Edinburgh-Where to go for Breakfast, great Salmon, and other dining recommendations ?
 

Hello Fab Fodorites,
I am hoping for your expert recommendations. I have been bouncing around the forum looking at your wonderful dining insights from the past. And taking notes on all your wonderful advice of course :). I am hoping to get your current feedback on these particular dining requests....

I am going to Edinburgh in August (staying in New Town, very central location).

Can you please share your insight on some great and inexpensive places to get breakfast?

Also, I am crazy about Scottish Salmon. Are there places that do a particular good job serving Smoked Salmon, and other fish?

Also interested in inexpensive/moderate dining options for the other meals of the day. Lordie, the dollar is in the dumps! I would love to go to some great extravagant places, but I can't do that every day on the budget :) . Would love to get a range of options, mainly inexpensive, moderate--although some can be more expensive.

Looking for--
Afternoon Tea, cafes, Breakfasts, Fish places(especially Smoked Salmon finds, and yum--good Fish & Chip houses), Tradional and modern Scottish food, Eclectic, some French and Italian. Places also where you can 'grab and go'.
(no steakhouses, no Indian, no Chinese/Japanese food)

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. The time you take to share is most welcome. I am greatly looking forward to going to Scotland, and your insight helps make so many forum visitors' trips so much more wonderful as a result. I mean that sincerely.

I have found that most hotels and B&B's serve breakfast as part of the cost of the room. If that is the case you shouldn't need to eat a meal again until dinner.
At least I don't except for a sandwich on the run. I don't like to spend much time eating as I would rather see things that interest me. For evening meals I just like to walk around checking out the posted menu's then decide.

I agree with you rogeruktm. Normally I'd stock up on breakfast at the hotel, have a snack during the day, and then deal with dinner.

However, breakfast is not an option where I am staying. So I must search for a good (hopefully inexpensive)breakfast place. In addition to the other dining needs listed above. Thanks for your interest.

Valvona and Crolla, the Italian specialty food shop on Elm Row (near Leith Walk) has a cafe in the back where I had several meals -- including a nice plate of smoked salmon -- when I was in Edinburgh last year.

The cafe is open all day, from 8 a.m. (10:30 on Sundays), and during August they expand their hours into the evening. I can't vouch for their breakfasts, because I only had lunch and dinner there, but everything I had was so good I would expect breakfast to be the same. I wouldn't call it inexpensive, but I thought the prices were reasonable for what I got.

For more information on the cafe's hours, location, and sample menus, see:

http://www.valvonacrolla.co.uk/

For a wonderful afternoon tea...the Balmoral Hotel. Very elegant without being too posh. No dress code.

We enjoyed Browns last week while there on vacation. It was great food for the money...They had the pre theater option which I chose and got dessert...a real treat...sticky pudding.

Thank you for taking the time to give your insight.

Anyone else like to share? Also regarding regular dining options, in addition to breakfast?

I know it's a chain, but I liked getting a few reasonably priced meals (by British standards) at Bella Italia, which has several locations, including one on High Street.

For breakfast, a panini at an Italian deli is a good choice. I'm sorry I can't give you the exact location of the one I frequented, but they are relatively commonplace.

Sainsbury and Lidl grocery stores are a good bet for some snacks and light meals.

I can't help you with the expensive places, but I'm sure you will do well regardless.

My Wife and I were in in Edidinburgh in April. It was nothing short of sensational. Loved it. We had excellnt food at The Grain store. Its at 30 Victoria Street. Ph: 0131 225 7635. Wasn't cheap but very good. Stac Polly has Scottish food. We ate at the one at 36 St Marys Street. Again not cheap but they had a fixed price 3 course dinner that was great value. Had very memorable fish and chips at the End of the world pub on the Royal mile. Its cramped and small but cheap and very good. Hope this helps. Rick

Hi LOTRHP. The fact you are asking about breakfast places makes me wonder if you are staying in an apartment ? If so i wouldn't bother eating smoked salmon in restaurants, you'll get a lot more for your money if you buy some from the Jenners food hall, along with some nice bread & butter, and eat it at the apartment.

