Where to eat in Edinburgh, by neighbourhood

The streets right around the Castle aren’t where Edinburgh eats. Walk ten minutes in almost any direction and the food gets better, the prices get kinder and the tables fill up with locals instead of tour groups.

This is my guide to eating and drinking in Edinburgh, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, with the places worth knowing about and a few rules I’d give any visitor.

Some rules for eating out in Edinburgh

• Book ahead for anywhere popular on Friday and Saturday nights, during the August festivals and through December.
• Step one street off the Royal Mile. The restaurants on the Mile itself mostly cater to passing tourists.
• Lunch is better value. Many of the best restaurants do set lunch menus for much less than dinner.
• Tipping: around 10 to 12.5% is normal for table service. Check your bill first, as many restaurants add a service charge.

Leith: the city’s food heartland

If you only eat out once, do it in Leith. Edinburgh’s old port has more good restaurants per street than anywhere else in the city, from fine dining to cheap and cheerful.

The fine-dining end is world class. Restaurant Martin Wishart on the Shore has held a Michelin star for 25 years, and The Kitchin, run by chef Tom Kitchin in a converted whisky warehouse on Commercial Quay, is a celebration of Scottish produce. Both are special-occasion places, so book well ahead.

For something more relaxed, walk along the Shore, where old pubs and seafood restaurants line the water. Further up, Leith Walk is the city’s most diverse food street, with cafés, bakeries and restaurants from all over the world.

Stockbridge: brunch and neighbourhood restaurants

Stockbridge is where Edinburgh goes for weekend brunch. Raeburn Place and St Stephen Street are lined with independent cafés, bakeries and delis, and the evenings belong to cosy bistros and wine bars.

On Sundays, the Stockbridge Market on Saunders Street (10am to 4pm) is the place for street food, coffee and local produce beside the Water of Leith.

The Old Town, done right

If you’re sightseeing in the Old Town, you don’t have to settle for a tourist menu.

• The Grassmarket and Victoria Street have plenty of pubs and restaurants with more character than the Mile.
• The Southside, around Nicolson Street and South Clerk Street, is full of cheaper, student-friendly places, and it’s only five minutes from the National Museum.
• For a proper pub, the Bow Bar on Victoria Street is a classic whisky bar, and Sandy Bell’s on Forrest Road is the city’s best-known folk music pub.

The New Town: smart dinners and old pubs

In the New Town, Thistle Street is a narrow lane full of good restaurants, and Rose Street, running parallel to Princes Street, is lined with traditional pubs. George Street has the big, glamorous bars and restaurants.

Bruntsfield and Marchmont: cafés by the Meadows

Bruntsfield is a lovely, local place to eat, with independent cafés, delis and relaxed neighbourhood restaurants along Bruntsfield Place. Pick up a picnic and take it to the Meadows on a sunny day.

Portobello: fish and chips by the sea

Portobello is where to go for fish and chips on the promenade, ice cream on a summer’s day, or a pint looking out over the beach.

What to eat in Edinburgh

• Haggis, neeps and tatties. The national dish, served with turnip and potato. Try it at least once: it’s better than its reputation.
• Scottish seafood. Langoustines, mussels, scallops and smoked salmon are excellent, especially in Leith.
• A full Scottish breakfast, with black pudding, tattie scones and haggis.
• Cullen skink, a creamy smoked haddock soup that’s perfect on a cold day.
• Whisky. Edinburgh is full of whisky bars. If you’re new to it, ask the bar staff for a recommendation and try a few drams.

Where locals actually drink

Edinburgh has some of the best pubs in Britain, many of them unchanged for a century or more. Look for traditional pubs with wood panelling, real ale and a good whisky shelf, especially in the Old Town, the New Town’s lanes and around the Shore in Leith.