Forest Cafe

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The Forest café is a volunteer run community café and arts venue, located in central Edinburgh, Scotland. It is run by a collective of volunteers on a not-for-profit basis, with all money reinvested into providing arts space and resources for free to audiences, performers and artists. It provides a space for alternative art, and is popular with students, travellers and those who look for an alternative to more corporate cafés and venues. Events are held regularly, including poetry, theatre, music and readings. Every year during August the Forest runs a theatre and arts programme alternative to the mainstream Edinburgh Festival events.

Volunteers work in the kitchen and café, serving vegetarian and vegan food. All of the coffee served is Fairtrade, while much of the food is organic and locally produced. The Forest provides free internet access, with Wi-Fi and free to use computers in the café. The Forest also operates a free shop, a small rehearsal/music studio and a darkroom. In 2004, the Forest Cafe was one of only four Internet Cafés in the UK to win a "Highly Recommended" citation in the "Yahoo! Mail Internet Café Awards".

The Forest was started in August 2000, originally located on West Port, off the Grassmarket, but moved to larger premises nearby at Bristo Place in August 2003. The Forest is entirely self-funded and receives no funding for its day-to-day activity from local or central government, relying on volunteering with the aim of providing a model for other community projects.