Union of Genius — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

Fair warning to fans of the previous Union of Genius - this is not the same in any capacity. Thoroughly disappointed as a patron of over 10 years that this place and menu have changed so drastically, especially given the instagram post from the new owners promising that our favourites would stay the same. My mum and I had a leek and potato soup and the three bean curry - both fine, but the curry didn’t come with anything you’d imagine to be paired with a curry (I.e. naan), and the portion of olive bread I was given was so small. I don’t even want to comment on the vegan chilli. This was a favourite of mine and many other customers for years, and although I don’t mean to be rude, it has been absolutely ruined. What used to be a delicious smoky chilli, has now become essentially watery tomato soup full of sweetcorn. The original recipe has been changed and now has orzo instead of bulgur wheat, is about 75% sweetcorn, and cannelini beans which add nothing to the flavour. I literally had one spoonful and binned it when I purchased this a few weeks ago. For both the price and memory of the previous chilli, this was so disappointing.

I have no doubt the owners are trying to make this place their own, but they have changed all of the previous favourites. As a long time patron of UoG, I’m sad to say you’ve lost two loyal customers.

Edit: In response to the owners, while I understand your frustration at a one star review, the quality of the food we had yesterday could not bump this up to a two star review considering the chilli I had several weeks ago, and my frustration at the cost considering I had to bin it too. I’m also sure you can understand the frustration of being under the impression recipes would remain the same in some dishes, only to become unrecognisable to their previous counterparts. Genuinely all the best for your business, but the best era of this cafe has...

For years now this has been one of my go-to lunch spots in Edinburgh. Each day, they have a selection (5-6) of soups of the day, most of which are vegetable-based or even vegan. You can either chose one, or have their ‘flight of 3’ where you get mini portions of three soups of your choice. That’s always what I’ve done, and absolutely what I recommend doing, as they’re all delicious. Soups also come with bread and spreadable Lurpak. This restaurant is also doing lots of good: they donate soup to homeless shelters, all their tableware is compostable, and they offer discounts for bringing your own containers. At checkout, there’s an option to pay it forward (buy a meal for future person in need). Beware though that this is a local favourite and there’s limited seating, so you may need to queue, takeaway, or sit...

Wanted something light but, hearty. This was perfect. A choice of four interesting soups. £5 for small; £6 for a larger bowl and £1, if you wish to have olive bread/sourdough on the side. All traffic-light coded for meat (R), vegetarian (Y) or vegan (G). For allergies, GF is (Gluten free) or DF is (Dairy free), etc. I went for a hearty spinach and rice soup with tomatoes, pomegranates and a zesty kick from lemons. Yum! Though soups are customer’s favourite, Union of Genius has other offerings like chilli bowls, salads and interesting focaccia sandwiches.

Limited seated. Place for a quick dash in-and-out for a bowl of soup — salad, chilli bowl or sandwich...