The Edinburgh Blog

It’s a sure sign there is something special about S. Luca of Musselburgh when there’s a queue of over 20 people outside S Luca’s Musselburgh cafe on a Sunday afternoon, in the middle of a Scottish Winter. S Luca have been manufacturing ice cream since 2021 from their headquarters in Musselburgh. These days S Luca are considerably larger and their operations include another cafe in Morningside, ice cream vans which are popular in North Berwick and selling their excellent ice cream in retail outlets. However if you’re going to experience S Luca’s ice cream it’s best done via a visit to their original Musselburgh cafe.

We pushed past the huge queue seeking take away ice cream and confectionery (S Luca stocks a tremendous range of confectionery from suppliers like James of Arran, Kennedy’s and Ferguson’s) to S Luca’s cafe at the back. The cafe of S Luca is split on two levels and, as the ground level was full, we were directed to a table upstairs.

While today’s mission was all about the ice cream it would be unfair to not mention S Luca’s excellent cafe orientated offerings. As we moved through the packed tables we saw diners eating eggs on toast, burgers, pizzas, paninis and sandwiches. S Luca has an incredibly good reputation in the local community for providing good quality food at excellent value for money. This opinion was cemented through my visit, especially as the burger costs just over £5 and paninis around £3.50. You really can’t argue with that.

I waded through the menu and began to asses which ice cream specialty I would order from S Luca. It was only on the way out of S Luca that I noticed the hot pancakes, ice cream and maple syrup (£2.60) on someone’s table. If I’d noticed the pancakes on the menu I’d have surely ordered these.

One option S Luca offer is a choice of ice cream (vanilla, strawberry and chocolate are listed on the menu, but I’m not sure why the further flavours offered by the takeaway part of S Luca are not listed) with a sauce (raspberry, strawberry, chocolate or butterscotch). Three scoops cost £1.80, four scoops £2.30 and five scoops £2.80. Whipped cream and nuts can be added for 50p. The knickerbockerglory, banana split and meringue mess (all £3.65) also caught my eye before I finally settled on the banana basket, which again cost £3.65. My dining partner went for a slice of carrot cake (90p) and, to rekindle childhood memories, an ice cream float made with Coca Cola (one scoop costs £1.35, two scoops £1.55).

S Luca’s ice cream is certainly delicious. It’s the thick, rich, creamy variety and provides the full flavour taste you just don’t get with cheaper ice creams. My banana basket was delicious, although a little small for someone with my sizable appetite. The banana basket had three scoops of vanilla and strawberry ice cream set upon a tasty waffle basket and chopped banana. Fresh cream and chocolate sauce rounded the dish off.

The ice cream float also went down a treat, although we soon remembered it’s a dangerous game totally submerging the ice cream - it soon fizzed up and exploded all over our table. The carrot cake was a generous portion for only 90p and was a fine effort, which was moist and obviously fresh. I was slightly disappointed with the size of my small Sprite though, it should be renamed on the menu as miniscule!

The service was pretty fast throughout; but understandable as this is a cafe not restaurant. However all service was with a smile. It’s table service when placing your order, but when ready to pay you walk up to the counter where your server will key your order through the till.

As we walked out of S Luca’s Musselburgh cafe the queue was even larger, which put paid to my hopes of purchasing a takeaway ice cream cone. Their ice cream certainly has an addictive quality.

S Luca’s Musselburgh cafe really is an Edinburgh institution and is loved by locals and tourists alike. There’s so much variety on the sit-in and takeaway menus that you would never get bored of repeat visits. I was slightly disappointed when I failed to find my personal favourite, chocolate brownies and ice cream, on S Luca’s menu. However that’s a small complaint - for the most part S Luca brought back happy childhood memories of being dazzled by the choices in a great sweet shop. In an era of Häagen Dazs/Ben and Jerry’s ice cream outlets, with their complex and varied offerings, S Luca provide a more nostalgic ice cream experience. S Luca’s emphasis is very much on basic flavours and traditional ice cream dishes, which I find commendable.

It’s likely you’ll have already visited Edinburgh’s S Luca, either at Musselburgh or Morningside. If you haven’t you’re missing out. A must visit for anyone in or around the Edinburgh area.

S Luca of Musselburgh is currently Edinburgh’s Best Ice Cream at edinburghsbest.com.

S Luca is located at 32-38 High Street, Musselburgh, EH21 7AG.
Telephone: 2021 665 2237