Guidebook for Edinburgh

Hannah
Guidebook for Edinburgh

Food Scene

Great coffee, charming lads, good soups.
14 locals recommend
Castello Coffee Co
7A Castle St
14 locals recommend
Great coffee, charming lads, good soups.
Excellent steak lovely atmosphere. Booking recommended as very popular, even on weekdays.
32 locals recommend
Wildfire
192 Rose St
32 locals recommend
Excellent steak lovely atmosphere. Booking recommended as very popular, even on weekdays.
Fantastic sourcing, romantic decor, impressive French/Scottish menu.
45 locals recommend
Cafe St Honorė
34 Thistle St N W Ln
45 locals recommend
Fantastic sourcing, romantic decor, impressive French/Scottish menu.
Wonderful sourcing policy, excellent place to try imaginative modern Scottish food.
18 locals recommend
Edinburgh Larder Bistro
1A Alva St
18 locals recommend
Wonderful sourcing policy, excellent place to try imaginative modern Scottish food.
Superlative local, seasonal sourcing; imaginative cooking. Set menu, sit at long tables with other diners. A favourite of ours.
339 locals recommend
The Gardener's Cottage
1 London Road
339 locals recommend
Superlative local, seasonal sourcing; imaginative cooking. Set menu, sit at long tables with other diners. A favourite of ours.
Lovely little cafe off the beaten track (but still very busy at lunch). Great sourcing, interesting salads, friendly staff.
55 locals recommend
The Edinburgh Larder
15 Blackfriars St
55 locals recommend
Lovely little cafe off the beaten track (but still very busy at lunch). Great sourcing, interesting salads, friendly staff.
Our favourite Peter's Yard (another in the Meadows and a new one on Queensferry Road): fab sourdough pizza to eat in or takeaway.
49 locals recommend
Söderberg Stockbridge
3 Deanhaugh St
49 locals recommend
Our favourite Peter's Yard (another in the Meadows and a new one on Queensferry Road): fab sourdough pizza to eat in or takeaway.
Great cafe in the centre of town (not as common as you'd imagine), good for Scottish ingredients and cake.
68 locals recommend
Urban Angel
121 Hanover St
68 locals recommend
Great cafe in the centre of town (not as common as you'd imagine), good for Scottish ingredients and cake.
Great for lots of things: an ice cream parlour, casual cafe and stylish restaurant on each floor.
12 locals recommend
Cannonball Restaurant & Bar
356 Castlehill
12 locals recommend
Great for lots of things: an ice cream parlour, casual cafe and stylish restaurant on each floor.
A Stockbridge stalwart, Rafael is the most charming patron. Basement restaurant serving modern Spanish - not tapas.
6 locals recommend
Rafaels
2 Deanhaugh St
6 locals recommend
A Stockbridge stalwart, Rafael is the most charming patron. Basement restaurant serving modern Spanish - not tapas.
The best tapas in Edinburgh, in my opinion.
16 locals recommend
El Quijote
16 locals recommend
The best tapas in Edinburgh, in my opinion.
Top of my to-try list! No menu, just that day's best ingredients, from which food will be created for you.
83 locals recommend
Aizle
38 Charlotte Square
83 locals recommend
Top of my to-try list! No menu, just that day's best ingredients, from which food will be created for you.
Just great burgers, really - and hot dogs. Simple but effective. And cheap.
Burger
91-93 Shandwick Pl
Just great burgers, really - and hot dogs. Simple but effective. And cheap.
Very buzzy, fun place pretty much devoted to meat. Really really good steak, of course.
41 locals recommend
Steak Restaurant - Picardy Place
12 Picardy Pl
41 locals recommend
Very buzzy, fun place pretty much devoted to meat. Really really good steak, of course.
Sister to Steak, great menu.
12 Picardy Pl
12 Picardy Place
Sister to Steak, great menu.
Imaginative, detailed cooking, good for a special meal but also great value lunch deals. Very pretty on the plate. Modern Scottish.
12 locals recommend
Restaurant Mark Greenaway
69 N Castle St
12 locals recommend
Imaginative, detailed cooking, good for a special meal but also great value lunch deals. Very pretty on the plate. Modern Scottish.
For a special meal. Seasonal Scottish, with international flair. Always something eye-catching on the menu, really like this place.
132 locals recommend
Wedgwood The Restaurant
267 Royal Mile
132 locals recommend
