Here’s our recommendations for your Edinburgh trip. You can find ideas for what to do, what to eat, where to drink, and overall cool ideas while you are here. I’ve been a tour guide for 6 years. For about 3 of those I was also a food blogger, so I’ve picked up a fair amount of ideas.
There are other places I’d love to include so this page will be updated regularly to reflect the changing nature of the city.
I’ve included ideas for all parts of your stay, including accommodation and day trips. Feel free to jump around and scroll to your heart’s content using the handy table of contents below to get you started.
Also, looking for walking tours? Check out our reviews!
Let’s explore together!
Recommendations for Things to Do
Event recommendations
Edinburgh’s Christmas – whole bunch of stuff on at the minute, including markets (formerly known as the German market) and multiple ice rinks this year I believe. A good idea at the minute and runs till early January.
To find out what is going on in the city, the best website is probably What’s On Edinburgh. It’s quite comprehensive and covers big organisations as well as smaller operations.
If you’re looking for walking tours, I’d of course direct you to this website.
Museums
National Museum of Scotland – free entry, and contains the body of Dolly the Sheep because we invented cloning and we’re magical. This one is centrally located on Chamber Street.
Writers Museum – this free museum contains objects for three of Scotland’s greatest writers, Rabbie Burns (who I wrote about here), Robert Louis Stevenson, and Walter Scott. They also have temporary exhibitions to other writers. The courtyard outside also has the Castle Rock Cafe which is very nice. Old Town, Lady Stairs Close.
Surgeon’s Hall – this museum you must pay to enter, £9.50 for adults, £6 for adults with discount cards (students and NHS), £5 for children. Definitely a worthwhile place if you want to know more about our history as a medical centre. Definitely not a place to go if you are squeamish. This is in Edinburgh Southside on Nicholson Street.
Other experiences
Mary King’s Close – this is the quintessential underground experience in Edinburgh and an ideal activity for a bit of dark fun and history.
Dynamic Earth – this one is a must for parents to curious kids as the science museum of choice.
Families and parents
Edinburgh is fairly good for families. If you’re looking for up to date event recommendations, this substack is for you. Gayle’s Guide is a great one-stop shop for a calendar of Edinburgh goings on for parents with kids of a variety of ages.
If you have young park going kids, here’s a bit of my own advice.
Playgrounds
Babies – will love basically everything
Toddlers (till 4 years old) – good parks which are not too full of dangers include the Princes Street Gardens playground near the Ross Fountain (great spot for photos too) as well as the Meadows Play Park. The East Meadows Play Park is also a good shout.
Children (5+) – Princes Street Gardens playground is fine but might be a bit young. East Meadows Playpark is best for this age group as it has some larger pieces to play with.
Places to Stay
Picking accommodation is the first main thing you’ll need to do a trip to Scotland so here’s some recommendations I’ve gathered from some market research!
Hotels
Major Hotels
The W Hotel – easy to spot across much of the city for its unique roof, also with a great terrace
Balmoral – famously where a book was written by someone I’d prefer not to talk about
Caledonian – one of the most gorgeous and grand buildings I’ve ever seen
Boutique Hotels
If you’d prefer something slightly smaller and boutique, here’s a couple of options.
House of Gods – this hotel has a gorgeous interior and a great reputation to match it.
Guest Houses
There’s a lot of guest houses to be found in the Southside of the city as well as near Tollcross, these are very central and can offer great value and comfort. For specific recommendations –
Bala House – fairly well-reviewed, at an attractive price, comfortable and not far off from the city centre by bus or by walk. Certainly a decent option.
Hostels
The Macbackpackers options – This includes Castle Rock, High Street Hostel, and Royal Mile Backpackers. These have tons of good reviews, are in incredibly good locations, and are great fun. Be aware they cater for different groups, Castle Rock is a bit more partyish, High Street is slightly more low-key, and Royal Mile is family friendly. Castle Rock also has some pretty well-priced private rooms for a location which cannot be beaten.
