Aizle
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)

Chef Stuart Ralston’s innovative tasting menu is an exciting leap in the dark, simply a list of seasonal ‘harvest’ ingredients.
Best for ages 18+
Travel bucket list idea:
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
|Edinburgh is the epicentre of Scotland’s vibrant food and drink scene. Once the butt of gastronomic jokes, for years now it has been celebrated instead for the bounty of its natural larder.
The capital’s restaurant scene is geared less towards Michelin star counts – although it has a smattering of these – and more towards field-to-plate and communal dining experiences, driven by chefs specialising in culinary acrobatics and pushing the boundaries, such as Aizle’s Stuart Ralston and Fhior’s Scott Smith.
There are more and more speciality food stores and delis springing up (stock up on local venison charcuterie), artisan bakers (tuck into smoked salmon bagels) and cheesemongers on every corner. Once there was one farmers’ market in the shadow of the cathedral – now there are five.
It’s all about small plates, grazing menus and ingredients so seasonal, local and fresh you have to brush the soil from your plate.
Carnivores can tuck into wild venison, seaweed-grazed lamb and prime Aberdeen Angus beef. For fish-eaters there are hand-dived scallops from the west coast, Loch Fyne oysters to shuck, plump rope-grown mussels from Shetland’s chilly waters and artisan smoked salmon. It’s the produce and its provenance that shines.
And of course, Scotland is the home of the best whisky in the world, produced in world-class distilleries all around the region.
Haggis, neeps and tatties (haggis, turnips and mashed potato) is the best-known Scottish dish, and is surprisingly tasty. Many restaurants serve a contemporary gourmet take on the dish. All washed down with an obligatory dram or two.
Also see Lucy’s round-up of traditional Scottish foods you must try in Scotland.
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
Chef Stuart Ralston’s innovative tasting menu is an exciting leap in the dark, simply a list of seasonal ‘harvest’ ingredients.
Best for ages 18+
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
Near Leith’s revamped docklands, this tiny artisan charcuterie producer sells venison, sloe gin salami and rare breed smoked chorizo.
Best for ages 18+
Edinburgh , Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
In the shadow of the castle, the original farmer’s market has jauntily striped stalls stocked with sauerkraut, smoked salmon and Arbroath Smokies. Held every Saturday from 9am-2pm, 3 mins walk from Edinburgh Castle.
Best for ages 18+
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
This artisan cheesemonger has been a stalwart on the Edinburgh food scene for almost 30 years. They’ve now opened a ‘Cheese Lounge’ at the back of the Morningside store where you can sample the signature cheeseboard and other cheesy dishes.
Best for ages 13+
Edinburgh , Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
|Disneyland-style mock distillery tour, with a glimpse of the world’s largest Scotch whisky collection.
Adult price: £17
Min age 18
Best for ages 18+
Edinburgh , Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
Every Sunday, a pretty corner of this Edinburgh neighbourhood is home to a weekly artisan producer market of around 50 stalls, selling hot food, local produce and hand-made treats. Stockbridge is worth a visit too, with vintage shops and quirky cafes.
Best for ages 13+
Edinburgh , Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
This micro-chocolate factory in the city centre offers 90-minute introduction tours to all aspects of chocolate-making, and you get you create your own bar to take away. There are also truffle-making masterclasses, and a unique chocolate and Scottish whisky experience that pairs artisan chocolates with single malts.
Adult price: £20
Best for ages 6+
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
This pretty 19th-century gardener’s cottage, with its carefully tended kitchen garden, is chef Dale Mailley’s earthy field-to-fork, rustic communal dining spot.
Adult price: £35
Best for ages 18+
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
At the bottom of the Royal Mile, in what was once the oldest inn in Edinburgh, this cosy seafood restaurant dishes up succulent seafood platters and small dishes – think crab Scotch Eggs with wasabi mayo, charred octopus, monkfish satay along with three types of oyster (Caledonian, Loch Fyne and Carlingford) freshly shucked at the bar.
Best for ages 13+
The gentrified docklands down in Leith are a real foodie enclave with no fewer than four Michelin-starred restaurants, along with gastropubs, seafood restaurants and bars lining the shore.
The chic neighbourhood ‘villages’ of Stockbridge and Bruntsfield, meanwhile, have plenty of cute eateries and bars away from the crowds.
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Edinburgh Region, United Kingdom (UK)
Capital treats abound, from mighty castles and royal palaces to gourmet restaurants and arguably the world’s best performing arts festival.