Edinburgh
We spent 36 hours in Edinburgh and definitely experienced the harsh realities of a cold Scottish January with rainfall and bitter winds, but walking down cobbled paths, looking through grey mist at the medieval architecture built into the natural landscape, the inspiration for all of the incredible Scottish literature became very clear. It’s a truly romantic city.
It is another place best navigated through endless wandering, led by the mix of architecture which narrates the history of Edinburgh. We explored the Medieval Old Town including the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle, alongside the impressive Georgian Architecture of the New Town. I was very interested to learn that Edinburgh was built on two levels, resulting in the first high-rise buildings of the 16th Century, to fit everyone in. It also only consisted of the Old Town until the late 18th Century when people began to emigrate to London to avoid the cramped conditions arising with a growing population. So, a competition was launched to design a New Town, and was won by young architect James Craig, to provide more living space and stop people from leaving. The Old and New Towns are both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, understandably so.
We felt like it was like a mini-London, equal in terms of exciting food and drink experiences, but with more of a community feeling. People are warm and inviting. At every place that we visited, we were recommended to another independent business which always turned out to be wonderful. Next time we’d like to take a trip down to Leith and see the water, explore Stockbridge town and perhaps visit during the Fringe Festival in August.
TO EAT / DRINK:
Twelve Triangles Bakery - 90 Brunswick St, Edinburgh EH7 5HU
We visited this bakery on our way to walk up Calton Hill and it was the perfect sustenance. Crisp, buttery and well-laminated croissants with a delicious Fortitude coffee. They had an amazing selection of bread and pastries all produced by hand using a cold/slow fermentation process and using local, seasonal and organic ingredients where possible. I wish I’d taken some home on the train!
Noto - 47a Thistle St, Edinburgh EH2 1DY
This was definitely our favourite food experience in Edinburgh: “A New York inspired restaurant with a love for Asian cuisine” from chef Stuart Rolston (who also owns “Aizle” in Edinburgh where you are given a list of ingredients in lieu of a menu). With a name inspired by his room-mate “Bob Noto” from when he lived in New York, the atmosphere and decor of the space was beautifully understated, with natural tones and a clear Japanese influence. Noto has an exciting menu which mainly consists of small sharing plates, with a few larger dishes, and it was very difficult to choose from. We would probably have ordered the whole menu had the lovely waitress not helped us. We shared the following selection:
Oysters with cucumber mignonette and dill - this dish was so refreshing and set a precedent for the incredibly fresh supply of seafood and seasonal ingredients.
North sea crab with warm butter and sourdough. The crab was served inside its shell, mixed into a sea of warm butter and herbs which we lapped up with a delicious home-made sourdough.
Cured trout with apple and mustard, served with a ponzu sauce and crispy rice noodles. Asian influence at its best, this was so zingy, the fish was melt-in-your-mouth fresh, and the textures worked really well together.
Gem lettuce, crispy chicken skin, parmesan, anchovy- unfortunately this was the only dish that we found to be a little bland.
Fried buttermilk chicken katsu sandwich with kimchi - sweet and savoury deliciousness.
We were also introduced to Pilot beers which are produced in the local town of Leith (Peach Melba Sour was a winner) and an amazing rhubarb cocktail. We were absolutely full to the brim at this point so sadly couldn’t even contemplate pudding. Waddling home, it was easy to tell that all of the ingredients, menu items and the space were meticulously thought through without being pretentious. Overall a really exciting and warm experience.
The Gardener’s Cottage - Royal Terrace Gardens, 1 London Rd, Edinburgh EH7 5DX
Hidden in an unassuming location on the main road below Calton Hill, we had booked this lunch in advance as every review was incredible. The Gardener’s Cottage follows a concept of making the diner aware of producer, seasonality and environment through its daily-changing menu. The experience was very wholesome, right from the initial walk through the kitchen garden, to the natural materials and communal tables inside, and of course the ingredients on our plates, where each flavour really came through in a mouthful. We ate:
A goats cheese and leek panna cotta - I’d never had a savoury panna cotta before, and this one was topped with toasted buckwheat and various colours of sweet beetroot - I loved it.
Ox cheek with Jerusalem artichoke, shallots and kale - the meat was so succulent and flavoursome, and worked perfectly with the earthy Jerusalem artichoke and silky gravy.
