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Edinburgh Castle
Photograph: Alessandro Storniolo/Shutterstock.com

The 18 best things to do in Edinburgh's Old Town

Discover all the best restaurants, bars and things to do in Edinburgh’s Old Town

Arusa Qureshi
Amy Houghton
Edited by
Arusa Qureshi
&
Amy Houghton
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Edinburgh, you are a real charmer. The Scottish capital is a volcano of delights, packed with culture, history, heritage, and good times, not to mention one of the best food and drink scenes in Europe. Also, that volcano bit wasn’t just for effect; there is an actual volcano here, albeit an extinct one.

Edinburgh is at its most ‘Edinburgh’ in the Old Town, the self-explanatory district that gave the city its beginnings. Edinburgh Castle is worth every speck of attention it receives, while the aforementioned food and drink scene is on another level here. This is your ultimate guide to Edinburgh’s Old Town, from morning coffee to the morning, with plenty of things to do in between.

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At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines

Best things to do in Edinburgh’s Old Town

  • Museums

From the geology to the industrial era, from ancient people to the twentieth century, from the basement to the fabulous Balcony Café, the National Museum of Scotland narrates the story of the country. There are artefacts that take your breath away, that make you squirm and interactive exhibits that will bring out your competitive side. The new part of the museum dates to 1998; the older part adjacent was completed in 1888 but was substantially refurbished and reopened in 2011. Together, they’re a must-see.

  • Attractions
  • Historic buildings and sites

With nearly a millennium of recorded history under its belt, a span of human occupation that probably stretches as far as the Bronze Age, a beautifully simple twelfth-century chapel, the hugely affecting Scottish National War Memorial, the National War Museum, the Honours of Scotland and much more besides, Edinburgh Castle is a world-class attraction. With so much inside its ancient walls, you’ll no doubt find something here to engage your interest.

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  • Attractions

It’s a talking shop for politicians. So why bother visiting? The bold design by the late Enric Miralles is controversial, and construction may have gone way over time and budget, but the interior of the building is remarkable. In September 2014, nearly 45 percent of Scots felt that this parliament was perfectly sufficient for Scotland’s needs, Westminster being surplus to requirements. If the UK breaks up in your lifetime, this place will have played a key part.

  • Attractions
  • Religious buildings and sites

With medieval roots, much subsequent refurbishment and a prominent role in some key events of Scottish history, St Giles is a rewarding place to wander. Given the window it affords on the Calvinist superstructure of Scotland’s soul – if such a confection can be said to exist – then visiting the Mother Church of Presbyterianism is positively voyeuristic.

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  • Clubs

With its medieval city-on-a-hill status, the Old Town has many layers, basements, cellars and bridge arches that have been built over and hidden. Sneaky Pete’s takes advantage of this aspect of the city’s fabric to provide a club and gig venue that may be small in size but is big in atmosphere. Here, you might be watching a solo act with an acoustic guitar or dancing to techno until 3am.

  • Museums

Surgeons’ Hall is home to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, an organisation founded more than 500 years ago. Within the complex of buildings, you find collections of surgical pathology material, instruments, displays on radiology, a dental collection, and more. In truth, it’s the gruesome pickled bits of people in jars that the public comes to see.

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The Bongo Club
  • Nightlife

Owned by arts charity Out of the Blue, the Bongo serves as a gig venue, club venue and general arts centre. You can find anything and everything on the premises, from pop-up food and crafts markets to dubstep, grime, jungle and reggae nights later on that continue until the wee hours. The Bongo is a well-established fixture on the Edinburgh alternative culture scene, based at its current Cowgate premises since 2013.

Cafés and restaurants in the Old Town

  • Restaurants
  • Cafés

The USP at Mother India’s Café near the University of Edinburgh is small dishes, various flavours and sharing. Why should a pair of dining partners struggle through two rich, protein-heavy curries, for example – and rice and bread – when they could have three or four smaller dishes, sample them all, and then just order more if they feel like it? Simple, clever, popular.

