Where We Ate in Edinburgh: Restaurants, Pubs & Bars We’d Recommend

Trying to figure out where to eat in Edinburgh can feel a little overwhelming—especially when every article claims to list the “best” restaurants in the city.

So instead of pretending we tried every restaurant in Edinburgh, I thought I’d share something more helpful: the places we actually ate during our 5 days exploring the city.

In July 2022, my friends Kelsey, Stephanie, and I spent several days using Edinburgh as our home base, while exploring both the city and the Scottish Highlands.

Between free walking tours, sightseeing, rooftop drinks, and day trips, we ended up finding a mix of casual cafés, historic pubs, fun bars, and surprisingly good restaurants throughout Old Town and beyond.

Some places stood out because of the food.

Some because of the atmosphere.

And some because they ended up becoming memorable parts of the trip itself.

This guide includes:

• Where we ate in Edinburgh
• What we’d actually recommend ordering
• Which spots are worth visiting for the atmosphere alone
• Honest opinions on places we probably wouldn’t rush back to

If you’re planning your own Edinburgh itinerary and want restaurant recommendations from real experience—not just another generic roundup—you’re in the right place.

👉 Planning a bigger Scotland trip too? You can browse all of my Scotland travel guides here.

We visited Edinburgh in July 2022 during a summer trip through Scotland and spent 5 days exploring and eating our way through the city + experiencing 2 day trips from Edinburgh.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the pubs and restaurants we tried and would recommend for each category:

• Best for Views: Cold Town House
• Best Casual Lunch: Scran Bistro
• Best Historic Pub Atmosphere: The Last Drop
• Best Surprise Meal: Mariachi Restaurant
• Best Summer Atmosphere: Festival Village
• Best for Scottish Food: Dunedin Kitchen
• Best Indian Food: Shamoli

Most of these spots worked especially well for a first-time Edinburgh itinerary because they were easy to reach between major attractions.

Note that if we could only revisit one spot tomorrow, it would probably be Mariachi.

To make planning easier, I mapped out all of the restaurants, pubs, and bars we visited during our trip to Edinburgh.

Most of these spots are located around:

• Old Town
• Grassmarket
• the Royal Mile

which makes them easy to fit into a first-time Edinburgh itinerary!

👉 Save this map to your phone so you can easily reference it while exploring the city.

Scran Bistro ended up being the very first place we ate after landing in Edinburgh—and honestly, it was exactly what we needed after an overnight flight from the U.S.

Located right in the heart of Old Town near the Royal Mile and North Bridge, it was an easy first stop before our afternoon walking tour and ended up being one of the most convenient casual lunch spots we found during the trip.

The atmosphere is cozy and relaxed, with both indoor and outdoor seating, quick service, and a menu full of comfort-food-style options that work well whether you’re grabbing breakfast, lunch, or a casual drink.

• Chipotle chicken wrap
• Cajun & garlic mayo fries
• Cider and beers

The Cajun fries absolutely hit after a long travel day!

If you’re following a similar itinerary to ours, Scran makes a great first-day lunch option before exploring Old Town or joining a walking tour.

And, if you end up with the waiter we had, then you’ll definitely have “no worries” here, as he would say!

👉 Planning your first day in Edinburgh? I included this stop in my full 5-Day Edinburgh itinerary.

If you’re looking for a historic pub atmosphere in Edinburgh, The Last Drop is worth stopping into at least once.

Located in the Grassmarket, this pub sits in one of the city’s most historic (and honestly slightly haunting) areas.

Public executions once took place nearby, and according to local legend, prisoners would supposedly stop here for a final drink before facing the gallows.

Naturally, we had to grab a beer here after one of our free walking tours (after all, our guide recommended it!).

The atmosphere feels exactly like the kind of old Edinburgh pub you picture before visiting Scotland—dark wood interiors, historic charm, and a lot of character.

This is a great stop if you’re already exploring:

• Grassmarket
• Victoria Street
• Edinburgh Castle
• the Royal Mile

It’s one of the most famous pubs in Grassmarket.

We ended up here during a slower afternoon between sightseeing stops, and it worked perfectly as a casual break.

Out of everywhere we ate in Edinburgh, Mariachi Restaurant might have been the biggest surprise.

After a full day of walking tours and sightseeing, we ended up here for dinner on our first night—and somehow had one of our favorite meals of the entire trip at a Mexican restaurant in Scotland.

Located just off Victoria Street, Mariachi is a family-owned restaurant with a fun atmosphere, colorful drinks, and genuinely great food.

The vibe here felt lively without being overly touristy, and after a long travel day, it ended up being one of those places that immediately made the trip feel fun.

• Fish tacos
• Chips and guacamole
• Burritos
• Enchiladas
• Margaritas

The fish tacos were probably my personal favorite!

If you’re visiting during peak season, I’d recommend making a reservation or arriving a bit earlier in the evening—it got noticeably busier while we were there.

