Guidebook for Edinburgh

Tim
Guidebook for Edinburgh

Food Scene

One of the best sourdough loaves in town
171 locals recommend
Twelve Triangles
90 Brunswick St
171 locals recommend
One of the best sourdough loaves in town
Delicious Italian/Scottish cooking, with much of the produce grown in Carina & Victor's own garden
23 locals recommend
Contini George Street
103 George Street
23 locals recommend
Delicious Italian/Scottish cooking, with much of the produce grown in Carina & Victor's own garden
They make a lot of their own delicious deli produce and their Millionaire's Shortbread is simply the best!
21 locals recommend
Herbie of Edinburgh
66 Raeburn Pl
21 locals recommend
They make a lot of their own delicious deli produce and their Millionaire's Shortbread is simply the best!
The original Italian deli with fresh veg from Sicily flown in every week
189 locals recommend
Valvona Crolla
19 Elm Row
189 locals recommend
The original Italian deli with fresh veg from Sicily flown in every week
Friendly knowledgeable staff and the best of European cheeses. Try the Lanark or Dunsyre Blue, produced in the border hills by the Errington Family
56 locals recommend
IJ Mellis Cheesemongers
6 Bakers Place
56 locals recommend
Friendly knowledgeable staff and the best of European cheeses. Try the Lanark or Dunsyre Blue, produced in the border hills by the Errington Family
Their Swedish Farmer loaf is the other great local sourdough and they make lots of very Swedish cookies and cakes too.
81 locals recommend
Söderberg Bakery Shop
45 Broughton St
81 locals recommend
Their Swedish Farmer loaf is the other great local sourdough and they make lots of very Swedish cookies and cakes too.
For more than 45 years, this has been Edinburgh's most-trusted trattoria. Good, unpretentious, and they even do porridge for breakfast!
101 locals recommend
Vittoria on the Walk
113 Brunswick St
101 locals recommend
For more than 45 years, this has been Edinburgh's most-trusted trattoria. Good, unpretentious, and they even do porridge for breakfast!
Jérôme Henry was head chef for Anton Mosimann's private club in Belgravia before opening this perfectly formed little jewel less than ten minutes from your front door. Let's just say London's loss is Edinburgh's gain!
18 locals recommend
Le Roi Fou
1 Forth St
18 locals recommend
Jérôme Henry was head chef for Anton Mosimann's private club in Belgravia before opening this perfectly formed little jewel less than ten minutes from your front door. Let's just say London's loss is Edinburgh's gain!
Jean-Michel Gauffre hails from the Languedoc, so your cassoulet will be kosher and your steak will be blue. Mangez bien, mes amis!
22 locals recommend
La Garrigue
31 Jeffrey St
22 locals recommend
Jean-Michel Gauffre hails from the Languedoc, so your cassoulet will be kosher and your steak will be blue. Mangez bien, mes amis!
Characteristically French food made with the finest seasonal Scottish ingredients like wild Scottish snails from the Isle of Barra, pure breed of Dexter beef, Shorthorn and Highland Wagyu beef, chickens and cockerels from Linda Dick and organic lamb from Sascha Grierson
173 locals recommend
L'Escargot Bleu Restaurant
56 Broughton St
173 locals recommend
Characteristically French food made with the finest seasonal Scottish ingredients like wild Scottish snails from the Isle of Barra, pure breed of Dexter beef, Shorthorn and Highland Wagyu beef, chickens and cockerels from Linda Dick and organic lamb from Sascha Grierson
Thoughtful and imaginative Scottish cooking at lunchtime or dinner, with a bar menu that offers things like 'raw halibut, sorrel and celeriac' for £5.00 and 'fried partridge legs, fermented blackcurrant, miso' for £7.50
21 locals recommend
Fhior
36 Broughton St
21 locals recommend
Thoughtful and imaginative Scottish cooking at lunchtime or dinner, with a bar menu that offers things like 'raw halibut, sorrel and celeriac' for £5.00 and 'fried partridge legs, fermented blackcurrant, miso' for £7.50
Deservedly popular and very local, this is just a five minute walk away
13 locals recommend
Little White Pig
26B Dublin St
13 locals recommend
Deservedly popular and very local, this is just a five minute walk away

