Day-by-day eating plans for Edinburgh. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Edinburgh classic: Old Town, Leith and the best of Scottish ★ 4.7

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A weekend starting on the Royal Mile, ending at the Leith waterfront, with Edinburgh's most essential food stops in between.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: Stockbridge market, Civerinos lunch, Witchery dinner

    Morning
    Edinburgh Farmers Market on Castle Terrace from 09:00 (Saturdays only). Browse the food stalls for smoked salmon rolls and Scottish cheese. Walk down the Water of Leith path from Dean Village to reach it.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Civerinos Slice on Hunter Square for New York-style pizza by the fold. Then walk to Edinburgh Farmers Market on Castle Terrace for Scottish artisan produce and whisky samples.
    Evening
    Dinner at The Witchery by the Castle, 19:00. Book the Secret Garden for the best table in Edinburgh. Order Scottish beef with whisky sauce and the sticky toffee pudding.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: Artisan Roast coffee, Little Chartroom lunch, Scotch Whisky Experience

    Morning
    Artisan Roast on Broughton Street from 09:00 for single-origin filter coffee and a seasonal pastry. Walk south through the New Town to the Water of Leith path down to Leith.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at The Little Chartroom on Bonnington Road, which serves Sunday from 10:00 to 14:15. Book ahead; the short seasonal menu changes with what Scottish suppliers send that week.
    Evening
    Pre-dinner whisky tasting at The Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile (open daily including Sunday). Dinner at Heron on Henderson Street from 19:30; the tasting menu showcases the best Leith produce.

Edinburgh on a budget: serious eating under GBP 15 a meal ★ 4.5

Budget traveller, two days2 days

Two days eating as well as Edinburgh's students, from Mosque Kitchen curry to Stockbridge Market Sunday stalls, all under GBP 15 a meal.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: Civerinos breakfast, Oink lunch, Mosque Kitchen dinner

    Morning
    Civerinos Slice on Hunter Square at 10:00 for a pizza slice and espresso before the tourists arrive. Walk up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, stopping at Bross Bagels if the Civerinos counter is queued.
    Afternoon
    Oink on Victoria Street for a hog roast roll from 11:00. The pig is carved from whole daily; close by 14:00 on Saturdays. Take your roll to the Grassmarket tables outside.
    Evening
    Mosque Kitchen on Nicolson Square for halal curry, rice and naan. Queue by 18:30 for a table. Bring cash. Under GBP 10 per person including a drink from the counter.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: Stockbridge Market, Bertie's fish and chips, L'Alba D'Oro chips

    Morning
    Stockbridge Market on Saunders Street from 10:00. The rotating food stalls cover smoked fish, pastries and street food. Best Sunday brunch option in the city for around GBP 7.
    Afternoon
    Bertie's on Victoria Street from 11:00, open Sunday, for haddock fried to order with chips. Under GBP 15 and a short walk up from the Grassmarket, so it fits between market and evening.
    Evening
    L'Alba D'Oro on Henderson Row from 16:00. The UK's best-rated chip shop serving haddock battered to order. Eat on the nearby Stockbridge Water of Leith path five minutes away.

Edinburgh fine dining: Michelin kitchens and neighbourhood gems ★ 4.8

Food lover, long weekend3 days

Edinburgh's Michelin-star circuit plus the neighbourhood rooms the guides miss, from Tom Kitchin's tasting counter to LeftField's seasonal seafood in Bruntsfield.

  1. Day 1: Friday: Fortitude coffee, Condita set lunch, Timberyard dinner

    Morning
    Fortitude Coffee on York Place at 09:00 for a flat white from a rotating UK roaster. Browse Twelve Triangles on Brunswick Street for the best croissants in Edinburgh before Stockbridge wakes up.
    Afternoon
    Condita on Salisbury Place at 12:30 for the set lunch tasting sequence, a fraction of the dinner price. Stuart Ralston's kitchen is also worth a look at Noto nearby for a post-lunch glass.
    Evening
    Timberyard on Lady Lawson Street at 19:00. Open-fire Scottish cooking, a naturalistic approach and the best natural wine list in the city. Book 3-4 weeks in advance for Friday evenings.

  2. Day 2: Saturday: Bostock Bakery, The Kitchin lunch, Lyla tasting counter

    Morning
    Bostock Bakery on St Stephen Street in Stockbridge at 09:00 for sourdough and daily pastries. Walk the Water of Leith path south to Leith for a look at the Saturday market before lunch.
    Afternoon
    The Kitchin on Commercial Quay at 12:30. Book the lunch sitting well in advance. The Rock Pool seafood starter and whatever arrives from the Anstruther day-boats is the benchmark plate.
    Evening
    Lyla on The Shore at 18:30. Stuart Ralston's 14-seat tasting counter is Edinburgh's most exciting room. Michelin-starred within twelve months of opening. Book 4-6 weeks ahead.

  3. Day 3: Sunday: Margot brunch, Spry wine, LeftField dinner

    Morning
    Margot on Barclay Terrace in Bruntsfield at 10:00 for walk-in brunch. Order a glass from the natural wine list with food; the kitchen is from the Aizle team and the quality is consistent.
    Afternoon
    Spry in the New Town at 14:00, open Sundays from 13:00. A glass of low-intervention wine and a plate from the short kitchen menu before the walk back south.
    Evening
    LeftField on Barclay Terrace at 18:30 for seasonal seafood small plates and minimal-intervention wines. No website booking; call 0131 563 1792 or walk in at 18:30 on Sundays.

Edinburgh Royal Mile day: haggis, whisky, castle ★ 4.6

First-time visitor, single day1 day

A first-day Edinburgh walk from the Old Town up the Royal Mile to the Castle, with a Scotch whisky flight finish.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: Royal Mile from foot to crown

    Morning
    Brunch at The Café Royal on West Register Street from 09:00, Thursday to Saturday only, for oysters off the ice and a seat under the Victorian interiors.
    Afternoon
    Walk the Royal Mile from Holyrood to the Castle; lunch at The Witchery by the Castle from 13:30 for haggis, neeps and tatties in the candlelit room.
    Evening
    Whisky flight at The Bow Bar from 19:30 (250 single malts on the shelf), then dinner at the White Horse Oyster and Seafood Bar on Canongate from 21:00 for native oysters and the lobster linguine. The kitchen there runs to 01:00.

Leith evening: docks, seafood, late drinks ★ 4.5

Leith dock-side evening1 evening

A Leith evening on the docks: an aperitif on The Shore, a seafood dinner by the water and late drinks one street back.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: The Shore from sunset to last bell

    Morning
    Skip; this itinerary starts at sunset on the Leith waterfront.
    Afternoon
    Aperitif at The King's Wark at No.36 Shore at 18:00, a cask ale or a glass from the wine list in a building that has stood on the dock since the 1400s.
    Evening
    Dinner at Fishers in Leith from 19:30 for the whole East Coast lobster or the roast monkfish; the kitchen runs to 21:30. Then late drinks at Roseleaf Bar Cafe on Sandport Place, one street back from the water, which serves until 23:00.

Book food experiences in Edinburgh

Georgian Edinburgh New Town Food Tour

Guided tour · 3 hours

Georgian Edinburgh New Town Food Tour

Explore Edinburgh’s Georgian 200 year-old New Town on a food walking tour. Enjoy a Scottish gin cocktail, smoked salmon canapes, port and chocolate, haggis, ice cream ...

from£112 Check dates

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