Edinburgh's medieval high street: the Royal Mile from castle to palace, Grassmarket pubs since the 1500s, and hotel dining rooms with views of the volcano.
White Horse Oyster and Seafood Bar at 266 Canongate on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh Old Town, opened in November 2017 inside what is reckoned the oldest inn.
OrderA half-dozen native oysters off the chalk board, then the lobster linguine for the table.
TipThe narrow room books out for dinner; lunch from noon and the late-night kitchen until midnight take walk-ins at the counter.
James Thomson's medieval-tavern dining room at the top of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, opened 1979 inside Boswell's Court, the city's heritage-cuisine.
OrderThe Scotch beef Wellington for two and the haggis with whisky-cream sauce as a starter.
TipAsk for The Secret Garden, the second dining room down the stairs; the candlelit version of the experience.
The Edinburgh outpost of London's Bombay-Irani cafe chain on St Andrew Square, opened in 2016, a 200-cover all-day room in the old Bank of Scotland HQ.
OrderThe bacon naan roll for breakfast and the 24-hour house black daal at any other meal.
TipNo dinner bookings under six; walk in from 17:30 and the wait is 30 to 60 minutes. Drinks at the basement bar while you wait.
Howies on Victoria Street in Edinburgh, the Old Town flagship of David Howie Scott's Scottish-bistro mini-chain opened in 1990, the city's everyday Scottish.
OrderHaggis bonbons with whisky cream as a starter and the Aberdeen Angus steak with peppercorn sauce.
TipPre-theatre two-course menu from 17:30-19:00 is the value play. The Waterloo Place branch is the second-best room.
Paul and Lisa Wedgwood's Canongate dining room on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, opened in 2007, a family-run fine-dining kitchen with a focus on Scottish.
OrderThe pigeon with foraged greens, the kitchen's long-running signature plate.
TipThe chef's table in the kitchen takes four guests; book a fortnight ahead for the demo-led version of the tasting menu.
James Thomson's heritage dining room at the top of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, opened in 1979 inside Boswell's Court, the city's grand-occasion fine-dining.
OrderThe Witchery Theatre menu of three courses at £50 before 18:30 or after 22:00, the only value play.
Book3 weeks ahead
TipAsk for The Secret Garden, the second dining room down the stairs; the candlelit version of the experience.
Paul and Lisa Wedgwood's Royal Mile dining room on Canongate in Edinburgh, opened in 2007, a family-run kitchen with a focus on Scottish foraging and game.
OrderThe chef's table in the kitchen takes four for a six-course tasting with kitchen commentary.
Book2 weeks ahead
TipThe supper-club Sunday is half the price of weekday dinner and runs a slimmer four-course menu.
Howies on Victoria Street in Edinburgh's Old Town, the flagship of David Howie Scott's Scottish-bistro mini-chain opened 1990, an everyday Scottish-classics.
OrderHaggis bonbons with whisky cream and the Aberdeen Angus steak with peppercorn sauce.
TipPre-theatre two-course menu 17:30-19:00 is £22, the best value in the Old Town.
Michele Civiera's Hunter Square pizza counter in Edinburgh, opened in 2016, the Old Town slice-counter serving Roman al taglio square-tray pizza.
OrderThe salsiccia e friarielli slice and a square of margherita; eat at the counter or on the cobbles outside.
TipOpen till 02:00 on weekends; the only proper food on the Royal Mile after midnight that is not a kebab shop.
Chef David Bann's vegetarian dining room on St Mary's Street in Edinburgh, opened in 2002, the city's reference vegetarian fine-dining kitchen.
OrderThe Sri Lankan coconut curry and the spinach and feta filo parcel.
TipPre-theatre two-course at £22 runs to 19:00; the wine list is genuinely thought through.
Edinburgh Larder bistro on Blackfriars Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh, opened in 2009, an all-day cafe-restaurant serving Scottish-provenance breakfast.
OrderThe Larder breakfast with Stornoway black pudding and the daily soup with sourdough at lunch.
TipCloses by 16:00 most days; the original cafe on Blackfriars Street is the calmer of the two rooms.
Brew Lab on South College Street in Edinburgh, opened 2012, a third-wave coffee bar pouring filter and espresso into a long basement room near the University.
DrinkV60 filter
TipTheir training arm runs Saturday public cuppings at 11:00; sign up online for a week or two ahead.
Edinburgh Larder cafe on Blackfriars Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh, opened 2009, a Scottish-provenance all-day cafe serving breakfast.
