With almost 50,000 performances over the course of one month, more than 3,100 shows and almost 300 venues, it’s no wonder that the Edinburgh Festival is billed as the world’s largest artistic and
cultural bonanza. A global jamboree demands global food, so it’s fitting that the city is also jam-packed with eateries from every corner of the gastronomic planet.
Here’s our pick of the crop for punters who are looking for big flavours, small bills and something a bit different in between the comedy acts, music gigs, dancing and theatrical
performances.
Note that many venues extend their opening hours, change their menus and offer special deals while the Festival is running.
Blackfriars
Once home to legendary boho veggie hangout Black Bo’s, Blackfriars is a very different prospect, although the stripped-back interior still has touches of hip art-school cool. This is a genuinely
local restaurant serving genuinely seasonal food – think cured sea trout with apple and radish. Trendy nibbles, craft ales and world beers too.
Bonsai
Handily placed within easy reach of Fringe venues such as The Pleasance and Bristo Square, dinky minimalist Bonsai has been serving Japanese cuisine to the Edinburgh public for more than a decade,
and keeps its customers content with terrific-value sushi, sashimi and other staples of the cuisine. Bargain bento boxes at lunchtime.
Calistoga (pictured right)
Gordon Minnis’s offbeat bistro is famed for its cliché-busting Californian-style food as well as a turbo-charged selection of wines from the Golden State. Eclecticism rules in the kitchen, which
knocks out some punchy, up-front flavours – from chilled cucumber and avocado soup to peppered pork with herby couscous.
David Bann
Sharp, modern interiors reflect the kitchen’s forward-thinking, international approach at Edinburgh’s most innovative vegetarian restaurant. The choice of mains reads like a world tour – crêpes,
udon noodles, dosas, risottos – while ginger and lime ice cream in chocolate ganache with orange drizzle cake is a lush way to finish.
Dusit Thai
After almost a decade at the top of its game, Dusit is still widely regarded as the pick of a big bunch of Thai eateries in Edinburgh. The kitchen’s skilfully crafted food is textbook stuff and
right on the money, while the interior is cool and informal, with exhibits from Thai art students adding some colour to proceedings.
Illegal Jack’s South West Grill
Opposite the Odeon cinema, Illegal Jack’s is a Spartan spot with plain oak benches and tables, some artwork explaining the food, an open-to-view grill and a mixed bag of hungry students, families,
office workers and culture vultures. The menu is broadly Tex-Mex with some additions from further afield, and the idea is to follow Jack’s ‘four-point plan’.
Indaba (pictured right)
The name means a council or conference, especially between different South African tribes, although the food at this tapas joint and eclectic house of fun goes way beyond the Cape. Expect dried
boerwors sausage, ‘sosaties’ skewers and ‘crying cake’ alongside haggis, albondigas and Venezuelan arepas (fried corn discs with savoury fillings).
Kalpna
Redoubtable family-run Kalpna has been serving terrific Indian vegetarian food to the citizens of Edinburgh for nigh on 30 years and shows no signs of slowing down. Lunch is an all-inclusive
buffet, while the full menu cherry-picks fascinating meat-free specialities from across the subcontinent. Even carnivores may be seduced.
Hanam’s
Jamal Ahmed’s personable restaurant in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle evokes the area of northern Iraq that he left as a teenager, and stakes its claim as the city’s only Kurdish eatery. With
shisha pipes on the terrace and literature relating to traditional culture, it provides an evocative backdrop for food with a broad gastronomic heritage.
L’Escargot Bleu
Chef/patron Fred Berkmiller is immensely proud of his French heritage, and everything about this long-standing bistro is authentically Gallic – from the copper pans glittering on the wall to the
vintage poster of Edith Piaf in the front parlour. Expect snails en croûte, coq au vin, confit duck with Puy lentils, ripe cheeses and patriotic wines too.
Nanyang (pictured right)
Part of Edinburgh’s trendy Quartermile district, smartly appointed Nanyang offers an extensive trek through the Malaysian repertoire, with Nonya, Chinese and Indian influences popping up across the
board – from satays and curries to noodles, laksa soups and composite rice dishes. Excellent dim sum, congees and ‘hawker’ street food too.
Nile Valley Cafe
Owned and run by former residents of Khartoum, this ridiculously laid-back Sudanese eatery is pretty much unique in Edinburgh – morphing from a self-respecting daytime café into a candlelit
restaurant come nightfall. Start with traditional mezze before tackling big helpings of fish curry, chicken tagine or spicy lamb molokhia. Unlicensed, but your can BYO.
Pho Vietnam House
Originally a tiny cubbyhole of a place, Edinburgh’s first Vietnamese restaurant is still a cosy, family-run outfit with refreshingly basic trappings. Botanical artwork, portraits and woven
placemats create a casual vibe, the soundtrack is pure pop and the food is spot-on – from fragrantly garnished pho soups to fishcakes, zingy salads and noodles.
Tapa
Hidden away in a former bonded warehouse, this Spanish tapas joint creates an authentic vibe with its high vaulted walls, tiled floors, bullfighting posters and mirrors. Produce from a reputable
Spanish importer informs everything from artisan charcuterie and regional cheeses to pan-fried morcilla with quail’s egg, Basque-style hot dogs and Santiago tart.
Timberyard (pictured right)
Housed in an old timber warehouse and theatrical props store, this brilliant family-run addition to the Edinburgh scene is big on foraging, butchery and curing, with pickings from the vegetable
patch and locally sourced ingredients featuring in on-trend dishes such as smoked beef loin with shallot, burnt ramson, cauliflower, kohlrabi and mustard.
Valvona & Crolla
Founded by the Contini family in 1934, this Italian pioneer has graduated ‘from market stall to dot.com’ and is now a landmark Edinburgh destination. The Caffè Bar is a mainstay of good taste, and
the menu covers all bases from toasted panatella sandwiches to fresh pasta, pizzas, seasonal specials and luscious gelati. V&C is also the city’s top Italian wine merchant.
Wing Sing Inn
Authenticity is the reason why this off-piste eatery is regularly stuffed full of garrulous Chinese families, and the food also scores with its fantastically low prices. Forget the basic decor and
revel in curious delights such as pork lung, jellyfish with cabbage, tripe with chilli, fried dumpling pancakes, battered frog’s legs and other esoteric delicacies.
Click here to find out where to drink in Edinburgh
Click here to see our pick of where to eat during Edinburgh Fringe
Click here to find more restaurants in Edinburgh
Written by David Mabey. Published 8 August 2014.