Union of Genius

Union of Genius Scotland’s 1st soup café 🥣 Fresh, seasonal, global soups incl. Golden Chicken Chilli & vegan/GF options. Chef’s specials in-store (subject to availability).

Combos, borek, cakes & specialty drinks. Warm, welcoming spot in Edinburgh. We are doing home deliveries: soup, chilli and more delivered to your door by cargo bike. Drop us an email at [email protected] to get added to our mailing list.

We have officially made it to 4.9 stars on google!!!Thank you all so much for supporting and reviewing our beautiful caf...
24/03/2026

We have officially made it to 4.9 stars on google!!!

Thank you all so much for supporting and reviewing our beautiful café, we are endlessly grateful ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch this space- we have big things coming and keep coming back for all your soup, börek and hearty comfort food needs!!

With love, the UoG team ❤️

Guess who popped by for a coffee today? 👀🎬 The one and only Mike McShane — actor, comedian, and all-around legend! Our c...
02/09/2025

Guess who popped by for a coffee today? 👀🎬 The one and only Mike McShane — actor, comedian, and all-around legend! Our café is officially Hollywood-approved. 😉✨
it’s pleasure to have chance to meet with you 😍

EdinburghCafe


We’re Hiring! Join Our Café Team📍8 Forrest RoadWe’re looking for a new part-time or full-time team member to join our so...
23/07/2025

We’re Hiring! Join Our Café Team
📍8 Forrest Road
We’re looking for a new part-time or full-time team member to join our soup café! If you enjoy working in a friendly, fast-paced environment and have a passion for great food and customer service, we’d love to hear from you.

What We’re Looking For:
A reliable and friendly personality
Ability to work in a team
Previous experience in a café or food service is a plus — but not required!

If this sounds like the perfect fit for you, send your CV to: [email protected]

🚨 Big Soup Energy Goes Wholesale! 🚨We’re excited to share: Union of Genius is now offering wholesale catering! 🎉🥣 Soul-w...
03/06/2025

🚨 Big Soup Energy Goes Wholesale! 🚨

We’re excited to share: Union of Genius is now offering wholesale catering! 🎉

🥣 Soul-warming soups
🥗 Fresh, vibrant salads
🍛 Hearty, homemade curries
🥪 Delicious sandwiches, perfect for lunch counters and community events

All made fresh in small batches with good ingredients and a lot of love.

✔️ Vegan & gluten-free options available
✔️ Custom menus for your business or event
✔️ Pickup available + limited local delivery near our cafe

We’re keeping things local and flexible. If you’re nearby, we’ll happily walk or cycle your order over. Further away? Let’s talk and find a way!

📩 DM us or email [email protected] to get our wholesale menu and pricing.

Union of Genius: Soulful food. Smartly made

🎉 Dear Union of Genius family,Let’s welcome summer together with an evening of music, dance, and community spirit! We’re...
22/05/2025

🎉 Dear Union of Genius family,

Let’s welcome summer together with an evening of music, dance, and community spirit! We’re proud to host the incredible Seyîdxan Sevînç, whose powerful sound blends Kurdish folk rock and reggae with themes of identity, resilience, and activism. 🎶✨

Seyîdxan’s musical journey began with his debut album BîR in 2020, where he introduced a unique fusion of Kurdish culture with folk rock and reggae. His 2023 album LERZ deepened this sound, offering emotional depth and bold expression that speaks to both Kurdish identity and universal human struggles. 🎸🌍

Living with Tourette syndrome, Seyîdxan uses music not only as artistic expression but also as a form of activism, standing against social and structural challenges through his powerful performances. ✊🎤

This isn’t just a concert — it’s a celebration. A space to connect as a community, experience something new, and let the music carry us into summer. 🌿🌇
Huge thanks for their contributions: .thairestaurant
📅 Wednesday, 4 June 2025
📍 The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh

🎟️ Tickets available at Union of Genius café (8 Forrest Rd, EH1 2QN) and online:
• Standard £20 (online & in-person)
• Student £15 (in-person only, please bring your student ID) 🎓

The event does not aim to make a profit — all ticket income goes to cover event costs. 💙

We can’t wait to see you there!

Say bonjour to cozy vibes: French-style roasted cauliflower velouté, enriched with aged cheese and smoked paprika, finis...
14/05/2025

Say bonjour to cozy vibes: French-style roasted cauliflower velouté, enriched with aged cheese and smoked paprika, finished with a drizzle of truffle oil and a crunchy garnish of roasted almonds and sesame. Creamy, smoky, nutty—pure indulgence in every spoonful. 😋🇫🇷

Opening Tomorrow at Union of Genius!Hello!The wait is finally over! We are happy to announce that our doors will be open...
22/07/2024

Opening Tomorrow at Union of Genius!
Hello!
The wait is finally over! We are happy to announce that our doors will be opening tomorrow at 8:00 AM!