DrinkFilter coffee and a Stornoway black pudding roll
TipCloses 16:00 most days. The cafe on Blackfriars Street is calmer than the larger bistro round the corner.
Edinburgh Larder's bake counter on Blackfriars Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh, opened 2009, baking Scotch pies, sausage rolls, sourdough loaves.
Worth the queueScotch pie
TipPies are at the counter from 11:00 to lunch; loaves sell through the morning. Friday list runs on the website.
Sam and Alice Young's Obadiah Coffee roastery in a railway arch at Abbeyhill in Edinburgh, founded 2017 a few minutes east of Waverley Station.
BeansRwanda, Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia
BrewsEspresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
TipCard-only at the arch counter; weekday opening 9am to 4pm, closed at the weekend. Subscriptions and wholesale ship UK-wide.
Brew Lab on South College Street in Edinburgh Old Town, founded 2012, a coffee bar and barista-training academy with Saturday cupping sessions and an open.
BeansEthiopia, Colombia, Kenya
BrewsEspresso, Filter, V60, Aeropress, Whole bean retail
TipSaturday public cuppings at 11:00; sign up online a week ahead. Their training academy runs barista courses through the year.
The Bow Bar on West Bow in Edinburgh Old Town, opened in the 1860s and refurbished in the 1990s as a classic Scottish pub, with 250 single malt whiskies.
DrinkA dram of Highland Park 12 and a pint of cask Belhaven
FoodBar snacks (pies, crisps)
TipNo cocktails, no music, no kids. Cask ale list rotates daily; ask the bar what is on tonight.
The Devil's Advocate in Advocate's Close off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, opened 2013 in a former Victorian pump house, a stone-walled whisky and cocktail.
DrinkSmoke and Mirrors (peated whisky cocktail)
FoodModern Scottish small plates
TipFind the bar by going down the steep close from the High Street; the street-level entrance is unmarked.
Amber whisky bar and restaurant inside The Scotch Whisky Experience on Castlehill in Edinburgh, opened in 1988, a tasting bar pouring 470-plus single malts.
DrinkWhisky flight by region
FoodScottish full menu and afternoon tea
TipBook the Region Flight; five drams from five Scottish whisky regions with tutored tasting from a brand ambassador.
Civerinos pizza counter and bar on Hunter Square in Edinburgh Old Town, opened 2016, an all-Italian cocktail and amaro programme beside the slice counter.
DrinkAmaro spritz
FoodPizza by the slice
TipSlice plus a negroni at the counter is the local move after midnight; the cocktail menu changes monthly.
The Witchery bar in Boswell's Court at the top of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, opened 1979, a heritage candlelit room pouring cocktails and an extensive wine.
DrinkWhisky-cream Witchery (house cocktail)
FoodFull Scottish menu
TipAsk for The Secret Garden, the second dining room down the stairs; the candle-lit version of the experience.
Oink hog roast counter on Victoria Street in Edinburgh Old Town, opened 2008, the city's whole-pig-on-a-spit lunch counter with three branches selling.
TryHog roll with stuffing and apple sauce
TipOrder the haggis-stuffed roll for the proper Edinburgh combo; they close when the pig runs out, often before 15:00.
Civerinos Slice counter on Hunter Square in Edinburgh Old Town, opened 2016, a Roman al taglio square-tray pizza counter serving slices from a rolling rack.
TryRoman pizza al taglio
TipLate-night slice with a negroni at the counter is the local move after midnight. Slice list changes through the day.
Edinburgh Larder takeaway counter on Blackfriars Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh, opened 2009, the city's reference Scotch pie and sausage roll counter.
TryScotch pie and sausage roll
TipPies come out from 11:00. Loaves and sausage rolls sell through the morning; preorder via the website for collection.
Clamshell fish bar on the High Street of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, opened in the 1970s, a Royal Mile chippy serving haddock suppers, hot pies.
TryFish supper and deep-fried Mars bar
TipLate-night Royal Mile counter; service runs to 02:00 most nights. Deep-fried Mars bar is a tourist novelty done properly here.
Bertie's Proper Fish and Chips on Victoria Street in Edinburgh Old Town, a sit-down and takeaway chippy opened in the former Grassmarket arch, cooking fresh.
TryHaddock and chips
TipDownstairs seating is first-come only; the takeaway counter is faster for a lunchtime bag of chips.
Grassmarket Saturday Market on the Grassmarket cobbles in Old Town Edinburgh, trading every Saturday afternoon, a smaller-scale market with 30 weekly stalls.
