Obadiah Coffee opens a tasting room under the railway arches in Abbeyhill

Underneath the railway arches in Abbeyhill, with trains rattling overhead, one of Edinburgh's most respected coffee roasteries has opened its doors to the public. Obadiah Coffee held a soft launch for its new tasting room in early August, serving seasonal coffees to drink in or take away.

Obadiah was founded in 2017 by Sam and Alice Young and has built a reputation for a minimalist look and a focus on the clarity of single origin coffee. Its beans turn up in cafes across the city, but until now there was no way to sit down with a cup at the roastery itself.

The business has been based in Abbeyhill for six years and spent around 18 months fitting out the tasting room. The team see it less as a cafe than as a place where people can come and sample the coffees roasted on site. The Edinburgh Reporter, which visited on launch day, described a clean, fresh space whose metallic walls give it something of the feel of an underground bunker.

That first morning was busy, with a steady flow of visitors coming in out of the rain. The crowd included plenty of people from the speciality coffee world, along with neighbours keen to try something new. The reporter's cortado, made with Haru beans from Ethiopia, was described as creamy and satisfying. Visitors were also struck by how calm the room felt despite the crowd, with gentle music and a team happy to chat about the beans.

The tasting room opens regularly on Fridays and Saturdays. It joins a growing cluster of good coffee in this corner of the city, and it is well placed for walkers heading towards Holyrood Park, which is reached easily via Croft-an-Righ.

Obadiah roasts its beans in three other units it owns nearby, and the area around the arches is getting busier with new housing. The tasting room is a chance to see the craft up close, and to watch the team work through each stage without rushing.

Obadiah is at Units 4-5, The Arches, Abbeyhill, EH8 8EE. Coffees can be ordered online, and tasting room hours are posted on the Obadiah website and social channels.