Drinks & Nightlife

Great cocktails
235 locals recommend
Bramble Bar & Lounge
16A Queen St
235 locals recommend
Great cocktails
Great cocktails with views to the castle and over the city
84 locals recommend
Harvey Nichols Forth Floor Brasserie and Bar
30-34 St Andrew Square
84 locals recommend
Great cocktails with views to the castle and over the city
Cask conditioned real ales and a wonderful beer garden
125 locals recommend
The Cumberland Bar
1-3 Cumberland St
125 locals recommend
Cask conditioned real ales and a wonderful beer garden
A genuinely independent brew pub with a great selection of craft beers and ales.
82 locals recommend
BrewDog Edinburgh
143 Cowgate
82 locals recommend
A genuinely independent brew pub with a great selection of craft beers and ales.
The original and best year-round comedy venue
72 locals recommend
The Stand Comedy Club
5 York Place
72 locals recommend
The original and best year-round comedy venue
THE place to discover whiskies you've never heard of before. They also have a place in Leith, which is worth checking out
80 locals recommend
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
28 Queen St
80 locals recommend
THE place to discover whiskies you've never heard of before. They also have a place in Leith, which is worth checking out
A long-time Leith staple, this is a great place to see real Edinburgh folk, hear live music and grab a bite of modern British pub food.
275 locals recommend
The Shore Restaurant
1 Shore
275 locals recommend
A long-time Leith staple, this is a great place to see real Edinburgh folk, hear live music and grab a bite of modern British pub food.
Beautiful stained glass, horseshoe bar, this is a quintessential 19th century Edinburgh boozer that's stood the test of time.
125 locals recommend
Cafe Royal
19 W Register St
125 locals recommend
Beautiful stained glass, horseshoe bar, this is a quintessential 19th century Edinburgh boozer that's stood the test of time.

Parks & Nature

A beautiful green space just ten minutes walk away
104 locals recommend
Royal Botanic Garden station
104 locals recommend
A beautiful green space just ten minutes walk away
If you time it right, you can walk out to the tidal Cramond Island: you've got 4 hours between tides!
102 locals recommend
Cramond Beach
2 Kirk Cramond
102 locals recommend
If you time it right, you can walk out to the tidal Cramond Island: you've got 4 hours between tides!

Arts & Culture

World class contemporary art
103 locals recommend
Fruitmarket Gallery
45 Market St
103 locals recommend
World class contemporary art
Worth visiting for Charles Jenks's 'Landform' alone, but there's a great permanent collection of work by all the modernist greats like Picasso, Mondrian, Matisse, Warhol, and Lichtenstein. Look at Douglas Gordon's work on the stairs and see if you can spot my name: (it is actually there...)
1010 locals recommend
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
75 Belford Rd
1010 locals recommend
Worth visiting for Charles Jenks's 'Landform' alone, but there's a great permanent collection of work by all the modernist greats like Picasso, Mondrian, Matisse, Warhol, and Lichtenstein. Look at Douglas Gordon's work on the stairs and see if you can spot my name: (it is actually there...)
Significant UK and international artists including Calum Innes, Alison Watt and Garry Fabian Miller
19 locals recommend
Ingleby Gallery
33 Barony St
19 locals recommend
Significant UK and international artists including Calum Innes, Alison Watt and Garry Fabian Miller
Unlike anything else in the UK, a multi-arts centre with many exhibitions and an internationally respected performing arts programme. Probably the hottest venue during the Festival
161 locals recommend
Summerhall
161 locals recommend
Unlike anything else in the UK, a multi-arts centre with many exhibitions and an internationally respected performing arts programme. Probably the hottest venue during the Festival
World-class open-air art, with specially commissioned works by Anish Kapoor, Andy Goldsworthy, Anthony Gormley and others. Allow three hours, and take a car...
107 locals recommend
Jupiter Artland
107 locals recommend
World-class open-air art, with specially commissioned works by Anish Kapoor, Andy Goldsworthy, Anthony Gormley and others. Allow three hours, and take a car...
More than 250 separate artworks in this truly unique garden/gallery, open only from June-September.
17 locals recommend
Little Sparta - the garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay
17 locals recommend
More than 250 separate artworks in this truly unique garden/gallery, open only from June-September.
This spiky red sandstone, neo-gothic pile has a good collection of paintings & photos of the good, great and merely famous. The cafe's not bad either
523 locals recommend
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
1 Queen St
523 locals recommend
This spiky red sandstone, neo-gothic pile has a good collection of paintings & photos of the good, great and merely famous. The cafe's not bad either
August sees one of the city's most beautiful squares come alive to the sound of authors. Book early!
14 locals recommend
Edinburgh International Book Festival
121 Charlotte Square
14 locals recommend
August sees one of the city's most beautiful squares come alive to the sound of authors. Book early!

