60 of Edinburgh's Best Places to Eat

This article has been updated with copy from the 2026 Guide to Edinburgh – a 116-page selection of some of our favourite things to do and places to go across the city. Pick up a copy at venues across Edinburgh this summer, or read it online via Issuu.

Breakfast

Ardfern
10-12 Bonnington Rd
When Ardfern turn their pedigree (Eleanore, The Little Chartroom) to the first meal of the day, things heat up. Their venison lorne sausage is genuinely astonishing, their donuts are fantastic.

Edinburgh Larder
15 Blackfriars St
Two great phrases when you’re planning breakfast: ‘high quality’ and ‘all day’. The Larder has them both covered, using great Scottish ingredients in some bumper breakfasts at their cafe just off the Mile.

Hula
103-105 West Bow
Get your day off to a healthy start at Hula, with great veggie and vegan options, excellent juices and smoothies, and a restorative decor that will make you feel at one with nature no matter what happened the night before.

Kvasa
101 Leith Walk
We like big buns, and we cannot lie. They don’t come much bigger or better than at Kvasa on Leith Walk, the only place we can think of with a dedicated cinnamon bun loyalty card.

Loudons
94B Fountainbridge & 2 Sibbald Walk
Do you like *eggs*? If so, you’re in luck – Loudons have an impressive range of Benedicts and French Toasts to work your way through in their bright and breezy spaces at either end of the city centre.

Courtesy of Ardfern.

The Pantry
1 North West Circus Pl
If you're making the IG pilgrimage to Stockbridge, or you're just in the market for an extremely well-made breakfast with a bunch of options to suit everyone, The Pantry's your pick.

Preacher’s Patisserie
24-26 Lady Lawson St
These guys know their way around a breakfast roll. From baking their rolls and making their tattie scones in-house, to their ever-expanding range of customer-inspired specials, these lads know what they’re up to.

Singapore Coffee House
5 Canonmills
Bringing kopitiam classics to Canonmills, Singapore Coffee House offers a real change of pace. Look out for their kaya (coconut jam) on toast and the sambal chili tomato on their full breakfast.

Snax
118 Buccleuch St & 15-17 W Register St
A true Edinburgh icon, Snax is the place if you want a classic cafe brekkie in whatever configuration or size you desire. These guys have been kings of bacon and egg country for years – long may they reign.

Tani Modi
103 Hanover St
If you’re looking for pancakes, Tani Modi should be near the top of your list. Big, fresh chunky fellas paired with a bunch of exciting toppings, these will fuel whatever you’ve got planned until well past lunchtime.

Food on the go

Africano Wrap Place
4 Chapel St
These guys know how to manage a queue; no-one has ever waited for one of these delicious, spicy, flavour-packed wraps for more than a few minutes.

Alby’s
8 Portland Pl & 94 Buccleuch St
Big Hot Sandwiches – fair play to Alby’s, they live up to their slogan. Head here for massive wedges of focaccia loaded up with exciting fillings and updated takes on classics.

Bánh Mì Brothers
141 West Port
A tiny spot turning out great sandwiches inspired by the Vietnamese classics, with regular specials, great veggie options, and a lunch deal that puts the supermarket across the street to shame.

The Fishmarket
23A Pier Pl
Fish and chips don’t get a whole lot better than at the Fishmarket, on the shoreline at Newhaven. It’s always busy, but the rewards are worth it; ride the tram all the way to the end and hop into the queue.

Greek Artisan Pastries
23 Bread St & 32-34 Portobello High St
These pastries are serious units. You could pave a road with these slabs of bougatsa. Hyperbole? No, the pastries at Greek Artisan Pastries really are that hefty, and delicious with it.

Pala. Image courtesy of Emily Cuddeford.

Harkness Pies
30B Raeburn Pl
Pie-lovers, brace for impact; Harkness’s range of pastries is incredible. Whether it’s a Pentlands walk or a day at the Fringe, one of their Scotch Pies will see you through.

Oink
34 Victoria St; 82 Canongate; 38 Hanover St
Vegetarians, skip to the next one. Meat fans, let’s rock. Pulled pork rolls served straight from the pig, and when it’s gone each day, it’s gone. Simple, visually effective, and very tasty – no wonder they’re always busy.

Neighbourwood
294 Leith Walk
Are you really hungry? These guys will sort you out with a fantastic and extremely generous shawarma wrap. One for fans of chicken, pickles, and a touch of ceremony as they press your wrap against various hot surfaces.

