The 20 Best Places to Eat in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is known for its cobbled streets, rich history, and fairytale vibes, but it’s a little underrated when it comes to the foodie scene. In fact, Edinburgh is a haven for food lovers, with an incredible range of world cuisines available to try, and a big focus on showcasing and supporting local Scottish food and ingredients.

In just shy of a year in this city, I feel like I barely scratched the surface of all the places to eat in Edinburgh, and yet I still ended up with a huge list of favourites. Even just deciding what to include in this guide was a challenge!

So here we are – the complete Edinburgh foodie guide with my top 20 places to eat in Edinburgh. You’ll find a mix of my favourite restaurants, the best brunch spots, and some bonus spots, like bakeries and food markets. There is such a diverse range of places on this list, so you will be sure to discover something you enjoy – and then want to come back for more.

a selection of freshly baked cakes and buns from Swedish bakery Söderberg in Edinburgh

a table of burgers and fries from Butta Burger, one of the best places to eat in Edinburgh

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The Best Restaurants in Edinburgh

Petit Paris

We’re starting off strong as Petit Paris is probably my most frequented spot in Edinburgh. This adorably cosy bistro is the perfect place for a decently priced French dinner in the city. Situated in the lively Grassmarket area of Old Town, Petit Paris is just a stone’s throw from the Royal Mile and perfectly situated for some post-dinner drinks with a view of Edinburgh Castle.

The menu features mainly traditional French plates, with meats and fish for mains. And trust me, if you don’t order the camembert (pictured below) to start you are missing out!

Address | Opening Daily 12 pm-3 pm; 5 pm-~10 pm (no lunchtime closure on Saturdays) | Website (with menu)

Price $$ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Veggie yes, but mains are limited; Vegan no

baked camembert from le petit paris, a restaurant in Edinburgh's Grassmarket

meat and veg main meal from le petit Paris, a French restaurant in Edinburgh

Origano

Leith Walk is home to many great foodie spots, and one of the highlights is Origano Café and Pizzeria. The main attraction here is the delicious wood-fired pizzas, but you’ll also find some great Italian sides and desserts on offer, and a couple of pasta options too.

At Origano, the pizzas are prepared are fired in an open area in the corner of the restaurant, which makes for a great dining experience. What’s more, the pizza sizes are customisable, meaning they can be individual or shared.

Address | Website | Price $ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Veggie Yes; Vegan No

2 pizzas from Origano, an Italian restaurant in Leith, Edinburgh

Paradise Palms

Paradise Palms is one of the top places to eat in Edinburgh if you’re looking for vegetarian and vegan food, and as someone who is neither of those things, it’s still worth a visit if you eat meat! The food is high-quality fast food style – think juicy burgers, dirty fries, and lots of bbq sauce. All the food is vegan by default, and some meals can be vegetarian instead, for example where dairy cheese can be used.

With vibrant, neon interiors, an impressive cocktail list, and regular live music and DJ sets, this spot is not only one of the best places to eat in Edinburgh for vegans and vegetarians but an all-around great night out as well.

loaded fries from Paradise Palms, one of the best places to eat in Edinburgh for vegetarians and vegans

The Scran and Scallie

The Scran and Scallie prides itself on being a neighbourhood pub focused on serving up good local Scottish food. This is the perfect spot to try some truly authentic and fresh Scottish cuisine during your time in Edinburgh. You’ll find the traditional dishes, like haggis, neeps, and tatties, some incredible Scottish fish and seafood, and the seasonally changing special is sure to impress. You’ll find Scottish influence through the drinks menu as well, especially the impressive whisky menu to wash down your meal.

This modern yet traditional bistro finds itself in the beautiful neighbourhood of Stockbridge, perfect for a post-meal wander – I recommend checking out Dean Village.

Café Andaluz

Bringing Spanish influence to Scotland, Café Andaluz is a popular tapas restaurant now with 5 locations in Scotland. Edinburgh has two of those, and you’ll find some of the best Spanish food in the city. With a wide selection on the menu, it might be difficult to decide what to order, but you can be sure that everything is delicious – I’m yet to dislike a dish! I especially recommend the butifarra negra and the croquetas.

The best time to visit Café Andaluz is for their pre-theatre menu, where you can enjoy a fixed price for a few tapas dishes and a dessert.

