A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Edinburgh
- Edinburgh Information
- Eating & drinking in Edinburgh
- Night life in Edinburgh
- Getting around in Edinburgh
- Things to do in Edinburgh
- Where to stay in Edinburgh
- Edinburgh street map
In a list of the world's gastronomic capitals, Edinburgh may not have always have been as highly regarded as, say, Paris or Rome. But times change, and these days there’s plenty of great dining options - with the obligatory battered Mars bar thrown in, too!
For many visitors to Scotland, one dish dominates the culinary landscape above all others: haggis. Traditionally made from minced and boiled organs, blended with beef suet for added richness and oatmeal, the mixture is finally sewn shut in a sheep's stomach.
The whole ‘glorious sight’ (as Robert Burns famously called it) is served in many of the city’s better restaurants and is best washed down with a dram or two of whisky, or a few pints of strong Scottish ale. And, believe it or not, it’s absolutely delicious!
For less adventurous backpackers there are plenty of other things on the city’s menu. A brief stroll around the city’s myriad of cobbled streets and alleyways appears to back up the claim that Edinburgh has more restaurants per capita than London.
In the heart of the Old Town, Grassmarket is teeming with cafés, cozy restaurants and bars. To the south of the New Town, meanwhile, Thistle Street, George Street and Rose Street (all running parallel to one another) are generally a good bet.
It’s often the case, though, that a trip away from the busy tourist hotspots of the city center can drive prices down significantly. Out to the northeast of the city, in the port of Leith (once virtually off-limits), there are plenty of places to eat on and around the Shore.
Really budget food in Edinburgh (as is the case throughout the UK) is likely to be a little on the unhealthy side. For reasonable pub grub, various places in the Old Town offer enticing student and backpacker meal and drinks deals.
And, as with much of the rest of the UK, Edinburgh has an almost boundless appetite for fast food. Fish and chips, meat pies and the infamous battered Mars Bars can all be secured after the pubs have closed on Leith Street, South Clerk Street and Lothian Road.