Taste of Italy is an Italian café and restaurant at 9 Baxter’s Place in central Edinburgh. Part of the Crolla family’s Vittoria Group, it offers casual all day dining close to the Edinburgh Playhouse. The relaxed format works for breakfast, a quick lunch, food before a performance or an informal evening meal.
Freshly prepared pizza and pasta form the heart of the menu, supported by breakfast dishes and lighter bites. The kitchen uses egg pasta with a high proportion of free range eggs and durum wheat pasta sourced from Gragnano near Naples. Italian cured meats, olive oil and buffalo mozzarella add further regional character, while some meat and other produce are sourced in Scotland.
Homemade cakes, Italian style ice cream and gelato provide several ways to finish a meal or stop for something sweet. Barista coffee is another central part of the café identity and makes the venue useful outside conventional meal times. Guests with allergies should check the current information with staff because pasta, dairy, nuts and other ingredients are handled on site.
Taste of Italy does not require reservations, preserving the flexibility of a neighbourhood café even in its busy city location. Generous portions and an extensive daylong selection make it accessible to families, theatre audiences and visitors. The result is a practical Edinburgh restaurant grounded in Italian ingredients and the Crolla family’s long hospitality experience.
Address: 9 Baxter’s Place, Edinburgh EH1 3AF, United Kingdom