👉 Looking for more ideas nearby? I also included this restaurant in my Edinburgh itinerary guide here.

Festival Village: Waverley felt less like a restaurant and more like a fun summer hangout spot in the middle of Edinburgh.

Located near Waverley Station, it’s an easy place to stop if you want:

• casual food
• drinks with a view
• outdoor seating
• a lively atmosphere without committing to a full sit-down dinner

When we visited, the entire area was filled with flowers, outdoor seating, local food vendors, drinks, and live music—definitely one of the more lively spots of our trip!

We actually ended up here after returning from one of our day trips from Edinburgh, and it was the perfect low-key place to relax with drinks and food after a long day of sightseeing.

👉 Planning to explore beyond the city too? We took day trips to the Scottish Highlands and St Andrews and had a great time!

This spot is especially fun during summer when Edinburgh has more outdoor events and festival-style pop-ups happening throughout the city.

If you’re visiting outside summer, availability and vendors may vary.

This is a great evening stop after:

• Edinburgh Castle
• Victoria Street
• Grassmarket
• ghost tours

If you want rooftop seating, definitely book ahead.

The rooftop terrace was fully booked when we visited, although the downstairs outdoor seating still had incredible views.

Dunedin Kitchen ended up being one of our better sit-down meals during our time exploring the Royal Mile area.

It’s located in a super convenient spot in Old Town near Victoria Street and works well if you’re looking for something a little more filling after sightseeing all day.

The menu mixes Scottish dishes with more classic comfort food options, making it a good place to try a few local specialties without feeling overly formal.

• Haggis bonbons (yep, you read that correctly!)
• Seafood spaghetti
• Prosecco

I’m not usually a huge pasta person while traveling, but the seafood spaghetti was surprisingly good.

This is a great lunch or early dinner option while exploring:

• Edinburgh Castle
• the Royal Mile
• St Giles’ Cathedral
• Holyroodhouse

And yes—the haggis bonbons are worth trying even if you’re skeptical.

I couldn’t find an official website for Dunedin Kitchen, so you’ll just have to check this one out in person!

• Butter chicken
• Chicken tikka masala
• Garlic naan

The butter chicken and garlic naan were easily the highlights. Honestly, all of the food we tried here was delicious!

To be completely transparent, though the food was yummy, the service during our visit wasn’t great.

Even though the restaurant wasn’t busy, things felt a little awkward and slow throughout the meal.

That said, the food itself redeemed the experience enough that I still wanted to include it here, though we probably wouldn’t prioritize eating here again.

If you’re still planning your Edinburgh food itinerary, here are a few quick answers to common questions we had before visiting.

If it’s your first time visiting Edinburgh, Old Town is one of the easiest areas to find restaurants, pubs, and casual cafés within walking distance of major attractions like the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, and Grassmarket.

Most of the places we visited during our trip were located in or around Old Town, which made it easy to stop for food between sightseeing.

Restaurant prices in Edinburgh can vary quite a bit depending on the location and type of restaurant.

We found casual lunches and pub meals to be fairly reasonable, while rooftop bars and nicer sit-down dinners were naturally more expensive.

Overall, Edinburgh felt similar in price to other major European cities we’ve visited.

For popular restaurants and rooftop bars—especially during summer—I’d definitely recommend making reservations when possible.

We noticed several places filling up quickly in the evenings, particularly around the Grassmarket and Royal Mile areas.

If you’re visiting Edinburgh for the first time, I’d recommend trying:

• haggis
• Scotch whisky
• fish and chips
• Scottish breakfast items
• sticky toffee pudding

Even if you’re unsure about haggis, the haggis bonbons we tried were surprisingly good.

Yes—Edinburgh has a really fun mix of:

• historic pubs
• cocktail bars
• rooftop terraces
• live music venues

Even if nightlife isn’t your main focus, places like Grassmarket and the Royal Mile stay lively well into the evening.

During our trip, we mostly ate around:

• Old Town
• Grassmarket
• the Royal Mile

Some of our favorite spots included Mariachi Restaurant, Cold Town House, Scran Bistro, and The Last Drop.

One of my favorite things about Edinburgh was how easy it was to stumble into memorable places between sightseeing stops, walking tours, and day trips.

Some of our favorite meals were planned.

Others were completely spontaneous.

And honestly, that mix ended up being part of what made the trip feel so fun!

From rooftop drinks overlooking Edinburgh Castle to casual lunches in Old Town and cozy historic pubs, these were the places that became part of our overall experience exploring the city.

If you’re planning your own trip, I’d recommend focusing less on trying to find the “perfect” restaurant and more on finding places that fit naturally into your itinerary and travel style.

And if you have a favorite Edinburgh restaurant I should try next time, let me know in the comments—I’m already ready to go back!

XOXO Sara at Travel A-Broads