Website | Price $$ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Yes

McLarens on the Corner

McLarens on the Corner is a bright, modern bistro with a large patio area, meaning it’s the perfect spot for dinner and drinks on a sunny evening. The patio is the best area, with an array of quirky gondolas, comfy sofa seats, and al fresco tables.

McLarens is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and both the morning and afternoon/evening menus are classic bistro – you’ll find fry-ups and brunch classics on the breakfast menu, and burgers, fish and chips, and pies later on. The trio of sliders and haggis loaded fries are particularly good. Pair this all with a couple of fun cocktails and you have the perfect casual dinner at one of the best places to eat in Edinburgh.

a cheeseburger and fries from Mclarens on the corner, Edinburgh

the trio of sliders from Mclarens, in Morningside, Edinburgh

TukTuk Indian Street Food

For Indian cuisine with a twist, try the incredible street food menu at TukTuk. The concept gives a nod to the street food markets of India and they are big on authentic flavours and experiences. The waiters at TukTuk are great at recommending how much to order and talking you through the menu. Plus, if you’re looking for places to eat in Edinburgh on a budget, swing by TukTuk for lunch where you can try a filling set menu for only £12.

With a great atmosphere and lively interiors, TukTuk is the perfect place for a laid-back dinner. It’s even BYOB for alcoholic drinks (beer and wine only) – but I do recommend trying some of the homemade coolers from the drinks menu – Rani’s kiss is especially delicious.

Pizza Geeks

Just next to Haymarket station is Pizza Geeks, a geek and sci-fi-themed pizzeria. The unique branding is really fun, but most importantly these guys make incredible wood-fired pizza (I recommend The Wildling). The team at Pizza Geeks are also doing great work for the community, mainly through their “Pizza for the People” scheme which sees a specific pizza nominated each month, and each sale of this pizza qualifies a free pizza to someone in need.

The restaurant space at Pizza Geeks is small, so you might enjoy your meal to go – why not wander along to Princes Street Gardens and enjoy a picnic?! Also, if you’re in the north of Edinburgh, Pizza Geeks has a second location in Leith.

pizza from Pizza Geeks in Edinburgh, with a grassy park in the background

Makars Mash Bar

Scotland’s unpredictable weather can leave you in need of a good, hearty meal at the end of the day, and Makar’s Mash Bar is perfect for that. As you might be able to guess by the name, this restaurant’s menu is centred around mashed potatoes, with nine options to accompany your meal. For the main part of the meal, you’ll find high-quality, farm-sourced meat and veggie options, like vegan sausages, honey-glazed gammon, or lamb shank. If that’s not great enough already, you can also try traditional haggis, neeps, and tatties here.

Makar’s Mash Bar is the perfect place for a hearty, Scottish meal, and you can guarantee you’re eating local, home-cooked produce. Make sure you pop by Makar’s Close just behind the restaurant, home to the beautiful Writer’s Museum.

Top Tip: Scottish meals are always best paired with some whisky! To discover the best Edinburgh has to offer, book an expert tour below.

Butta Burger

Another Edinburgh spot with multiple locations, Butta Burger has skyrocketed to success after launching as a delivery-only burger outlet in 2020. They’ve since opened two restaurants, in Edinburgh’s centre and next to the Meadows at Quartermile, serving up unreal burgers, chicken, and fries. The truffle, parmesan, and rosemary fries (pictured below) are an absolute must!

The team at Butta Burger don’t just specialise in good food, you’ll also find a good list of milkshakes and even some cocktails. One thing is for sure, you can expect to leave here feeling very full.

Addresses (with opening hours) | Website | Menu | Price $$ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Yes

rosemary, parmesan, and truffle fries from Butta Burger in Edinburgh, with one of their signature chicken burgers in the background

The Best Brunch Spots in Edinburgh

Bross Bagels

writer’s note 24/01/24: due to recent events, I no longer recommend Bross Bagels as one of the best places to eat in Edinburgh. This guide will be updated to reflect that in due course.

The owner of Bross Bagels, known as ‘Mama Bross’ came over to Edinburgh from Montreal and decided to bring a little slice of home with her, in the form of freshly baked Montreal bagels. Now with four locations across the city, Bross Bagels are firmly establishing bagel culture in Edinburgh life, and their creations are perfect for breakfast or lunch on the go.

