Isabella’s Edinburgh

After living here for a while now, I want to share some insights on what to visit when you get the chance to do so! These are my favourite places in Edinburgh, I hope you have a good time here!

What to see

Old Town
So many things to see here! Take a stroll down Victoria Street and Grassmarket, go shopping in Cockburn Street, discover vintage finds at Armstrong’s (they have a couple of stores throughout the city) or in one of the many charity shops along Nicolson Street (and further south). Don’t forget the Royal Mile (Hunter Square towards the Castle). For more serenity, visit the hidden garden next to Canongate Kirk (Dunbar’s Close). Make sure you give our good boy Bobby a pat on the head for good luck! Right behind you find Greyfriars Kirkyard which is a must-see as well. For a rainy day, check out what’s on show at the City Art Gallery (free entrance!).

Leith
Leith has truly stolen my heart! It’s the edgier side of town undergoing gentrification. I love walking from the top of Leith Walk (starting at Toppings bookshop) to the bottom. Check out the little cafes (e.g. 12 Triangles, Artisan Roast), little shops (e.g. Logan Malloch), or restaurants (e.g. eleanore). I would recommend continuing to walk towards the Shore to be teleported into a quaint little fishing village where you can take a stroll and check out the nice cafes (e.g. Toast). My absolute favourite spots in Leith are Spry (upstairs, wine bar and food) and Ante (downstairs, coffee and breakfast).

Portobello Beach
Take the bus (pay contactless), get off at the bus stop “Wakefield Avenue” and head straight ahead to the shore. Once you are at the beach, turn right and walk along the beach! The first bit is quieter, then you will see some cafes at the promenade. My favourite is “The Beach House” with its cakes. You can take the bus back from Portobello High Street (you can also get off here if you wish) featuring well curated book shops and lovely cafes (recommendation: go go beets).

Calton Hill
One of the many hills in this city is Calton Hill. It is easily accessible, for example taking the steps opposite of St Andrew’s House. The view is breath-taking (you can see the Firth of Forth with its bridges, the sea, Arthur’s Seat). A beautiful, easy walk (with a café and a fabulous restaurant on the top) that is an absolute must-see for every visit.

Other beautiful areas

New Town George Street: fancy chain shops, beautiful buildings!
Brunsfield and Morningside: fancy independent shops, lots of restaurants and cafes.
Meadows: grab a beer and enjoy the sun or get supplies at Soderberg (cardamom buns!) or at the Upland roast coffee van.
Stockbridge and Dean Village: very cute and sweet, great cafes (e.g. Cowan and Sons for breakfast). Make sure you walk next to the canal from Stockbridge — it’s like a hidden world! Bonus: little market in Stockbridge on Sunday morning/early afternoon!
You can also take a beautiful walk towards Dean Village by turning right at the bridge and walking along the residential area on Saunders Street until you reach the water.
Arthur’s Seat: climb our very own city hill. Gets you out of breath, but easily doable in good weather — however, I prefer the Salisbury Crags (between Arthur’s Seat and the city) for a less busy and more leisurely stroll that rewards you with even better views.

A Note on the Fringe Festival

In August Edinburgh hosts one of the biggest cultural events in the world, the Fringe Festival (among a whole plethora of Festivals taking place across the summer period). In the span of a four weeks a couple of thousands (!) shows take place, most of them stand-up comedy, but also lots of artistic performances! While you will have an absolutely amazing time in Edinburgh during the festival, the city becomes incredibly busy and accommodation costs soar. So if you are not keen to see loads of stand-up comedy shows, I recommend visiting outside of the Fringe, in particular if it is your first time in Edinburgh.

My overall favourite places

Ante (Coffee and breakfast/lunch)
During the day Ante is a calm sanctuary on Leith walk with outstanding coffee and incredible breakfast/light lunch. With fresh, seasonal ingredients, their love for food is evident. We eat their croissant buns once a week, but the rest of the menu is always changing.
Fruit Market Gallery Café (lunch)
This is just such a central place for a really solid, delicious, and well-priced lunch. Pop in for some lunch with a side of art (their exhibitions are free to visit).
eleanore (a special dinner)
Extraordinary food, great service, a fair price for what you get. eleanore is a great addition to Leith and it never fails to disappoint. Given the small space, booking is definitely advised.
Spry (wine bar)
Run by the same people as Ante (and just upstairs of it) is Spry. It is a minimalist wine bar focusing on natural wine with great atmosphere. They serve nibbles and small dishes to share, but it’s also a great place to get a pre- or post-dinner glass of wine.

What to drink

Coffee:

Black Medicine (Old Town): wooden mystical interior, exceptional coffee
🌟 Cult Coffee (Newington/Meadows): very stylish, great sweets (from 101 Bakery) and good snacks (toasties, avocado toast…) –– great place to hang out
origin coffee (Old Town): minimalist coffee with nice baked goods
Thomas J Walls (Old Town): Viennese feel, exceptional coffee and good light lunch options
Wellington (New Town): great for take away, one of my favourite roasts
Milkman (Old Town): great for take away in the Old Town
🌟 Ante (Leith): they do breakfast and lunch as well — but the coffee alone is worth a visit!

