Guidebook for Edinburgh

Kathleen
Guidebook for Edinburgh

Food Scene

Aka is a swedish cafe/bar just next to the canal with outdoor seating (plus blankets for cold days). Nice for cakes and coffee in the daytime as well as a great menu.
101 locals recommend
Akva
129 Fountainbridge
101 locals recommend
Aka is a swedish cafe/bar just next to the canal with outdoor seating (plus blankets for cold days). Nice for cakes and coffee in the daytime as well as a great menu.
Good for Mexican food, this restaurant is much larger than it appears from the outside, but still fills up quickly.
20 locals recommend
Viva Mexico
41 Cockburn St
20 locals recommend
Good for Mexican food, this restaurant is much larger than it appears from the outside, but still fills up quickly.
Buffalo is a very popular steak house close to festival venues. Well-priced for steak and you can BYOB. Recommend booking in advance if possible.
8 locals recommend
Buffalo
12-14 Chapel St
8 locals recommend
Buffalo is a very popular steak house close to festival venues. Well-priced for steak and you can BYOB. Recommend booking in advance if possible.
Mamma's restaurant is a good place to stop on the Grassmarket with indoor and outdoor seating. An american style pizzeria where you can choose your own toppings from a very extensive list including haggis, cactus and chocolate!
22 locals recommend
Mamma's American Pizza
28 - 30 Grassmarket
22 locals recommend
Mamma's restaurant is a good place to stop on the Grassmarket with indoor and outdoor seating. An american style pizzeria where you can choose your own toppings from a very extensive list including haggis, cactus and chocolate!
Small cafe with award-winning coffee.
80 locals recommend
Kilimanjaro Coffee
104 Nicolson St
80 locals recommend
Small cafe with award-winning coffee.
Pick up a locally sourced pulled-pork hog roast sandwich to take-away!
62 locals recommend
Oink Victoria Street
34 Victoria St
62 locals recommend
Pick up a locally sourced pulled-pork hog roast sandwich to take-away!
Mosque Kitchen serves generous sized portions of curry at affordable prices, a good place to stop if you are really hungry. It has counter service and seating can be limited at busy times, so take-away or share tables.
66 locals recommend
The Mosque Kitchen
31-33 Nicolson Square
66 locals recommend
Mosque Kitchen serves generous sized portions of curry at affordable prices, a good place to stop if you are really hungry. It has counter service and seating can be limited at busy times, so take-away or share tables.
American diner style restaurant often hosting free comedy shows downstairs.
36 locals recommend
The City Cafe
19 Blair St
36 locals recommend
American diner style restaurant often hosting free comedy shows downstairs.
EXCELLENT CAKE
119 locals recommend
Lovecrumbs West Port
155 West Port
119 locals recommend
EXCELLENT CAKE
Really good hot chocolate and great chocolate to buy.
71 locals recommend
Chocolate Tree
123 Bruntsfield Pl
71 locals recommend
Really good hot chocolate and great chocolate to buy.
Greek/Turkish food, nice, small setting.
18 locals recommend
Empires
24 St Mary's St
18 locals recommend
Greek/Turkish food, nice, small setting.

Entertainment & Activities

Cameo cinema (est. 1914), is now a Picturehouse cinema (featured in The Illusionist), cool place to catch a film or have drinks in the Cameo Bar.
255 locals recommend
Cameo Picturehouse
38 Home St
255 locals recommend
Cameo cinema (est. 1914), is now a Picturehouse cinema (featured in The Illusionist), cool place to catch a film or have drinks in the Cameo Bar.
Showing international films and with a nice cafe/bar, Filmhouse is a good place to visit.
184 locals recommend
Filmhouse
88 Lothian Rd
184 locals recommend
Showing international films and with a nice cafe/bar, Filmhouse is a good place to visit.

Essentials

General small supermarket, open 0800-2200 Mon-Sat and 0900-2200 on Sun for all basic essentials.
60 locals recommend
Scotmid Co-operative
5-19 Leven St
60 locals recommend
General small supermarket, open 0800-2200 Mon-Sat and 0900-2200 on Sun for all basic essentials.

