1 night in Edinburgh - food & drink?

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4 ladies staying 1 night in Edinburgh to celebrate a 40th birthday. Staying around St Andrews Square. Have an activity booked during the day on the Sat then hoping for a few cocktails, back to the hotel to get ready then out for dinner and a few more cocktails.

We’d like something nice and fun but not too fancy!

Happy for a wee walk but ideally not wandering back and forward across the city ☺️

Can anyone suggest any good options for food and cocktails? No seafood is the only requirement - happy for all other options ☺️

Makars mash or six by nico would be my suggestions

The best cocktails I have had recently were at Tattu - and wonderful food too! Very close to St Andrews Square.

Badger and Co is lovely!

The dome is great for a drink, there’s the restaurant on Carlton hill that looks great….

Dishoom for dinner (and cocktails in the basement bar - their Gimlet is my go-to), and Lady Libertine for cocktails. Both St andrews Square

Contini on George Street or the Dome for cocktails

Second this!

For ‘nice, fun, not too fancy’ food in the vicinity you could look at Chez Jules (French, bit chaotic), Thamel (Nepalese), Ka Pao (pan Asian small plates), Little Capo (Italian, small plates), Noto (small plates, not fancy fancy but probs the closest to it from this bunch!)

Cocktail options close to one or all of these/hotel include Nightcap, The Last Word, The Blind Tiger, Lucky Liquor Co and Bramble.

Twenty Princes Street then Juniper is worth a visit.

Bonnie and Wild at the top of St James quarter, great food but quite relaxed vibe. Chez Jules is popular at lunchtime for the set menu.

Dishoom, Rio and Six by Nico are all great too but they are chains you could go to any in big city.

Cocktails the Alchemist, lady libertine, the dome (for the surroundings), panda and sons. Cocktail geeks if you want something a bit different - the theme changes every couple of months, it's stranger things at the moment.

Joaos place in the w hotel for cocktails definitely - then for food the spence at gleneagles townhouse!

Thanks so much ☺️ I’ve made a list and will do some research ☺️

Dishoom is great. Mowgli along Hanover Street is also yummy. Both are Indian.

Amarone is nice - it's Italian.

Quite a few options available in St James quarter. I like Bonnie & Wild as there are different vendors so it can be nice for a group setting - everyone can find something they like to eat instead of trying to find one cuisine that works for all.

I've been told Pho Edinburgh is good, but not tried it yet. It's Vietnamese.

Loads of options along Rose Street and George Street too.
Pizza Pilgrims. Contini.
Cafe Andaluz is my fav.

Drinks wise - also spoiled for choice. Lady Libertine. The Botanist. The Alchemist. Manahatta. The Voodoo Rooms is tucked away but they do nice drinks too and usually some live music show going on in one of the rooms.

Hope you and your pals have a great stay. Let us know which places you end up going to. 😁

There are so many independents in Edinburgh and are generally better than the chains. Noto, Fishers in the City, Petit Folie or Bar di vin underneath as well as Chez Jules get my vote. Broughton St and Leith Walk also have a good range of places.

Bistro Coco on Broughton Street..gorgeous French food. Then across the road to the Blind Tiger for cocktails. Or you could walk back up the street to the top for the Basement.

Lady Libertines is very lovely as PP recommends. Bit swisher.

pho is good but I don’t think it’s a going out for a 40th birthday sort of place, it’s more “dinner before the cinema” IMO
dishoom is a bit different but I don’t think you can book unless you’re a bigger group.
Amarone at St Andrews sq is a good Italian in a lovely setting. Ditto Hawksmoor if you like steak.
six by Nico might be a chain but it’s always different and a bit fun and feels quite special and very reasonably priced for the quality of food. They also do matched cocktails.

Literally have a look at The List, reviews and all things foodie in Edinburgh.

Maki & Ramen at St James Quarter. Great food and cocktails.

I know you've said no seafood but they do other things including non fish sushi and have meat free options if needed. The ramens are great and they're always so friendly - the staff, not the ramens, ha.

Plus if you sign up to them you instantly get free gyozas and a free ramen on your birthday (you don't even have to have been before to be eligible for the free ramen which is also a plus).

I’d second this! Great cocktails. I’d also recommend Harvey Nichols fourth floor, for the views if nothing else! Also Rabble if closer to the West End.

Thank you all ☺️ I have a nice little list 👍🏻☺️

Book. Book wherever you are going unless it’s walk in only. The city is always busy and you could find yourself wandering about unable to get in anywhere. Even if you book and cancel on the day.

lol I have lived in Edinburgh my whole life (40 years) and for the last 20 years up the bridges (southside) and never heard of half these places I need to go out more lol

We made the mistake of thinking that the hotel breakfast was too expensive and that we’d eat out cheaper, we were wrong, it’s so expensive and we’d have got more food in the hotel.

@PersephoneParlormaid i agree, hotel breakfasts are nearly always much better value than eating out if you can make a good dent in a buffet! Just being able to have a second (or third) hot drink would be another £3+ in a cafe. And if I eat a big hotel breakfast I don’t need much lunch.