This selection of recommended restaurants to eat in Edinburgh will help you choose the best places to sample Scottish cuisine and enjoy it while getting to know this amazing city.
With dishes such as haggis, a typical dish made with lamb or sheep offal and spiced in a very intense way, Scottish breakfast, which deserves special mention as it is very well known, stovies, which is a stew of meat, potatoes and onions, usually eaten in winter or scotch pie, which is a kind of meat pie, shaped like a cake, which is very similar to the English one, Scottish cuisine is another of the things you can't miss in the city.
If you're looking for an affordable and comfortable place to enjoy local cuisine and stay during your trip, the Imperial Hotel offers a variety of options. Located in a convenient location, it ensures guests are near these wonderful culinary experiences.
Contrary to what it may seem, Edinburgh's restaurants are not exactly expensive, although of course you can find options for all budgets. In this case we wanted to include and focus on places that are value for money and we believe, are some of the best options to enjoy local cuisine in the city.
Based on our dining experience during our visit to the city, in which we wrote this guide to Edinburgh, we leave you with this selection of the 10 restaurants where you can eat very well in Edinburgh, which are also exceptional value for money.
1. The Royal Mcgregor
Considered one of the best restaurants in Edinburgh, as well as being great value for money, the restaurant is very well located on the Royal Mile, has a very attentive staff and has a fairly extensive menu with many typical dishes of the local cuisine.
The fish and chips, burgers and haggis are highly recommended. All the dishes on the menu are between 6 and 12 pounds.
Address: 154 High Street Royal Mile
Opening hours: daily from 10 am to 11 pm
2. Makars Gourmet Mash Bar
This is one of the most recommended restaurants to eat in Edinburgh if you want to enjoy Scottish cuisine, although it is highly recommended to book as the place is always full.
Starters cost about 7 pounds and main courses about 13-17 pounds and the quality/price ratio is one of the best in the city.
The waiters are also very friendly and helpful and will help you with anything you need, even recommending the best dishes.
By the way, I highly recommend the haggis, the lamb and any of the vegetarian dishes on the menu.
Address: 12 N. Bank St Use The 12 Bank St Entrance And 9 Bank St For Exit
Opening hours: daily from 12pm to 8.30pm and weekends until 9pm except Sunday at 8pm.
3. New Chapter
Known for being another of the most recommended restaurants in Edinburgh, this place, although a bit out of the centre, is perfect if you want to eat well and with a great value for money.
The interior has a lot of charm and the staff is very attentive and friendly, including the owner who is Spanish.
The menu is quite extensive and they have different menus. The lunchtime menu, which includes weekends, is priced at £16.95 for two courses and £21.95 for three courses, a very reasonable price considering the quality of the product and the presentation.
Address: 18 Eyre Place New Town, Canonmills
Opening hours: every day from 12:30h to 14:30h and 17:30h to 22h.
4. Tani Modi
This is another of the most recommended places to eat in Edinburgh, especially for breakfast or a quick lunch.
For breakfast they have an extensive menu, where you can find various options of typical Scottish breakfast, pancakes, different varieties of pastries, etc.
And for lunch they serve paninis, salads and homemade cakes that are among the best in the city.
The price for breakfast is around 8 pounds, but it is very complete, the pancakes cost 7 pounds and the plates for lunch average 7 pounds.
Address: 103 Hanover Street
Opening hours: every day from 8am to 4pm.
5. Brewhemia
This centrally located restaurant in Edinburgh is another of the city's most recommended eateries. The first thing that stands out is the premises, designed with several seating areas, something that creates a very special atmosphere.
As well as having a wide menu of coffees, chocolates and teas, it includes different options for brunch, with prices from 8 to 12 pounds or even the Sunday roast, with a price of 16 pounds.
Address: 1A Market Street
Opening hours: daily 9am - midnight
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You can find more information in this article on the best cards for commission-free travel.
6. @Pizza
If you want a change of gastronomy you can't miss this restaurant where to eat in Edinburgh that specialises in pizzas and is exceptional value for money.
You can choose the pizzas to your liking by adding the ingredients they have in the display cases or you can order one of their specialities.
The price is around 10 pounds per pizza, although they are large and very complete.
Address: Randolph House 4 Charlotte Lane Queensferry Street
Opening hours: every day from 12pm to 10pm except Fridays and Saturdays until 11pm.
7. Forage & Chatter
Considered by many to be one of the best restaurants in Edinburgh, this place has dishes worthy of any Michelin-starred restaurant at very reasonable prices.
Both the place and the staff are very pleasant and they have a terrace where, if the weather is nice, it is a delight to eat.
Although the menu is not very extensive, all the dishes are exquisite, especially the salmon, and from Tuesday to Thursday they have a lunch menu for £14.95 for two courses and £17.95 for three courses.
Address: 1A Alva Street
Opening hours: every day from 12h to 14:30h and from 18h to 21:30h.
8. The Pakora Bar
Specialising in Indian cuisine, The Pakora Bar is another of the most recommended restaurants in Edinburgh.
The cuisine is homemade, but with an exquisite flavour and highlights on the menu include pakoras, vegetable curries and lamb.
Be aware that most dishes are quite spicy, so it's worth asking the waiter for guidance if you don't like this type of food.
Most dishes are priced between £3.5 and £6, making this one of the cheapest restaurants in Edinburgh.
Address: 96 Hanover Street
Opening hours: daily 11am-10pm
9. The Bluebird Cafe
Do you like scones? If so, this is one of the places to eat in Edinburgh that you can't miss. And if you don't know them, these thin scones, which are kind of like scones, are one of the delicacies you can't miss.
Although it's a bit far from the centre, this little place serves one of the best scones in the city. The place is very cosy and charming and the staff is very professional and friendly.
The price of the scones is 1.50 pounds and the homemade cakes are 1.60 pounds.
Address: 5 Canonmills
Opening hours: every day from 8am to 4pm and Saturdays and Sundays until 5pm.
10. Cuckoo's Bakery
And we couldn't finish this list of the best restaurants to eat cheaply in Edinburgh without including a bakery.
In this case we opted for one of the best known in the city, which has several branches where you can try one of the best cupcakes in the city.
In addition to these, they serve delicious breakfasts and cakes. The price of the cupcakes is between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds.
Address: 150 Dundas Street
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 8am to 5.30pm and Friday until 6pm // Saturday from 9am to 6pm and Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
As well as sampling the local cuisine at one of the Edinburgh restaurants we've recommended, another great way to get a taste of the local atmosphere is to book this Pub Crawl Edinburgh Party Tour, where you can enjoy the city's nightlife in a very special way.
Sausage and mash, one of the dishes to try in Edinburgh's restaurants.
All these restaurants where to eat in Edinburgh are included in the city's tourist routes, which you can prepare by following these personalised guides according to the days you have available:
Edinburgh in one day
Edinburgh in two days
Edinburgh in 3 days
Map of the best restaurants in Edinburgh
Want to organise a trip to Edinburgh?
Guide to Edinburgh in one day