Join us for a delightful morning filled with specially blended artisan coffee, croissant toasties, and gourmet sandwiches. Try our fresh superfood and roasted veggie salads, nourishing nutritious three-bean curry, and Mediterranean bulgur with several Glten-free and rich vegan options.

We are excited to welcome you all and have you be a part of the start of our new venture at Union of Genius. Your familiar favourites and some new delicious additions await!

We also can't wait to hear what you think of our small interior changes.

See you tomorrow 😊

Hello, wonderful Union of Genius community! 😊We are Mazlum and Bawer, and we are thrilled to announce that we have taken...
19/07/2024

Hello, wonderful Union of Genius community! 😊

We are Mazlum and Bawer, and we are thrilled to announce that we have taken over the helm of your beloved café. We can't wait to share our passion for delicious food and warm hospitality with you!

We are currently working hard behind the scenes and introducing exciting new additions to the menu. Get ready for gourmet sandwiches, rich salads, croissant toasties, and a delightful cinnamon buns, brownies, vegetarian and vegan donuts as well as artisan coffee that will tantalize your taste buds!

But don't worry, the soups and chillies that you've enjoyed for many years will still be here, served with the same love and care. Union of Genius has always been a place of friendly faces and a homely atmosphere, and we are committed to maintaining that.

A huge thank you to Elaine for creating such a unique and cherished space for the community. We are deeply grateful for her vision and dedication, and we are honoured to build upon the strong foundation she has laid.

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming days as we get closer to opening our doors and serving you all once again. We are so excited to welcome you back and embark on this journey together! 🚀
With warmest regards,
Mazlum & Bawer

As many of you know, Union of Genius has been on the market since late last year and a sale has finally gone trough. It'...
09/07/2024

As many of you know, Union of Genius has been on the market since late last year and a sale has finally gone trough. It's bittersweet to announce that our last day working the cafe will be Thursday, July 11th. We welcome the new owners, Bawer and Maz, who will reopen the cafe as soon as possible. Rest assured, you'll still be able to get your soup and chilli fix just with some new menu additions. We're very excited to see what they do with the cafe and we wish them all the best of luck! 

Throughout Union's 13 years, we've been a cafe, a soup truck, a wholesale kitchen, but so much more. We've donated thousands of litres of soup through various charities. We've prioritised local suppliers, compostable practices, and  a cargo-bike delivery service. Our owner, Elaine, opened Union to serve Edinburgh soup because she loves soup and would talk about it for days. It's been a pleasure to serve our famous soups and chilli's for so many years. We're sad to say goodbye, but thankful you for your kindness and for enjoying soup as much as we do. We're excited for Union of Genius's next chapter.

Some of you will have seen the Edinburgh Evening News article about our future: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/n...
18/01/2024

Some of you will have seen the Edinburgh Evening News article about our future: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/edinburgh-soup-cafe-owner-gutted-to-announce-closure-after-12-years-but-said-its-been-an-absolute-blast-4483851

To be absolutely clear WE ARE NOT CLOSING. The cafe and Dumbo will continue selling all your favourite soups and chilli.

What is happening is that after 12 years, it's time for Elaine and I to move on. For that reason, we have put the cafe and Dumbo up for sale. A new owner may keep on with what we're doing or take the business in a new direction but you still have a good few months to enjoy us right here.

As Elaine says we have, reluctantly, had to stop providing soup for other cafes. This was a hard choice but the combination of the cost of living crisis, post-pandemic blues and general slide of the planet into some sort of far-right hellscape makes it impossible to sell soup for any kind of price that anyone can afford to pay. Rather than compromise on our principles and make lightly flavoured water with some small chunks in it, we have decided to end that part of what we do.

The most depressing part of that is that we're no longer able to provide the care van with 150 litres of free soup per month. For that reason you'll notice we're no longer taking donations at the cafe or Dumbo. Please, if you want to support food for the homeless support the care van or other good causes directly.

REOPENING!We’re coming back with a bang tomorrow!! We can’t wait to see you all there and to help you through this cold ...
04/01/2024

REOPENING!
We’re coming back with a bang tomorrow!! We can’t wait to see you all there and to help you through this cold January with some soup

Once again, we’re closing over the holidays to give our soup elves a break! Keep an eye on this space for info about us ...
11/12/2023

Once again, we’re closing over the holidays to give our soup elves a break! Keep an eye on this space for info about us opening back up in January. Happy holidays and happy new year from our family to yours 🥣❤️

Address

8 Forrest Road
Edinburgh
EH12QN

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5am
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

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