Pala
7 Jane St
If you’re on a Leith Walk pub crawl and need to keep yourself going, pop into Pala. The al taglio pizza shop serve up simple but delicious slabs of Roman pizza made with great ingredients. Then back to the pub!

Polentoni
38 Easter Rd
A superb deli amid a clutch of great independent spots on Easter Road, Polentoni is the place to load up for your picnic. Lovely sandwiches, brilliant sweet treats, and more.

Casual dining

Chennai’s Marina
54 Clerk St & 192 Dalry Rd
When Chennai’s Marina say ‘two chillies’, trust and believe them. The Sri Lankan restaurant bring the heat to their curries, along with mountains of flavour.

Chez Jules
109 Hanover St
This French institution in the New Town is the place to get a steak or moules frites and come away with a surprising amount left on the Monzo – their lunch deal is legendary.

Edinburgh Street Food
Leith St
ESF has it all – loads of food options, hundreds of seats inside and out, quick service via an order-at-seat system that actually works, and an enormous pink sign you literally can’t miss.

Fava
248 Morrison St
This Greek restaurant is ideal for a big group catch-up – good location, big bright space, and a crowd-pleasing mezze menu that will have you fighting over dips like the good old days.

Kampong Ah Lee
28 Clerk St
A brilliant no-frills Malaysian restaurant, ideal for dinner before a Fringe show or after a hike up Arthur's Seat. Big flavours, speedy service and some absolutely brilliant roti.

The Khukuri
8 West Maitland St
Get the momos. Obviously, when you visit this great little Nepalese restaurant you’ll have a nice time no matter what you choose, but those dumplings are the star of the show.

Kim’s Mini Meals
5 Buccleuch St
Home-style Korean classics delivered with love in a charming setting. There’s the not-insignificant chance of a seat in a weird corner underneath a staircase, but that’s part of the fun.

Mother India’s Cafe
3-5 Infirmary St
Edinburgh’s original ‘it’s Indian cuisine but in the style of tapas’ restaurant, Mother India offer such a fantastic range of curries, grills and sides that it’s almost impossible to go wrong.

Muna’s Ethiopian Cuisine
8 Gillespie Pl
The eponymous Muna is an absolute whirlwind – catch her flying in and out of the kitchen with trays of delicious Ethiopian stews and curries, all on funky homemade injera.

Noodles Home
14a Nicolson St
A brilliant and surprisingly big noodle restaurant right in the heart of Fringeland, Noodles Home is the place to go for enormous bowls of handmade noodles in incredible broths.

The Original Mosque Kitchen & Cafe
50 Potterrow
A true icon of Edinburgh's food scene, the outdoor seats behind the Central Mosque have seen thousands of folk pass through for delicious and still-impressively-cheap curries.

The Percy
394 Easter Rd
If you’ve had a big day, or you have a big night coming, you’ll need to fuel up. Polish restaurant The Percy, with its hearty soups and schnitzel the size of manhole covers, is the place to go for a slap-up meal.

Pho Viet
15 Dalry Rd
POV: you are hungover mid-Fringe. If you can make it to Haymarket, you’ll find a restorative bowl of pho or bún bò huế at the always-excellent Pho Viet and you’ll be back in the game in no time.

The Pitt
20 West Shore Rd
The original Edinburgh street food market, The Pitt has moved to the Granton waterfront with events, gigs and regular markets to go with a rolling selection of local food vendors.

Sabzi
162 Ferry Rd
This award-winning family-run spot on Ferry Road serves up brilliant and highly shareable Punjabi classics off an ever-changing menu in a bright and cheery former video shop.

San Ciro’s
148 Leith Walk
Top-notch Neapolitan pizza delivered at high speed and with some real touches of flair; exciting flavour combos, energetic staff with a passion for the craft, and it always smells incredible.

Taco Libre
3 Shandwick Pl & 85 Rose St
Chaos reigns at Taco Libre, with its bright lights and loud decor. The tacos are some of the very best around, with simple, authentic fillings and bags of flavour.

Tanjore
6-8 Clerk St
A longstanding, no-frills South Indian restaurant that offers an excellent range of dishes but really it’s all about their dosas. Paper-thin, absolutely enormous, and absolutely delicious.

Ting Thai
55-57 Lothian Rd & 8-9 Teviot Pl
It’s loud, it’s fast, there’s bags of flavour and it’s still impressively affordable. Ting Thai’s street food style was a genuine game-changer when they opened, and it remains one of the city’s go-to options.