For a special meal. Seasonal Scottish, with international flair. Always something eye-catching on the menu, really like this place.
Excellent cafe and deli. Great big sandwiches made with superb cheese and ham, also to takeaway.
24 locals recommend
Henri
48 Raeburn Pl
24 locals recommend
Excellent cafe and deli. Great big sandwiches made with superb cheese and ham, also to takeaway.
Don't go to Starbuck's, go here, just across the road!
57 locals recommend
Wellington Coffee
33A George St
57 locals recommend
Don't go to Starbuck's, go here, just across the road!
Cafe by day, restaurant by night. Quirky decor, lovely menu, good sourcing, very handy for the Festival Theatre.
21 locals recommend
Spoon Cafe Bistro
21 locals recommend
Cafe by day, restaurant by night. Quirky decor, lovely menu, good sourcing, very handy for the Festival Theatre.
A wonderful experience - huge tea list served in an antique shop. Booking recommended; absolutely fabulous.
9 locals recommend
Anteaques
17 Clerk Street
9 locals recommend
A wonderful experience - huge tea list served in an antique shop. Booking recommended; absolutely fabulous.
Splendid Thai food - not a cheap place, but a step up from all your regular Thai joints.
54 locals recommend
Dusit
49A Thistle St
54 locals recommend
Splendid Thai food - not a cheap place, but a step up from all your regular Thai joints.
Fantastic Thai, served fast. Very cheap, and very good. Eat in or takeaway.
257 locals recommend
TING THAI CARAVAN Teviot Place
9 Teviot Pl
257 locals recommend
Fantastic Thai, served fast. Very cheap, and very good. Eat in or takeaway.
French menu, best of Scottish ingredients. Very good (not super-cheap), fantastic meat. Sister restaurant on Queensferry St.
173 locals recommend
L'Escargot Bleu Restaurant
56 Broughton St
173 locals recommend
French menu, best of Scottish ingredients. Very good (not super-cheap), fantastic meat. Sister restaurant on Queensferry St.
French menu, best of Scottish ingredients. Very good (not super-cheap), fantastic meat. Sister restaurant on Broughton St.
173 locals recommend
L'Escargot Bleu Restaurant
56 Broughton St
173 locals recommend
French menu, best of Scottish ingredients. Very good (not super-cheap), fantastic meat. Sister restaurant on Broughton St.
One of the best Italian restaurants in Edinburgh. Meatballs and ragu particularly recommended. Good wine list.
60 locals recommend
Osteria del Tempo Perso
208 Bruntsfield Pl
60 locals recommend
One of the best Italian restaurants in Edinburgh. Meatballs and ragu particularly recommended. Good wine list.
One of Edinburgh's best Italian restaurants - where Italians go.
121 locals recommend
Locanda de Gusti
102 Dalry Rd
121 locals recommend
One of Edinburgh's best Italian restaurants - where Italians go.
Best delivered pizza in town, also a big sit-in restaurant.
241 locals recommend
La Favorita
331-325 Leith Walk
241 locals recommend
Best delivered pizza in town, also a big sit-in restaurant.
Good sushi, just around the corner.
Hakataya
122 Rose Street South Lane
Good sushi, just around the corner.
Really good sushi - the best I've had in Edinburgh.
119 locals recommend
Kanpai Sushi
8-10 Grindlay St
119 locals recommend
Really good sushi - the best I've had in Edinburgh.
Cafe and very good food shop specialising in organic, Scottish and ethically sourced.
43 locals recommend
Earthy Foods & Goods
Ratcliffe Terrace
43 locals recommend
Cafe and very good food shop specialising in organic, Scottish and ethically sourced.
Highly fancy Michelin-starred. The best meal I've had in Edinburgh. Very expensive but worth it.
86 locals recommend
Castle Terrace
33-35 Castle Terrace
86 locals recommend
Highly fancy Michelin-starred. The best meal I've had in Edinburgh. Very expensive but worth it.
The most atmospheric restaurant imaginable. Very good food, at the pricey end of the spectrum. A real experience though.
192 locals recommend
The Witchery by the Castle
352 Castlehill
192 locals recommend
The most atmospheric restaurant imaginable. Very good food, at the pricey end of the spectrum. A real experience though.
Fun, family-friendly Indian restaurant - the oldest in Edinburgh.
148 locals recommend
Khushi's
10 Antigua St
148 locals recommend
Fun, family-friendly Indian restaurant - the oldest in Edinburgh.

