Summer in Edinburgh: Food & Drink Guide

Summer in Edinburgh: Food & Drink Guide

There’s no more glorious time to be visiting Edinburgh than over summer. The city’s historic streets come alive with a joyful celebration of music, theatre, art, film, literature and festivals, creating an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the world. Alongside our world-famous hospitality, the city’s food and drink scene continues to explode! From exciting new openings to much-loved neighbourhood favourites, there is always somewhere exciting to discover or revisit. As part of our Summer in Edinburgh series, we’re sharing some of our favourite places for bites and sips across the city. Whether you’re looking for a dinner you’re still thinking about months later, the must-visit café/bar of the moment, an inventive cocktail or simply the best gelato in the city, here are our insider tips, all tried, tested and loved by us, for making the most of Edinburgh’s summer.

Stockbridge Eating House

Edinburgh has earned its reputation as one of the UK’s best foodie destinations, and nothing beats enjoying great food outdoors over summer and the city offers endless opportunities to eat incredibly while soaking up the atmosphere.

We reckon you can’t beat street food by the sea, so head to the promenade at Portobello for insanely delicious streetfood from Shrimpwreck This is one of our summer favourites so hit the beach and order one of their Shrimp Buns-crispy, lightly battered king prawns, bacon jam and pickle-all smothered in a red onion & Marie rose sauce in a brioche bun. And don’t forget a side of Old Bay Fries-you can thank us later.

If you’re in the city over July and August, make your way to Bristo Square and George Square Gardens, up near the uni, where you’ll find street food stalls. It’s the perfect place to grab a bite before a show and enjoy the festival atmosphere, with a strong line-up of live folk music. We’ll be making straight for COOP the banging fried chicken and lobster roll pop-up by Tomas Gormley, of Cardinal fame. 10/10.

Shrimpwreck (Photo: @thisedinburghcitygirl)

One of life’s little pleasures is sitting outside a sunny cafe with a really good coffee. Try and secure a spot at one of our favourites in the city.

We’re just a little bit obsessed with the latest hotspot fpr Italian coffee, Capetto. It’s the perfect summer vibe with the friendliest service (and it just gets better as it turns into a bar later in the day). Snag a courtyard table and you will not find cuter than this! For a true Edinburgh classic, head to Wellington in the city centre, where the outdoor courtyard seating offers a central place to enjoy your coffee away from the crowds-and it’s consistently brilliant coffee. Another all time favourite is the very friendly Ante in Haddington Place. Watch the world go by with a seasonal special and one of their beautiful pastries. Or keep heading down Leith Walk to Williams & Johnson Coffee Co. in Custom Lane opposite The Shore for one of the very best sunny coffee spots in the city, right by the waterside.

Capetto (Photo: @thisedinburghcitygirl)

Restaurants

Edinburgh is home to an incredible collection of restaurants, cafés and neighbourhood favourites, making it easy to eat incredibly well, wherever you find yourself. These are just a handful of the places we return to time and time again.

Brunch:

We’re big fans of Greenwoods where you’ll get one of Edinburgh’s finest brunches in a busy, light and airy space in the city centre. Or hop on the tram and head towards Leith  and Newhaven for two of our very favourite brunch spots: Ardfern is a real treat and serves an exceptionally delicious top-end full Scottish breakfast. Or head further down to the harbour at Newhaven where you’ll find the super cute butter yellow Norah, another one of our favourite brunch spots. If you’re exploring the Meadows or nearby Bruntsfield, make sure to head to neighbourhood cafe Margot which serves a delicious brunch from its fresh green shopfront with equally fresh locally sourced produce.

Norah (Photo: @thisedinburghcitygirl)

Lunch:

When time is short but you’re craving something seriously satisfying, Edinburgh has plenty of fantastic sandwich spots to choose from., we have a few brilliant neighbourhood options for you. We love the Italian-inspired  schiacciatte at Croccante & Co in the West End and Toscano’s big hearty versions too either at their Old Town or Bruntsfield locations. And we also hugely rate Mootz in Stockbridge for its huge, beautiful sandwiches. Head to Brown’s on the Shore in their very cool building, the former George Brown & Sons Engineering Works. Grab a fish finger sarnie from Shrimpwreck, or a slice of pizza from Civerinos or something from their brand new Far Eastern kitchen, Asu which we are excited to try, to take away and eat at the harbour’s edge. Or how about a big bowl of mussels from the bar at the original Fishers Leith right on the Shore. If you have a little more time on your hands, then take the tram down to Newhaven and head for The Fishmarket for Edinburgh’s best fish & chips. The salt and chilli cod bites are also delicious.

