, I really like Kilted Donuts’ baking, and they mix up the offering frequently, so it remains a treat.

Kilted Donut’s food

Donuts! Donuts and coffee.

There are sometimes little other donut family snacks but assume you’ll only get donuts or smaller donuts here, and you can’t be disappointed. Kronuts, even soup are the sort of menu additions that might also get the chance to tempt you.

You’ll see the donuts right away as they sit in a covered tower of about four levels.

My initial thoughts were foolish. “That’s not a great selection,” I thought with disappointment.

I know better now. I’ve spent minutes standing in front of that plastic tower while I wrestled with which donuts I wasn’t going to get to eat. Just to be clear, I’ve never seen a donut on display in the little store that didn’t look amazing. Like a sugar battle royale, my decision is always around which donuts get knocked out of consideration first.

The winning donut gets devoured.

Usually, the winning donut gets eaten before getting to the Great Junction and North Junction Street crossroads. Once I took an Oreo donut back to my at-the-time home. It was a spontaneous celebration of the mortgage separation paperwork concluding. I took a photograph of the donut and sent it to my lawyer. Have you ever photographed a donut to taunt-thank your long-suffering lawyer with? No? Well, perhaps it’s the perfect anecdote for just what an anchor treat the Kilted Donut has become.

Tip: Don’t discount the small donuts. What if you simply can’t decide between two donuts in the daily display? Go small and have both.

The donut shop

Small, clean and friendly.

There’s an area by the door where you can wait, rifle through your bag, or put your stuff down while you put your headphones back in. That’s it.

Then there’s a small space, the counter and masked staff member.

The Kilted Donut is that compact. Even before the pandemic era biosecurity, this venue really is best-considered takeaway only. It’s also a delivery hub. If geographical radius algorithms allow, you’ll find this donut delight on Deliveroo.

Clean! It’s so clean here, it’s lovely. It’s not that weirdly impersonal clean of a hospital lobby or even a GP’s office. It’s more like walking into a well off friend’s kitchen and being struck at how on the ball they are when it comes to running their home.

Overall (donut hole!)

Sadly, donuts don’t rate high on the healthy food scale, so moderation is required. Kilted Donut might well have enough reasons to visit several times a week, but you probably shouldn’t.

You should, I think, firmly consider enjoying Kilted Donuts as part of your own pick me up behaviour. Chat to the friendly staff, grab a coffee while you’re there and give your whole day a boost.

It’s an unconditional recommendation for the Kilted Donut.