text: Once upon a time Ian Rankin JK Rowling and Alexander McCall Smith used to go to The Elephant House to sit and write over endless cups of coffee Lord knows what any of them would think if they went back for an espresso or latte now nnAside from the terrible service and permanently stressed looking staff the place is so darn busy it is difficult to get a table Spring to summer especially the cafe is jampacked with tourists desperate to secure a seat with views of the Castle To make it worse there is merchandise everywhere you look the music is insipid and there is a live webcam opening til closing time so strangers across the world can watch as you eat your lunch nnThe biggest disappointment however has to be the food and drink On paper soup panninis pitta quiche and baked potatoes sounds quite promising but I suspect from tasting the last two that everything is part cooked in advance then microwaved The coffee I ordered was equally bland and frothy nnFree WiFi or not The Elephant House are going to have to raise their game if they want to inspire a new generation of writers