Offhand the only place I can think of which does nice breakfasts in the New Town is Centotre at 103 George Street - also one of my favourite places for almost anything else. It is owned by another branch of the same family as Valvona & Crolls which is also good for breakfast if you are at the eastern end of the New Town. (Will you telly you exactly where you are staying, so we can think of what is very close ?)

Urban Angel on Hanover Street is very good for most things & I've had a nice late breakfast there on a Saturday, but not sure if it will open early enough for you if you want to be out & about.

If you are in apartment, you can get nice breakfast goods (and other provisions) from the Marks and spencer food hall on Princes Street.

If you are heading up to the Old Town anyway, Always Sunday on the Royal Mile (just east of the junction with Hunter Square) is known for nice and reasonably-priced breakfasts.

For sandwiches etc on the go, either Marks & Spencer as mentioned before or Pret a Manger on Castle Street.

Each to their own, but I wouldn't recommend Bella Italia or Brown's (which is also a chain).

Here is my regular list of recommendations...

Here are some of my favourites places to eat in Edinburgh, roughly in descending order of price.

If you want gourmet, there are three restaurants with one Michelin star.

Martin Wishart's in Leith is fantastic, especially if you have the six course tasting menu (which will all be cooked by the man himself) – now also available in a veggie version. The tasting menus are £60pp for food, £50pp for a wine to match each course - £10 less for each at lunchtime. Three courses £50, bargain set lunch at £22.50 available Tue-Fri. It's very high class but friendly and unstuffy. Book 2-3 months in advance for weekend dinner, less for weekday dinner and lunch. IMO should be 2 stars.

The second starred restaurant was Number One in the Balmoral : food nothing special IMO, ambience is more formal & traditional.

The Kitchin, also in Leith, opened in July 2006 & got a star in January 2007 – some going ! It's really good but not quite as good as MW. Also does a bargain lunch at £19.50 for 3 courses, Tue-Sat.

If you want 'modern Scottish', Stac Polly on Grindlay Street used to be good, but I've read mixed reviews in the last year or two . Also branches on Dublin Street and St Mary's Street. Wedgewood on the High Street has been getting very good reviews but I haven't been yet.

La Garrigue on Jeffrey Street is a small French restaurant specialising in cooking of the Languedoc where the chef-proprietor is from, as are all the wines. The food & the chef are both lovely and the ambience is correct but relaxed. If you sit near the window there is a view of Calton Hill & its monuments.

For Italian, La Partenope on Dalry Road was wonderful - the best Italian food (especially seafood) I've had outside southern Italy - but it has changed hands and I haven't been since. The former chef-proprietor has a newish place called Bella Mbriana – I've only been once and it was very good but (disappointingly for me) not so heavily seafood-biased.

Centotre on George Street is a busy, buzzy Italian caffe-bar offering everything from a coffee & cannolo to cocktails to a full slap-up 4 course meal. Can be expensive for the full works but v. reasonable for just a pizza or a bowl of pasta, both of which are very good (best pizza in town IMO). My favourite place in the city centre.

Cheapish to midprice in the city centre are Urban Angel and the Sizzling Scot – the latter has a naff name but is actually vg for steaks, burgers and sausages made with real ingredients. Both are big on local produce, traceability, sustainability and all those good things.

When we have visitors we've always taken them for Sunday lunch in Leith (the old docks area - which I have now moved to !). There are lots of nice waterfront places, notably the Shore, where you can eat in the restaurant or in the pub and Skipper's. Skipper's is particularly good for fish but does a few other things, including steak from the Duke of Buccleuch's estates. The Waterfront used to be good but has recently changed hands, is now A Room In Leith and is getting poor reviews. I used to think Fisher's in Leith was the best for fish but had a very disappointing experience there last time we went. I haven't tried Fisher's in the City for some time so won't judge it, but other posters here have praised it recently.

Both Black Bo's and David Bann's do very interesting & innovative vegetarian cusine. BB's is very casual, studenty even, & DB's is smart casual & v. modern . Both v. reasonably priced.

Incredibly cheap quick food, when you are out & about - a) the Mosque, Chapel Street/West Nicholson St (1-7pm I think, except Fridays), for more curry & rice/naan etc than you can eat for £3 (meat & veggie) - outdoors eating, though, so no fun if cold or wet; b) Palmyra on Nicholson Street - £2.80/£3.80 for vg chicken shwarma with salad in flatbread, or even cheaper veggie ones like feta or baba ganoush.

