Looking to grab some brunch in Stirling? Here’s my guide to the best brunch and breakfast spots in and around the city…
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Let’s talk brunch in Stirling.
Stirling may be a relatively small city but I’ve been super impressed with the selection of cafes and restaurants serving up breakfast around here.
If eggs benny, freshly squeezed OJ and smashed avo on toast are your thing then you won’t have to look far in Stirling. Whether you’re looking for great coffee, vegan dishes, or a little twist on a traditional brunch menu, you’ll be able to find it in this city. And it seems like the secret may already be out because these places draw crowds, especially at the weekend.
The good news is that most of the places I’ve featured are right in the heart of the city so you won’t have to go far. I have, however, included one or two that are a little further out. It’s a beautiful part of the world so why not see as much of it as you can, right?
Let’s kick off with the best places to get brunch in Stirling!
Unorthodox Roasters
Best for: Excellent coffee and stylish decor in the heart of the historic city centre
Address: 12 Friars St, Stirling FK8 1HA
I can’t believe it took me over a year to get to Unorthodox Roasters.
It’s located on Friars Street, just across the road from another place I’ll mention, Friars Wynd. I love this street because it has a little bit of olde world charm alongside the contemporary cafes, restaurants and shops.
Inside, the décor is beautiful. Think dark navy panelling, industrial shelving, and cute patterned tiles behind the counter. There was also a charming old-fashioned modular desk lamp on our table that looked like it had been dug out of an office in the 1960s.
This is the place to come for great coffee. As well as the standard offering they have beetroot, turmeric, and matcha lattes which also sound delicious. I went for a mocha with oat milk. I’m not a big coffee drinker so I didn’t really expect too much but I think it was one of the best mochas I’ve ever had, combining really intense coffee and chocolate flavours.
I didn’t get any food but my partner did. He went for the grilled cheese sandwich which came with smoked cheese and fig jam, alongside some salad and vegetable crisps. Luckily he shared a couple of corners with me and it was absolutely scrummy! The cheese was oozing and the fact that it was smoked meant that it was packed with flavour as well – so good.
I loved the whole vibe here. Great coffee, charming décor, what’s not to like? I’ll be back.
Toast
Best for: Diners who want more than the usual crowd pleasers – there’s a huge selection here!
Address: 2a Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
One thing I knew about Toast before I went there is that it’s always busy. I remember driving past it in the car and being, like, what are all these people queuing for? There were always people crowded around and I had no idea why. I needed to know what this place was and a quick Google told me that it was called Toast and it was an all-day café.
Once I actually went to Toast I realised that it’s tiny inside and that’s probably why so many people are outside. We opted to sit outside the time we visited, even though it was a little chilly, because the wait time was much shorter than it was for an indoor table.
There’s an extensive breakfast menu at Toast. There have three or four different kinds of oats to choose from, loads of varieties of eggs, omelettes, breakfast bagels, filled rolls, French toast and your traddy Scottish breakfast, including veggies and vegan versions. If you’re anything like me you might need a little bit of time to decide what you want!
After much umming and ahhing I ordered the Forest Eggs – scrambled eggs with mushrooms, crumbled feta, wilted spinach and toasted pine nuts on two thick slabs of nutty wholemeal toast. It was a bit of a panic order as there’s so much on the menu I was struggling to decide. But it was a good choice and I was glad I ordered it!
Toast is located directly next to the cinema so it makes it the ideal spot to visit for breakfast or brunch in Stirling before you go onto to see a movie. Just save room for your snacks!
Friars Wynd
Best for: Bringing all the traditional period charm to your brunch
Address: 17 Friars St, Stirling FK8 1HA
This was the very first place I got brunch in Stirling when I moved here last year. We went for a wander around the town and were drawn to the traditional charm of Friars Wynd. Friars Wynd is located in the city centre in what is reportedly one of the oldest streets in Stirling.
It’s a boutique hotel in a newly renovated Victorian house and you can see some of the beautifully restored period features when you walk through the door. I loved the large brick fireplace! I’m not sure it’s a functioning fireplace but it looked very charming either way.
I was on a health kick at the time that we were there and so I ordered scrambled eggs on toast with smoked salmon, the latter which I wouldn’t normally order. However, it was really nice. The eggs were creamy and delicious and I did enjoy the salmon too.
If you don’t fancy brunch there are plenty of other reasons to visit Friars Wynd. Pop in for a coffee during the day or go for dinner. They always have a blackboard outside with their special of the day which I always enjoy looking at when we walk past. The dinner menu is fairly compact but has plently of things to tempt me, such as the tomato and brie tart!
Either way, I’m sure it won’t be long until I visit Friars Wynd again.
