Edinburgh has a huge choice of places to eat, most pretty good even in the most touristed areas. From our visits to the city over the last few years, I have complied this list of what I consider to be the best places to eat in Edinburgh and Leith.
The Pakora Bar
111 Holyrood Rd, Edinburgh EH8 8PJ. Book a table here. Closed Mondays.
For us, no visit to Edinburgh is complete without a visit to The Pakora Bar. Originally a festival pop-up, this family run restaurant moved from its cosy premises on the Royal Mile to a larger space near the Scottish Parliament and Dynamic Earth in 2023.
The menu is larger but still focuses on the amazing pakoras which made the restaurant popular and simple dishes such as dahl and rice. I would recommend trying both the meat mix and veg mix pakoras to get the full experience. My absolutive favourites are the haggis pakora and the black pudding pakora. My vegetarian older boy rates the paneer pakora. We usually order a selection of pakora, plus some samosas and then lentil dahl and rice.
The staff are lovely and super friendly. Children are made to feel very welcome (there is a children’s menu for younger / less adventurous eaters). This is why The Pakora Bar is one of the best places to eat in Edinburgh and Leith!
Mother India’s Cafe
3-5 Infirmary, Edinburgh, I would recommend booking which you can do here. Open 7 days a week from 12pm.
An easy hop from the National Museum of Scotland or the Royal Mile, Mother India’s Café specialises in tapas style, sharing dishes, Indian style. Most dishes costs between £6.50 and £9.50 so it can work out a little pricey if you order the 2-3 plates per person they suggest. My recommendation would be to order 3-5 dishes for a family of 4 and then go heavy on the rice and bread.
Bread Meats Bread
7-9, North Bridge, Edinburgh. No need to book but you can do so here. Open 7 days a week.
Sometimes you just want a good burger…. Bread Meats Bread definitely delivers. We love their burgers and loaded fries. A link to their current menu can be found here.
There is generally no need to book and service is quick and friendly. This place is a good choice for vegetarians who will love the choice of 6 plant-based burgers plus sides including garlic and parmesan fries and halloumi fries.
Situated just on the old town side of North Bridge, this restaurant is convenient for a pit-stop after browsing the shops along Princes’ Street or visiting the many attractions along the Royal Mile.
For me, this is a lunch place rather than dinner (unless you are just grabbing a quick bite before a show). Its not really somewhere to linger and chat with a drink and the bright, modern interior doesn’t really scream cosy evenings…
Edinburgh Street Food
Leith Street, Edinburgh. Bookings only for larger groups but there is lots of room for walk-ins. Open every day from 12pm.
For a quick and casual eat, I love trying the different traders at Edinburgh Street Food. With 10-11 different food offerings at any time, everyone in your family can order something different and enjoy it sitting together in their enormous heated and covered garden!
For me, the stand-out offerings in summer 2024 were succulent burgers at Fat Patty’s, gyoza at Hara Juku, tacos from Antojitos and Bundits’ bao buns!
Dishoom
3a St Andrews Square, Edinburgh. Dishoom mainly takes walk-ins but you can book here. Open for breakfast from 8am through until late.
Well-known on the London food-scene, Dishoom describes itself as a Bombay café and dining room.
The food is fantastic at all times of day but I would strongly recommend the breakfast naans. If you are feeling peckish, go all out and tackle the Wrestler’s Naan – bacon, sausage and runny egg with tomato-chilli jam and fresh coriander in a soft, pillowy naan. Both I and the waiter were amazed to watch my then 9 year old finish this (he didn’t then eat until supper….)
Mimi’s Bakehouse
Branches across Edinburgh and Leith. You can book for afternoon / beforenoon tea here. Different branches have slightly different opening hours but all are broadly open between 9am and 5pm.
This mini-chain is one of our favourites for breakfast or lunch. Typical menu items include brunch rolls, avocado on toast, homemade soup and French toast.
Mimi’s also serve a traditional afternoon tea in their Leith and Corstophine cafes. However, we recently tried their Beforenoon Tea. The Beforenoon Tea is served up to 12pm. Instead of finger sandwiches, sausage rolls and tarts, you get to enjoy breakfast savoury items such as bacon rolls (or veggie haggis!) and shakshuka. Scones follow but savoury rather than sweet – we had cheese scones with a pot of cream cheese with chives. The mini cakes / desserts top tier is then replaced with sweet items with a nod to breakfast, such as French toast, mini granola pots and oat bars.
Mimi’s has cafes throughout Edinburgh and its suburbs. The most handy for tourists will be the branches on the Royal Mile and at The City Art’s Centre. There is also a branch on the waterfront at Leith for anyone staying out that way.
Tapa, Leith
19 Shore Place, Edinburgh. Booking recommended, you can book here.
In a side street just off Leith waterfront, Tapa is a friendly neighbourhood Spanish restaurant. There is nothing ground-breaking here but the tapas are generous and tasty. There is also a good selection for vegetarians with dishes such as padron peppers, roasted giant sweetcorn kernels, beetroot and feta salad, chargrilled aubergines and a giant couscous and kidney bean salad.
Origano, Leith
236 Leith Walk, Edinburgh. Booking recommended, you can book here.
My older son would choose pizza every day of the week if given free choice. As such, I can’t write a list of restaurant recommendations without adding somewhere that does seriously good pizza!
Situated near the “foot of the walk” (i.e. the Leith end of Leith Walk), Origano specialises in pizzas cooked in its wood-fired oven. There are daily blackboard specials, often including fantastic meaty and vege antipasti platters (which I would highly recommend). The bruschetta and garlic bread are done well and delicious.
Again, there is nothing ground-breaking here but the service is friendly, the restaurant has a cosy vibe and the pizzas are amazing!
BABA
130 George Street, Edinburgh. Booking recommended, you can book here. The restaurant is open 12-9pm each day.
BABA specialises in middle-eastern / Lebanese cuisine. The menu centres around a huge selection of sharing mezze (think hummus, baba ganoush, chicken wings and buffalo mozzarella with pickled chillies) and larger plates from the charcoal grill. Vegetarians may also want to add some small plates from the sides selection.
If you are visiting without children, there is also a fairly buzzy cocktail bar at the front of the restaurant. I just gazed at this from a distance…
The location is handy for attractions in the New Town / Princes’ Street.
These are some of the best places to eat in Edinburgh and Leith. Click here to read about the top things to do in Edinburgh with children.