TipCombine with a Bow Bar dram and a Victoria Street pizza slice at Civerinos for a full Old Town Saturday.
Eat Walk Tours' Edinburgh Old Town food walk in Edinburgh, founded 2010, a three-hour five-stop guided tour through Royal Mile and Grassmarket food and drink.
TipDaytime tours include haggis tasting and whisky sampling; evening tours include a cocktail and a hot dish.
Secret Food Tours' Edinburgh Old Town walk in Edinburgh, a three-and-a-half-hour guided food walk through six tasting stops including haggis.
TipEach tour ends with a 'secret dish' that varies by guide; the daily tours run at 12:30 and 16:00.
The Scotch Whisky Experience tour on Castlehill in Edinburgh, founded 1988, a 90-minute museum tour and tasting with 470 whiskies on display and four flights.
TipThe Gold tour includes four-region whisky tasting at £40; the Silver tour is £25 with a single dram.
Eating Europe's Edinburgh food and drink tour, a three-hour guided walk through five stops covering haggis with whisky marmalade, fish and chips and Scottish.
TipEach tour guide carries a purple Eating Europe bag near the Paddington Bear statue at the Melville Monument meeting point.
Edinburgh Food Festival in George Square Gardens in Edinburgh, run by Assembly Festival, the annual late-July food festival with chef demonstrations.
TipFree entry, pay-as-you-go for food. Lunchtime weekdays are quieter; weekend evenings are the loudest.
Foodies Festival's Edinburgh edition at Inverleith Park in August, a touring three-day food festival with chef demonstrations, street food and cocktail bars.
TipWeekday tickets are half the weekend price. The Chef's Theatre runs all three days with rotating Edinburgh chefs.
Burns Night Suppers across Edinburgh on 25 January, the annual celebration of Robert Burns with the traditional haggis, neeps and tatties served in pubs.
TipMost Edinburgh restaurants run a Burns Night menu around 25 January; book a fortnight ahead for the popular pubs.
Edinburgh International Festival is the city's August arts festival of music, opera, theatre and dance; the Edinburgh Festivals guide lists independent restaurants, bars and cafes by area.
TipThe festival has no food programme of its own; the Edinburgh Festivals food and drink guide suggests a restaurant, bar and cafe in each of 12 areas.
Union of Genius on Forrest Road in Edinburgh Old Town, Scotland's first dedicated soup cafe serving six freshly made soups daily with flavour-matched artisan.
TryBowl of soup with artisan bread
TipSix soups rotate daily; the chilli is always on. Closes at 16:00 on weekdays and 15:00 Saturday, no Sunday service.
Oink hog roast counter on Victoria Street in Edinburgh Old Town, carving a whole suckling pig from 11:00 daily, the city's best £8 lunch in a roll.
TryHog roast roll with haggis stuffing
TipCloses when the pig runs out, often before 15:00 on busy days. The haggis-stuffed version is the authentic Edinburgh choice.
Civerinos Slice on Hunter Square in Edinburgh Old Town, the counter arm of the Civerinos restaurant. At 5 Hunter Square. Booking recommended.
TryNew York-style pizza by the slice
TipSlices rotate through the day; pepperoni and margherita are always on. Fold it in half New York-style and eat standing.
Bertie's Proper Fish and Chips on Victoria Street in Edinburgh Old Town, a sit-down and takeaway chippy cooking fresh Scottish haddock battered to order.
TryBattered haddock and chips
TipTakeaway counter at the front is faster than the sit-down section. Order at the counter and eat on the Grassmarket steps.
Edinburgh Larder on Blackfriars Street in Edinburgh Old Town, opened in 2009, is a seasonal cafe and bakehouse sourcing from Scottish farms.
OrderFull Scottish breakfast with house-baked bread, or the soup and Scotch pie combination at lunch.
TipThe full breakfast runs all day, not just mornings. Queue at 12:30 for the lunch crowd to thin out slightly.
OX184 on Cowgate in Edinburgh Old Town, a late-night bar and kitchen open until 03:00 with wood-grill burgers, steaks and loaded fries in an industrial space.
TryWood-fired grill burgers, steaks and ribs
TipLate-night food runs until 02:00 Wednesday to Sunday only. The craft beer selection is Edinburgh's most serious at this hour.
The arts-trust run Bongo Club just off the Cowgate is the long-running heart of Edinburgh underground clubbing, with weekly drum and bass, dub and disco residencies.
