Where to Stay & Eat in Edinburgh
Which neighbourhood fits your trip, and where the good, honestly priced food actually is.
Edinburgh’s Old Town and New Town sit right next to each other but feel like two different cities, and the right base depends on what kind of trip you’re having. Here’s an honest breakdown of where to stay, and where to eat once you’re there.
Where to stay, by neighbourhood
Old Town
Medieval, atmospheric, and genuinely noisy, the Royal Mile and its closes put the Castle, the Grassmarket and most major sights right on your doorstep. It’s the natural choice if this is your first trip and you want everything within walking distance, and it’s the pick for festival visitors specifically, closest to most Fringe venues, even if that means accepting the crowds.
New Town
Elegant Georgian terraces built from 1759 onward to ease Old Town’s overcrowding, and it’s succeeded, New Town is noticeably calmer while remaining a 10-minute walk from the Old Town across Princes Street Gardens. Good for families needing more space, and for anyone who’d rather not deal with cobbled streets and crowds right outside their door.
Stockbridge
A village-like neighbourhood on the Water of Leith, about 20 minutes’ walk north of the Old Town, cobbled streets, a Sunday market, and Circus Lane, regularly cited as one of the most photographed streets in the city. Good for slower travellers and couples who don’t mind a short walk or bus ride into the centre in exchange for a genuinely local feel.
Leith
Edinburgh’s old port area, not centrally located, so you’ll rely on buses or the tram to reach the Old Town, but the trade-off is excellent, less touristy dining and waterfront walks along the Shore. Good for foodies and budget travellers willing to commute a little for noticeably better value than the centre.
Where to eat
Victoria Street and the Grassmarket, just off the Royal Mile, hold a good concentration of restaurants without the worst of the Royal Mile’s own tourist markup. In New Town, The Dome and Dishoom Edinburgh are both well-regarded for a proper sit-down meal, and in Stockbridge, Hector’s and The Raeburn cover more relaxed, neighbourhood dining.
For something with a bit more theatre to it, Panda & Sons in New Town is a genuine hidden speakeasy worth seeking out for a drink after dinner, and the weekly Stockbridge Market, best explored on an empty stomach, is a good, cheap way to eat well on a Sunday.
A note on safety
Edinburgh is a compact, generally safe city, and its safest neighbourhoods tend to be the most central and affluent ones, Old Town, New Town, Stockbridge and Newington are all fine to walk around at most hours. Leith and Gorgie sit further out and are less geared toward visitors, standard city-centre precautions apply once you’re away from the main tourist routes.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