A pear frangipane tart with candied walnuts, served with a pear and thyme sorbet - I am a huge sorbet fan and this was amazing, especially the gritty pear texture with the delicate flavour of thyme. The candied walnuts gave a wonderful crunch to the tart.
Fortitude Coffee - 3c York Pl, Edinburgh EH1 3EB
This bright and cosy space offers great coffee - all single origin beans roasted by the company and introduced by welcoming staff.
Spry Wine - 1 Haddington Pl, Edinburgh EH7 4AE
We didn’t actually go to this independent wine bar as it was shut when we had time to go, but it kept being recommended for only stocking and serving organic produce and the Georgian exterior was beautiful so it’s on the list!
27 Elliotts - 27 Sciennes Rd, Edinburgh EH9 1NX
I’d followed 27 Elliotts on social media for a while as I loved the playful graphic style and simple concept of their cookbook “Tin Can Magic”. The physical space lived up to this idea with a simple menu that changes weekly to follow the seasons and shelves filled with local (and aesthetically pleasing) produce. We ate a delicious brunch of wild mushrooms and a fried egg on sourdough before a calm walk back to the centre of town through Edinburgh's leafy meadows.
I.J Mellis - A, 30 Victoria St, Edinburgh EH1 2JW
Find a yummy scotch egg here. Side note - we did not get a deep fried mars bar, but enjoyed the signs.
Bon Vivant - 55 Thistle St, Edinburgh EH2 1DY
We visited Bon Vivant while waiting for a table at their sister restaurant, El Cartel, and we were so happy that we did. It is a lively and “cool” bar, obviously popular as it was full of happy people, and with a extensive menu of cocktails and beers. They also have a bottle shop next door, aptly named “Bon Vivant’s Companion”. There is an broad selection of wines, beers and spirits, and knowledgable, friendly staff who introduced us to lots of local produce. We bought a few beers for the journey home and a delicious bar of blood orange dark chocolate from local producer Ocelot.
El Cartel Mexicana- 64 Thistle St, Edinburgh EH2 1EN
This is the Mexican sister restaurant of Bon Vivant. Having eaten my fair share of soft tacos claiming to be corn flour, the ones here are all hand-pressed in house using Masa Harina corn flour and are genuinely delicious. We ate far too much and drank far too many frozen margaritas but it was lots of fun. We ate:
Carne Asada Taco - flat iron steak, topped with arbol salsa, spring onion, tomato, avocado & crema
Baja Cod Taco - battered cod topped with pomegranate salad, adobo crema & pico de gallo
Chorizo & Sweet Potato Quesadillas, served with cow’s milk cheese, fresh salsa verde & pico de gallo
Guacamole topped with sheep’s cheese, pomegranate, spring onion and served with plantain chips
Street Corn on the cob topped with crema, chilli & hard sheep’s cheese
Salt Horse Bar - 57-61 Blackfriars St, Edinburgh, EH1 1NB
Cosy and lively craft beer bar and bottle shop.
TO DO:
Calton Hill - Edinburgh, EH1 3BJ
We weren’t quite prepared for the strenuous hike up to Arthur’s Seat and so settled on the second highest point Calton Hill. Even so, our walk up the hill was very steep and very icy but well worth it for the panoramic view across the city, to see the National Monument (which was actually just left unfinished due to lack of funding, but looks like a great roman ruin) and visit the galleries at the City Observatory.
Public galleries in Scotland are free so definitely make the most of them:
Scottish National Portrait Gallery - 1 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 1JD
Scottish National Gallery - The Mound, Edinburgh EH2 2EL
Royal Mile - 197 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1PT
Edinburgh's Royal Mile (exactly a mile in-fact) runs through the Old Town, connecting Holyrood Palace to Edinburgh Castle and although it is very touristy and you will be deafened by bagpipes, it is a great way to see how the city connects and see the original tenement buildings. https://ewh.org.uk/world-heritage-sites/the-royal-mile/
Edinburgh Castle - Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG
Built in the 12th-century, Edinburgh Castle perches on volcanic rock; its grandness overlooking the city. We ordered our tickets online and decided to go early in the morning when it opened so it was a little emptier and more enjoyable. It was incredible to learn about the rich history of the castle, its inhabitants (and crown jewels) and the architectural features.
Wonderful bookshops:
Armchair Books - 72-74 West Port, Edinburgh EH1 2LE
Topping & Company Booksellers - 2 Blenheim Pl, Edinburgh EH7 5JH