Drinks:

🌟 Spry (Leith): Swanky minimalist wine bar with delicious nibbles or small plates to share — delightful
Nor Loft (Old Town): Champagne bar for very special occasions
Lucky Liquor (New Town): rated one of the best cocktail bars in the UK, very experimental and delicious cocktails in a cosy environment
House of Gods (Old Town): good cocktails, fanciest interior
Paradise Palms (Old Town): colourful pub with very good vegetarian pub grub

What to eat

All restaurants have stellar vegetarian options!

Bakeries and snacks (mostly take away):

Twelve Triangles (Leith, Stockbridge): incredible pastries, cakes, and buns, very good coffee
Wee Boulangerie (Newington): great for proper bread and sweet treats
La Barantine (Old Town, Morningside, Stockbridge): amazing, delicate cakes and patisserie
Polentoni (Leith): great sandwiches for lunch
Ben’s Cookies (New Town): I don’t know what they do to their cookies, but get them! My recommendations are Oatmeal and Raisin, Cranberry White Chocolate
Soderberg (Meadows, New Town, Stockbridge…): nordic-inspired bakery with incredible cinnamon and cardamom buns
101 Bakery (Newington): Stop by for delicious cakes and cinnamon rolls when in the area!

Breakfast, Brunch, and Smaller Meals:

Don’t Tell Mama (Tollcross/Meadows): a delightfully colourful Greek bar serving comforting breakfast and brunch alongside excellent baked goods. Always a great atmosphere!
🌟 Ante (Leith): on Leith walk the team from the Spry wine bar now serve outstanding coffee, incredible pastries with a French influence, and a daily changing selection of mouth watering small dishes ideal for brunch or a light lunch — my new favourite, great taste and atmosphere!
🌟 Dishoom (New Town): hard to get a table, but their breakfast naans and chai lattes are out of this world — definitely worth to queue for breakfast.
Snax (Newington/Meadows): cheap and cheerful all day breakfast, perfect hangover cure
John Lewis Café (New Town/Leith): hear me out here — the café on the top floor offers one of the best views over the city alongside very reasonably priced (veggie) sausage rolls and decent cake. With lots of space it’s a safe bet. Sometimes that’s just what you need!

Casual Lunch and Dinner (around £15 for a main):

Civerinos (Old Town): most incredible pizza, an Edinburgh classic
🌟 Ting Thai (Old Town, New Town): great value for money when it comes to delicious Thai Food — a must!
The Outsider (Old Town): even better and cheaper during the day, but also ok and more expensive for dinner. Very laid back proper food with one of my favourite views in the city
Harajuku Kitchen (Tollcross): delicious Japanese food that ticks all boxes, booking recommended, but they also deliver
🌟 Fruit Market Gallery Café (Old Town): you would not expect such delicious lunches and cakes from a gallery café, but this one is definitely the perfect, centrally located spot — ideal lunch!
Mowgli (New Town): Modern Indian cuisine bursting with flavour that is ideal to share. Do not leave until you had the Chat Bombs!
Sabzi (Leith): The trek to Ferry Road is rewarded with outstanding traditional Indian food from a weekly changing menu. Worth the travel!

Fancy a la carte dining:

Baba (New Town): Lebanese food in a sharing concept for a good price. Really flavoursome, especially for bigger groups.
The Spence (New Town): Situated in a beautiful space in the Gleneagles Townhouse Hotel
Port of Leith Distillery (Leith): on the top floor of the vertical Whisky distillery you are rewarded with not just an incredible view, but also solid seasonal offering along some favourites (dirty martini dip!)
Tipo (New Town): if you love pasta, then this is the place to be!

Tasting menus for a very special occasion

🌟 Heron (Leith): An outstanding tasting menu experience with fantastic service that is not pretentious, just fun — ideal as a birthday present for a loved one!
The Litte Chartroom (Leith): choose between a three and a five course tasting menu in a lively atmosphere.
🌟 eleanore (Leith): exquisit menu and wine list in a tiny space that always hits the spit — fine dining that is particularly good with dietaries!
Montrose (Leith): low key wine bar downstairs and an intimate restaurant upstairs. Great quality food in a tasting menu.

Where to go

Arts and Culture:

Modern 1 & 2: Great modern art, don’t forget the cool outdoor space. Both do not charge a fee.
Botanical Gardens: a beautiful, quaint garden to take a stroll. Free to visit.
🌟 RSA on the Mound: check what the current exhibition is! They are often free of charge.
🌟 City Art Center: make sure to have a look at their “recent acquisitions” in the basement! No entrance fee!
Fruit Market Gallery: very small, changing exhibitions, with an outstanding café. No entrance fee!
🌟 Detail Framing & Gallery: with new, free exhibitions every couple of weeks you should definitely check out what’s currently on show! Situated in the same space as the friendly framing studio, you can also get any art professionally framed at the same time! Win win!
Jupiter Artland (outside of Edinburgh): an enchanted forest with modern sculptures scattered throughout (plus a wonderful café). Unfortunately better accessible by car, but definitely worth if you fancy a laid-back walk on a beautiful estate.