Places to eat and drink near The Stand Edinburgh
Feeling hungry in between Fringe shows? Here are our top spots to grab food near The Stand
BARS
Folly Spirits Lab
2–6 Calton Road
You won’t regret stumbling on this little gem of a tucked-away bar. Their focus is eau de vie, with tasting flights including their own version made from locally scrumped apples. But don’t stop there: with a concise cocktail list, draught beer on rotation, wines and sake, bar snacks and sharing boards, there’s plenty to explore.
Good Brothers Wine Cellars
34 Northumberland Street
The team here are super knowledgeable but far from wine bores. If you want to geek out on vintages, they’re here for it, especially on Thursdays when you can try something special from the cellar at cost price. Cheese and charcuterie and a basement New Town setting add to the interest.
The Keller Taproom
23–27 Broughton Street Lane
One of the prettiest spots for a pint in the area, The Keller lures you down a dark alleyway with promises of delicious, micro-brewed hefeweizens and rich porters. Inside, you’ll find German beerhall-style long tables in the centre, a verdant greenhouse garden, cosy window nooks with a mini-library and swinging chairs suspended from the ceiling.
Lady Libertine
25 West Register Street
Darkly glamorous drinking den downstairs and bright café/lounge upstairs, Lady Lib pulls off the tough task of being a place that suits most occasions without tipping into being bland or boring. The comfy upstairs bar is perfect for a booth-based lunchtime chat, while downstairs comes alive after dark. The cocktails are banging, either way.
Nightcap
3 York Place
As the name suggests, Nightcap is that rarest of beasts in Edinburgh: a proper bar that’s open late, every night. Subsequently, it’s developed a well-deserved name for itself as a bartenders’ bar: expect excellent and innovative cocktails and a laid-back vibe in a suitably dark basement setting.
Spry
1 Haddington Place
The focus at Spry is on natural and organic wines by the glass. Pull up a stool at the bar or find a cosy corner; elegant small plates can be built into a five-course tasting menu with matching wines. There are bottles to take away, plus a downstairs café Ante can start the day off right with coffee and bakes.
Uno Mas
4 Picardy Place
Low ceilings, low lighting and late nights are the order of the day at this underground bar. Don’t let the 1970s sauna vibes of its pine-clad roof put you off; closing at Uno Mas isn’t until 3am and the cocktails are always on point. There’s also an extensive whisky list as well as Pilot beers on draught.
Vessel
73 Hanover Street
An uptown hangout for fans of community-spirited Leith brewery Pilot. The bar has a decent food menu with smart snacks such as soft-baked pretzels and a grilled sausage of the week. Pilot beers are on draft, in cans and served hauf and a hauf (a half-pint with a dram of whisky).
CAFÉS & QUICK BITES
Ada
9a Antigua Street
With all the conviviality and atmosphere of a friendly neighbourhood lokanta, Ada is a top spot for a kebab when you want to enjoy a sit-down dinner. Nicely spiced iskender kebabs are served on a bed of flavoursome chickpea rice and shish kebabs are delightfully tender. And it’s right opposite The Playhouse; who doesn’t love a pre-theatre ’bab?
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Bonnie & Wild
Level 4, St James Quarter
You’ll find around a dozen food vendors clustered together in this top-floor food hall with a buzzy atmosphere and plenty of seating. Newest recruits include Flùr, focusing on New York-style pizza, and Malaysian/Mexican fusion tacos from Julie Lin’s Tacos Lah. Sweet treats come from Glasgow’s Eusebi Deli and El Perro Negro’s burgers are firmly among the best in town.
Down The Hatch
13 Antigua Street
There’s little chance of leaving hungry with the generous portion sizes at this Canadian diner. The dining room is tucked through the back in a funky, church-like space where huge bowls of poutine dripping with gravy and cheese curds are served alongside towering burgers and chicken wings. This is not impress-your-date territory: it’s going to get messy.