From build your own breakfast bagels, hot and cold lunch options with a multitude of fillings and frequent creative specials, plenty of vegan choices, and even bagel dogs, you’ll have to visit several times to try everything that takes your fancy! If you’re looking for a boozy bagel experience, the Bross Bagels deli at the St James’ Quarter serves up a few iconic cocktails and other drinks.

Website (with locations, menus, and opening hours) | Price $-$$ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Yes

breakfast bagel with sausage, cheese and ketchup from Bross Bagels in Edinburgh

inside Bross Bagels at the St James Quarter

Stack and Still

Edinburgh’s dedicated pancake restaurant, Stack and Still is the perfect place for delicious, fluffy pancake lovers. With both sweet and savoury options, you can build your own pancake stack from their long list of toppings, or choose from their signature options. You’ll also have options to customise the size of your stack and the type of pancakes you have.

I’m a sweet pancake lover, and my favourite option at Stack and Still is the peaches and cream stack, but some of the savoury options are great for something a bit different. For example, you could try the taco stack or the doner kebab stack.

Address | Website | Price $$ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Yes

Peaches and Cream pancake from Stack and Still

Scran Bistro

A classic lunch and brunch outlet, this spot perfectly encapsulates Scotland’s favourite slang word, scran, so it’s definitely aptly named. With a filling menu of burgers, wraps, loaded fries, and nachos, as well as a large all-day breakfast/brunch menu, just looking at this food will make your mouth water. This is the perfect place to try a classic Scottish breakfast if you’re visiting for the first time – you’ll be able to try all the key ingredients, like haggis, black pudding, and of course, potato (tattie) scones.

Scran Bistro is located on Cockburn Street, one of Edinburgh’s iconic curved, cobbled streets, and just off the Royal Mile. As an alternative, their boujie sister is found in New Town, with a boozy brunch focused menu – details can be found on the website below.

Addresses and Opening Hours | Website | Menu | Price $$ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Veggie Yes, Vegan no/very limited (vegan alternatives may be available but it’s not clear)

Don’t Tell Mama

This café and restaurant come daytime and bar come nightfall has a little bit of everything, but the Greek-themed menu boasts some of the best food I’ve eaten in the city and definitely ranks high in the top places to eat in Edinburgh for brunch. If you had to pick one of my recommendations on this list of best places to eat in Edinburgh, make it this one. With a stylish, light, open-concept interior and a great drinks menu, Don’t Tell Mama has the whole package.

If you’re a sweet brunch lover, try the Pavlova Pancakes, and if you prefer savoury, get the Greek Lover (both pictured). Make sure you head home with a couple of freshly-baked Greek pastries as well.

Address | Website | Price $$ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Yes (vegan options slightly limited)

Grams

Veggies and Vegans, this one is for you. Grams has a curated brunch and lunch menu where almost everything is vegan or can be made vegan, meaning you’ll have complete choice of the menu. This spot is even worth visiting if you don’t follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, as they make delicious and beautifully aesthetic brunch meals.

Grams also offers a nice drinks menu to make your brunch boozy, including their iconic DIY Prosecco cocktail board.

Discover the best things to do in Edinburgh during your trip!

Other Places to Eat in Edinburgh

Bonnie & Wild

I’ve raved before about food markets that feature already established, local food vendors (you’ll see one featured in my guide to the best places to eat in Brussels), and Edinburgh’s Bonnie & Wild is another great example. One of the best things about speciality food markets is having the flexibility with meal choices – even if everyone in your group wants something different, you can still enjoy it all together. Since many of the stalls at Bonnie & Wild have other locations across the city, you can try some of the best places to eat in Edinburgh all in one place.

There is a great mix of food stalls at Bonnie & Wild, meaning you could come for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even just a cup of coffee! You’ll find seafood at Creel Caught, burgers at El Perro Negro, and Indian cuisine at Radge Chaat, to name just a few. Plus, the team are really aiming to elevate the experience at this food market, and are already organising events and themed takeovers, like the Spanish tapas takeover happening in September 2022.

