Guidebook for Edinburgh
Drinks & Nightlife
Traditional local pub just on the corner. Food served in the upstairs restaurant. Good quality.
28 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Old Bell Inn
233-235 CausewaysideTraditional local pub just on the corner. Food served in the upstairs restaurant. Good quality.
Leslies Bar
45-47 Ratcliffe TerraceGreat university pub
Small pub with great selection of beer and buffalo burgers!
19 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Greenmantle Bar & Kitchen
44 W CrosscausewaySmall pub with great selection of beer and buffalo burgers!
Great for cocktails and good range of gin. Also does some food options, so is a great place for an informal dinner too.
29 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
56 North
2 W CrosscausewayGreat for cocktails and good range of gin. Also does some food options, so is a great place for an informal dinner too.
Good atmosphere, quality bar food and relaxed atmosphere. Excellent range of refreshments!
28 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Diablo Loco
74-78 South Clerk StreetGood atmosphere, quality bar food and relaxed atmosphere. Excellent range of refreshments!
Arts & Culture
Summerhall is a great arts space in the former Dick Vet School housing a variety of galleries, theatre spaces, clubs, music venue, restaurant, gin distillers (Pickerings - a contemporary Edinburgh gin!), cafe serving home-produced soups, pasties, salads. Also a nice cafe to hang out in if it's a bit rainy. Good wee craft/design shop in there as well. Edinburgh's newest arts space and much valued.
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Summerhall
Summerhall is a great arts space in the former Dick Vet School housing a variety of galleries, theatre spaces, clubs, music venue, restaurant, gin distillers (Pickerings - a contemporary Edinburgh gin!), cafe serving home-produced soups, pasties, salads. Also a nice cafe to hang out in if it's a bit rainy. Good wee craft/design shop in there as well. Edinburgh's newest arts space and much valued.
Print workshop with a gallery and shop. No cafe unfortunately, but if you like printed artworks and fancy picking up a hand-made print, this will likely tick your boxes. Artisan Roast round the corner if you require a coffee!
14 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Edinburgh Printmakers
1 Dundee StPrint workshop with a gallery and shop. No cafe unfortunately, but if you like printed artworks and fancy picking up a hand-made print, this will likely tick your boxes. Artisan Roast round the corner if you require a coffee!
Portrait Gallery with a large cafe. Houses the Robert Mapplethorpe Photography wing.
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Igaleriya Yezokubanzi YaseScotland
1 Queen StPortrait Gallery with a large cafe. Houses the Robert Mapplethorpe Photography wing.
Modern 1 and Modern 2 galleries across the road from each other. Modern 1 houses the Eduardo Paolozzi collection and recreates his studio. Visiting exhibitions. `permanent Collection free. Both have cafes, but Modern 1 is best in my opinion. Also has outdoor seating if the weather's nice.
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Igaleriya yeScottish National Gallery of Modern Art
75 Belford RdModern 1 and Modern 2 galleries across the road from each other. Modern 1 houses the Eduardo Paolozzi collection and recreates his studio. Visiting exhibitions. `permanent Collection free. Both have cafes, but Modern 1 is best in my opinion. Also has outdoor seating if the weather's nice.
The National Gallery sits behind the Royal Scottish Academy on Princes St, both free entry. The RSA has visiting exhibitions whereby the National houses the permanent collection of renaissance and old masters. Well worth a visit if you're an art lover.
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Igaleriya yeScottish National Gallery of Modern Art
75 Belford RdThe National Gallery sits behind the Royal Scottish Academy on Princes St, both free entry. The RSA has visiting exhibitions whereby the National houses the permanent collection of renaissance and old masters. Well worth a visit if you're an art lover.
Small Photography gallery with visiting exhibitions. Photography workshops if you're visiting for a set period of time.
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Tills
1 Hope Park CresSmall Photography gallery with visiting exhibitions. Photography workshops if you're visiting for a set period of time.
Entertainment & Activities
Edinburgh's oldest independent 3-screen cinema, showing new releases and a good range of arthouse limited releases as well as a nice balance of rep cinema. Nice bar too, selling snacks, coffees and drinks.
Quentin Tarantino said this was his favourite cinema!
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Cameo Picturehouse
38 Home StEdinburgh's oldest independent 3-screen cinema, showing new releases and a good range of arthouse limited releases as well as a nice balance of rep cinema. Nice bar too, selling snacks, coffees and drinks.