Friend of Mine
Best for: Vegan-friendly brunch in the nearby Bridge of Allan
Address: 45 Henderson St, Bridge of Allan, FK9 4HG
If you have a car or are happy to jump on a bus I’d highly recommend visiting Friend of Mine in the Bridge of Allan. It’s a mere stone’s throw from Stirling and well worth visiting.
Bridge of Allan Is a bustling little place with a selection of independent shops, including a cheesery, and a well-to-do vibe. It actually reminds me of Broughty Ferry, which is a port town just outside of Dundee. It functions in a similar way too: it’s a smaller, posher town outside of the main city.
Anyway, onto Friend of Mine. This place has been on the scene since 2018 and it combines stylish surroundings with a vegetarian and vegan-friendly menu. It’s also not just a brunch place, although that’s what I was there for on the Saturday afternoon we visited.
They have a great brunch menu with your eggs bennies, fry-ups, and waffles. We opted for the lunch menu, however, as my partner had the bao buns before and said they were great.
I went for the sesame tofu bao that came with avocado, pickles, sriracha, and micro coriander. It was a little bit spicy and very tasty. Although with three buns it was probably more food than I was expecting, especially with the side of halloumi fries we ordered.
We sat here in the late August sunshine when it was still warm outside and it was lovely. One piece of advice: I would definitely book a table at Friend of Mine. We sat outside and I saw two or three groups turned away as there weren’t tables. It’s a popular spot!
HBW Coffee
Best for: A brunch menu made for vegans and vegetarians
Address: 54/56 Barnton St, Stirling FK8 1NA
Looking for a breakfast menu that is purpose-designed for vegans? This is what you can expect at HBW Coffee in Stirling. Their whole menu is vegan as standard, so you’ll find vegan breakfast burritos, pancake stacks with maple syrup and fake bacon (seitan?), scrambled tofu on sourdough toast, and many more delicious-sounding breakfast dishes.
It was first flagged to me when I first moved to Stirling. Our new neighbours wrote us a welcome card with a list of recommendations and they included HBW, noting that the vegan doughnuts were definitely worth trying. It didn’t take me long to stop by and order a vegan chocolate and a vegan jam doughnut along with my Americano and oat milk.
HBW Coffee is housed in a building that used to be an optician. Until recently they still had the old optician’s signage up, which was charming in its own way – I love seeing the remnants of its history. However, I guess it was a bit confusing and it’s recently been updated with colourful new branding that reflects its status as a coffee house.
This place is so close to my house you can practically see it from the window. I also walk past it about ten times a week. I have, however, only been in once! This isn’t because I don’t want to go, it’s more because it’s jam-packed with people every time I walk past.
However, I can still taste how good those vegan doughnuts were, and they weren’t the only yummy-looking cake that they had on the menu either. Stop by to try them for yourself.
The Riverside
Best for: Perfect eggs benny on the banks of the River Allan
Address: Stirling Rd, Dunblane FK15 0AA
Heads up, The Riverside is located in Dunblane rather than Stirling. So it’s maybe a bit of a reach for me to include it in my best places to eat brunch in Stirling post. However, Dunblane is only a 15-minute drive from Stirling and it’s a beautiful little town that’s well worth visiting.
Dunblane is known for being the home of Andy Murray and it has the famous gold postbox to match. Unfortunately, I didn’t clock it during our trip so that’s a reason to return. The 13th-century Dunblane Cathedral is absolutely stunning. We parked next to it and then took a quick stroll along the River Allan to work up an appetite before heading for brunch.
Onto The Riverside. It’s a lovely pub and restaurant located on the banks of the River Allan. Inside, it’s cosy and snug. I imagine it would be a lovely place to go in the evening time when it’s dark and cold outside. Today, though, we were here for all the brunch vibes.
They have everything you could expect for brunch on the menu. French toast with streaky bacon and maple syrup, a full Scottish breakfast, and smashed avocado, bacon and poached eggs on toast. I ordered the eggs Florentine that came with spinach and button mushrooms and topped with a silky smooth hollandaise. Yes, please! I could have had two!
If you’re looking for a place to eat in Dunblane I’d definitely recommend The Riverside.
Things to do in Stirling
Of course, you probably don’t want to just grab brunch in Stirling. If you’re looking for something else to explore while you’re in Stirling then I have a couple of suggestions. The city is steeped in Scottish history and I would highly recommend Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument.
Read my guides to get the most out of your visit:
- A guide to visiting Stirling Castle
- The Wallace Monument: what you need to know
- The best free things to do in Stirling
- The best restaurants in Stirling
- Toast: the busy cafe that hits the spot
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