Drinks & Nightlife

Great atmosphere, splendid cooking, excellent drinks list. A bit special.
184 locals recommend
TIMBERYARD
10 Lady Lawson St
184 locals recommend
Great atmosphere, splendid cooking, excellent drinks list. A bit special.
A menu you'll want to work your way right through: modern Scottish. Highly recommended.
108 locals recommend
Three Birds
3-5 Viewforth
108 locals recommend
A menu you'll want to work your way right through: modern Scottish. Highly recommended.
Immediately famous restaurant-pub-bar from Michelin-starred Tom Kitchin. Mostly restaurant. Some tables put aside for walk-ins, but good luck as it's extremely popular.
378 locals recommend
The Scran and Scallie
1 Comely Bank Rd
378 locals recommend
Immediately famous restaurant-pub-bar from Michelin-starred Tom Kitchin. Mostly restaurant. Some tables put aside for walk-ins, but good luck as it's extremely popular.
Good tapas/small plates. Nice atmosphere.
162 locals recommend
Rollo Restaurant & Wine Bar
108 Raeburn Pl
162 locals recommend
Good tapas/small plates. Nice atmosphere.
More great burgers.
15 locals recommend
Burger Meats Bun
1 Forth St
15 locals recommend
More great burgers.
The best craft beer bar in Edinburgh, with a very satisfying menu.
169 locals recommend
The Hanging Bat
133 Lothian Rd
169 locals recommend
The best craft beer bar in Edinburgh, with a very satisfying menu.
I've not been yet, but it's from the Hanging Bat guys (Lothian Rd) and therefore must be good. More about the food than the Hanging Bat - see The List's most recent review for more.
17 locals recommend
SPIT/FIRE
26B Dublin Street
17 locals recommend
I've not been yet, but it's from the Hanging Bat guys (Lothian Rd) and therefore must be good. More about the food than the Hanging Bat - see The List's most recent review for more.
Amazing interior, great atmosphere. Gets very busy at office-close. Decent pub menu.
125 locals recommend
Cafe Royal
19 W Register St
125 locals recommend
Amazing interior, great atmosphere. Gets very busy at office-close. Decent pub menu.
We go for the bar rather than the restaurant - lovely subterranean atmosphere. A good wine bar.
39 locals recommend
Whighams Wine Cellars
13 Hope St
39 locals recommend
We go for the bar rather than the restaurant - lovely subterranean atmosphere. A good wine bar.
Super-romantic wine bar/classy Italian restaurant.
21 locals recommend
Divino Enoteca Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar
5 Merchant St
21 locals recommend
Super-romantic wine bar/classy Italian restaurant.
Excellent craft-beer bar.
38 locals recommend
V Deep
60 Henderson Street
38 locals recommend
Excellent craft-beer bar.
A Scottish phenomenon, BrewDog are taking over the world with craft beer. A fun bar, with their very good beer and cracking pizza.
82 locals recommend
BrewDog Edinburgh
143 Cowgate
82 locals recommend
A Scottish phenomenon, BrewDog are taking over the world with craft beer. A fun bar, with their very good beer and cracking pizza.

Everything Else

Gelato parlour serving the best gelato/ice cream in town! You will not be disappointed. A must. Also do good coffee and hot chocolate.
23 locals recommend
Affogato
36 Queensferry St
23 locals recommend
Gelato parlour serving the best gelato/ice cream in town! You will not be disappointed. A must. Also do good coffee and hot chocolate.
Really excellent ice cream, highly recommended - and Mary is so friendly.
131 locals recommend
Mary's Milk Bar
19 Grassmarket
131 locals recommend
Really excellent ice cream, highly recommended - and Mary is so friendly.

Essentials

Lovely deli selling AMAZING chicken liver pate, bread, chutneys, chocolate etc - the makings of a great picnic.
21 locals recommend
Herbie of Edinburgh
66 Raeburn Pl
21 locals recommend
Lovely deli selling AMAZING chicken liver pate, bread, chutneys, chocolate etc - the makings of a great picnic.
Useful to know about - the nearest big supermarket. Still quite a walk, but will have everything you need.
92 locals recommend
Waitrose & Partners Comely Bank
38 Comely Bank Rd
92 locals recommend
Useful to know about - the nearest big supermarket. Still quite a walk, but will have everything you need.
The nearest supermarket - an express store.
211 locals recommend
Sainsbury's
Unit 9-10 Moray Park Terrace
211 locals recommend
The nearest supermarket - an express store.
The best butcher in Edinburgh.
9 locals recommend
George Bower Butchers
75 Raeburn Pl
9 locals recommend
The best butcher in Edinburgh.
Excellent fishmongers.
7 locals recommend
Armstrong G
80 Raeburn Pl
7 locals recommend
Excellent fishmongers.