It can be tough deciding where to eat in a city that has hundreds of options to choose from. To guarantee that you eat delicious food on your trip to Scotland’s capital city, we compiled a list of the best places to eat in Edinburgh.
This list is compiled based off Kayla’s 4 visits to Edinburgh (she’s collectively spent almost 3 months there!). The list includes places for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even afternoon tea!
PIGGS
PIGGS is a Spanish tapas restaurant. They have two locations in Edinburgh, but the most convenient one for most people will be their location on the Royal Mile. Kayla had this restaurant on her list of places to try for a while, and we finally got to try it during our most recent trip!
Words cannot convey how phenomenal our meal was. We shared the Jamón Ibérico, Padrón Peppers, Albóndigas (beef and pork mince meatballs), Pan Con Tomate, and Pollo Al Ajillo. It was hard picking a favorite dish, because it was all so delicious! We talked about this meal for days afterward!
Saint Giles Cafe & Pub
Located right across from Saint Giles’ Cathedral, Saint Giles’ Cafe & Pub is a convenient place to stop and get breakfast or lunch while you’re out exploring The Royal Mile. The cafe boasts a cheery yellow exterior and a cozy inside made up of exposed brick and stone. Despite being right off the Royal Mile, the cafe is surprisingly quiet!
My favorite thing to order is their bacon roll with cheese, because the bread is enriched with herbs that will have you wanting to order another.
Dishoom
If you look up the best places to eat in London, Dishoom will undoubtedly pop up on the list. But people visiting Edinburgh for the first time may not know that the famous Indian restaurant has a location over in New Town!
This Bombay-inspired restaurant serves up an outstanding breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We recommend going twice during your visit if you can – once for breakfast and once for lunch or dinner.
We’re partial to their breakfast offerings and recommend getting a Naan Roll. This will be unlike any breakfast sandwich you’ve ever had before and it’ll be hard to get it out of your head once you’ve had it!
No matter the time of day though, you definitely need to get the Bun Maska Chai. This is an Irani cafe classic – a soft buttered bun that you dip in hot chai.
Greenwoods
Greenwoods is a fantastic place to stop for a hearty breakfast in New Town, especially if you’re in the area Exploring Dean Village and Circus Lane. They offer traditional favorites with an international twist using fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
It’s a great place to try a full Scottish breakfast or a traditional stack of pancakes (with syrup served in the cutest miniature pourer). The inside is cozy, so like most places on this list, it’s best to make a reservation if you can.
La Locanda
This scrummy little Italian restaurant is located just off The Royal Mile on a curvy road called Cockburn Street that was used as a filming location in Avengers: Infinity War. It serves up the best authentic Italian food we’ve ever had (and we’ve been to Italy!).
At dinner time, the restaurant can get very busy, so make reservations! The inside of the restaurant is tiny, but there is seating available outdoors as well.
Order the lasagna or the ricotta and spinach ravioli. Better yet, go with a friend and get one of each so you can try them both. Kayla ate there THREE TIMES IN ONE WEEK during one of her visits to Edinburgh. Seriously. It’s that good.
L’Alba D’Oro
Named the best fish and chip shop in the UK in 2014, L’Alba D’Oro is an institution among locals. The chip shop is located in a residential area of New Town.
From the city center, it is a downhill scenic walk that passes by a few gardens. The restaurant itself is only a 7 minute walk to the Royal Botanic Garden.
There are a few seats inside, but most people get take away. If you’re lucky enough to be staying close by, they also deliver. Douse your fish in vinegar and don’t forget the chippy sauce!
The Piemaker
If you are on a budget and want yummy cheap food, go to The Piemaker. The storefront is in Old Town and just a 3 minute walk from The Surgeon’s Hall Museum.
They have a variety of handheld pies, mostly all for under £4. We’ll let you in on a secret though, the macaroni and cheese pies are fantastic. They’re so good, we ate them too fast and forgot to take a picture.
Mimi’s Bakehouse
Mimi’s Bakehouse is one of the top bakeries in Edinburgh. They have a whopping 7 locations throughout the Edinburgh area, but the ones most likely convenient to tourists are their locations on the Royal Mile and in the City Art Centre. We love the decorative floral exterior of the Royal Mile location!
Mimi’s Bakehouse is known for their award winning cakes, tray bakes, and brownies. We sampled a few of their offerings during our most recent visit, but the Jammie Dodger Slices were the group favorite. We’re ashamed to admit how many we ate over the course of the week!
Makars Mash Bar
If you want hearty comfort food, Makars Mash Bar is the place to go. It has won a slew of awards and is consistently voted not just as one of the best places to eat in Edinburgh, but in all the UK!
The premise is simple: Pick your protein, pick your mash and the toppings you’d like for them, and enjoy one of the best meals you’ve ever had!
Makars Mash Bar has 2 entrances a couple doors down from each other. One is for walk-ins, and one is for reservations. We recommend making reservations though, so you don’t risk missing out!