Address (inside the St James Quarter) | Open Daily 9 am-midnight (most food outlets close at 9 pm) | Website (with all stalls and menus) | Price $-$$ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Yes

inside Bonnie & Wild, the food market inside the St James Quarter, Edinburgh

La’Telve

If you’re ever craving a huge slice of cake or other freshly baked goodies, La’Telve is the place to be. The bright yellow exterior brightens up the streets of Morningside, and inside you’ll find a cosy, friendly café serving breakfast, lunch, coffee, and, of course, the cakes!

The menu at La’Telve is very unique, as they have a mix of classic dishes, but also food that has a Turkish and Middle Eastern influence – in fact, the owners of this café started out in Kazakhstan and Turkey. As I’ve already mentioned once or twice in just a few sentences, the cakes and baked goods at La’Telve are the real highlights.

Address | Open Daily 8 am-5 pm | Website (with menus) | Price $-$$ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Yes (vegan options slightly limited)

Söderberg

Söderberg is an Edinburgh institution, with no less than 7 locations around the city! They range from bakeries to cafés, with the Soderberg Pavillion at Quartermile offering an expanded menu of food and alcoholic drinks. As if there wasn’t already multiculturalism in this guide to the best places to eat in Edinburgh, Söderberg is an authentic Swedish café, bringing the art of Fika to Scotland.

At the bakeries and cafés, you’ll find a range of coffees and other drinks, as well as Swedish-inspired baking. This includes their ever-popular buns, with a range of flavours including cinnamon and cardamom, and seasonal specials such as the semla bun. At the Söderberg Pavillion, you’ll find deliciously fresh Sourdough pizzas and open sandwiches, as well as a fun cocktail menu, where a few drinks have a Swedish twist.

Website (with addresses and opening hours) | Price $-$$ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Veggie yes, Vegan options advertised but not clear from the menu

various buns from Söderberg in Edinburgh

inside the Söderberg Pavillion at Quartermile, Edinburgh

2 pizzas from the Söderberg Pavillion, Edinburgh

La Barantine

La Barantine is a classic French bakery with four locations across Edinburgh and is the perfect place for your fix of authentic French pastries and bread. Most of the outlets are quite small and it can be difficult to get a seat, so I recommend grabbing your pastry or sandwich to go and enjoying it outside – if you visit La Barantine at Bruntsfield you’ll be right next to the Meadows, which is perfect for an al fresco lunch.

Like any good French bakery, you’ll also find some patisserie treats at La Barantine. I struggle not to take home a box of macarons every time I visit as they are so delicious.

Website | Price $ | Veggie/Vegan Friendly? Veggie yes, Vegan very limited

Pickles

Rounding off this list of the best places to eat in Edinburgh is Pickles, a wonderfully cosy wine and charcuterie bar. The staff here are really clued up on their wines, and they’ll happily help you decide what to drink. There are other drink options, and soft drinks as well if you’re not a drinker but still want to enjoy the charcuterie.

The charcuterie boards at Pickles are generous, varied, and most importantly, delicious. You can choose from cheese, meat, or mixed sharing platters, and they do have a cheese option for one. The boards come with bread, oatcakes, and some pickles and chutneys, and you can also order some patés and other sides to enjoy. Pickles is the perfect spot for a romantic date night or a cosy casual dinner with a friend.

Although I think I could list endless places to eat in Edinburgh, that brings us to the end of this guide. I hope I’ve inspired your foodie tastebuds to get out and try some delicious food in Scotland’s capital, and that you enjoy all of these places as much as I do!

Make sure you check out some more travel guides for your trip to Scotland:

Comments

Andy Gadsby says

May 10, 2024 at 9:45 am

Hey! Great timing Kirstie…. Many thanks, we are off to Glasgow+Edinburgh soon
Have you done a blog on Glasgow on good eat/drink places in Glasgow please? Oh and we are booked for Brussels & Leuven later this year… so thanks again! Happy staycationing! Andy

- Kirstie says
  
  May 14, 2024 at 8:52 pm
  
  Hey Andy! Hope you enjoy your trips. No guide on Glasgow food spots yet, but let me give you some recommendations here:
  
  – brunch at singl-end
  – ashton lane in the west end for good food & drinks (brel, ubiquitous chip, hanoi bike shop)
  – cafes: kember & jones, spitfire espresso
  – mikaku for japanese food
  – paesano & sugo (sister restaurants for pizza & pasta)
  – stack & still (custom pancakes, great for brunch)
  – panang for thai sharing plates
  
  🙂