  • Restaurants

Aside from the great name, there’s plenty to like about Lovecrumbs. This delightful café embraces not only the sweet stuff but also savoury options like sausage rolls and hearty sandwiches. The ever-changing cake options are the real highlight, though, with flavours like chocolate and lavender and raspberry and rose, plus plenty of teas, coffees, and rather tasty hot chocolate.

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  • Restaurants

Andrew Radford is an Edinburgh restaurant legend; when he opened the Atrium more than 20 years ago, it set a new benchmark for contemporary fine dining in the capital. That venue ran its course, but after some intermediary ventures, he popped up again with Timberyard in 2012. Based on an actual old timber yard, the decor is artfully distressed, while the food is plain wonderful.

  • Restaurants

This bustling bistro is a great space, split over two sections, with a pared-down, minimalist look. The outrageously well-priced lunch menu plays its part, and the food covers modern bistro classics, while service is swift and usually cheerful. Gorgeous views of the castle also make this one a real gem. 

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  • Restaurants

Founder and chef Paul Wedgwood’s plan was simple: create an unpretentious space where imagination, ingredients and great cooking are at the fore. Since opening in 2007, he’s achieved just that. There’s a warm, relaxed atmosphere at Wedgwood, from the contemporary decor to the modern Scottish menu. The dinner menu changes monthly, and standouts in the past have included lobster thermidor creme brulee and sticky toffee pudding with Bunnahabhain whisky butterscotch.

  • Restaurants
  • Delis

Just two minutes from the bustling Royal Mile, Edinburgh Larder sells seasonal, locally sourced and tasty food, with its breakfast menu available all day and featuring all the classics like eggs Benedict, porridge, and hash browns. If you’re in a bit later, try the Taste of Scotland Plate, which comes with Belhaven cold smoked salmon, Ramsay honey roast ham, cheese, chutney, salad, and more.

 

Bars and pubs in the Old Town

  • Bars and pubs
  • Cocktail bars

Paradise Palms has shelves of vinyl records, neon lights, a 1970s pub carpet, soft toys, bunting on the ceiling and every nook stuffed with pot plants, standard lamps and more. It would be easy to write it off as just another wacky student bar – the University of Edinburgh’s Bristo Square buildings are directly opposite – but the vegetarian soul food menu, eclectic events calendar and fun cocktail list make it a far more attractive proposition.

 

  • Bars and pubs

Not so much a pub as a manifestation from another universe that drifts in from time to time and opens its door at random. Young people come in, carry items up the stairs, and never come down again. The barmaid is ethereal. There is hardly any choice of beer. Crisps are sometimes free. The Waverley is the type of pub you visit once and then dream about years later, wondering if it ever existed at all. If you drop by for a pint, it will probably be closed.

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  • Bars and pubs

Slap bang in the middle of tourist country, Whiski is a traditionally-styled bar, popular with visitors to Edinburgh who fancy a steak and ale pie and a pint of Scottish beer. It offers more than that, however, as its whisky list is one of the city’s very best, easily good enough to interest serious aficionados. There is a sister venue on North Bank Street with a shop, tasting room, bar and more formal restaurant. This High Street venue is certainly the more relaxed and pub-like of the two.

  • Bars and pubs

Salt Horse is a dual-purpose beer shop and bar with the business very much on message in terms of artisan food and drink. The bar space is not the biggest, but it has the maximum number of small tables squeezed in, simple decor, lots of beer in bottles and cans, and a dozen rotating keg lines featuring breweries from around the United Kingdom. These are served in schooners (two-thirds of a pint) as is customary these days, but with some beers reaching 7 percent ABV and above, that’s no bad thing.

 

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  • Bars and pubs

If a bar has a genuine commitment to top-quality beer and fine single malt whisky, a decent range of both and staff with the ability to explain the products to the clientele, that bar has given itself every chance to thrive. The Bow Bar thrives. It should probably be used as an example in business studies courses: how to do things properly.

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