40 editor picks in Edinburgh.
40 cheap eats places in Edinburgh, editor-picked. the best low-budget spots in Edinburgh: the places editors actually return to. All Edinburgh food.
Rachel Morgan and Emily Cuddeford's Brunswick Street bakery in Edinburgh, opened 2015, the city's reference sourdough kitchen and the most-loved doughnut.
TipDoughnuts sell out by 11:00 on Saturdays. Brunswick Street is takeaway only, so plan to eat yours on the walk.
Darcie Maher's Lannan Bakery on Hamilton Place in Stockbridge Edinburgh, opened July 2023 and expanded in 2025, a scratch-made viennoiserie counter.
TipQueues form from 6am on weekends and the rack often sells out by 11am; the pantry next door stocks loaves and pantry goods past midday.
Cafen on Dundas Street in Edinburgh New Town, a flagship speciality brew bar a few minutes walk from Waverley Station that rotates a short bean list.
TipOpen from 8am every day; the cushioned window seats fill first for morning filter pours, the rotating menu changes when a new lot lands from the roastery.
Bostock Bakery on St Stephen Street in Stockbridge Edinburgh, opened 2020 by Hamish Saxton, a sourdough-and-pastry kitchen with daily-changing croissants.
TipSaturday morning queue runs out the door. Order ahead through the Square online shop to skip the wait.
Twelve Triangles Portobello on the high street near the beach in Edinburgh, the seaside branch of the Leith bakery that bakes naturally leavened sourdough.
TipTakeaway only on this site; doughnuts and morning buns clear out by 10am on summer weekends.
Artisan Roast on Broughton Street in Edinburgh, opened 2007, the city's third-wave coffee pioneer roasting on-site in Glasgow and pouring filter and espresso.
TipOpen from 08:00 weekends and busy by 10:00; the back room takes laptop users for longer sessions and stays open till 18:00.
Twelve Triangles bakery-cafe on Brunswick Street in Edinburgh, opened 2015, a third-wave coffee counter making the city's most popular doughnuts.
TipOpen from 07:00; the day's doughnuts sell out by 11:00 on Saturdays. The Brunswick Street site is takeaway only.
L'Alba D'Oro on Henderson Row in Edinburgh New Town, opened 1975 and named UK's best fish and chip shop by The Times, sourcing haddock fresh daily.
OrderBattered haddock and chips
TipEvening-only, no lunches. Arrive at 17:00 on a weeknight to avoid the post-work queue that builds fast.
L'Alba D'Oro on Henderson Row in Edinburgh New Town, opened 1975 and named UK's best fish and chip shop by The Times, a takeaway chippy chipping its own.
OrderBattered haddock and chips
TipEvening-only: opens at 16:00. Arrive at opening to avoid the post-work queue that builds from 17:30.
The Palmerston restaurant's bakery counter on Palmerston Place in Edinburgh, opened 2021, selling the day's bread from the kitchen at the end of restaurant.
TipStock varies by day; show up at 16:00 sharp. Sourdough and cinnamon buns go first within the first 20 minutes.
Williams and Johnson roastery cafe on Customs Wharf in Leith Edinburgh, opened 2017 by two former Square Mile baristas, an in-house roaster and cafe.
TipTour the roaster on the public Saturday morning slot; check the website calendar two weeks ahead.
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.
OrderHog 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.
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.
OrderHog 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.
The Company Bakery on Easter Road in Edinburgh, opened 2018, a Leith sourdough kitchen and cafe with fresh-from-the-oven pastries and a small lunchtime.
TipCinnamon buns sell out by 11:00. Online preorder for collection is the only reliable way on weekends.
Lovecrumbs cake shop on West Port in Edinburgh, opened 2010, a tea-and-cake counter in a Grassmarket-adjacent townhouse with a daily-changing slice counter.
TipWalk in only; the upstairs nook holds four for a quieter window.
Valvona and Crolla's bakery shelf on Elm Row in Edinburgh, baking within the city's longest-running Italian deli opened 1934, with focaccia and Sicilian.
TipPanettone preorder list opens 1 October each year; the boxes sell out by mid-December.
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.
TipTheir training arm runs Saturday public cuppings at 11:00; sign up online for a week or two ahead.
Machina's Marchmont cafe in Edinburgh's south side, a bright sit-in space pouring single-origin espresso and filter from their own roastery.
TipMornings until 11:00 are quietest; rotating lunch pop-ups land midday.
Pizza Geeks counter on Dundas Street in Canonmills Edinburgh, opened 2019, a 60-second wood-fired Neapolitan kitchen with 00-flour dough and Italian San.
OrderWood-fired Neapolitan pizza
TipTheir second branch on Drum Street takes walk-ins more reliably than the Canonmills original. Vegan dough version available.
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.
OrderScotch pie and sausage roll
TipPies come out from 11:00. Loaves and sausage rolls sell through the morning; preorder via the website for collection.
Stockbridge Market food stalls on Saunders Street in Edinburgh, trading every Sunday since 2011, with rotating traders serving venison rolls, dim sum, paella.