Kick Ass Hostels – Two options, Kick Ass Grassmarket and Kick Ass Greyfriars. Both are very chill and central locations, though Grassmarket has a better view. 18+ only
What to Wear in Edinburgh
This is an incomplete writing series I’m currently doing to try and unpack what you need to pack to visit the city. They also have ideas for where you can go to easily acquire clothes that are fit for the weather. It will be updated as times goes on to reflect different shops opening.
June (see May)
July (see August)
October (see September)
I will finish this series off as soon as I get time!
How to Get Around
Centre
Getting central
First off, how to get there. The train will deposit you right in the City Centre, Waverley train station. Haymarket is also an option but generally that only makes sense if you know your accommodation is that way.
From the airport things are a little more complicated. If you’ve got lots of luggage, I’d say a cab is your best bet. The buses are very regular and pretty cheap but haven’t got tons of space. The tram is another option. It’s £7.90 from the airport at current prices. It’s just £2.20 within the city zone but the airport is a fair bit pricier. If there’s 3 or more of you, taxi is the way to go. These can be acquired from the taxi rank or booked ahead. Booking ahead is slightly cheaper, though they are not especially clear on price. £30 is not a crazy estimate.
Once you’re there
The most important things to know about Edinburgh City Centre is that the castle is the easiest thing to orient yourself by. If you can see it, you can generally figure out where you are on a paper map. If you can’t see it, ask someone and they’ll help.
Edinburgh is very hilly. This can make it a tricky place for those with mobility issues. There are buses to get from around the city into the centre, they run at £2.20 per single ticket. For specific advice, consult their website.
Landmarks
If you’d like photos taken of yourself with these landmarks, good quality, professional ones, great for weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries, our gorgeous photographer Dan offers a tour for this!
Edinburgh Castle – this dominates the skyline and can be seen from many parts of the city. Each view is very different, represented in the two photos below taken from the North-West and South-East respectively.
The Scott Monument – for a long time the tallest monument to a writer in the world, the Scott Monument is a testament to the power of gothic architecture to build a real sense of place. It can be found next to Princes Street Gardens, across the road from Waverley Train Station.
Interesting Neighbourhoods
Leith – dangerous to call this a neighbourhood as the Leithers are very proud of the fact that they were completely their own area till the 1920s. Nonetheless, it’s legally part of the Edinburgh Council area these days so it’s included, sorry Leithers! Its independence is what makes it cool. Leith was a port town, it’s got a lot of great history, and these days many great places to drink or enjoy cake.
Stockbridge – with some amazing markets on Saturday, Stockbridge belongs on any recommendations list for Edinburgh. Some excellent restaurants and bookshops in the area. It also has an Edinburgh bakery which is so popular it has a bouncer, and it’s also next to the Botanical Gardens.
Portobello – fundamentally it’s own town, Portobello is alternatively known as Edinburgh’s beach. The promenade is home to many great eateries, such as Shrimpwreck and Civerinos. The beach is a lovely place to get a tan but it is not advisable to swim. Not just because of the climate but because some of the water treatment of the city… I’ll leave the rest of that to your imagination.
Day Trips Recommendations
Getting away from the city can be very therapeutic and can also be an enriching process so here’s a couple.
South Queensferry – I went to school here so I might be a bit partial but it’s honestly gorgeous down by the sea front. It’s on the Firth of Forth (Firth being a Scots word for ‘estuary’ – a place where river meets the sea). It has the Forth Rail Bridge which I’m told is iconic as it was the largest bridge of its kind when constructed. They also have some great ice cream shops.
Dufftown – this is maybe better for at least an overnight stay at one of their guest houses, but this one is great for whisky lovers and appreciators of natural beauty. It’s where a lot of major whisky distilleries such as Glenfiddich and Balvenie are based. It’s about a 4 hour journey though by train so that’s why it may be best to stay a night. Especially if you’re driving because you cannot drink at all and drive in this country.
Breakfast Spots
I’m a big fan of breakfast so I’ve had to be selective. By the way, if you are looking for tipping advice, consult here!
Mums Great Comfort Food – I like their fry up and I like their pancakes. They are on Forrest Road which is very central.
The Pantry – their fry- up is very large and very high quality. They can be found in Stockbridge and in Bruntsfield.
