And now the moment you've all been waiting for: my full-proof food and drinks recommendations in Edinburgh, Scotland!
(cue cheers, hoots, and hollers...)
If there is one place I can't recommend more for great eats, it's Edinburgh. We found pancakes that'll make you quake, wings that'll make you sing, crepes of odd shapes, and tacos that'll rocko yo sockos (I realize I stretched that rhyme a bit, but just go with it!).
Follow along with my food itinerary to make sure you leave Edinburgh wishing you were staying:
Breakfast/BrunchFirst stop is Tani Modi for some world-class pancakes.
I woke up early one morning in our hostel, made myself a delicious cup of instant coffee, stole some milk from the communal fridge, and went to work researching which places to eat breakfast. We'd been craving pancakes since German's don't really do pancakes for breakfast and since we first had a bite of bacon in northern Scotland, finding that their bacon trumps all others. So I was on the lookout for great pancake spots.
The irony is that we almost didn't go to Tani Modi and were so glad we did. We went to one restaurant just nearby that had a more modern menu (think: acai bowls and fancy egg dishes) but was a little more expensive. Their wait list pushed us next door to Tani Modi.
Out came the pancakes that changed our lives. Thick and fluffy, but not too thick and fluffy, if you know what I mean (of course you do), dripping with maple syrup and peanut-butter whisky sauce, and topped with thick bacon - the best in the world, mind you. Read more of the play-by-play here if you want your mouth to water. And if memory serves me right, they were only around 6.5 pounds.
After this meal, we all sat in silence with creepy, drippy smiles on our faces. You know that feeling after an amazing meal when you don't want anything else to touch your lips for the rest of the day in fear of that meal's taste leaving your mouth? That's where we were.
We eventually gave in for some wings and crepes later, but hey, we're only human.
Needless to say we went back to Tani Modi the next day. And when we heard they had a 45 minute wait, we didn't even blink an eye.
Lunch
If you ate breakfast early, go here for lunch. Or maybe you decide to hit this spot the next day. Either way, as long as you go to this place at some point during your stay in Edinburgh, I'll be happy.
Drop into El Cartel for Mexican street food that will put you on the floor.
I know what you're thinking - Edinburgh? Mexican street food? Good Mexican street food? Edinburgh??
Yes.
Believe me when I say El Cartel had the best tacos I'd ever tasted - and I've had the tacos in Cali. Don't get me wrong, those are good. They're great! But these are different. Better.
El Cartel boasts a revolutionized menu. Your chips and guac aren't just chips and guac - they're crispy plantain chips on the side of guac with sheep's milk cheese, pomegranate seeds, and spring onion. And the tacos aren't just tacos - they're succulent and crisp duck carnitas, topped with chipotle pecan salsa, crema, pico de gallo, and pumpkin seeds.
These tacos had my eyes rolling in the back of my head with every bite. Filled-to the brim, I found myself scooping up the remnants with left-over plantain chips and trying to savor every bite, fighting the urge to suck the deliciousness all down at once.
Get two tacos all to yourself for 6.5 pounds. Share the chips and guac for 5 pounds and quesadilla (chorizo, sweet potato, and cow's milk soft cheese) for 5.5 pounds.
Delicious, authentic, and unique Mexican street food on a budget? Can't beat it.
Dinner
Ok, so it's been a long day. Maybe you tromped up the Royal Mile and explored the Edinburgh Castle. Or trekked Arthur's seat. Maybe you sat in a pub all day! Doesn't matter, because you're always craving wings.
Next stop: Wings.
Quite possibly the coolest restaurant I've been in. It's hard to even call it a restaurant, because it felt more like a "pad" or "clubhouse". Posters and quirky drawings covered every inch of the walls. Bathroom signs were lit in neon. And the ceilings were low, making you feel like you just walked into your childhood treehouse.
But the vibes were only the start. Wings offers a giant selection of flavors and sauces which smother 6-7 wings for only 4.5 pounds. This is a great destination for wing connoisseurs or travelers on a budget. I personally went with Honey Garlic and Sweet BBQ, but there were a million more I would've been happy with. And I washed it all down with a delicious Adult milkshake - chocolate and coconut rum.
These wings had me reeling, guys. I can't tell you how skeptical I was coming in. I do not like bone-in wings. Or so I thought. But these babies were crispy and crunchy, and I was making sounds with every ferocious bite.
Yes, I had sauce all over my face. Yes, I looked like a starved mountain lion protecting its prey. And yes, I was moaning loudly for all other customers to hear.
But was I embarrassed? C'mon, do you even know me?? (Well, yes, I was slightly embarrassed. But then I realized I just struck gold and am happy as hell eating these wings, and no one could ruin that!).
Dessert
You know dinner is not complete without dessert. Cap your dinner with dessert at Coro the Chocolate Cafe for the best damn crepe I ever did eat.
Coro offers an array of desserts. So many that I couldn't even decide. Naturally, I am a coffee/peanut flavored gal, so I settled on the chocolate peanut cheesecake.
Boy was I mistaken.
Don't get me wrong, it was delicious! But one bite of Emma's cinnamon roll crepe and I was a goner.
Whatever you do, get the cinnamon roll crepe. I know that when I say that you're gonna be like "Wellllll this other one looks pretty goo-" No. Get. The. Cinnamon. Roll. Crepe. If you don't like it. If it doesn't make you want to melt right into that crepe and live there forever, swimming in the buttery, cinnamony streams of goodness, then I want to hear about it. And then you can blame me for your eternal unhappiness (but really just go back and order something else...don't be so dramatic!).
Drinks
And after you've sufficiently stuffed your face all day, you can take a breather before you go for drinks. Relax at a nearby cafe or your hostel/hotel while you prep for the night.
Your final stop is the Grassmarket.
This street is loaded with pubs and clubs, usually playing live music. Start the walk and head east, passing by bars like Biddy Mulligans. Turn left up the windy, Harry Potter-esq street and make sure to stop in at Finnegan's Wake. Or continue straight up Cowgate and hit Three Sisters or Dropkick Murphy's. And if you're looking for a bit more than just drinks and live music, have a ping pong tourney and listen to some hip hop or trap music from the DJ at 4042. And if you don't want to stop the night there, continue onto clubs like The Liquid Room (right next to Finnegan's) or Please Don't Tell (a bit farther of a walk, back past the start of the Grassmarket).
Trouble deciding what beer to drink? My personal favorites were from Brewdog and Innis & Gunn, but the local lager favorite is Tennents!
The Edinburgh night scene drew us in all too quickly. The live music and dancing is intoxicating. Watching everyone at these places cheers-ing, laughing, and singing put a smile on our faces that we couldn't wipe off.
The food, bars, and sites of Edinburgh will draw you in, make no mistake. The best part is that it feels like there is something there for everyone, just as long as you promise to have a drink, a dance, and a laugh.
If you won't take my word for it, take the word of two gals who were looking at cheap flights back to Edinburgh just as they returned home to Germany.
Can you blame us?