Edinburgh’s Old Town rewards hungry explorers. Around the Royal Mile, Victoria Street and the steep closes that run towards Waverley, atmospheric rooms and inventive kitchens sit behind centuries-old stone frontages. These favourites range from relaxed Scottish comfort food to destination tasting menus.
Getting There
From Ben Cruachan Guest House and Ben Cruachan Rooms & Studios: Take a westbound tram from McDonald Road to St Andrew Square. Cross towards Waverley station, then climb into the Old Town by Cockburn Street or North Bridge. Most of these restaurants are a further 10 to 20 minute walk. For Timberyard, continue west through the Old Town towards Lady Lawson Street.
From Caledonian Apartments: Walk to Haymarket and take an eastbound tram to Princes Street, then head uphill via The Mound for the Royal Mile, Victoria Street and the nearby closes. Timberyard is more directly reached on foot via Fountainbridge and Lady Lawson Street.
Our Old Town Restaurant Picks
The Devil’s Advocate: Hidden down Advocate’s Close in a former Victorian pump house, this atmospheric bar and restaurant serves seasonal Scottish food, inventive cocktails and a collection of more than 300 whiskies. The close includes steep steps.
Arcade Bar: A Cockburn Street specialist in haggis and whisky, offering traditional, vegetarian and contemporary variations alongside a collection of more than 100 whiskies.
Howies Victoria Street: Fresh, seasonal Scottish cooking in an informal dining room where exposed stone and warm wood suit the historic street outside.
Angels with Bagpipes: A modern Scottish kitchen and wine bar on the Royal Mile, with an appealing menu of creative plates designed for sharing.
Wedgwood the Restaurant: A Canongate restaurant known for seasonal Scottish produce, foraged herbs and refined modern cooking, with lunch, Ã la carte and tasting-menu options.
Monteiths: Reached through a lantern-lit close off the Royal Mile, Monteiths combines locally sourced cooking with an elegant dining room, cocktail bar and intimate Whisky Snug.
Whiski Rooms: A Scottish restaurant, bar and whisky shop on North Bank Street, with a collection of more than 300 whiskies and a programme of tastings.
Makars Mash Bar: Comforting Scottish dishes built around slow-cooked meats, haggis, plant-based alternatives and a broad choice of flavoured mash.
The Witchery: Candlelit, theatrical dining rooms beside Edinburgh Castle make this one of the Old Town’s most atmospheric places to eat, with menus focused on Scottish produce. The venue does not accommodate children under ten or parties larger than six.
Timberyard: A family-run restaurant in a beautifully converted former warehouse, serving thoughtful tasting menus shaped by seasonal ingredients. It holds one Michelin star and a Michelin Green Star.
Image credits: Victoria Street in Edinburgh by Ralf Steinberger, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Witchery Restaurant in Boswell’s Court by Stanley Howe, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Both images have been cropped or resized.