This is your perfect list of things to eat and do in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is a city full of history, architecture, culture and a seriously good (and underrated) food scene. This combination means that there is an impressive array of things to see, do and eat in the city. Whether you are there for a day, a weekend or a week, you’ll be busy that’s for sure. Whether your thing is seeing sights or activities or nature or food, this city has it with abundance. In this guide I’ll list some of the best halal (or halal friendly) spots where you can not only sample your typical halal food (i.e. Indian or Turkish), but I mean the local delicacies like haggis and fried mars bar. I’ll also list the best tourist attractions including where you’ll get the best view of the city and where the best hike is.
Contents:
The Food
– Zaza’s Coffee House – halal Scottish breakfast and haggis! Perfectly located overseeing the Edinburgh castle you can visit this before you start your Edinburgh castle or Royal Mile visit day. And the only place in Edinburgh where you can get halal haggis in this form according to our knowledge. View full post here.
– Mary’s Milk Bar – best ice cream in Edinburgh. Legends of the game – they totally cannot be missed. Located right next to (literally) Zaza’s, this is the perfect post Edinburgh castle or Royal Mile visit dessert. View full post here.
– Hata Cafe – Scottish oats served in creative concoctions! You can’t come to Edinburgh and not try oats right? I feel this is the best place to try it out at in Edinburgh. Run by a wonderful couple! View full post here.
– Snax Cafe – retro and rustic British breakfast spot. You gotta love rustic British breakfast joints (greasy spoons). There’s just a warm charm about them. This is another great breakfast option as are the other three above. This place is not halal, but they have awesome vegetarian and vegan options and I mean really good options! Located near Arthur’s Seat, this could be the breakfast of champions to get your hiking day started.
– Pakora Bar – innovative Punjabi food concept. The focus is pakoras here, something humble and familiar but done in such a unique way. Very creative. You have to check this place out. Recently fully halal too, so you’re able to try their offerings. View full post here.
– Mosque kitchen – started of as a kitchen providing mosque attendees with food, now they are visited by locals and tourists alike. Great story and an example of how they have brought communities together. And the food is great! Canteen style Indian food is what you’ll get here. Cheap, cheerful and delicious! View full post here.
– Deep sea fish and chips – only 100% halal fish and chip shop in Edinburgh. Need I say more? This is one of the only places you’ll be able to try their fried mars bar and fried pizza as far as I know. When in Rome… View full post here.
– St Andrews – believed to be one of the best fish and chips in Edinburgh and they have halal options! A must try especially if you plan on visiting Portobello beach.
– Bross Bagels – they are bringing the best bagels in the world from the bagel capital of the world (Montreal) to Edinburgh! They have an impressive menu with some classic bagel options as well as some very creative ones. Their veg options are equally impressive! They have a few branches, we visited the one near Portobello beach.
– Considerit – Not only are the doughnuts here plant-based, but they are arguably the best doughnuts in Edinburgh! How about that for a claim!? Check them out and disagree with me if you can! They are located near Arthur’s Seat, so a cheeky post hike treat? View full post here.
– Fudge House – an Edinburgh staple! This is an absolute institution – one for the fudge lovers for sure. They have been around since 1949 and they do some of the best and most creative fudge known to man! The lemon meringue pie fudge is my personal recommendation. Located on the Royal Mile, make sure you pick this up for yourself or as a gift! View full post here.
– Smoov – gelato filled doughnuts! I think I do not need to say anything further? Located on the Royal Mile, so a perfect mid walk treat. View full post here.
– Makars Gourmet Mash bar – check these guys out. Very cool concept. They are not halal, but have good vegetarian options. Unfortunately, didn’t have the time to visit.
– Piemaker – a must stop for pie lovers. They have a whole menu full of different pies. Not halal, but again some really good vegetarian options.
– Chinese bubble tea is supposedly the best bubble tea spot in Edinburgh, but they had run out of stock so we went to another one right next to it – Maycheelin – it was an awesome alternative for our bubble tea fix.
What to do
– Arthur’s Seat – how often will you be able to hike up an ancient volcano? View full post here.
– Royal Mile – a very scenic walk through the heart of Edinburgh.
– Portobello Beach – not a great beach tbh, but if you go when there is a volleyball game on, it can be a nice day out. Some decent eateries nearby too.
– Holyrood Palace – check out the royal residence – amazing history. Right next to the Arthur’s Seat. It is on the opposite end of the Royal Mile (from the castle).
– The elephant house – cafe in which Harry Potter was written. Meh.
– Victoria Street – colourful building that inspired Harry Potter buildings. Another meh.
– Edinburgh castle – was only able to see from the outside as we couldn’t get in both times we tried. Need to pre-book tickets.
– Calton Hill – this place provides the best views of Edinburgh! And this is from local recommendations. You get an awesome panoramic view of the city. In my opinion, better views than what Arthur’s Seat gives you.
– Dean Village – picturesque quaint village – must visit. A great stroll and photo opportunities.
Where we stayed
Salisbury Green Hotel and Bistro – reasonably priced (£330 for 3 nights incl. breakfast in July) but the main two strengths were 1- location – right next to Arthur’s Seat (walking distance) and one of the ends of the Royal Mile. 2- parking – free parking on site – this provided for a great base.
Miscellaneous
– Parking in central is around £3.90-4.60 per hour
– Some places exclude weekends.
– Places that include weekends are free Sunday morning until 12:30.
– Parking after main road next to Calton hill is free weekends. So, don’t park on the road before the entrance like we did.
– Parking in Holyrood Park/palace is £1 per hour. It was closed the weekend we were there. This is the start of the Royal Mile from opposite end to the castle.
– Driving there – take M6 route and then you will see signs to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Then you’ll see signs for the “scenic route to Edinburgh”, take it. You’ll get 40 odd miles of stunning scenery.
– On our way back we took the A1 route – started by going past some coastal towns for first hour – if you have time go in and explore.
