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 from Peterhead.
Tip: Evening-only, no lunches. Arrive at 17:00 on a weeknight to avoid the post-work queue that builds fast.
Address: 7 Henderson Row, Edinburgh EH3 5DH
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.
Try: Hog roll with stuffing and apple sauce
Tip: Order the haggis-stuffed roll for the proper Edinburgh combo; they close when the pig runs out, often before 15:00.
Mosque Kitchen on Nicolson Square in Southside Edinburgh, opened 1998 inside the Edinburgh Central Mosque courtyard, a counter-service Pakistani-style.
Try: Lamb biryani
Tip: Order at the till, pick up at the counter; the lamb biryani at GBP 7 is the long-running lunch deal for medical students.
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.
Try: Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza
Tip: Their second branch on Drum Street takes walk-ins more reliably than the Canonmills original. Vegan dough version available.
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.
Try: Roman pizza al taglio
Tip: Late-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.
Try: Scotch pie and sausage roll
Tip: Pies 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.
Try: Mixed Sunday street food
Tip: Arrive by 11:00 for the best stalls; the market wraps by 17:00 in summer, 16:00 in winter. Bring cash for some stalls.
