What are the must try foods in Edinburgh? Where to find some healthy food? What are the best places for dinner and lunch in Edinburgh? Find all the answers in this food guide.
To be honest I wasn’t thrilled to try the Scottish food in the first place. Overall I prefer lighter meals or spicy food (like Indian or Mexican). The only thing that I’ve heard was that the UK food was bland and lacking spices. Yet, I was quite surprised to find some awesome meals, especially for breakfasts and some sweets.
There are plenty of delicious Scottish foods to try. Continue reading to find out what to eat in Edinburgh and some good places to dine during your trip.
What to eat in Edinburgh
12 must try foods in Edinburgh
Haggis
If you have to try only one thing in Edinburgh, it should be the haggis. However, it is better to try it first before finding out what it is made of. Haggis is a traditional Scottish food made of minced sheep’s liver, heart and lungs mixed with onion and spices. It is usually served with mashed potatoes and turnips. And it is tasty! Just give it a try, after all, it is the iconic meal of Scotland.
Neeps And Tatties
This meal may sound strange but in fact, it is very simple. Neeps are mashed turnips and tatties are mashed potatoes. Neeps and tatties usually go along with haggis.
Black pudding
The black pudding is something similar to haggis. It is a sausage made of minced meat and blood.
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is another iconic meal of Scotland. If you are into deep fried foods, don’t miss it. In any other case, it can be too heavy for your taste (it was for mine).
Scotch pie
The Scotch pie is a small delicious meat pie. And it is incredibly tasty! I didn’t expect to like it and I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it.
Full Scottish breakfast
They say that the breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Scotts knows that for sure! The full Scottish breakfast consists of haggis, black pudding, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and a toast. It may look heavy, but it is the perfect start of a day of exploring Edinburgh.
Smoked salmon
I don’t like to eat fish very much. Thus you can imagine how unacceptable it was for me to eat smoked salmon at breakfast. Yet, I changed my mind when I tried a sourdough sandwich with avocado and smoked salmon in Scotland. It was to die for. The Scottish smoked salmon is the best I’ve tried in my whole life.
Porridge
I have never tried oatmeal before my trip to Scotland. Now it is my favourite meal for breakfast. To be precise porridge is not the same as oatmeal. Porridge can be made of a variety of grains, not only oats. Yet, the most common type of porridge you will see on the menus is the oatmeal one.
Cranachan
It is the most common dessert in Scotland. The Cranachan consists of whipped cream mixed with oats and raspberries.
Scottish tablet
The Scottish tablet is made of sugar, condensed milk and butter. All this cooked together until crystallised.
Shortbread
The shortbread has nothing in common with the regular bread. The shortbread is a biscuit made of butter, sugar and flour. Try the ones with nuts, dried fruits or chocolate chips.
Deep fried Mars bar
Apparently, there isn’t anything that can’t be fried in Scotland. You can find deep fried Mars bar in almost every place selling fish and chips.
Other must try foods in Edinburgh
If you still wonder what to eat in Edinburgh besides the traditional Scottish food, check out the suggestions below.
Try the coffee (and some croissants) at the Milkman
They offer the best coffee in Edinburgh.
Try the awesome doughnuts at Baba Budan
I went there for some coffee but ended trying few of their doughnuts. Located close to the Waverley railway station, Baba Budan is a great choice for an early bite before a day trip from Edinburgh.
Grab some cakes at the Manna House Bakery & Patisserie
This bakery is small and out of the tourist path, but they offer extremely delicious cakes.
Try the Maca Nana Bowl at Hula Juice Bar & Gallery
Hula Juice Bar & Gallery offers mouth-watering healthy food in Edinburgh. It is a great way to start your day.
Don’t miss the freshly made gelato at Mary’s Milk Bar
If you are still craving for sweet, try the cookies at Ben’s Cookies
Grab a pork sandwich at Oink
Add some stuffing and sauce of your choice to this mouth-watering pulled pork and you’ll have the best sandwich you’ve ever had. You can even add some haggis! It is a great place for a lunch in Edinburgh.
Taste some delicious Indian food at Dishoom
Try the tacos at El Cartel
Don’t forget to order some frozen margaritas, too.
Taste the local Scottish beer. You won’t regret it!
Try some local chocolates (Cadbury and Galaxy)
Tipping
A general tipping rule in Scotland is leaving 10% of the bill.
Places to eat in Edinburgh
For my trip to Edinburgh, I marked a lot of places to eat and drink. You can find all of them on the map below.
Things to do in Edinburgh
Where to stay in Edinburgh
If you haven’t picked a hotel yet, find out what are the best areas to stay in Edinburgh.
What are your favourite places to eat in Edinburgh?
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