Scran – definitely a great option for a recommendation in Old Town Edinburgh, not least because they have multiple locations which are slightly different in terms of menu and vibe. My favourite is the one on Cockburn Street. They’ve got a full day breakfast.
Snax – Snax is an absolute staple of the city, plus very affordable compared to virtually everywhere else. Two locations, one in Southside on Buccleuch Street and the other behind Princes Street near the Guildford Arms.
Lunch/Dinner
Arguably a more important meal than breakfast when you’re travelling as this is when you get to really sample a culture. Scottish and non-Scottish recommendations in this section. Here is how to tip!
Haggis/Scottish
The below all have vegetarian haggis as well which is as legitimately Scottish as the meaty variant. There are a lot more than this I could say
Mums – has got haggis but also has a vast range of other foods for those who are not into haggis which can make it a favourite for families with picky eaters. Also great for coeliacs as they are very committed to making food for everyone.
Makars Mash Bar – Makars has become quite famous for their food. I love how Scottish it is, but how they also have a bit of a contemporary twist – sort of like the work we do at the Street Historians. This means they have regular Scottish dishes like haggis but also a good variety of other meats, too. Plus, they have a lot of plant based alternatives so can satisfy vegetarians and vegans as well. Makars can be found on The Mound.
Pipers Rest – these guys are incredibly Scottish. They literally wear uniforms with the Declaration of Arbroath, Scotland’s declaration of independence from the English back during the Braveheart wars. As well as haggis in multiple different variations, they also have cullen skink which is a Scottish cream based fish stew – served in a bread bowl because they have their priorities right. They’re in the city centre, just off the Royal Mile on Hunter’s Square.
Oink – pulled pork sandwiches, or in a box if you don’t want carbs/gluten. They’ve got a range of extras including haggis (which goes really well with apple sauce by the way). Three locations, Victoria Street, Hanover Street, and Canongate. Victoria Street is frequently very busy but this is one of the rare restaurants I would wait for if I had the time. It’s the only thing on Victoria Street worth queuing for.
Salvatore’s – people often ask for fish and chips recommendations, many point to pubs or specialty restaurants but this is inauthentic. Real authentic fish and chips is got from a chippy and that’s what Salvatore’s is (though the website looks fancy). They also do fried haggis. Salvatore’s is in Marchmont and I consider it an undiscovered gem of a place if you want to have real Scottish street food. They’re closed on Sundays.
Non-Scottish/Haggis?
Many international cultures who have come here have ended up mixing haggis in with their food to make something else amazing. It’s actually my favourite way to eat haggis in many ways.
Mamma’s Pizzeria – Mamma’s is in this section because they have haggis pizza. I consider it the best haggis pizza I’ve ever had. They’ve got other great options for the non-haggis eaters but if you’re only likely to be in Scotland the once, when else will you have this opportunity? This one is in the Grassmarket.
Fresh Mex – Tex Mex? Are the Street Historians playing some sort of practical joke? No! Fresh Mex has haggis on the menu. In burritos and on nachos. Definitely one of my faves and well-worth an exploration. Fresh Mex is on Lothian Road.
Slumdog Indian Restaurant – very notably, they have vegetarian haggis pakoras which I find quite spicy. They have a restaurant in Abbeyhill and a food truck on Little King Street, they also do deliveries.
Down the Hatch – Canadian-inspired, most of this menu is Canadian classics but there’s a couple options with haggis so it seemed relevant to include it here because they are legitimately quite amazing. Can be found in South Queensferry but also on Antigua Street just off the city centre.
Non-haggis/non-Scottish
We’ve got a great range of international cuisines available here and there’s so many that could make the cut. But the line has to be drawn somewhere so here’s just a couple.
Edinburgh Street Food – this place has tons of different dining options, kind of like a food truck festival but it’s inside. If you want to try out a bunch of cool options or mix starters from one place with mains from another, ESF is a good shout. No haggis I can see though which frankly feels like a missed opportunity, but maybe not everyone shares my passion for it. ESF is just off the Pink Triangle by the Omni Centre.
Indian
Some of the best Indian food outside India is available in the UK and Edinburgh is a popular location for restaurants that had success elsewhere.
