Hello and welcome to 2026 at the Red Kite Cafe Blog!
When we closed out 2025 it was one of our best years ever; busy with artist exhibitions, Abbeyhill Artist Colonies Weekend, Bistro Nights, a Christmas Giveaway; 2026 has a lot to live up to! But there’s many exciting things in the pipeline.
So why should you stick along for the ride?
Here’s where we’ve been, and where we’re going!
How it all began.
We’re 10 years old in 2026! The Red Kite was opened in 2016 by original owners Carys and Kedar, with the aim of providing Abbeyhill with a family-friendly brunch spot. Seven years on and wanting to downsize, Carys and Kedar sold the business to current owner Andrew, and opened Kuna Cafe down the road. Owning his own cafe has been a career highlight for Andrew, who has over 20 years of experience in hospitality, providing meaningful experiences to his customers, and you’ll often see him working in the cafe with his team, so don’t hesitate to say hello!
Since Andrew took over the Red Kite, we’ve revamped the brunch menu, and reinvested in the Abbeyhill cultural community, hosting local artist exhibitions, music gigs, and of course, our Bistro Nights.
Started in 2025, Bistro Nights are our way of giving back to the good people of Abbeyhill, and our Head Chef Euan’s passion project. Euan was previously the Head Chef of the Gardener’s Cottage Restaurant (of Michelin Guide fame), and brings all of his fine dining experience to our Bistro dinner service. Each dining experience is a six-course, set menu for a set price, inspired and crafted from the best of Scotland’s seasonal produce. The evenings are a fantastic way for us to connect with our customers, while providing them with a fine dining experience at a more affordable price point. Our next one is penciled in for the end of March so keep your eyes peeled!
In 2026 we’ll be continuing with our community events, as well as hosting many new and exciting things to look forward to; music gigs, artist exhibitions, and guest coffee roasts!
And of course, this blog!
We’re hoping this blog can be a center of community updates and insider knowledge for you; sharing our team’s expertise on specialty coffee, how to break into the hospitality industry, artist interviews, and the provenance of our Bistro Night Menus.
At the heart of everything we do is our community; the reason we get up long before the rises, and stay up prepping long after it’s set. As anyone who has worked in hospitality a long time will tell you, it’s our regulars who come back season after season that make the job; from behind the counter we witness weddings, babies, children starting school, new jobs and first dates.
A cafe is a microcosm of the community, and we love ours.
Here’s to 2026!
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