Xiangbala Hotpot
63 Dalry Rd
A real neighbourhood mainstay, it isn’t a walk up Dalry Road if you aren’t being blasted with the smell of broth and spices from Xiangbala. Inside, it’s a hotpot free-for-all; chaotic but delicious.

Restaurants

BABA
130 George St
Drawing in flavours from across the Levant and the Middle East, BABA’s pitch is to absolutely load the table with incredible dips, grilled dishes, flatbreads and salads. Bring friends, you’ll have fun.

Cardinal
14 Eyre Pl
The latest one from chef Tomas Gormley, Cardinal is an intimate, moody space celebrating great Scottish produce via ever-evolving tasting menus. Their £25 lunch deal is an absolute steal and we recommend it highly.

Dogstar
17 Portland Pl
A new spot from Nauticus (very good bar) and James Murray (very good chef) that’s quickly become a favourite thanks to some great menus showcasing local ingredients in a cool and fun way, as well as a splendid overall vibe.

Noto and Tipo
47a Thistle St & 110 Hanover St
A double header from Edinburgh’s own Stuart Ralston. Tipo is inspired by Italy, so head here for great pasta; Noto has a more varied menu, headlined by some outrageously buttery crab.

Tipo.

The Palmerston
1 Palmerston Pl
Excellent pastries in the morning, inventive and considered cooking in the afternoons and evenings, and a grand but not-too-grand setting whenever you arrive.

Pomelo
27 Sciennes Rd
Firmly established in their new place in Sciennes, Pomelo offer up excellent modern Asian cooking. Their hand-pulled noodles are the stuff of legend, and the space expertly straddles ‘homely’ and ‘fancy’.

Stockbridge Eating House
7 St Stephen St
Plenty of folk are playing the ‘classic bistro cooking’ card right now, but the Eating House does it particularly well. Head here for great flavours, lovely service and a homely vibe.

Timberyard
10 Lady Lawson St
More than worth its Michelin star, a meal at Timberyard is a real experience. The building is incredible, the staff are great, and the food is excellent without trying to overwhelm or baffle. It’s just very, very, very good.

Whirlybird
36-38 Victoria St
You couldn’t pick a more central location, so Whirlybird smartly offers a bit of everything. The food menu is accessible but varied, the decor is light and trendy, and the huge windows make you feel part of the action.

Treats

Ciccetta’s
26 Bruntsfield Ave
The latest addition to the surprisingly full ‘high-end Italian-trained gelato shop’ folder, Ciccetta’s is a lovely corner spot in Bruntsfield making small batches of exciting and pleasingly refined ice cream.

Company Bakery
6 Station Rd, Musselburgh
One of Scotland’s very best wholesale bakeries, you’ll find Company’s bread and pastries throughout town, but head to their cafe in Musselburgh for the full experience.

Dune Bakery
35B High St, South Queensferry
For excellent pastries in a lovely waterside location, head down to South Queensferry and check out Dune. You’ll get a lovely croissant, you’ll see some nice bridges, that’s a solid Edinburgh morning.

Gorse
207 Pleasance
This Northern Irish bakery in the shadow of Arthur's Seat is a really fun one – on the one hand, it’s a lovely, calm, vibey space. On the other, there’s some very inventive and absolutely superb baking going on.

Lannan
29-35 Hamilton Pl
Much has been said about The Queue, but the rewards at Darcie Maher’s bakery are worth it. Brilliantly crisp pastry with mind-blowing lamination, and bags of imagination across the counter.

Tayto cheese and onion pastry at Gorse.

Mary’s Milk Bar
19 Grassmarket
Mary’s is so good it’s now a legitimate tourist attraction. The ice cream is genuinely brilliant so check it out regardless of the weather, and they’re always trying new things so… go again.

Moo Pie
26 St Mary's St
Moo Pie’s soft serve ice cream is amazingly smooth, their flavours are brilliant, and if you’re here in the winter their hot chocolate is unmissable.

The Pastry Section
86 Raeburn Pl; 143 Great Junction St
Get down early enough and you’ll find a truly impressive array of baked treats, and the outside seats at their Stockbridge branch are idea for a bit of cake-powered people-watching.

Project Canelé
150 Dundas St
Head here for one of their eponymous French cakes – beautifully craggly little lads with a soft custardy inner and caramalised outer.

Sicilian Pastry Shop
14-16 Albert St
Whether you want a delicious cannoli, an arancini filled to the brim with ragu, or a full-sized birthday cake with your name on it, the Sicilian Pastry Shop has you covered. Leith legends, and rightly so.