JK Rowling seen writing a section of one of her Harry Potter books on the table in The Elephant House
By Angie Brown
BBC Scotland, Edinburgh and East reporter
An Edinburgh cafe where JK Rowling wrote parts of her Harry Potter books is set to reopen three years after a devastating fire.
The Elephant House cafe was one of several properties badly damaged in a blaze on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh in August 2021.
Its reopening has been delayed because the building’s owner went into liquidation.
Cafe owner David Taylor said he hoped to reopen by summer 2024.
He cannot proceed with the work until the structure of the central Edinburgh block has been made safe – something that has been hindered by the landlord going into liquidation shortly after the fire.
Mr Taylor told BBC Scotland the refurbishment would cost about £1m with work starting soon.
He said: “I’m feeling unimaginable relief. If the liquidator is as good as their word then the renovations can happen quite quickly once the structural work has been completed.
The fire is understood to have started inside the basement of Patisserie Valerie cafe
“We are talking late spring early summer for its reopening.
“It has been a terrible few years and I could have walked away with the insurance money but I would never have done that as I want to see it thriving again.
“I would always stand by my cafe.”
Mr Taylor, who has owned the cafe for 28 years, has now opened a second Elephant House around the corner in Victoria Street selling Butterbeer – the drink Harry Potter enjoys in JK Rowling’s books.
The new cafe looks down into Victoria Street – considered by fans to be the inspiration for Rowling’s Diagon Alley.
Image source, David Taylor
The JK Rowling table is currently in the new Elephant Cafe in Edinburgh’s Victoria Street until the original cafe reopens next year
The table JK Rowling used to lean on to write part of her books was salvaged from the fire and restored. It is currently in the new Elephant House in Victoria Street, which opened earlier this week.
The table will be moved back to the original cafe in George IV Bridge when it reopens next year.
Mr Taylor has also launched The Elephant Cafe International franchise with Andrew McRae, owner of the Museum Context retail chain – the seller of officially licensed Harry Potter merchandise.
They are opening up a franchise in Manilla in February where JK Rowling’s table will be for one month.
They are also looking at other franchises in Asia.
Mr McRae is joint owner of the new Elephant House in Victoria Street, which is just a few doors along from a branch of Museum Context.
Image source, David Taylor
The new Elephant House in Edinburgh’s Victoria Street sells Butterbeer
Currently Mr Taylor has metal scaffolding holding up the ceiling of his cafe, which was put in as an emergency and temporary measure by City of Edinburgh Council.
It is believed the fire started in the Patisserie Valerie cafe – which also has a basement that runs underneath The Elephant House.
It is understood Patisserie Valerie will not reopen in the property.
The Elephant House was one of two used regularly by Rowling when she was writing the stories of the boy wizard in the mid-90s.
