The Elephant House
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What people say
Megan Arzbaecher
"Considered to be the birthplace of Harry Potter, the Elephant House is a café on George IV bridge. Might as well start this Harry Potter tour where it all began! Before she made her fortune with the Harry Potter books, J.K Rowling was a single mom who struggled to pay her rent and heating bills. On cold Scotland days, she would come to the Elephant House (along with a few other cafes in the area) to write her manuscripts. The bright red exterior is immediately noticeable, but unfortunately, this café is closed until further notice following a kitchen fire. You’ll still see signs out front proclaiming its claim to fame."
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Mirka Ondrejkovicova
Available for hire
"Sadly, the café has been closed now for years due to fire damage, but it is one of the cafes where JK Rowling used to write the first books. (It had been claiming for years to be the birthplace of HP, but JK stated that it is untrue).
If they do reopen, go check out the bathrooms. Hopefully, the same magic that was happening there before will be happening again. Special tip: take a permanent marker with you when you go to the toilet 😉"
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Katie Guest
"While this is not the original location of the cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books (that one burned down). This is the new location of that cafe. "
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About The Elephant House
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