London/Edinburg where to stay in May party of 5
Mar 13th, 2008, 05:02 AM
#21
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Joebear,
Have just seen that Canon Court can take five persons www.canoncourt.co.uk
They have two bedroom apartments with a fold down bed settee for the fifth person.
They claim that they are city centre but you can take that with a pinch of salt - about a 15 - 20 minute uphill walk to Princes Street and more to the Royal Mile. There is a wide choice of buses which run between Canonmills and various parts of the city centre. That is only a five minute journey and the fares are either £1 per person per journey or £2.50 per person per day for unlimited use of the buses.
Have just seen that Canon Court can take five persons www.canoncourt.co.uk
They have two bedroom apartments with a fold down bed settee for the fifth person.
They claim that they are city centre but you can take that with a pinch of salt - about a 15 - 20 minute uphill walk to Princes Street and more to the Royal Mile. There is a wide choice of buses which run between Canonmills and various parts of the city centre. That is only a five minute journey and the fares are either £1 per person per journey or £2.50 per person per day for unlimited use of the buses.
Mar 16th, 2008, 03:52 PM
#23
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I found lodging 21Hanover Street....Will post back how it was. The website looks great and the location is central. Now I would like ideas for sight seeing and great eats. We are not very schedule driven...prefer to be more on a relaxed gear. I know we will see the castle, check out old town...
Mar 17th, 2008, 05:43 AM
#24
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Glad you got your accommodation sorted out. It was quite late to be booking for a bank holiday. I have not heard of 21 Hanover Street before but it's a great location. I hope you will post a trip report & tell us what it was like.
As regards sightseeing, I recommend starting off with the open top, hop on / hop off bus tour of the Old (mediaeval) and New (Georgian) Towns, to get your bearings. Walk to Waverley Bridge where they all start - there are several companies but Guide Friday is the best as they have a live guide. I'd suggest doing a complete circuit without getting off, to get an overview, then go round again, get off at the stop neaerest the Castle & tour that, walk down the Royal Mile to the Palce & tour that, then get the bus back to Waverley Bridge. If you want to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia, don't pay for the tourist bus which goes there but just get a normal Lothian number 22 bus. As meks said, bus fares with Lothian (the main bus company) are £1 single or £2.50 for a day ticket (valid on all buses except the airport bus & night buses prefixed N (which run after midnight)).
As regards eating...
What sort of food do you like ?
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 each.
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 (nearer where you are staying) and St Mary's Street.
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 new place called Bella Mbriana - I haven't been yet but it's bound to be excellent.
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). This is very close to where you are staying.
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. The Waterfront (more upmarket) and Skipper's were good but have recently changed hands so I'm not sure now - the bar section of the Waterfront is now 'Teuchters Landing' (ugh) & restaurant is 'A Room in Leith'. 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.
Cheapish to midprice and actually on Hanover Street are Urban Angel and the Sizzling Scot - naff name but actually vg for steaks, burgers and sausages made with real ingredients.
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 - 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.
Good pubs near where you are staying - the Guildford Arms, Cafe Royal, Queen's Arms, Oxford Bar.
As regards sightseeing, I recommend starting off with the open top, hop on / hop off bus tour of the Old (mediaeval) and New (Georgian) Towns, to get your bearings. Walk to Waverley Bridge where they all start - there are several companies but Guide Friday is the best as they have a live guide. I'd suggest doing a complete circuit without getting off, to get an overview, then go round again, get off at the stop neaerest the Castle & tour that, walk down the Royal Mile to the Palce & tour that, then get the bus back to Waverley Bridge. If you want to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia, don't pay for the tourist bus which goes there but just get a normal Lothian number 22 bus. As meks said, bus fares with Lothian (the main bus company) are £1 single or £2.50 for a day ticket (valid on all buses except the airport bus & night buses prefixed N (which run after midnight)).
As regards eating...
What sort of food do you like ?
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 each.
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 (nearer where you are staying) and St Mary's Street.
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 new place called Bella Mbriana - I haven't been yet but it's bound to be excellent.
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). This is very close to where you are staying.
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. The Waterfront (more upmarket) and Skipper's were good but have recently changed hands so I'm not sure now - the bar section of the Waterfront is now 'Teuchters Landing' (ugh) & restaurant is 'A Room in Leith'. 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.
Cheapish to midprice and actually on Hanover Street are Urban Angel and the Sizzling Scot - naff name but actually vg for steaks, burgers and sausages made with real ingredients.
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 - 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.
Good pubs near where you are staying - the Guildford Arms, Cafe Royal, Queen's Arms, Oxford Bar.
Mar 18th, 2008, 07:30 AM
#26
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Toward the end of my Scotland trip report I give information about the apartment we rented for 4 or 5 days:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35058184
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35058184
Mar 18th, 2008, 06:21 PM
#27
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Thanks for posting I enjoyed reading your trip report. That apartment sounded a bit tight! We have stayed in cramped places before and still laugh about the experiences we had there.
