On this page, you can find information about bars and cafes, restaurants, tourist attractions, art galleries, and restaurants accepting large group bookings.
Top 10 Bars and Cafes
Brew Lab – 20 minute walk from the EICC
http://www.brewlabcoffee.co.uk/
6-8 S College St, Edinburgh, EH8 9AA
0131 662 8963
Trendy specialty coffee house with an artisan brunch, lunch and cakes menu. After 5:30pm on Wednesday - Sunday, The Brew Lab turns into a café-bar, serving beers from a local brewery and small snacks.
Love Crumbs - 5 minute walk from the EICC
155 West Port, Edinburgh, EH3 9DP
0131 629 0626
Quirky and casual café with pretty cakes and intriguing lunch time options.
Cafe Noir – 6 minute walk from the EICC
1 Palmerston Pl, Edinburgh, EH12 5AF
0131 538 4174
Well lit, modern coffee shop/café with a great selection of pastries.
Blackbird – 10 minute walk from the EICC
http://theblackbirdedinburgh.co.uk/
37-39 Leven St, Edinburgh, EH3 9LH
0131 228 2280
Relaxed café-bar serving food and drinks for much of the day, with an excellent beer garden for fair weather.
The Blue Blazer – 5 minute walk from the EICC
http://www.theblueblazer.co.uk/
2 Spittal Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9DX
0131 229 5030
Cosy local bar with traditional décor and a wide selection of drinks.
Sandy Bells - 20 minute walk from the EICC
25 Forrest Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2QH
0131 225 2751
A local pub but also a world-famous meeting place for traditional musicians and a venue for live folk music almost every night and sometimes during the day.
The Jolly Botanist – 4 minute walk from the EICC
http://thejollybotanist.co.uk/
256-260 Morrison St, Edinburgh, EH3 8DT
0131 228 5596
Friendly bar with an eccentric Victorian style interior offering a wide selection of gins and a casual food menu.
The Mad Hatter – 4 minute walk from the EICC
http://www.themadhatterbaredinburgh.com/
8 Torphichen Pl, Edinburgh, EH3 8DU
0131 228 6852
Family run bar with a funky interior and pub menu. The mussel pot is recommended.
The Doric – 20 minute walk from the EICC
15-16 Market St, Edinburgh, EH1 1DE
0131 225 1084
17th Century Tavern and bistro which stays true to its roots with traditional décor and food. Situated near the comedically spooky Edinburgh Dungeons.
Bramble - 20 minute walk from the EICC
16A Queen St, Edinburgh, EH2 1JE
0131 226 6343
An upscale cocktail bar renowned as one of the best in Edinburgh serving a mixture of creative and classic cocktails.
Top 10 Restaurants
Whiski – 20 minute walk from the EICC
Whiski, 119 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SG
0131 556 3095
Award winning whiskey bar and Scottish restaurant with a great atmosphere that frequently hosts live music.
The Dome – 20 minute walk from the EICC
https://www.thedomeedinburgh.com/
14 George St, New Town, Edinburgh, EH2 2PF
0131 624 8624
A restaurant with a spectacular interior, The Dome serves food all day but is particularly noted for its decadent afternoon tea. In the evening a range of cocktails are served and the bar stays open until midnight.
Devil’s Advocate – 20 minute walk from the EICC
http://devilsadvocateedinburgh.co.uk/
9 Advocate's Cl, Edinburgh, EH1 1ND
0131 225 4465
Popular cocktail bar and innovative restaurant with old timey, industrial décor.
Timberyard – 7 minute walk from the EICC
10 Lady Lawson St, Edinburgh, EH3 9DS
0131 221 1222
Restaurant in an authentic former warehouse with a creative artisan menu and rustic vibe.
Ting Thai Caravan – 17 minute walk from the EICC
http://www.tingthai-caravan.com/
Teviot Pl, Edinburgh, EH1 2RA
0131 225 9801
Ting Thia Caravan started off selling authentic Thai street food to festival goers and is now a relaxed restaurant serving Vietnamese and South East Asian dishes.
L’escargot Blanc – 10 minute walk from the EICC
https://www.lescargotblanc.co.uk/
17 Queensferry St, Edinburgh, EH2 4QW
0131 226 1890
A lively bistro with friendly, knowledgeable staff serving well sourced, classic French food.
The Witchery – 15 minute walk from the EICC
352 Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NF
0131 225 5613
A magical dining experience in a gothic hotel serving afternoon teas, light lunches and a la carte dinners.