Parks & Nature

The meadows is a great spot for a walk and to take a break from the festival, it has a view of Arthur's Seat and the Crags and leads to George Square with it's festival venues and further to the city centre. On sunny days the meadows will be busy with people relaxing and having BBQs.
615 locals recommend
The Meadows
Melville Drive
615 locals recommend
The meadows is a great spot for a walk and to take a break from the festival, it has a view of Arthur's Seat and the Crags and leads to George Square with it's festival venues and further to the city centre. On sunny days the meadows will be busy with people relaxing and having BBQs.
Holyrood Park walks will lead to Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament and also across to Duddingston and onwards to Portobello. Most famous is Arthur's Seat an extinct volcano right in the middle of Edinburgh. There is a path to the top which can be done in about an hour and great views when you make it.
280 locals recommend
Holyrood Park
Queen's Drive
280 locals recommend
Holyrood Park walks will lead to Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament and also across to Duddingston and onwards to Portobello. Most famous is Arthur's Seat an extinct volcano right in the middle of Edinburgh. There is a path to the top which can be done in about an hour and great views when you make it.
Princes Street gardens sit between the railway line and the high street shops. nice place to take a break with great views of the castle.
957 locals recommend
Princes Street
Princes Street
957 locals recommend
Princes Street gardens sit between the railway line and the high street shops. nice place to take a break with great views of the castle.
Head to the top of Calton Hill for great views of the city.
1098 locals recommend
Calton Hill
Calton Hill
1098 locals recommend
Head to the top of Calton Hill for great views of the city.

Arts & Culture

Opened in 1906, King's Theatre is a good venue with drama and dance shows during August.
94 locals recommend
King's Theatre
2 Leven St
94 locals recommend
Opened in 1906, King's Theatre is a good venue with drama and dance shows during August.
An oasis of calm during the festival period, the Book Festival features events with authors from around the world in a lovely garden setting. Stop for an ice-cream and check out Jura Unbound evenings in the Spiegeltent.
14 locals recommend
Edinburgh International Book Festival
121 Charlotte Square
14 locals recommend
An oasis of calm during the festival period, the Book Festival features events with authors from around the world in a lovely garden setting. Stop for an ice-cream and check out Jura Unbound evenings in the Spiegeltent.
Usually one of Edinburgh university's student unions, Pleasance Dome hosts many shows during the fringe.
75 locals recommend
Pleasance
60 Pleasance
75 locals recommend
Usually one of Edinburgh university's student unions, Pleasance Dome hosts many shows during the fringe.
Another major fringe venue, Pleasance Courtyard is not too far from Pleasance Dome and has lots of temporary bars/outdoor seating.
75 locals recommend
Pleasance
60 Pleasance
75 locals recommend
Another major fringe venue, Pleasance Courtyard is not too far from Pleasance Dome and has lots of temporary bars/outdoor seating.
The National Museum of Scotland has great exhibitions and is very child-friendly, with free admission!
1378 locals recommend
National Museum of Scotland
1378 locals recommend
The National Museum of Scotland has great exhibitions and is very child-friendly, with free admission!
Known as The Gilded Balloon during Edinburgh Fringe, Teviot hosts many comedy shows and there are lots of food stalls just outside to grab a bite to eat on the move.
11 locals recommend
Teviot Row House Student Union
13 Bristo Place
11 locals recommend
Known as The Gilded Balloon during Edinburgh Fringe, Teviot hosts many comedy shows and there are lots of food stalls just outside to grab a bite to eat on the move.

Sightseeing

You can't miss Edinburgh Castle with it's prominent position in the city centre. Listen out for the one o'clock gun. During August you will hear the Tattoo and fireworks at night time.
1961 locals recommend
Edinburgh Castle
Castlehill
1961 locals recommend
You can't miss Edinburgh Castle with it's prominent position in the city centre. Listen out for the one o'clock gun. During August you will hear the Tattoo and fireworks at night time.

Drinks & Nightlife

Sandy Bell's is a very small pub, but has good traditional live music everyday.
144 locals recommend
Sandy Bell's
25 Forrest Rd
144 locals recommend
Sandy Bell's is a very small pub, but has good traditional live music everyday.
For people who like white russians
77 locals recommend
Lebowskis
18 Morrison St
77 locals recommend
For people who like white russians
Huge collection beers.
19 locals recommend
Brauhaus
105 Lauriston Pl
19 locals recommend
Huge collection beers.
Cocktails.
85 locals recommend
Dragonfly
52 West Port
85 locals recommend
Cocktails.
Nice pub, usually busy during the festival with live music during the day, lovely beer garden outside.
66 locals recommend
The Peartree
38 W Nicolson St
66 locals recommend
Nice pub, usually busy during the festival with live music during the day, lovely beer garden outside.