Dishoom – Dishoom has worked its way into Edinburgh’s heart. The food they offer is a little different to most Indian food as it has Iranian influence as well. St. Andrews Square.
Mother India – Indian food in a small plates style, like tapas. A firm favourite. Infirmary Street.
Tuk Tuk – Indian Street Food, another very good choice. Leven Street.
Chinese
Rendezvous – apparently Edinburgh’s first Chinese restaurant, operating since 1956, the food here is very high quality and not that many people know about it. Highly regarded by those that do! Cantonese and Pekingese. Queensferry Street.
San Chuan (no website) – this Chinese restaurant is very close to the university and incredibly popular with Chinese students as well as Edinburgh locals. My go-to for ribs after successful ghost tours.
Vegan
A lot of Scottish restaurants will have some sort of option on their menu for vegans but if you want places that are particularly good, this is the list of recommendations for you. There’s also a vegan brewer on this list with a number of suggestions for where you can find their beer.
Makars Mash Bar – contemporary Scottish, they cater for omnivores and vegans because they have a plant-based version of their menu. They grow their own mushrooms, too.
Mosque Kitchen – lots of Middle Eastern dishes including a very decent selection
Paradise Palms – very queer friendly, Paradise Palms primarily serves vegan food though also has some vegetarian items in there, too. Also great for a drink and dance.
The Dog House – this is a really cool bar which serves vegan Mexican food. I actually think it might be some of the best Mexican food in Scotland, possibly Europe.
Closet Brewing – a vegan and queer beer brewer in Edinburgh, currently small scale so not offering tours but keen to change in 2026. They are stocked at a number of drinks shops including Cornelius, Leith Bottle Shop, The Beerhive, Cork and Cask, Against the Grain, Great Grog, Bludge (also LGBTQ owned) and Nips. They also appear at the Bowlers Rest in Leith which has an LGBT open mic called Queerdos on Wednesday.
Places to drink
I quite enjoy drinking. There is a great range of places in Edinburgh to drink so making recommendations for this is incredibly difficult. But here’s a few pubs.
Dirty Dicks – a fairly eclectic place, I find quite charming. Located on Rose Street, which has tons of decent pubs as well if it’s full.
Doctors – a very standard brewery owned pub on Forrest Road. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need. Pub food is comforting.
The Dog House – great atmosphere, amazing furniture, truly interesting art. Very popular with students, too. Vegan Mexican food, which is very good. Nicholson Street.
Home Bar – they have a cool stencilled exterior and a good vibe inside. This Tollcross establishment is good for place to hang out, and also if you want a confusing conversation. “You coming out tonight?” “I’m staying at Home”. Home Street.
Where to Buy Drink
If you’re looking to buy Scottish alcohol, beer, gin, or whisky, the following shops are good independent shops (thanks to Closet Brewing for some of these suggestions)
Great Grog – quite near the City Centre, this shop has a large range of whisky, gin and beer, and delightful staff.
Nips – a fairly new shop, they have a boutique feel for if you need something special
Leith Bottle Shop – has a small ‘drink in’ area and a curated selection of beers and spirits.
Against the Grain (no website) – Morningside, staff here have great recommendations and there’s a lot to choose from.
Royal Mile Whiskies – super central and well-supplied. As in the name, whisky.
Drinkmonger – this one’s in Bruntsfield and tops the list for whiskies.
Ice Cream
Again this might seem an option people would wonder why you need recommendations for in Scotland because isn’t it cold and wet all the time? Those people are wrong and have not experienced our Summer which is variably lovely and also literal death because the air can be quite humid. Ice cream is a necessity.
Alandas – right near Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Mary’s Milk Bar – great views of Edinburgh Castle from the Grassmarket.
Moo Pie Gelato (instagram) – this one is less well-known but might be my personal favourite. St Mary’s Street.
Hot Chocolate recommendations
Fortunately, we’ve already written a very handy list for this topic! But if you want quicker information.
Uplands Roast – this coffee stand in the Meadows offers a Proper Hot Chocolate that’s got great marshmallows and sticks of actual chocolate used in its creation.
