Food & Drink in Edinburgh

This is a list of recommendations of places I enjoy in Edinburgh - updated from time to time!

Dinner / Fine Dining

• Timberyard is my favorite restaurant in the city. They just got a Michelin star, so have become much more expensive, but their tasting menu, ambience, and food are always excellent, and often very surprising. They also won a spot on a list of the best cocktail places in the UK a few years ago. The tasting menu will take you roughly 4 hours, but it’s worth it!
• Eleanore - set menu, casual fine dining, incredible dinner experience! Recommend getting the drinks pairing for each course! This is my favourite price/performance restaurant in Edinburgh!
• Nota - another fine dining Scottish cuisine, excellent menu, and on the Michelin list.
• Whitehorse (royal mile) - great seafood and Oysters.
• Ardfern - sister restaurant of Eleanore, it’s also excellent!

Pub Grub

• Scran & Scallie (Stockbridge) , run by a Michelin starred chef, this is his casual place
• King’s Wark (Leith) - one of the oldest pubs in Edinburgh.
• If you’re up for a hike over Arthur’s Seat - the Sheep’s Heid is the oldest pub in Edinburgh and is really nice. Can also get there by cab.

Casual Dining

• Lady Libertine (Lebanese / Mediterranean) on St. Andrews square
• Ting Thai Caravan - Thai street food. Walk up only.
• Chorrito - taco bar (best tacos in Edinburgh) with an ever changing menu (and hours - check before going!). They have great margaritas and a good mezcal selection. Walk up only.
• Indaba at Tollcross - casual Scottish/Spanish/South African tapas with a quirky menu. This is a hidden gem and always tasty!
• Golden Ambal - one of the best, most underrated Indian places in Edinburgh.
• Sabzi - Indian street food, a little out of the way but get there by cab, but worth it!
• Kan Pai Sushi - almost all Sushi in Edinburgh sucks and/or is not remarkable, but this place is good. I would skip if you’re used to extremely good sushi, however - it will probably only be average in that context.

Breakfast

Edinburgh doesn’t do a great job on brunch/breakfast in a classic American sense - however most places will do a “Full Scottish Breakfast” which will be good. If you’re after something a bit more upscale with some more variety these places are good.

• The Spence (Townhouse by Gleneagles) at St. Andrews Square - their breakfast (NOT brunch, which is much more expensive) is very reasonable and the dining room is amazing. This is the best breakfast place in the city.
• Urban Angel

Cocktails

• The Devil’s Advocate
• Bramble - won best cocktail bar in the world a couple years ago.
• The Bon Vivant on Thistle street is also very good.
• Panda & Sons - an underground speakeasy that has won multiple awards over the years.
• The Scotsman Hotel - fantastic room and good cocktails.
• The Caley Bar at the Caledonian Hotel (West End) - incredible cocktails, great selection, one of the best Old Fashioned’s in Edinburgh.

Pubs

• Guildford Arms - great room, close to the Waverly train station
• Dirty Dicks - great vibe, plays great grunge and rock music (silverchair, sound garden, nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc.)
• Robbies - classic Leith Walk pub, Hibernian supporters often found here. Best pint of Tennents in the city
• Ensign Ewart - very authentic traditional pub, named for a Scottish war hero, has live music some nights.
• The Barony - beautiful pub on Broughton street
• The Royal Oak - incredible live music pub with traditional Scottish folk music most nights.