Guidebook for Edinburgh
Food Scene
Great little Turkish restaurant. Small but full of very delicious meaty options. Cheap and delicious.
40 locals recommend
Hanedan
41 W Preston StGreat little Turkish restaurant. Small but full of very delicious meaty options. Cheap and delicious.
Great for both meat lovers and veggies. Menu includes sushi, Japanese and Korean dishes. Cheap and tasty. Their home made teas are good too. Try the lemon one!
9 locals recommend
Cafe Andamiro
113 Buccleuch StGreat for both meat lovers and veggies. Menu includes sushi, Japanese and Korean dishes. Cheap and tasty. Their home made teas are good too. Try the lemon one!
Great little Chinese takeaway. You can also sit in. Nothing is disappointing here.
Good Year Chinese Restaurant
62 Ratcliffe TerraceGreat little Chinese takeaway. You can also sit in. Nothing is disappointing here.
A cheap curry cafe that has huge portions. Kind of the equivalent of a greasy spoon cafe so don't expect tablecloths and fancy dining!
40 locals recommend
Kebab Mahal
7 Nicolson SquareA cheap curry cafe that has huge portions. Kind of the equivalent of a greasy spoon cafe so don't expect tablecloths and fancy dining!
Great pub grub overlooking the Forth Rail Bridge, an iconic bridge in Edinburgh.
12 locals recommend
The Hawes Inn
7 Newhalls RdGreat pub grub overlooking the Forth Rail Bridge, an iconic bridge in Edinburgh.
Great cafe. Decent coffee and good food. We'd recommend the scones with clotted cream, the home made soup and the eggs benedict.
80 locals recommend
Kilimanjaro Coffee
104 Nicolson StGreat cafe. Decent coffee and good food. We'd recommend the scones with clotted cream, the home made soup and the eggs benedict.
Cult Espresso
104 Buccleuch StLittle cafe with great coffee and friendly staff.
Market-style fresh food upstairs and chunky wooden bench-style cafe downstairs (+ outside) serving home-made soups and salads. Local, organic produce mainly.
43 locals recommend
Earthy Foods & Goods
Ratcliffe TerraceMarket-style fresh food upstairs and chunky wooden bench-style cafe downstairs (+ outside) serving home-made soups and salads. Local, organic produce mainly.
Great little wine shop with a varied selection of interesting plonk and knowledgeable staff.
6 locals recommend
VINO
1 Grange LoanGreat little wine shop with a varied selection of interesting plonk and knowledgeable staff.
Scoopz Desserts & Candies
25-27 W Nicolson StIce cream sundaes in an American-style diner. Yum!
Local Italian run by a lovely family who will make you feel at home. Pizza, pasts and ice cream with Italian charm.
6 locals recommend
Rigatoni's by the Queens
27 S Clerk StLocal Italian run by a lovely family who will make you feel at home. Pizza, pasts and ice cream with Italian charm.
Arts & Culture
Great independent venue with lots of events. Also has a pub and cafe. Home to micro brewery. Used to be the university veterinary school so a maze of interesting rooms.
161 locals recommend
Summerhall
Great independent venue with lots of events. Also has a pub and cafe. Home to micro brewery. Used to be the university veterinary school so a maze of interesting rooms.
Independent cinema with nice cafe. Reasonably priced lunch and dinner options.
184 locals recommend
Filmhouse
88 Lothian RdIndependent cinema with nice cafe. Reasonably priced lunch and dinner options.
Cameo Picturehouse
38 Home StIndependent cinema with little bar at the back.
The place to get your tickets for the festival shows. Expect long queues!
64 locals recommend
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society
180 High StThe place to get your tickets for the festival shows. Expect long queues!
Cabaret Voltaire
36-38 Blair StClub great for dancing the night away.
Recently refurbished, they are home to Concorde and some interesting planes from all eras.
49 locals recommend
National Museum of Flight
B1347Recently refurbished, they are home to Concorde and some interesting planes from all eras.
Free entry plus a nice cafe and shop for gifts.
1010 locals recommend
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
75 Belford RdFree entry plus a nice cafe and shop for gifts.
National Library of Scotland
George IV BridgeSmall but interesting museum about literature.
The Writers' Museum
Lady Stair's CloseRobert Burns fan? Then go here.
Great for modern art enthusiasts. Walk along the Water of Leith afterwards and discover beautiful Dean Village.
1010 locals recommend
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
75 Belford RdGreat for modern art enthusiasts. Walk along the Water of Leith afterwards and discover beautiful Dean Village.
Everything Else
Great park to hang out in on a nice day. Has a playpark and cafe in an old cricket pavilion as well as the famous 'whalebone arch'. Usually lots of buskers and BBQs in the summer.
615 locals recommend
The Meadows
Melville DriveGreat park to hang out in on a nice day. Has a playpark and cafe in an old cricket pavilion as well as the famous 'whalebone arch'. Usually lots of buskers and BBQs in the summer.
Olympic-sized swimming pool open til late. Also has diving boards and fitness classes etc. The cafe there is terrible though. Avoid!