TipCash for the cloakroom moves the queue quickly, and the side door on Cowgate is the shorter wait after midnight on a Saturday.
The intimate 100 capacity Cowgate basement is the city's most consistent stage for new touring guitar bands and late-night club residencies, busy every night of the week.
TipThe room sells out fast for any name booking, buy in advance and arrive by doors to avoid being turned away at 22:00.
The Blair Street basement carved into Edinburgh's old underground vaults is one of Scotland's most well-known electronic venues, with seven-night-a-week programming.
TipThe vaulted side rooms run different sounds from the main floor, walk the full venue before committing to one bar queue.
The three-floor Cowgate venue accessed via Hastie's Close is a rustic brick and scaffold space running electronic club residencies, ceilidhs and the odd punk gig.
TipEasier to find via the Guthrie Street staircase than the Cowgate side, and the upstairs bar is the quietest spot for between-set drinks.
Originally formed in the early 1990s, rebuilt after the 2002 Cowgate fire, La Belle remains one of Edinburgh's most loved live music and club rooms in the Old Town.
TipAccess is via the steep close stairs from Guthrie Street or the Cowgate, wear sensible shoes if it has been raining.
The basement of an 1860s Chambers Street building has been the city's most reliable seven-nights-a-week jazz, blues and funk room since musician Bill Kyle opened it.
TipThe late set at 23:30 is when the room loosens up, get there for the early jazz at 20:00 to grab a banquette seat.
The reclaimed South Bridge vaults run live bands every night until 03:00, free before midnight Friday and Saturday, the canonical Cowgate-area late-night gig stop.
TipUp to six acts on a Friday or Saturday, the late slot from 01:00 is when the room tightens, arrive after 23:00 to skip the early covers.
The catacomb pub on Cowgate is Edinburgh's home of live rock seven nights a week, vaulted rooms with flagstone floors and flags hung from the stone ceilings.
TipGet to the back stone vault for the loudest mix, and the front bar stays open after the gig room closes if you want a slower pint.
The Forrest Road pub has been the headquarters of the Edinburgh folk session for sixty years, nightly informal sessions in a tiny room with no stage and no microphones.
TipStand at the back if you want to sing along, the players take the front banquette and rotate tunes without a setlist.
The 4 Grassmarket rooftop with a retractable glass roof and uninterrupted view of Edinburgh Castle reopened in 2024 after a half-million-pound refurbishment by the team.
TipBook the rooftop in advance for a sunset slot, the gondola booths take four guests and are the warmest seat when the roof closes.
The fifth-floor restaurant and bar on top of the Apex Grassmarket hotel runs a modern Scottish cocktail menu with a floor-to-ceiling view straight across to Edinburgh Castle.
TipBook a window table 90 minutes before sunset for the castle floodlights coming on, the bar drinks are also served at the dining tables.
The converted Victorian pump house down Advocate's Close off the Royal Mile holds over 300 whiskies under stone walls and warm amber lighting, an award-winning cocktail list.
TipThe bar staff are happy to lead a whisky flight on the spot, ask for a smoke-led tasting if you want the peaty Islay end of the back bar.
The Lothian Street tiki dive with vinyl on the walls runs the in-house Paradise Palms Records label, a diner menu of vegan and vegetarian food and DJ sets every weekend.
TipThe back booth seats six and is the only place you can hear the records over the bar, ask the DJ to spin a side from the wall.
Self-billed as Scotland's most haunted pub, the labyrinth of vaulted Niddry Street chambers serves cheap beer, free cinema nights and a karaoke room in former medieval cellars.
TipThe cinema room is free and shows cult films most nights, the back vault has the loudest karaoke if you want to sing without being heard.
The West Bow whisky and cask ale specialist runs a back bar of over 200 Scotch whiskies plus a rotating cellar of Scottish cask, no music and no televisions.
TipAsk for one of the bar's own limited bottlings, single cask Highland or Islay releases that are not sold anywhere else in the city.
The converted Cowgate church runs free live bands and ceilidh nights until 03:00 every day over two floors, the most reliable late-night live room in the Old Town.
TipThe Wednesday ceilidh is beginner friendly, the caller walks the room through every dance before the band starts the first reel.
The tiny Infirmary Street pub fits about forty people and has been the heart of the Edinburgh folk scene since the 1960s, traditional song sessions in the upstairs room every night.
TipThe Sunday night Wee Folk Club is the standout, arrive an hour before the set to get one of the upstairs benches near the singers.
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