Tower Restaurant – 10 minute walk from the EICC
https://www.tower-restaurant.com
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers St, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
0131 225 3003
Fine dining and great views on the rooftop of the National Museum of Scotland.
Ondine – 15 minute walk from the EICC
https://www.ondinerestaurant.co.uk/
2 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1AD
0131 226 1888
Modern seafood and shellfish restaurant with a buzzing atmosphere.
David Bann – 20 minute walk from the EICC
56-58 St Mary's St, Edinburgh, EH1 1SX
0131 556 5888
Eclectic but unpretentious vegetarian restaurant.
Top Tourist Attractions
Carlton Hill to the East of Princes Street for the view
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lothian/calton-hill.shtml
Carlton Hill, Regent Road, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG
Traditionally a place of recreation for Edinburgh residents, Calton Hill, with its numerous monuments and buildings is popular as a fine viewpoint over the city.
Arthur’s Seat
https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/holyrood-park-and-arthurs-seat-p914341
Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, EH8 8AL
Arthur's Seat is the main peak of the group of hills in Edinburgh, Scotland which form most of Holyrood Park, described by Robert Louis Stevenson as "a hill for magnitude, a mountain in virtue of its bold design".
Edinburgh Castle
https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/
Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NG
0131 225 9846
Iconic historical site in the center of Edinburgh.
Art Galleries
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/
1 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1JD
0131 624 6200
Royal Scottish Academy
http://www.royalscottishacademy.org/
The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL
0131 624 6110
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
https://www.camera-obscura.co.uk/
Castlehill, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 2ND
0131 226 3709
A quirky museum that calls itself a “fairground hall of mirrors meets 21st Century tech”
St Giles Cathedral
https://www.stgilescathedral.org.uk/
High St, Edinburgh, EH1 1RE
0131 226 0674
Historic cathedral that includes the chapel of the Royal Order of the Knights of the Thistle.
Vaults Walking Tours
The Mercat Cross, High Street, EH1 1RF
By St Giles High Kirk, opposite the City Chambers
0131 225 5445
Offering a choice of an informative and exciting history tour or a chilling ghost tour of the streets and underground of Edinburgh.
Secret Garden Walking Tour (private group bookings only, for 1-20 people)
http://www.greenyondertours.com/tours/hiddengardens.html
0131 558 8240
43 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR
Easy walking tour around Edinburgh’s old towns showing secret gardens and green spaces that are otherwise easy to miss.
Gladstone’s Land
https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land
0131 226 5856
477B Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2NT
National Trust building just below the castle which lets you see what apartments were like before the New Town was built. Surprisingly elegant and definitely worth a visit.
Botanical Gardens
Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR
0131 248 2909
Tranquil gardens that are world renowned for their horticultural excellence.
National Museum of Scotland
https://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland/
Chambers St, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
0300 123 6789
A diverse museum that takes you through the history of Scotland through nature, art, design, fashion and technology.
Restaurants taking large group bookings
Unusual Venues – The Rowan Tree
https://unusualvenuesedinburgh.com/venues/the-rowantree-venue-Edinburgh
253-255 The Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1NN
0131 510 1080
On Sunday-Thursday, the capacity is 30-80 people and on Friday-Saturday the capacity is 40-80 people.
Offering a set menu of £50 per head (+ £15 per head with drinks included)
The Whiski Rooms
4-7 North Bank Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2LP
0131 225 7224
Capacity is up to 80 people
Offering set menu options of: £25.95/£29.95/£39.95
The Dome
https://www.thedomeedinburgh.com/
14 George St, New Town, Edinburgh EH2 2PF
0131 624 8624
Offering a set menu for £37-£46 for 30+ people (drinks are not included).
The Doric
15-16 Market St, Edinburgh EH1 1DE
0131 225 1084
Capacity is up to 70 people
Offering a set menu of £25/30 per head (+ £7 per head to add 2 glasses of wine).
Ghillie Dhu
2 Rutland place, Edinburgh EH1 2AD
0131 222 9930
Capacity is 40-160 people
Offering a set menu of £28.95 per head (+ £10.50 a head to add 2 glasses of wine).
The Witchery
352 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NF
0131 225 5613
Capacity is 25-50 people in the witchery or 25-60 people in the secret garden
Minimum spend for the set menu/drinks is £5500 for 40 people
