What to Eat in Edinburgh: Local Dishes, Where Locals Eat & Drink Whisky, and the Best Food Tours

The short version: in Edinburgh, eat haggis, neeps and tatties (haggis with mashed swede and potato), Cullen skink (smoked haddock soup), Scottish oysters and mussels and a full Scottish breakfast, then give an evening to whisky. For haggis, go to The Scran & Scallie in Stockbridge or the Arcade Haggis & Whisky House off the Royal Mile; for seafood, go to the Shore in Leith, where Fishers and Barry Fish sit near three Michelin-starred restaurants. Drink single malts at the Bow Bar or The Devil’s Advocate, and book the Scotch Whisky Experience or Holyrood Distillery. On a short visit, a food or whisky tour is the shortcut to the right pubs and plates. Below: where to eat and drink it, by neighbourhood.

What to eat in Edinburgh, and where to eat it

Dish	What it is	Where to eat it in Edinburgh
Full Scottish breakfast	Eggs, bacon, square (Lorne) sausage, black pudding, haggis, tattie scones (potato scones), beans and toast	The Edinburgh Larder; The Pantry; Snax
Haggis, neeps and tatties	Haggis (spiced sheep’s offal, oatmeal and onion) with mashed swede and potato, often with whisky sauce	The Scran & Scallie; Arcade Haggis & Whisky House; The Haggis Box; vegetarian at Hendersons
Cullen skink	A thick soup of smoked haddock, potato, onion and milk, eaten with bread	Most traditional pubs and Scottish restaurants around the Royal Mile and the Grassmarket; for a seafood restaurant’s fish soup, Fishers in Leith
Scottish seafood and salmon	Oysters, mussels, langoustines, crab, sea trout and smoked salmon	Fishers in Leith; Barry Fish; The Mussel and Steak Bar; Café Royal; Leftfield
Fish and chips	Battered haddock with thick chips; in Edinburgh, ask for “salt and sauce”, the local brown sauce	The Fishmarket; Bertie’s Proper Fish & Chips
Scotch pie	A small, round pie of spiced minced mutton or beef, eaten in the hand	Harkness Pies in Stockbridge
Hog roast roll	A roll of slow-roasted pork, with haggis among the toppings	Oink on Victoria Street and the Canongate
Cranachan and shortbread	Cranachan is cream, toasted oats, raspberries, honey and whisky; shortbread is the rich butter biscuit	Cranachan is seasonal, on Scottish dessert menus in summer and around Burns Night (25 January). Buy shortbread from a bakery, not a gift-shop tin

Where to eat in Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s centre is compact: the Old Town and the New Town are a short walk apart, Stockbridge is an easy walk downhill from Princes Street and Leith is a short tram ride down Leith Walk. The rule: walk the Royal Mile, drink whisky on it, and eat a street or two away from it. Book Friday and Saturday dinners a few days ahead (the Michelin-listed places take bookings directly), and in August, festival month, book everything. Pubs, chippies and cafés are walk-in.

Old Town and the Royal Mile

Most restaurants on the Royal Mile itself serve passing visitors, with tartan menus and prices to match. A few are worth it. For a cheap haggis lunch, The Haggis Box in the Scottish Storytelling Centre serves traditional, vegetarian and vegan haggis with neeps and tatties. On Cockburn Street, the Arcade Haggis & Whisky House, one of the oldest bars in the city, serves Robert Burns’ Famous Haggis, a tower of haggis, neeps and tatties in whisky sauce, with more than 100 whiskies behind the bar. Near the Writers’ Museum, Makars Mash Bar builds comfort food around mashed potato, with its own custom-made haggis and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Locals eat a few minutes off the Mile. The Edinburgh Larder on Blackfriars Street serves all-day breakfasts of Scottish produce, including a full Scottish; it is small, so go early. Mother India’s Cafe on Infirmary Street does tapas-style Indian plates, and Oink on the Canongate sells hog roast rolls until the day’s roast runs out.