I've never had good fish & chips from an Edinburgh chippie but it's usually OK in food-oriented pubs.

If you want recommendations for any other specific types of cuisine, please ask.

Oops, should have proof-read - think it's more or less understandable, though.

I looked at my notes from our trip last year, because I remember having a hard time getting breakfast recommendations for Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

We had an apartment in Edinburgh that came stocked with breakfast items, so we only ate breakfast out once. We ate at Two Thin Laddies (http://www.list.co.uk/place/100968-two-thin-laddies/) and were pleased with it. Plus it was a short walk from our apartment.

Thank you for your wonderful feedback! Your thoughtfulness, care and help is much appreciated.

Perfect Stuff! I am actually staying at a hotel in the 'center of New Town' but alas, no breakfast included (stinks, I know). Your grab-and-go food suggestions are very intriguing. I will be making use of that from time to time. I may even be able to use a mini-fridge in the room. Thanks also for the wonderful restaurant suggestions you all mentioned.

Btw, what do you all think of the Leith area for dining? I know there's some amazing restaurants there, as mentioned in this thread. Just curious if there's a bus that easily goes there from New Town, or if I need to 'cab it'? Not sure how much of a 'trek' that is. Also, had heard it had rather 'dicey sections' in the past. Seems very hip and safe now though, correct?

Thanks again for all your great feedback on different dining options. YOur continued insights are welcome.

Hm, well, as mentioned before I actually live in Leith ! And haven't been mugged yet :-) You are unlikely to wander into less-nice / red-light areas by mistake. The 22 bus is great and runs every few minutes from Princes Street - stops outside Debenhams, Office & M&S. Get off at the Shore where all the best pubs and restaurants are on or near to. Outwith the rush hour it takes about 15 minutes from Princes Street.

Right - if you are staying in a hotel without breakfast, you will still have tea/coffe making equipment in yoir room (kettle, teabags, instant coffee, wee containers of UHT milk). What I'd do for breakfast in that situation is buy some fresh milk and something like muffins from M&S the day before. (I'd also take my own Earl Grey teabags... :-) )

What street is your hotel on ?

BTW I've just picked up on the fact that you are coming in August, i.e. peak festivals time. If you are planning on going to any of the posher restaurants it will be worth making dinner reservations a week or so in advance (or now for Martin Wishart or the Kitchin).

I'm taking notes here as I will also be in Edinburgh in August, staying in Leith. Looks like lots of good options.

All the hotels and B&Bs serve great full Scottish breakfasts, just request Salmon I'm sure they'll accommodate. Don't miss all the great Fish cafes in Edinburgh, particularly one of the oldest and best Fishers just near the Royal Yacht Britannia, don't miss a trip there, really I'm so not a royalist but this is interesting and a very personal insight. You can try some other restaurant and attractions at www.myweekin.net

ali - 1. LOTRHP has said that breakfast at his/her hotel is not an option - I'm assuming it is an exorbitant extra cost; 2. I can't imagine any Scottish hotel, even somewhere like the Balmoral, accommodating a request for salmon for breakfast; 3. the Leith branch of Fisher's is a) about half a mile away from Britannia and b) IMO isn't very good nowadays.

Nikki, where are you staying - Malmaison, Holiday Inn Express, Travel Inn ?

Caroline, we're staying at the Harbour Apartments. My daughter is spending six months in Edinburgh, and when she visited there in February she stayed at an apartment there. The price seemed the best I could find for a place that would comfortably hold three adults in August.

bookmarking - great thread - thank you

Hi, Thanks for the added insight and recommendations. So fabulous of you all.
Caroline--Sorry, didn't mean to stick my foot in it. Didn't realize you were in Leith when I was asking about the neighborhood. :) Leith sounds great, and I appreciate your travel recommendations as well. Thank you for clarifying and taking the time to share. It's all wonderfully helpful.

Oh and you are right. :) the hotel's breakfast is an exorbitant extra cost. Good catch. :)

Curious, I've noticed Leith is well known for dining, however what about a nice stroll by the water? I love that stuff....