Nicolson's Cafe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicolson's was a restaurant situated in the centre of the city of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, famous for being one of the places where author J.K. Rowling wrote much of the first book in her Harry Potter series, as a single mother living on benefits in the city. The story is that this was one of her preferred venues because it had a free refill policy.
Located opposite the Old College of the University of Edinburgh on Nicolson Street, the premises was sold in the early 2000s and is now occupied by a Chinese all-you-can-eat restaurant - a move which baffled many fans of the books, who recognise its significance in the genesis of the Harry Potter phenomenon, and disappointed the many tourists interested in the city's role in the creation of the stories.
In late December, 2005 plans were put forth by a retired teacher and resident of the city, Robert Watt, to place a plaque at the site on Nicolson Street, to commemorate its association with the famous author. The plan has received backing from the committee behind Edinburgh's Unesco World City of Literature status and also from the author herself, who collaborated with Watt in arranging the project.