The Royal Mile is the easiest place to start with whisky. By the castle, the Scotch Whisky Experience runs tours from 10:00 to 20:00 daily: the Silver Tour (50 minutes, one whisky, £25), the Gold Tour (75 minutes, five whiskies including a tray of four regional single malts, £39.75) and A Taste of Scotland (three hours with a tasting menu, £95, adults only). Bring photo ID and book online. Downstairs, Amber Restaurant & Whisky Bar has more than 450 whiskies.

Down the hill, The Devil’s Advocate fills a converted Victorian pump house in a close off the High Street, with more than 300 whiskies and sharing platters. Whiski Bar & Restaurant has about 300 whiskies and live music seven nights a week, and The Albanach lists more than 220 malts and blends, including single cask bottlings. In James Court, The Jolly Judge is a cosy pub tucked down a close, with a wide choice of beers on tap, an award-winning cider list and a good range of single malts.

Grassmarket and Victoria Street

Curving Victoria Street drops into the Grassmarket, the old market square under the castle rock, and here is the city’s most loved whisky pub. The Bow Bar on West Bow is a small, cosy bar with more than 300 malts, a new whisky each week, no music and dogs welcome; it was named Best Bar in Scotland at the Scottish Hospitality Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2022. Tell the staff what you like and let them choose.

At the bottom of Victoria Street, The Mussel and Steak Bar serves oysters, kilo pots of mussels, shellfish platters and Scotch beef steaks. For a cheap supper, Bertie’s Proper Fish & Chips on Victoria Street fries sustainably sourced fish every day from 11:00 (until 22:00, or 23:00 on Friday and Saturday).

For a sit-down Scottish meal, Howies Victoria Street cooks seasonal Scottish dishes, with a two-course lunch for £19.95 every day and early-evening two courses for £24.95 (Sunday to Thursday, 17:00 to 18:30). On Lady Lawson Street, Preacher’s Patisserie makes breakfast rolls with tattie scones, and a few doors away Timberyard (Michelin listing) holds one Michelin star for tasting menus of Scottish produce; book ahead.

New Town

The Georgian grid north of Princes Street is where Edinburgh works and drinks after work. The great Victorian room is the Café Royal, the city’s best-known oyster bar and restaurant: order a plate of oysters under its Victorian interiors. On Rose Street, The Abbotsford is a classic bar built around an original island counter carved from Spanish mahogany. Also on Rose Street, The Black Cat is a small bar with a hand-picked whisky selection and lively folk nights.

For dinner, two Bib Gourmands (the Michelin award for good cooking at moderate prices) are a street apart, both open daily for lunch and dinner. tipo (Michelin listing) on Hanover Street cooks Italian small plates and fresh pasta; order the bigoli cacio e pepe. Noto (Michelin listing) on Thistle Street does Asian-influenced plates such as duck bao buns, buttery crab and a chocolate and miso dessert, with counter seats.

For a single malt you will not find elsewhere, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Kaleidoscope Bar on Queen Street pours limited single cask bottlings, and non-members can drink there. On Princes Street, Johnnie Walker Princes Street has the 1820 Rooftop Bar and cask tastings in its Makers Cellar.

Stockbridge

Stockbridge, a former village on the Water of Leith an easy walk downhill from the New Town, is where locals go for a relaxed meal. Come on a Sunday for the market (see below), then eat. The Scran & Scallie (Michelin listing) is the Tom Kitchin group’s Bib Gourmand pub: haggis, neeps and tatties, a signature fish pie and vanilla rice pudding, served daily from 12:00 to 21:00; book. In a basement on St Stephen Street, Skua (Michelin listing), another Bib Gourmand, serves rustic sharing plates of British produce with natural wines, evenings only, closed Sunday.

By day, The Pantry is a popular breakfast café, with well-made breakfasts to suit everyone. Harkness Pies on Raeburn Place bakes Scotch pies, and Lannan on Hamilton Place is the place for laminated pastries.