Fortitude Coffee – this cafe in Abbeyhill or in Newington also does a pretty amazing hot chocolate
Gladstone’s Land – very central and very historically interesting as it’s on the Royal Mile and is run by the National Trust. Their ice cream is also pretty stellar.
Souvenirs & Bookshops
Everyone wants to leave the places they go with stuff to remember it, but it’s also really important to try and be a decent traveller who only collects stuff which is actually good and reflects the culture of the places you’ve been. After all, who wants to go around the world collecting rubbish you could get anywhere? Here’s my recommendations for items that are at least somewhat artisan and Scottish, as well as bookshops which are amazing.
Souvenirs
Grassmarket Tartans – run by the Grassmarket Community Project, sales here support local charity projects. I personally own two of their items and they are high quality. Lots of dog options too. The last candlemaker on Candlemaker Row.
Red Door Gallery – sells art, pictures, gift cards. Open quite early if you forget to give someone a birthday gift. Victoria Street
Tron Kirk Market – the Scottish Design Exchange runs this market, it’s very artisanal and great for if you want something really special. The Scottish Design Exchange also has a shop on George Street with a wide selection. Royal Mile, High Street for Tron Kirk.
Romanes & Paterson – big selection of whisky and whisky miniatures, lots of traditional souvenirs like tartan and magnets. Princes Street
Source Edinburgh – there was once a tourist information place in the Old Town which Visit Scotland decided to close down. The French Consulate opened up a tourist information place to fill the gap and they also sell a range of Scottish handicrafts.
Paper Tiger – a wide range of Scottish items as well as further afield, Paper Tiger is a well-established Edinburgh mainstay. Multiple locations, Lothian Road and Stafford Street are most central but there’s also Morningside.
Studio One Furniture – if you want top designed mugs and candlestick holders, this place is worth a visit. I used to work here. It’s in Morningside, and also has a great website, though the one I designed was really good.
Bookshops
Armchair Books – if you think of a second-hand bookshop in your mind, this is probably what you’ll be imagining. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall, hundreds of books, and an amazing smell. One of my favourites as a student and a perennial favourite of Instagrammers. It can be found on West Port.
Book Lovers Bookshop – this bookshop is really cool, and is focused on the romance genre. It’s colourful and exciting and can be found on Melville Terrace.
Lighthouse – Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop – this is where you go if you want a book that’ll cover the sort of stories most bookshops simply don’t have. There’s a lot of LGBTQ and feminist books alongside a lot of big ideas about how the world could be a better place and honestly isn’t that what bookshops are supposed to be? West Nicholson Street.
Rare Birds Bookshop – in Stockbridge you’ll find this very different bookshop, their books are written by women. Raeburn Place.
Topping & Company Booksellers of Edinburgh – this is a bookshop with a large range of books across multiple levels and also a really interesting concept: you can have a coffee with a bookseller who will help you pick out what to read next! Brilliant idea. Blenheim Place just off Leith Walk.
What to Read When You Visit
I (the writer of all these pieces, founder of Edinburgh Street Historians, Fraser) studied English Literature with History at the University of Edinburgh. So what I’m saying is I’m a literature man, son. Apparently it’s the least economically prosperous degree going and many universities have stopped offering them. Regardless, here’s some literary recommendations for your visit to Edinburgh, a city which is recognised as the first UNESCO City of Literature.
I’m going to start with some classics and I’ll also populate with some more contemporary at a later date. (30/11/2025)
Classic Edinburgh Literature Recommendations
Rabbie Burns – linked to my article written on him before, he’s a legitimately great poet. His poem ‘A Red, Red Rose‘ is the sort to memorise as it’s short and lovely. For more advanced and to understand the sort of energy that led to Braveheart being one of our key films, look up ‘Scots Wha Hae‘. If you really want to wrinkle your brain and work at your understanding of the Scots language, give ‘Tam O’ Shanter‘ a go, it’s quite long so it might take a couple sessions.
Robert Louis Stevenson – Stevenson is the most Edinburgh of writers in my view. He was from here, but then he also left to go exploring, and most importantly he returned. He’s most famous for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Treasure Island, but he was pretty prolific and wrote about all sorts. His Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes is a brilliantly written primary source for the city in the 19th-century. Stevenson also wrote poetry and lyrics including his own version of the ‘Skye Boat Song‘.