95 locals recommend
Royal Commonwealth Pool
21 Dalkeith RdOlympic-sized swimming pool open til late. Also has diving boards and fitness classes etc. The cafe there is terrible though. Avoid!
Essentials
Nice place to get some local produce including fresh bread, cheese, meat and hot food. Quite expensive but top quality. Runs every Saturday 9am to 1pm.
88 locals recommend
Edinburgh Farmers' Market
Castle TerraceNice place to get some local produce including fresh bread, cheese, meat and hot food. Quite expensive but top quality. Runs every Saturday 9am to 1pm.
Your general mid-range supermarket. Has a reasonable selection of everything you might need.
130 locals recommend
Tesco Metro
Colinton RoadYour general mid-range supermarket. Has a reasonable selection of everything you might need.
Lidl
Dalry RoadCheap 'no frills' supermarket. Good for cheap vegetables and milk.
Local bakery who make delicious fresh bread and cakes. They have the tiniest cafe too and sell coffee.
22 locals recommend
The Wee Boulangerie
67 Clerk StLocal bakery who make delicious fresh bread and cakes. They have the tiniest cafe too and sell coffee.
Deli with delicious freshly made sandwiches, cheese, bread etc. Expensive but nice.
75 locals recommend
Victor Hugo Deli
26/27 Melville TerraceDeli with delicious freshly made sandwiches, cheese, bread etc. Expensive but nice.
Incredible fishmongers with everything from octopus to cod. There are also some nice fruit shops near here.
24 locals recommend
Eddie's Seafood Market
7 Roseneath StIncredible fishmongers with everything from octopus to cod. There are also some nice fruit shops near here.
Sainsbury's Local
45 Bernard StSmall shop with most of the essentials. Cash machine.
Newington Post Office
11-13 Clerk StAvoid lunchtimes. They are super busy then.
Nearest bank though there is also a cash machine outside Sainsbury's on South Clerk Street.
8 locals recommend
Bank of Scotland
51 S Clerk StNearest bank though there is also a cash machine outside Sainsbury's on South Clerk Street.
Shopping
Big supermarket selling groceries, cheap clothes, pharmacy, alcohol etc.
45 locals recommend
Cameron Toll Shopping Centre
6 Lady RdBig supermarket selling groceries, cheap clothes, pharmacy, alcohol etc.
Games cafe where you pay £3 and can play as many board games from their extensive library as you want. The food is pretty good too.
Games Hub
101 Lauriston PlGames cafe where you pay £3 and can play as many board games from their extensive library as you want. The food is pretty good too.
Ocean Terminal
74 Ocean DrFree parking. Shopping mall for clothes, accessories and gifts.
Sightseeing
Huge T-rex skeleton is the showstopper. Great for a wander about on a rainy day. Free entry.
1378 locals recommend
National Museum of Scotland
Huge T-rex skeleton is the showstopper. Great for a wander about on a rainy day. Free entry.
Nice viewpoint looking over the city. A steep climb but worth it! It's an old volcano.
1859 locals recommend
Arthur's Seat
Nice viewpoint looking over the city. A steep climb but worth it! It's an old volcano.
Edinburgh Castle looks like it was impossible to build as it is on a sheer cliff face. It is also at the top of the Royal Mile, which leads from the castle to Holyrood Palace and the Parliament.
1961 locals recommend
Edinburgh Castle
CastlehillEdinburgh Castle looks like it was impossible to build as it is on a sheer cliff face. It is also at the top of the Royal Mile, which leads from the castle to Holyrood Palace and the Parliament.
Get away from the crowds and down to the beach. Cute promenade and some nice little cafes in Portobello High Street. Hire a couple of bikes and ride down here on the cycle path network.
447 locals recommend
Portobello Beach Promenade
1 PromenadeGet away from the crowds and down to the beach. Cute promenade and some nice little cafes in Portobello High Street. Hire a couple of bikes and ride down here on the cycle path network.
Drinks & Nightlife
The Dagda Bar
93-95 Buccleuch StLocal pub with great ale. It's quiet but friendly.
Homely pub with a quiz night on Thursdays at 9pm and nice burgers. Good place to watch football too.
7 locals recommend
The Southsider
3-7 W Richmond StHomely pub with a quiz night on Thursdays at 9pm and nice burgers. Good place to watch football too.
A basement gin bar serving Edinburgh Gin and liqueurs. Delicious!
62 locals recommend
Edinburgh Gin Distillery
1A Rutland StreetA basement gin bar serving Edinburgh Gin and liqueurs. Delicious!
Tiny indy club with great bands and local DJ's. Good if you're after somewhere where the locals go.
50 locals recommend
Sneaky Pete's
73 CowgateTiny indy club with great bands and local DJ's. Good if you're after somewhere where the locals go.
The Wee Red Bar
74 Lauriston PlStudent hang out with live bands and DJ's.
Whiski Rooms
4-7 N Bank StIf you're a whiskey ponce, this is where it's at.
Kilderkin
67 CanongateGreat for whiskey and home-made pizza. Heaps of character.