Leith: the Shore

Leith, Edinburgh’s port, is the city’s strongest restaurant area and the place for seafood. Take the tram down Leith Walk and walk to the Shore, the quay along the Water of Leith. Three Michelin-starred restaurants are here, each with one star. The Kitchin (Michelin listing) on Commercial Quay cooks seasonal Scottish produce (go in grouse season, from mid-August); the well-priced lunch is the way in. It opens Tuesday to Saturday and books by phone. Restaurant Martin Wishart (Michelin listing) became Edinburgh’s first Michelin-starred restaurant in 2001. Heron (Michelin listing) on Henderson Street serves a tasting menu with dishes such as sea trout and Fife berries, Wednesday to Sunday.

For seafood at a lower price, Fishers in Leith, in an old watchtower at the end of the Shore, has served fish since 1991: fishcakes, fish soup, mussels, oysters and seafood platters; book for dinner. A few doors along, Barry Fish (Michelin listing), new in 2025 and already in the MICHELIN Guide, cooks whole plaice and sea trout pastrami, with a good-value early evening menu; Tuesday to Saturday from 16:30.

Up Bonnington Road, Ardfern (Michelin listing) is a Bib Gourmand café, bar and bottle shop open from 09:00 daily: order the hash browns with whipped feta and jalapeño ketchup, or the venison Lorne sausage. Its sister next door, The Little Chartroom (Michelin listing), is the dinner room, also in the MICHELIN Guide.

For a drink, Lind & Lime Gin Distillery on Coburg Street runs guided gin tours, and the Port of Leith Distillery runs a whisky tour and tasting of about 90 minutes; book both online. For fish and chips, carry on to The Fishmarket on Newhaven harbour.

Bruntsfield and Marchmont

South of the Meadows, Bruntsfield and Marchmont are tenement neighbourhoods of students and families, within walking distance of the Old Town. By Bruntsfield Links, Leftfield (Michelin listing) is a small, mid-priced seafood restaurant in the MICHELIN Guide: oysters, squid “puttanesca” and Thai coconut Shetland mussels. It opens Thursday evening and Friday to Sunday for lunch and dinner; book. Round the corner, Hendersons (Michelin listing), the city’s best-known vegetarian restaurant, is also in the guide, with its own haggis, neeps and tatties; open daily from 12:00 to 22:00.

For a pint by the Links, The Golf Tavern claims a history going back to 1456 and is the place to ask about short-hole golf on the Links. A short bus ride south, The Canny Man’s in Morningside has around 250 whiskies and staff who will help you choose.

Quick picks

• Haggis tonight: The Scran & Scallie, the Arcade Haggis & Whisky House or Makars Mash Bar; vegetarian at Hendersons.
• Whisky bar: the Bow Bar, The Devil’s Advocate, The Canny Man’s or the SMWS Kaleidoscope Bar.
• Seafood: Fishers or Barry Fish in Leith; Café Royal in the New Town; Leftfield in Bruntsfield.
• Cheap and fast: The Haggis Box, Oink, Bertie’s, Harkness Pies, The Fishmarket.
• Good-value dinner: the Bib Gourmands tipo, Noto, Skua, The Scran & Scallie and Ardfern.
• Special night: The Kitchin, Martin Wishart, Heron or Timberyard, all one Michelin star; the city’s other one-star restaurants are Condita (Michelin listing), LYLA (Michelin listing) and AVERY (Michelin listing).

Names link to Google Maps for directions. We checked these places in October 2026. Opening days change, especially out of season, so check before you go.

The markets

The best food market is Stockbridge Market on Saunders Street, beside the Water of Leith, every Sunday from 10:00: hot food, bread and cakes, meat, fish, cheese, charcuterie and coffee. Arrive before noon for the best choice. On Saturdays, the Edinburgh Farmers’ Market sets up on Castle Terrace below the castle from 09:00 to 14:00, year round. On a wet evening, Edinburgh Street Food on Leith Street is a covered food hall with plenty of seats.

