Experience
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+ | Free
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Bucket list experience:
Edinburgh’s best food & drink
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
Last updated: 04 November, 2022
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.
Local ingredients & flavours
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.
What to try
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.
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Destination Guide >Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around
Duration: Any
Getting there & doing it
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.
Experience
East Coast Cured
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+ | Free
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Experience
Edinburgh Farmers’ Market
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+ | Free
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Experience
I.J. Mellis Cheesemonger
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+ | Free
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Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Edinburgh
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.
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