Deep-fried Mars bar
Photo: xian from Lancaster · CC BY 2.0

A chocolate-caramel Mars bar dipped in fish-and-chip batter and deep fried. Edinburgh's late-night Royal Mile tourist novelty since 1995; locals roll their eyes and order anyway.

The deep-fried Mars bar was invented at The Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire in 1995, and spread south through the Scottish chippy circuit within a decade. Edinburgh's Royal Mile fish bars now carry it as a standing menu item, particularly Clamshell on the High Street and a handful of late-night counters near the Cowgate. The dish is genuinely terrible and genuinely long-favored; the chocolate melts inside the crisp batter sheath. The NHS Scotland regional health board issued a formal warning against it in 2007, which only made it more popular.

1 editor pick for Deep-fried Mars bar in Edinburgh, ranked by editorial score. All Edinburgh signature dishes · Deep-fried Mars bar across every city.

Also in: Glasgow.

L'Alba D'Oro ★ 4.7

£Street foodNew Town

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.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Deep-fried Mars bar makes more sense with someone from Edinburgh explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

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