What to drink in Edinburgh

Edinburgh drinks Scotch whisky, cask ale and, increasingly, local gin. The whisky bars are listed by area above.

How to order and taste whisky

Ask for “a dram” of single malt (from one distillery, made only from malted barley) or a blend. Taste across the regions: Speyside for fruity, honeyed malts, the Highlands for richer styles, the Lowlands for light, grassy ones and Islay for peat smoke. If you are new to it, ask for a flight of three or four drams from different regions. Nose it, sip it neat, then add a few drops of water to open up the flavour. Not sure what to order? Tell the bartender what you usually drink and let them pick.

Distilleries and gin

Holyrood Distillery on St Leonard’s Lane, near Holyrood Park, is a working whisky and gin distillery a short walk from the Old Town. Its classic one-hour tour (about £25) covers production with a welcome cocktail, a gin and a whisky; there is a 30-minute express tour for £15 and a 90-minute distiller-led tour for £60. Book online, especially at weekends. For gin, Pickering’s Gin distils in the old veterinary school kennels at Summerhall, south of the Meadows, with distillery tours and tastings; in Leith, Lind & Lime runs gin tours on Coburg Street.

Food experiences to book in Edinburgh

On a short visit, the hard part is choosing well in a city full of visitors. A guided food tour takes you through the Old Town to haggis, Scottish cheese, smoked salmon and a proper pub in about three hours, with tastings at every stop, and a whisky tasting explains malt, blend, region and peat with a guide pouring. These are the best-rated options on GetYourGuide.

Experience	Length	Rating (reviews)	Best for	Book
Edinburgh Food Tour with Haggis and More	3 hours	4.9 (552)	A first day	Check availability
The Scotch Whisky Experience Tour and Tasting	75 minutes	4.7 (6,969)	Whisky	Check availability
Holyrood Distillery Whisky and Gin Tour	1 hour	4.5 (1,103)	A distillery	Check availability
Highland Lochs, Glens and Whisky Day Tour	9.5 hours	4.8 (711)	A Highland day	Check availability

Our pick: the Edinburgh Food Tour with Haggis and More, rated 4.9 (552) on GetYourGuide.

Ratings as shown on GetYourGuide in October 2026. Check the listing for live prices and availability.

Frequently asked questions

What is the one thing to eat in Edinburgh?

Haggis, neeps and tatties, ideally with a dram: at The Scran & Scallie, the Arcade Haggis & Whisky House or, for a cheap lunch, The Haggis Box. Then have seafood in Leith.

Where do locals eat instead of the Royal Mile?

A street or two away: The Edinburgh Larder, Mother India’s Cafe, Timberyard and Howies around the Old Town, and further out in Stockbridge (The Scran & Scallie, Skua) and Leith (Fishers, Barry Fish, Ardfern).

Which whisky bar or tour should I choose?

For a bar, the Bow Bar on West Bow, with 300 plus malts and staff who know them; on the Royal Mile, The Devil’s Advocate. If whisky is new to you, the Scotch Whisky Experience Gold Tour (£39.75) teaches you what to order; for a working distillery, Holyrood.

Do I need to book restaurants in Edinburgh?

For Friday and Saturday dinner, and anything in August, yes. The Kitchin, Heron, Timberyard and the Bib Gourmands take bookings directly. Pubs, Oink, The Haggis Box and the chippies are walk-in.

Is an Edinburgh food or whisky tour worth it?

Yes, on a short stay: one walk covers haggis, cheese, seafood and a good pub, and a guided tasting saves you guessing at a 300-bottle shelf. Compare the options above or on our Edinburgh whisky and food tours page.

Plan your Edinburgh food trip

Edinburgh whisky and food tours · Food and drink tours in the United Kingdom · London pub tours · What to eat in London · What to eat in Dublin