For a truly unique experience, be sure to check out their mushroom emporium beneath the dining area on 12 Bank Street!
Howie’s
Howie’s has a few locations throughout the city, but our favorite is the one at Waterloo Place. This restaurant is situated just around the corner from Calton Hill, which made my list of top things to do in Edinburgh.
The restaurant is in a beautiful Georgian building with tall windows that allow the restaurant to be flooded with natural light. The spacious dining area is perfect for large groups and the ambiance is ideal for date night.
We recommend making reservations, especially if you plan on going for dinner as the restaurant is popular among locals and tourists. The menu is filled with delicious Scottish dishes that vary according to season. Be sure to get the sticky toffee pudding for dessert!
Chaophraya
If you want castle views while eating scrumptious food, Chaophraya is the place to go. Located on the 4th floor of a building in New Town, the Thai restaurant has a rooftop terrace with floor to ceiling windows that offer a breathtaking view of the castle.
Call ahead or go to their website to make reservations, and request to sit in the glass enclosed room so you get a view like the one pictured above. Complimentary house made prawn crisps are given to every table. Portions are big so come hungry!
The Scran & Scallie
Located just a short walk from the Royal Botanic Garden, The Scran & Scallie has an unassuming store front and a cozy rustic interior. They have a small bar area where you can be seated on a first come first serve basis, but to guarantee you get the opportunity to eat the best food in Edinburgh, make a reservation.
The food here is out of this world. For a starter, get the homemade veggie crisps which are a nice, light (cheap) snack before your meal. Kayla’s husband ordered the Sunday roast during one of their visits and really enjoyed it, but Kayla HIGHLY recommends getting the steak pie for your meal. It is one of the best things she’s eaten in her life.
Butta Burger
Being from the southeastern USA, where fried chicken is the regional dish of choice, we’ve had our fair share of good fried chicken. But did you know that the concept of fried chicken was actually brought to the US by Scottish immigrants?
Butta Burger is doing their heritage proud by serving up mouthwatering chicken burgers (or chicken sandwiches as we call them in the States). We are not exaggerating when we say they have the BEST fried chicken we’ve ever had. Period.
We love Butta Burger’s chicken burgers so much, we ate there two nights in a row. They have 2 locations in Edinburgh or you can order delivery through local delivery services.
We text each other at least once a week debating whether our spouses would kill us if we bought flights to Edinburgh just to eat a chicken burger from Butta Burger. They’re that good.
Happiness is a chicken burger from Butta Burger, and you can’t convince us otherwise.
The Colonnades at the Signet Library
Have you even been to the UK if you didn’t have afternoon tea while you were there? The Colonnades at The Signet Library is located in one of the buildings directly beside Saint Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile. Despite its prime location, millions of people walk by it every year without even knowing it’s there!
This is an incredibly dreamy place to have afternoon tea, especially if you’re a bookworm. It oozes elegance with its Corinthian columns, mirrored tabletops, and the staff’s meticulous attention to detail. Bookshelves line the perimeter of the room and the entirety of the 2nd level. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to sit in one of the cozy nooks nestled between the shelves!
The beautiful interior is just the start though. The tea menu is divine. You will have an extensive selections of teas to choose from (Kayla’s favorite is the Signet’s Signature Blend). You’ll then be served a 3 tiered tray filled to the brim with savory bites followed by another tray brimming with sweet treats and scones. Everything looks too good to eat, but once you start you won’t be able to stop!
This is the spot to go if you’re celebrating a special occasion or want to make someone feel like royalty. Speaking of which – be sure to go to the toilet while you’re there to see pictures of William and Kate walking outside the Signet Library and Queen Elizabeth inside the tearoom!
Do you have a favorite place to eat in Edinburgh that’s not listed in this post? Tell us all about it in the comments below so we can go during our next visit!
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Literally drooling reading this post. I want to try everything and everywhere you went. Especially the Indian and the chai with the bun to dip in it. Yum.
The afternoon tea looks lovely, will have to save this for our next visit!
Wow dang that afternoon tea looks fancy! This list is making me hungry … 🙂
LOVE IT!!
I didn’t visit Edinburgh for years, so I am honestly no longer sure where the good grub is. Your selection sounds great, especially Makars Mash Bar! Now I live away from the UK, I do miss decent bangers and mash!
I am a huge fan of the bacon naan sarnies in Dishoom too. Omnomnom. 🙂
I so which I had this post when I went last summer but I managed by asking locals. One person sent me to a lovely small Korean restaurant the best I’ve had so far its called Kim’s Mini Meals. I also had the opportunity to also eat at the Elephant House where JK Rowling spent most of her time writing the second and third HP book.
I’ll have to check out Kim’s next time I go! Thanks for suggesting it. I dined at Elephant House too. I loved seeing all the sites associated with Harry Potter. Edinburgh has such an incredible literary history!