Edinburgh Street Food
Omni Centre, Leith Street
This indoor/outdoor street food hub works for every size of crowd, with any kind of dietaries, in all sorts of weather. The current line-up of vendors includes cult favourites Razzo Pizza Napoletana, Fred’s Backyard Barbecue and excellent Japanese street food from Harajuku. App-based ordering makes the whole thing simple; you’ll be in and out in no time.
Maki & Ramen
37 Leith Street
Maki & Ramen have sites around the city (including one in the basement of St James Quarter). The Leith Street branch was the first to fully embrace the no-frills joy of ramen though. Super-spicy noodle fans should try hell ramen while black tonkotsu ramen is so garlicky, a bowl could ward off vampires.
Greenwoods
61 Frederick Street
All the way from the Netherlands, this city centre café serves brunch all day and so is really handy to know about if you’re emerging from a late night. Pancakes are piled high and soda bread is worth the walk. From full Scottish to kimchi benny, it’s all fast, fresh and filling.
Urban Angel
121 Hanover Street
This long-standing favourite for coffee, breakfast and lunch adds up to so much more than the sum of its parts. Always busy, there’s plenty of seating inside so don’t be put off if there’s a crowd round the door. While it’s all good to eat, it’s hard to look beyond baked eggs with goat’s cheese, Aleppo oil and dukkah.
Valvona & Crolla
19 Elm Row
Established in 1934, this emporium of Italian deli delights never fails to charm. It’s a tourist attraction in its own right, with shelves stacked high with olive oils, wine and pasta. Lesser-known is their caffé bar up the back serving simple antipasti and pasta, as well as scrummy breakfasts and strong coffee.
RESTAURANTS
Café St Honoré
34 North West Thistle Street Lane
Squint and you’re in Paris: white tablecloths, dark wood, candles and a great wine list. Despite the French approach, chef Neil Forbes ensures only the best of Scotland’s larder appears on his menus. The à la carte changes daily and the ‘café classics’ menu is always excellent.
Dishoom
3a St Andrew Square
Yes, the breakfasts at Dishoom are worth the fuss, but so is dinner. Biriyani speckled with dried cranberries and topped with juicy chicken is moreish and the pau bhaji transports you to hot evenings in Mumbai. There’s plenty of room inside and it’s a lovely spot for an end-of-evening cocktail infused with Indian spices.
Eleanore
30–31 Albert Place
A recent glow-up has led to a simplified menu at Eleanore, with a prix fixe format offering a trio of choices for each course. It’s a smart move, satisfying diners’ desire for ambitious cooking at accessible prices. Bold flavours and precision cooking isn’t sacrificed though, whether its confit duck leg with lentils and radicchio or gloriously green watercress gnudi.
Ka Pao
St James Quarter
Whether perched at the bar or tucked into a booth, Ka Pao feels like somewhere you can stay all night. Experimental small dishes are inspired by the flavours of south-east Asia merging with Scotland’s larder: try Arbroath smokie miang with galangal, spinach and peanuts. If there’s a crowd of you, their feasting menu is an absolute steal.
L’escargot Bleu
56 Broughton Street
Snails in garlic butter, spicy steak tartare and beef bourguignon that falls apart as soon as the fork touches it mark this out as the epitome of French dining. Chef Fred Berkmiller also integrates produce from his kitchen garden into many dishes. An Edinburgh institution.
Tipo
110 Hanover Street
Tipo blends the ease of an elegant small-plates spot with confident Italian cooking. Generous and gently rustic, it’s known for dishes like strozzapreti with Calabrian sausage and zeppole (fried dough strips buried under a mountain of pecorino). The set lunch is excellent value.
Sushisamba
1 St James Square
Might this be the best afternoon tea in town? Perhaps surprisingly, yes. Their sushi-inspired tower with Japanese desserts and steamed scones is varied, beautifully presented and steers away from too much sugar. That said, it’s all good in this glamourous, dressy spot with views for days and a unique take on Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian food.
Under The Table
3a Dundas Street
This unassuming basement bistro is a sister restaurant to high-end The Table upstairs and offers the same attention to detail for a much more accessible price. The set lunch is terrific value, while evening delights like venison are just perfectly cooked. It’s a great choice for Scottish produce without the tartan hoo-ha.