Passey’s Portobello Reopens: Award-Winning Seaside Cafe-Bar Returns Under New Management

Portobello’s beachside favorite is back

A familiar shuttered frontage on Edinburgh’s coast is alive again. Passey’s Portobello has reopened at 272 Portobello High Street under new management, bringing back a local name that won a Good Food award two years in a row before closing last year. The team announced the comeback on social media over the weekend, writing: "Passey’s is back open. Under new ownership. 272 Portobello High St, just along from St Andrews Chippy. Pop in and say hello. We love a friendly face and we’re pup friendly also. Couple tables outside so come lap up the sun."

The bistro has always leaned food-first, and that identity returns with a simpler, tighter menu and a warm, easy-going vibe. Early reactions from locals have been upbeat. One nearby resident summed up day one: "This lovely coffee bar/bistro is under new ownership and is open again today, the interior looks so warm and welcoming and the new owner and the staff are all lovely people. The coffee is delicious." For a High Street lined with independents, a reopened dining room means more than full tables—it helps the whole strip feel lively again, especially on weekends when walkers and swimmers spill off the promenade into town.

Passey’s sits in that sweet spot between cafe and bistro, and the new owners are leaning into all-day trade. Morning regulars get coffee and breakfast. Lunchtime brings fuller plates without going heavy. Later this month, the doors are set to stay open into the evening for a relaxed pre-dinner drink or a casual bite before heading home.

What’s changed at Passey’s

The menu is short, familiar, and clearly designed for a seaside crowd that wants good food without the fuss. You’ll find a full Scottish breakfast, poached eggs, and a haggis burger alongside a lineup of coffees and smoothies. Soon, evening service will extend to 9pm with cocktails, whiskies, and wine. A children’s menu is also in the works.

• Breakfast anchors the day: the full Scottish, plus poached eggs served a few ways.
• Lunch brings easy comfort: haggis burgers and other bistro staples.
• All day, the bar leans cafe-first: espresso-based coffees, teas, and fruit smoothies.
• Evenings are coming soon: open until 9pm with cocktails, whisky, and wine.
• Families get a lift: a dedicated children’s menu is due in the next few weeks.

The space, described by regulars as warm and welcoming, aims to be the kind of place you wander into after a windy beach walk or a quick shop on the High Street. It’s dog-friendly, with a couple of tables out front for sunny spells, and the tone from the team is personal: "We love a friendly face." That reads as more than a slogan—it’s a signal of how they plan to run the room: approachable, neighborly, and easy to drop into for five minutes or fifty.

Hours will evolve as the owners get a feel for demand, but the plan is clear: build a steady flow from breakfast through early evening. That suits Portobello, where mornings can be brisk with dog walkers and parents on the school run, and late afternoons bring a mix of commuters and beachgoers. An earlier 9pm close keeps the focus on relaxed drinks and conversation rather than late-night noise, which should sit well with nearby residents on a compact High Street.

For the local economy, the reopening is a small but meaningful win. When a well-liked spot goes dark, footfall slips and nearby shops feel it. When the lights come back on, people have a reason to linger—and that helps everyone. Portobello knows the pattern all too well. Independent places matter here, not just for the food but for the routine they create: coffee after a swim, brunch with a friend, an easy glass of wine before heading home.

The timing also works in Passey’s favor. A lean menu allows the kitchen to focus on consistency while the team settles in. Drinks in the early evenings give locals a casual option that’s lighter than a full night out. The children’s menu should make life easier for parents who want a quick bite without a long sit-down meal. Add the dog-friendly policy and outdoor seating, and you’ve got a space that’s set up for the way Portobello actually lives.

The new owners say they’ve been “pleasantly surprised” by the turnout since opening, and that early momentum will help them dial in the details—tweaks to the menu, pacing during peak times, and how the evening service beds in. Expectations are realistic: start simple, do the basics well, and build trust with regulars. The awards on the wall count, but day-to-day service is what brings people back.

For now, the message is straightforward: the doors are open again, the coffee is pouring, and the kitchen is cooking. If you’re looking for it, the cafe-bar sits just along from St Andrews Chippy at 272 Portobello High Street—close enough to the beach for a quick detour, and right in the flow of the neighborhood. Passey’s is back, and by the looks of it, Portobello is happy to have it.