Quentin Tarantino said this was his favourite cinema!
Great quality films are shown in the Filmhouse, still show classics and new releases (sometimes on 70mm). Host a lot of indie film festivals, worth checking out their website to see what's upcoming. Major player in the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
14 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Filmhouse Cafe Bar
88 Lothian RdGreat quality films are shown in the Filmhouse, still show classics and new releases (sometimes on 70mm). Host a lot of indie film festivals, worth checking out their website to see what's upcoming. Major player in the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Essentials
Local Tesco supermarket if you need any essentials.
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Tesco Express
4-6 Leith WalkLocal Tesco supermarket if you need any essentials.
Sightseeing
A must if you're a first time visitor. Great range of military history housed within the castle, but also great views from the esplanade at the top of castle hill.
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Ikhethelo le-Edinburgh
CastlehillA must if you're a first time visitor. Great range of military history housed within the castle, but also great views from the esplanade at the top of castle hill.
The Queen's Royal residence in Scotland. Queen's Gallery has changing exhibitions and there's a large cafe with home baking.
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Palace of Holyrood
CanongateThe Queen's Royal residence in Scotland. Queen's Gallery has changing exhibitions and there's a large cafe with home baking.
Great views out to the Firth of Forth and down towards Leith as well as towards the Castle and Princes St. See 'Edinburgh's Disgrace' up close and personal!
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I-Calton Hill
Calton HillGreat views out to the Firth of Forth and down towards Leith as well as towards the Castle and Princes St. See 'Edinburgh's Disgrace' up close and personal!
Parks & Nature
If you can muster the energy, climb to the top of Arthur's Seat and get the best view of Edinburgh going. If you don't have the time, a walk along the Salisbury Crags will give you just as stunning a view. It's like the countryside in the city.
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Ipharki ye-Holyrood
Queen's DriveIf you can muster the energy, climb to the top of Arthur's Seat and get the best view of Edinburgh going. If you don't have the time, a walk along the Salisbury Crags will give you just as stunning a view. It's like the countryside in the city.
Cycle, run, wander, picnic, play tennis/football/frisbee, walk the dog, sit and read. You will see people use the Meadows for all of these and more. Nice for some quiet downtime, you'll forget you're in Scotland's capital!
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The Meadows
Melville DriveCycle, run, wander, picnic, play tennis/football/frisbee, walk the dog, sit and read. You will see people use the Meadows for all of these and more. Nice for some quiet downtime, you'll forget you're in Scotland's capital!
Food scene
Argyle Place
Argyle PlaceGreat coffee shop/ roasters/ food
Lovely unassuming neighbourhood Turkish restaurant. Lamb Shish to die for..
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Hanedan
41 W Preston StLovely unassuming neighbourhood Turkish restaurant. Lamb Shish to die for..
Local vegan cafe
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Beetroot Sauvage - Vegan Café, Restaurant, Yoga Studio
33-41 Ratcliffe TerraceLocal vegan cafe
Café Marlayne
76 Thistle StGreat little French cafe/ bistro.
Lovely French food and relaxing atmosphere. Great wine bar downstairs doing great choice of wines and platters for nibbling
21 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
La P'tite Folie
9 Randolph PlLovely French food and relaxing atmosphere. Great wine bar downstairs doing great choice of wines and platters for nibbling
Great wine bar serving loads of lovely wines and a range of sharing plates if you get peckish
19 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Le Di vin
9 Randolph PlGreat wine bar serving loads of lovely wines and a range of sharing plates if you get peckish
Edinburgh institution. Nice interior. Can be a little hit or miss but amazing decor
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The Dome
14 George StEdinburgh institution. Nice interior. Can be a little hit or miss but amazing decor
Wonderful French restaurant... Steak tartare to die for.
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L'Escargot Bleu Restaurant
56 Broughton StWonderful French restaurant... Steak tartare to die for.
Lovely little bar that does great nibbles/ platters while to think about what the next bottle will be..
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Pickles
60 Broughton StLovely little bar that does great nibbles/ platters while to think about what the next bottle will be..
101 Bakery
101 Newington RdGreat little local independent bakery.
Ondine
2 George IV BridgeLovely fish restaurant