Edinburgh is perhaps Britain’s most popular tourist destination after London. Although the place is still quite big, it offers a lot of charm and history, much of it quite different from the nation’s capital.
Moreover, it’s the sort of place food lovers want to go on their travels. It offers everything, from first-generation Thai restaurants that have been in business for half a century or more, to classic haggis, neeps, and tatties. (More on that later).
The purpose of this post is to serve as a guide to help you have an excellent food vacation in Edinburgh. We cover everything you need to know about the city’s culinary scene, including where to go and what to eat.
Pick The Right Time Of Year To Visit
You might think that the food available in a city like Edinburgh would change regularly throughout the year. And, you’d be right: that’s precisely what happens.
During the summer, the Fringe Festival comes to town. When this is on, you can find all sorts of street food, pop-up eateries, and food stalls. However, you need to book early. Leaving it until later can be a problem if you want to dine at a proper sit-down restaurant (because of the sheer number of people).
In the winter, you can enjoy the Christmas markets. These are less food-focused, but there are still plenty of options to explore, including classics like roasted chestnuts and various candies.
The rest of the year has fewer crowds, but you can catch the odd market here and there. For example, Edinburgh offers quite a lot of seafood (being so close to the North Sea), with fresh catches arriving at the weekends and often selling for a premium. You can cook these if you’re staying at an Airbnb.
Try Edinburgh’s Must-Have Scottish Dishes
Of course, if you’re visiting Edinburgh for a week or so, you should try to make your way through some classic Scottish dishes.
Start with the usual haggis, neeps, and tatties. Pubs and restaurants serve this almost everywhere as it’s a national dish.
For those who don’t know the lingo, “haggis” is a type of spiced meat pudding, while “neeps” are turnips and “tatties” are potatoes. The dish comes from the food that Scots grew historically, given the cooler and cloudier climate.
Another dish is cullen skink. This is smoked haddock served with potato soup and is famous for being moreish and delicious. It’s the sort of thing you’ll want to tuck into when the weather is cold and wet outside.
Fish and chips aren’t mainly Scottish, but this option is available everywhere. And you can get buttery shortbread biscuits from most bakeries, which are somewhat of a national dish.
Go To The Foodie Neighborhoods
Edinburgh is a big place with quite a few foodie neighbourhoods. These locations are a bit out of town, so you may want to leave any luggage at Radical Storage Edinburgh in a central location and take the buses out of the middle.
One place to head to is the New Town. Here, you can find European-Scottish fusion options that try to combine local and continental flavors. It’s quite upmarket and something a little different from the usual fare.
Another location is Bruntsfield. It’s home to numerous cafes and gastropubs worth exploring. Montpeliers is one of the most famous, offering a selection of classic options.
Stockbridge is a final location worth considering. It’s home to numerous artisanal markets that sell some of the city’s most delicious food. Many products are handcrafted, like locally cured meats or nut-based cheeses.
Book Your Food Tour
Booking a food tour is another option if you want to avoid finding everything yourself. These tours do the hard exploration part, allowing you to sample the best of what the city has to offer, usually at a reasonable price.
Many tours take you to places where you can eat haggis, drink whiskey, and sample cheeses (mainly in the Old Town). You can also go on walks between the Old and New Towns, sampling items and enjoying multiple treats.
There’s also something called the “Edinburgh Food Safari.” Adventures like these take you well off the beaten track to the outskirts or even beyond the city, where you can try things you wouldn’t ordinarily get exposure to.
Don’t forget that Edinburgh is home to multiple award-winning restaurants. The most famous are Lyla and The Little Chartroom, but there are plenty of others.