The Fishmarket (Photo: @thisedinburghcitygirl)

Dinner:

Again we’re completely spoiled for choice, but here are just a few of our favourites that believe us, you will not regret! For a memorable Italian meal head towards Stockbridge for the relaxed Little Capo or enjoy a delicious meal at Sotto (as recently featured by Stanley Tucci in his travel series ‘Tucci in Great Britain’). Staying in Stockbridge, we can’t get enough of the delicious, local ingredients at the shared tables of Stockbridge Eating House. Heading over towards Leith you’ll be guaranteed unforgettable meals at Dogstar and Barry Fish and we also highly regard Eleanore. And if you’re in the mood for Asian, time and again we revisit Pomelo for their hand-ripped noodles and Mirin is a great choice too.

Dogstar (Photo: @thisedinburghcitygirl)

Markets

Beer Gardens & Wine Bars

When the sun shines down on Edinburgh, there’s no better excuse to settle into one of the city’s best beer gardens or wine bars. One of our favourite spots is The Cumberland Bar, tucked away on a peaceful New Town street. It’s a traditional neighbourhood pub with bags of character and hands down the leafiest, most secluded beer garden in the city. Staying in New Town we never fail to have a good time at Good Brothers Wine Cellars or head down into Stockbridge and try and snag that holy grail window seat at The Stockbridge Tap. Other places where you’ll find us are the beautiful light and airy space Spry on Haddington Place and the neighbourhood Smith & Gertrude in Portobello or Stockbridge. For a waterside setting, make your way to Leith and grab a table at lively Teuchters Landing. Once the waiting room for the historic Leith to Aberdeen steamboat ferry, it’s now one of the area’s most popular pubs with a spacious beer garden and floating pontoon.

Spry (Photo: Spry)

Ice Cream

There are a few places to head for ice cream in the city but these are our three stand-out favourites:

The original Mary’s Milk Bar in the Grassmarket remains one of the city’s best-loved gelaterias. Mary creates a fresh selection of handmade gelato, with imaginative seasonal flavours changing daily.

Another favourite is Joelato in Stockbridge, where small-batch gelato is made fresh by hand using carefully sourced ingredients. Their menu changes with the seasons, one of our current favourites is salted pistachio.

And it’s 100% worth heading over to Bruntsfield to Ciccetta’s (open until 9pm over summer). If you see Almond, Orange Zest and Stracciatella on the menu you have to try it and prize for the best cones also go to Ciccetta’s-they’re made from scratch in-house in small batches and are the best we’ve tried!

Ciccetta’s (Photo: Ciccetta’s)

Picnics

When the sun is shining, why not enjoy Edinburgh with a picnic in one of the city’s beautiful green spaces. Gather friends and family in The Meadows. During festival season, you’re also just a short stroll from the street food stalls in Bristo Square and George Square Gardens, making it easy to put together the perfect al fresco feast.

If pizza is calling, pick up a generous slice from Civerinos on Forrest Road. Or head to Söderberg at Simpson Loan or Lister Square for one of their delicious freshly-made sourdough sandwiches.

Or don’t worry, we’d consider it completely normal behaviour to make a casual run down to Stockbridge for some picnic essentials! Head to Lannan Pantry, Harkness Pies, I J Mellis Cheese and take them over to Inverleith Park for an absolute feast.

Arthur’s Seat is another favourite picnic destination. The climb is rewarded with breathtaking views across the city, Pick up some savoury and sweet treats along the way from Gorse, the friendly Northern Irish Bakery in the Pleasance that has taken Edinburgh by storm.

Gorse (Photo: @thisedinburghcitygirl)

Cocktails

These are the places you’ll most likely find us on a summer’s evening.

Perched on top of Calton Hill, Café Calton enjoys arguably the most spectacular panoramic views in Edinburgh so it’s the perfect spot to watch the sun set over the city with a cocktail in hand. For bougie sunset views over the city, W Deck is a brilliant spot for a sundowner.

For a completely different atmosphere and some of the city’s best cocktails, head to an intimate neighbourhood bar. Make it Hey Palu for its inventive cocktails, back to Capetto for a Campari Shakerato, the stylish Vivien in Barony Street, or neighbourhood favourite Zero/Zero Wines.

Cafe Calton (Photo: Cafe Calton)

One of the things we love most about Edinburgh is that its food and drink scene is always evolving, with exciting new places to discover alongside much-loved local favourites. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our Summer in Edinburgh: Food & Drink Guide as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together!

What have we missed? We’d love to know so please leave us your favourite current spots in the comments!

If you’re planning a summer visit to the city, don’t forget to explore the other guides in our Summer in Edinburgh series over on our Blog. You’ll find inspiration for exploring Edinburgh’s neighbourhoods, as well as our What’s On guide to what’s happening across the city throughout the summer.