Sightseeing

Where else can you stand on a city centre volcano?
1859 locals recommend
Arthur's Seat
1859 locals recommend
Where else can you stand on a city centre volcano?
You can walk this river from the sea to the Pentland Hills, but the section between Stockbridge and the picturesque, Dutch-inspired Dean Village is handiest. Combine it with a visit to the Galleries of Modern Art
147 locals recommend
Water of Leith Walkway
Water of Leith Walkway
147 locals recommend
You can walk this river from the sea to the Pentland Hills, but the section between Stockbridge and the picturesque, Dutch-inspired Dean Village is handiest. Combine it with a visit to the Galleries of Modern Art

Shopping

If you want a different take on tartan, Howie Nicholsby's the man to meet. Ready to wear kilts in camouflage, leather and pinstripe, and not just for men: women and kids are catered for too.
7 locals recommend
21st Century Kilts 1996 | EDINBURGH
59 High Street
7 locals recommend
If you want a different take on tartan, Howie Nicholsby's the man to meet. Ready to wear kilts in camouflage, leather and pinstripe, and not just for men: women and kids are catered for too.
The book-lovers' bookstore: a perfectly edited collection for readers of all ages
21 locals recommend
Golden Hare Books
68 St Stephen St
21 locals recommend
The book-lovers' bookstore: a perfectly edited collection for readers of all ages
Small run, independent designer of menswear inspired by the Scottish landscape
6 locals recommend
Kestin Hare
7 Customs Wharf
6 locals recommend
Small run, independent designer of menswear inspired by the Scottish landscape
Pricy but very tricky ladies wear: independent, knowledgeable and friendly
11 locals recommend
Jane Davidson
52 Thistle St
11 locals recommend
Pricy but very tricky ladies wear: independent, knowledgeable and friendly
Scottish edibles of all kinds
14 locals recommend
Cranachan & Crowdie
263 Canongate
14 locals recommend
Scottish edibles of all kinds
Everything from stationery to homewares, to prints, to jewellery with a strong illustrative influence. Again, just five minutes away
38 locals recommend
Curiouser & Curiouser
93 Broughton St
38 locals recommend
Everything from stationery to homewares, to prints, to jewellery with a strong illustrative influence. Again, just five minutes away
Quality, affordable women' clothing in a cool, relaxed Scandinavian atmosphere. Don't talk about hygge...
Kakao by K
Quality, affordable women' clothing in a cool, relaxed Scandinavian atmosphere. Don't talk about hygge...

Essentials

All the basics
333 locals recommend
Tesco Superstore
76 Duke St
333 locals recommend
All the basics
Five minutes walk away if you need something professionally washed or dry-cleaned in a hurry
12 locals recommend
Canon Mills Dry Cleaners & Laundrette
7-8 Huntly St
12 locals recommend
Five minutes walk away if you need something professionally washed or dry-cleaned in a hurry
Just round the corner, open early and late, lots of fresh veg, what's not to like?
7 locals recommend
London Street Grocery
47 London St
7 locals recommend
Just round the corner, open early and late, lots of fresh veg, what's not to like?