La Cime Deli opened in December 2023 and was an immediate hit in the neighbourhood. You can find it nestled into that wee strip of commercial units just off the bottom corner of Victoria Park as if you were heading to Newhaven Harbour or Ocean Terminal.
The address is Newhaven Road, but I’d call that the area Trinity. Sure, roll a golf ball down the street, and it’s Newhaven, but I suspect the pair running the deli would agree with me.
Before writing this review, I’ve been to La Cime thrice for bites to eat. I’ve been for coffee twice and food twice, representing only 50% success. You see, it has been so busy the other three times I could not get a seat and had to return later. There are not many seats. The last time, I sat outside in a wind chill terrible enough to take the ambient temperature of -2 and still enjoyed myself.
There are two little tables outside, which will be so popular in the summer!
So, take that as a warning: I don’t think you can book yet (although try an Instagram direct message), and if you turn up around about brunch or lunch, it’ll be busy.
La Cime’s food
You can buy jams, exciting drinks, and, I think, preserves from the deli, and I think it’s the sort of shop you can pop into for a housewarming gift or ‘I brought something’ for a picnic or summer party.
The coffee is from Mr Eion, who has their roaster, or perhaps it’s now just a cafe (also on the to-review list) on the other side of the park. It’s good.
I go for the food, although I’ve yet to try baking as thoroughly as I would have liked – restricting myself only to a few cakes! It’s French food. The house logo the deli uses is the outline of a family house in Lozere in the South of France.
The menu isn’t huge but it has been vibrant, often changing in the few weeks that the deli has been open. I’ve had soups and tarts, always delicious and absolutely managing to evoke farmhouse chic that I suspect summons wealthy Trinity families from the surrounding area.
Posh food? Well, um, it does not feel pretentious but tastes like that expensive and hard to get in the city rustic wholesome. Put it this way, I think if I had to impress an American business partner who was keen to get back to their Scottish or European roots, then we might meet for a coffee at the deli before closing (currently 5pm) before walking down to Newhaven Harbour and then along to the Port of Leith Distillery for a tour. That would knock the socks off anyone used to glass and metal cities.
La Cime’s vibe
So, I’ve already admitted that I sat outside in the cold because I was determined to eat (potato and spinach soup, vegan poppy seed and citrus cake and a coffee), and ergo, I was served by the one-person-front-of-house team when it was that busy inside and that cold outside. I’m the villain in that scenario and La Cime the hero.
The style of the deli is very much like the flavour of the food. It hints at the best of Trinity, the classy without being too cliquey and at appropriately refined pricing. It does not feel exclusive or intimidating. Mothers meet with their babies, feed them and chat over coffee. Parents push their prams or big chairs in (doing so will block the route to the counter). You order at the counter and then get table service. It’s a warm, friendly and reassuring.
I was taken aback when, on one visit, I was asked what the movie was like. Oh yes! I had mentioned I was off to see a random movie on a previous visit to the deli. That was, what, my second or third? Remembered already? I like it when the small business team has a knack for remembering people. It shows attention to detail and a people-centric mindset. It’s also a feat of memory beyond me! I’m sure La Cime will build up a steady stream of regulars.
I wish more cafes had a vibe like La Cime, it’s very much the cure to the soulless nearly-but-trying-to-hide-it fast food vibe of some of the mega chains.
Things to do in Trinity
The nearest things to do are all outside and range in colours from the green of Victoria Park, Newhaven Harbour and the sometimes darkness of Edinburgh’s hidden cycle paths.
There are fewer inside options, but the Port of Leith and Ocean Terminal are in the shore-Leith direction. Alternatively, head away from the shore and angle back to find the Leith Theatre or stretch the idea of ‘nearby’, cross Victoria Park and walk up Inverleith for the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Overall
La Cime is, at a stretch, a possible lunch break for me if I’m working from home. It means power-walking all the way from Granton and hoping for a table. I think the bijou deli is worth the risk. I don’t think I’ll be able to make a habit of it, but I can see me making the effort whenever I can.
If anything, La Cime may be a victim of it’s own success. It’s a perfect place for locals, especially those with kids and limited chance to get far from the house, to catch up over a coffee. I can see it’s going to be busy all the time. Hopefully, though, this “Let’s catch up” reason to visit means the small business will be active throughout the day and not just at meal times.
If you’re getting off a cruise ship at Newhaven and looking for a good walk, then angle yourself to this corner of Victoria Park and pop in.
A review of La Cime
Summary
La Cime is a lovely little deli cafe in Trinity, just a stone’s throw from Victoria Park. You can pop in for a coffee, buy some sauces from the shop, or stay longer for a little sit-down meal and tempting cake. The deli has been an immediate hit; one visit will be enough to tell you why.
Looking for travel tips from locals? We've a things to do in Leith guide.
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