OrderMixed Sunday street food
TipArrive by 11:00 for the best stalls; the market wraps by 17:00 in summer, 16:00 in winter. Bring cash for some stalls.
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.
Leith Walk's converted police-box coffee counter in Edinburgh, opened 2016 inside a 1950s Glasgow-style box, serving filter coffee and seasonal pastries.
OrderA flat white and the cardamom-and-pistachio cake.
TipThere is no seating; coffee in hand on Leith Walk's central reservation is the local move. Cash only most days.
Edinburgh Larder's bake counter on Blackfriars Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh, opened 2009, baking Scotch pies, sausage rolls, sourdough loaves.
TipPies are at the counter from 11:00 to lunch; loaves sell through the morning. Friday list runs on the website.
Lovecrumbs cake shop on West Port in Edinburgh, opened 2010, a tea-and-cake counter in a Grassmarket-adjacent townhouse with a sun-filled bay window.
TipTheir daily-changing cake counter is a one-glass-each affair; the upstairs nook seats four for quiet sessions.
Mosque Kitchen on Nicolson Square in Southside Edinburgh, opened 1998 inside the Edinburgh Central Mosque courtyard, a counter-service Pakistani-style.
OrderLamb biryani
TipOrder at the till, pick up at the counter; the lamb biryani at £7 is the long-running lunch deal for medical students.
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.
OrderRoman pizza al taglio
TipLate-night slice with a negroni at the counter is the local move after midnight. Slice list changes through the day.
Leith Walk Police Box on Pilrig Street in Edinburgh, opened 2016 inside a 1950s blue police box, a 3-square-metre coffee counter pouring filter and espresso.
OrderFilter coffee and cake from a converted police box
TipThere is no seating; coffee in hand on Leith Walk's central reservation. Cash only on most days.
Valvona and Crolla deli counter on Elm Row in Edinburgh, opened 1934, Scotland's longest-running Italian deli with a sandwich counter making prosciutto rolls.
OrderItalian deli sandwich on house bread
TipSandwich list runs from a chalkboard; the porchetta with rocket and house mayonnaise is the long-running favourite.
Mosque Kitchen on Nicolson Square in Edinburgh, serving halal Pakistani and Indian curry, rice and naan at prices barely changed since the 1980s, cash only.
OrderLamb curry with rice and naan
TipPeak lunchtime queue moves fast. Order the lamb curry with a naan and bring cash for speed.
Cairngorm Coffee on Melville Place in Edinburgh New Town, opened 2014, a basement third-wave coffee bar pouring rotating UK and European roasters.
TipTheir Frederick Street branch is brighter and busier; the Melville Place original is the quiet workspace.
The Company Bakery on Easter Road in Edinburgh, opened 2018, a coffee bar and sourdough bakery serving filter coffee, fresh pastries and a small lunchtime.
TipThe cinnamon morning bun sells out before 11:00. Order ahead via their website for collection most days.
Harajuku Kitchen counter on Gillespie Place in Bruntsfield Edinburgh, opened 2013 by Kaori Simpson, a Tokyo-style izakaya counter selling Japanese dumplings.
OrderGyoza dumplings and Japanese curry
TipLunch bento set at £12 is the value play; the Stockbridge offshoot is brighter and easier on weekends.
Chez Jules on Hanover Street in Edinburgh New Town, a basement French bistro serving a two- or three-course set lunch every day until 16:00, the best-value.
OrderThree-course French bistro set lunch
TipThe set lunch runs every day of the week, not just weekdays. The croque monsieur and the steak frites are the reliable anchors.
Stockbridge Market's food stalls on Saunders Street in Edinburgh, every Sunday from 10:00, with 15 or more hot-food vendors rotating weekly through bao buns.
OrderRotating street food stalls
TipThe vendor list rotates; check the website the night before to see what is on. Arrive at 10:30 for first choice before queues build.
Machina's Marchmont cafe and roastery outlet, a bright south-side coffee space with a daily pastry counter stocked from local bakers Company Bakery.
TipThe pastries are bought-in rather than house-baked; quality is high but stock runs out by 12:00. Machina's earlier Brougham Place espresso bar has closed.
Edinburgh Larder cafe on Blackfriars Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh, opened 2009, a Scottish-provenance all-day cafe serving breakfast.
TipCloses 16:00 most days. The cafe on Blackfriars Street is calmer than the larger bistro round the corner.
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.
OrderBowl 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.
Valvona and Crolla caffe on Elm Row in Edinburgh, opened in the 1990s at the back of the city's longest-running Italian deli, pouring espresso and serving.
TipStand at the bar for the proper Italian experience. The deli at the front is open till 17:30; shop on your way out.
Leith Walk Police Box on Pilrig Street in Edinburgh, opened 2016 inside a 1950s blue police box, a 3-square-metre coffee counter pouring filter and espresso.
TipThere is no seating; coffee in hand on the Leith Walk central reservation. Cash only on most days.
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