Sir Walter Scott – the most annoying thing about Sir Walter Scott is how important he is, showing up at a pivotal moment in Scotland and virtually creating a lot of what makes Scottishness. He has the arrogance of doing this while being a pain to read. Even his fans say his books take 40 pages to get any good, and I agree. Ivanhoe is alright, though is set in England which immediately stands against it. Waverley was written anonymously and named a train station, which no other book has done. Scott for me works better in quotation, but also was a pretty strong poet. ‘Breathes there the man‘ is a legitimately good poem.
Natural Beauty
The City of Edinburgh is not really built in a logical place to have a city. Very little of the land was flat and we had persistent issues with water and sanitation because we never had a river. What this has given us is a land made by volcanoes and glaciers with ample natural beauty spots right next to where we live. Here’s a few of the top, with an idea of how easy they are to get to, and also how much effort it takes.
Hills
Edinburgh is said to have 7 hills but it really depends on how you count them. In alphabetical order:
Arthurs Seat – the tallest and can be walked, there are multiple routes up depending how rough you want the ground. There’s also a road that takes you most of the way up if you cannot climb rough ground, but it is quite steep.
Blackford Hill – plus the surrounding Hermitage of Braid is quite an easy walk through a forest though is still definitely an uphill climb. There’s a pond there with delightful ducks.
Braid Hills – there is a golf course up here as well as a lot of open space. Near Blackford Hill if you want to summit multiple in a day.
Calton Hill – follow Princes Street east and keep going as it goes up hill and eventually you’ll find the entrance to Calton Hill. Calton Hill is a relatively easy climb with staircases and paths. There’s a ton of historical monuments in the area which makes this probably my favourite hill to recommend.
Castle Hill – got the Castle on it. It’s even hillier inside. Also costs money to get in, £21.50 for adults, various lower prices for different ages, free for under 6. Stunning views from there, plus the castle is interesting if you love military and Scottish royal history.
Corstorphine Hill – possibly our most populated hill, there’s a fair amount of housing in this area, as well as Edinburgh Zoo for the animals (a very rough climb with a buggy, I can tell you). The zoo is amazing, tickets getting to be quite expensive, nearly £30 for adults and £20 for kids. There is the Corstorphine Hill Local Nature Reserve which is worth a walk.
Craiglockhart Hill – this is only really in the list to cover all 7 hills, this one is mostly houses.
Parks
Edinburgh has a fair few green spaces, here’s the larger ones in the city centre. By all means explore other parks, too, they all have interesting details to them. I am unsure if any completely boring parks exist in the city.
The Meadows – this one is so good I have a devoted tour of it. The Meadows was formerly the Boroughloch, where the city was getting its water, until they started piping from further away in 1622. It’s been through a lot of changes since then and now is a wide open green space, great for sports, hanging out, various events and festivals, with also what I consider a couple of the peak culinary experiences of the city, hot chocolate from Uplands Roast and a sausage roll from the Gourmet Sausage Roll van next door.
Princes Street Gardens – this park is funny because it also has a great purpose in the past, it was kind of part of our human waste disposal. It was known as the Nor Loch back in the day. Oh well, the ground is very fertile at least. It can be a fun place to hang out and has the great advantage of there being two sides to it with the National Gallery in the middle. The east side feels like a pocket of calm in the heart of the city while the west side has great views of the castle.
Dean Village
This is one that does not neatly fit into other categories very well so I’m putting it here. Dean Village is a great spot to check out. It was a former mill town, it has lots of colourful buildings, and basically it’s only about a 20 minute walk from Old Town Edinburgh.
It helps you to understand how small the Old Town area of the city was but also how large Edinburgh feels that such very distinct places are not that far from each other.
Old Rail Lines
It might seem a strange thing to include in a section on beautiful places, but I love the old rail lines around the city. There’s a couple that jump out to me.
The Roseburn Path –
The Innocent Railway – this old railway line was called Innocent because people were scared about using steam power due to health concerns. Instead they used horses! This line goes from Edinburgh Southside to Duddingston Village, which is a great place for the Sheep Heid Inn pub.
