Top 11 Cafes & Restaurants in Edinburgh, Scotland

Let me start by saying that we are HUGE coffee people and our recommendations for cafes and coffee shops will always outnumber our recommendations for dinner!

After spending a month in Edinburgh, I'm not exaggerating when I say we tried just about every cafe and specialty coffee shop. We did this so you don't have to, AND so you don't need to rely on Starbucks for your daily caffeine fix!

ALSO, if you're visiting Edinburgh, you have to experience a food tour where you'll try some Scottish delicacies. We ended up loving haggis, black pudding, neeps and tatties, and everything else our tour guide introduced us to because he showed us where to find the BEST of the BEST!

HERE you'll find the link for the exact tour we did! We can't recommend it enough!

Of course, there are other reputable establishments, but these are non-negotiables when planning your itinerary. Let's get into our top 11 cafes and restaurants in Edinburgh, Scotland!

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Cafes & Coffee Shops

1) Black Medicine Coffee Co - 2 Nicolson St, Edinburgh EH8 9DH, UK

Black Medicine Coffee Co is only a few minutes walk from High Street and one of our absolute favorite spots for a specialty brew!

Considering it's proximity to High Street, you wont find many tourists here; just some locals and students from the University across the street! There's plenty of seating both upstairs and downstairs but try to score a table next to the windows to people watch!

This isn't a vegan cafe but they have many vegan options including smoothies, vegan sandwiches and pastries! Don't miss the vegan biscoff cake!

2) Cairngorm Coffee - 1 Melville Pl, Edinburgh EH3 7PR, UK

Cairngorm Coffee is probably one of our most visited Cafes in Edinburgh! You can stop here on the way to Stockbridge or Dean Village! They have pastries, sandwiches and some of the best coffee we've had! You can even get a good batch brew here!

3) Twelve Triangles - 90 Brunswick St, Edinburgh EH7 5HU, UK

Twelve Triangles is a new find for us! They specialize in all things sourdough which is dually delicious and good for your gut! They have locations all over the city but we love the location in Stockbridge. Grab a pastry to-go and wander over to Dean Village to relax and enjoy it.

Don't miss the rhubarb swirl (or anything with rhubarb for that matter)!

4) The Milkman - 7 Cockburn St, Edinburgh EH1 1BP, UK

If you've done any research on Edinburgh, you've probably come across The Milkman! We promise you, this place is worth the hype with it's vast selection of vegan pastries and coffee drinks.

We're not embarrassed to say that we've tried almost all the pastries and can confidently say you won't be disappointed with anything you choose! If you're a black coffee lover, try the long black (two shots of espresso poured over a small amount of water)!

Tips:

• There are two locations of The Milkman - both on Cockburn Street! We prefer the one at the bottom of the street because it's less crowded. The location at the top of the street has the iconic window seat that's always taken!

  
  

• If you want a seat (especially the window seat), plan on arriving at 7am right when they open! If you come later, you might have to wait around for a seat to open up!

5) Hata - 5 Rodney St, Edinburgh EH7 4EN, UK

Hata was our local coffee shop when we stayed in Edinburgh for a month! It might be a trek for you if you're staying near the Old Town, but if you're staying in Canonmills or Stockbridge, you have to pay a visit! We love Hata for it's local charm and cozy atmosphere!

If you're hungry for breakfast, go and get the porridge. It will leave you feeling full and nourished; ready to take on a long day of exploring!

6) Williams & Johnson Coffee Co - CUSTOM LANE, 1 Customs Wharf, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6AL, UK

If you're visiting The Port of Leith Distillery or The Royal Yacht Britannia, stop at Williams & Johnson Coffee Co for one of the best coffees around!

Williams & Johnson Coffee Co is an artsy, contemporary co-working space that has tables both inside and out by the water. The young, local atmosphere of the wharf will find you wishing you lived nearby so this could be your local cafe!

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Restaurants

While there are a ton of amazing restaurants in Edinburgh, these are the few we visited again and again!

1) Simply Greek - 8 Union St, Edinburgh EH1 3LU, UK

Simply Greek is our absolute favorite restaurant in Edinburgh. It's the best Greek food we've had (including food we've had in Greece), which is saying a lot!

We'd eat in or order take-out from Simply Greek 2-3 times per week during our month-long stay in the city. Originally, it was a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but recently they've moved into a nicer, sit-down establishment, which will transport you directly to one of the Greek islands.

After a year of traveling, we came back to Edinburgh to visit our friends at Simply Greek and they remembered us and treated us like family - truly the nicest people!

You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. We recommend their Greek salad, any gyro wrap and the fries (chips!). These fries have the BEST seasoning on them; we always try to replicate it at home.

2) BABA - 130 George St, Edinburgh EH2 4JZ, UK

Baba is a Middle Eastern restaurant offering flavorful mezze dishes made from the finest quality ingredients in Scotland. If you like small, unique plates to share, this is the restaurant for you!

The interior of the restaurant is so FUN with bright colors and a rustic-chic design.

Baba is located in Edinburgh's New Town, about 10 minutes from High Street! You can stop here before or after our next recommendation, which is located right down the street...

3) Panda & Sons - 79 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 4NF, UK

Panda & Sons is the cutest speakeasy in Edinburgh. It's a quirky bar with table service - The perfect place to decompress and chat after a long day of exploring.

We don't know much about cocktails, but the mixologists helped us find the perfect drinks for what we were craving. They truly have a drink for everyone!

When you get to the address, you'll see a barbershop with a panda sign hanging overhead! Just walk through the door, down the stairs and into the bar; once you figure out where the door is! No password is needed!

4) Cafe Royal - 19 W Register St, Edinburgh EH2 2AA, UK

Cafe Royal is both a pub and an upscale dining restaurant right in the center of the city. This hidden gem is just a few steps from High Street, nestled in a side street that you might overlook if you're not paying attention.

At Cafe Royal, you can get pints at the bar OR make reservations for the dining restaurant in the back. You can choose between Scottish classics like haggis or cullen skink OR stick with a simple cheeseburger or chicken dish!

A local recommended Cafe Royal to us specifically for their oysters and we can confidently say they're some of the best we've had!

The interior of this restaurant blew us away with its decor and stained glass windows!

5) Maki & Ramen - 97-101 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh EH3 9QG, UK

The last time we were in Edinburgh, we had dinner at Maki & Ramen 3 of 7 nights we were there. We love this place so much because of its delicious ramen and fresh sushi!

Maki & Ramen has locations all over the city, but we prefer the one in Fountainbridge because you can make reservations (this place is packed out ALL the time)!

We aren't vegan or vegetarian, but they have plenty of vegan, vegetarian and halal options on their menu. We tried the vegan ramen and we couldn't even taste the difference!

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We hope you enjoy your culinary journey through Edinburgh as much as we did. It's a city with a lively food and coffee culture that often goes unnoticed!

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