Cafe recommendations!
It’s going to seem cliched at this point but there’s hundreds of cafes I could recommend all over the city. Here’s a few picks.
Love, Peace, Coffee – good food, good cake, good coffee, good staff. Edinburgh Southside.
Thomas J Walls (no website) – great decor, like an old school optometrist. Edinburgh Old Town, Forrest Road.
The Lounge (Instagram) – highly decent coffee and cake, menu decent too. Friendly folks. Newington, south of the City Centre.
Castle Rock Cafe – very centrally located, by the Writers Museum. Very well-reviewed breakfast and I’ve personally enjoyed their coffee and ice cream.
Victor Hugo Deli – great sandwiches, quality coffee, and they also have wine and beer. Truly great breakfasts, too. Next to the Meadows, Southside area.
Mimi’s Bakehouse – award-winning baked goods, scones that fly out the door pretty early, really cute presentation, also highly available. 5 locations, Leith, Comely Bank, the City Art Centre next to Waverley, Corstorphine, and a little one at Lauriston Castle.
Printing and Computer Repair needs
These days the requirement for having printed documents and a proper PC or laptop is less than it once was, but it’s the sort of thing that when you need it you really need it. Here’s a couple of shoutouts to people who are great in this regard.
Pace Print – a ton of Street Historians printing has been done via this team. They are very professional and quick. Great if you need a bunch of leaflets or posters in a hurry.
Edinburgh Computer Repairs – if you’ve got a laptop or a computer which is not working, Graeme at Edinburgh Computer Repairs on 7 Summerhall Place can fix it. He seems to be able to sort everything.
Edinburgh Badge Makers – possibly a bit niche but so are we, if you need badges for an event or a promotion, this is who we use and I’d gladly recommend them for anyone else. I’ve also recommended them for any organisation who wants to raise funds for charity as people love donating money and being given a badge.
LGBTQ
This section could include a lot of recommendations, so this is but a selection. Everywhere I’ve recommended elsewhere on this list is queer friendly or I wouldn’t have recommended them.
Here’s specific recommendations for places to go though. Also, come on my LGBTQ tour.
Gawrjuhs Art – this website is great for rainbow and flag themed designs, especially because it blends queerness and Scottishness which I’m really into.
The Pink Triangle – this is the area of the city that was alternately called the Gay Village. There used to be a bit more here, but it’s still cool. The Street has good food, CC Blooms has amazing drinks, Planet has a cool vibe.
The Regent – like a gay old man pub. Real ales! Abbeyhill
Dreadnought – this one is in Leith, very community minded and awesome music. Leith
The Dog House – wild art, vegan Mexican, brilliant furniture. Brilliant wee bar. Southside
Paradise Palms – vegan and vegetarian food, DJ sets at night, has run a lot of great events here. Bristo Square
Scottish Storytelling Centre – has a variety of cool events, Queer Folk’s Tales is a very relevant one and has a Fringe show!
The Wee Red Bar – situated in the Edinburgh College of Art, this bar hosts many queer acts. Queer as Punk is a riot.
Closet Brewing – a vegan and queer beer brewer in Edinburgh, currently small scale so not offering tours but keen to change in 2026. They are stocked at a number of drinks shops including Cornelius, Leith Bottle Shop, The Beerhive, Cork and Cask, Against the Grain, Great Grog, Bludge (also LGBTQ owned) and Nips. They also appear at the Bowlers Rest in Leith which has an LGBT open mic called Queerdos on Wednesday.
If you need any help while you are here, a good group to look up are LGBT Health and Wellbeing who have a ton of resources.
Also, if you’re looking for sexual health services or to acquire PrEP, here’s the NHS tool for locating it. Make sure to stay safe out there!
Right, this has been an enormous undertaking to write all this down and I hope it’s appreciated by the future travellers and the current locals who I will be approaching for feedback. If there’s anything you think should absolutely be included which I have not, then the Street Historians Instagram is the place to voice concerns. It’s also where you can go for advice because I’m quite keen to help out however I can, within reason.
The writer of this piece is going to have so much coffee.