Whether it's a bottle of South African plonk you need for a poncey dinner party, or a half bottle…read moreof Scotch that's required for an afternoon sitting on a park bench soiling yourself, Oddbins is a pretty safe bet. Since the collapse of our economy most of the other off-license chains have went up the shitter, so for some more obscure social lubricants, it may be your only bet. Due to it's location in tourist town this branch of Oddbins particularly specialises in whiskey, from standard Whyte and Mackay to 25 year old malts.

Fair play to Oddbins, this is a great location for an off licence specialising in whisky. The…read moreselection of our nation's most famous export is interesting, varied and comprehensive. Everything is displayed in an enticing and attractive way and there are little notes next to some bottles to inform you of what delights lie before you. The staff here know their stuff and can advise you without appearing patronising or condescending. And, Oddbins being Oddbins ,there are always a few wee bargains floating around the place if you browse hard enough.

Hello! When did this wee gem spring up?…read more It's not really wee, and it looks new - I'm guessing it's only been on Cockburn Street under a month. Old Town Context is a refreshing, traditional store on Cockburn Street, steering away from the style of the tourist traps on the Royal Mile to offer alternative gift ideas. They have some old English, French and American advert poster art, cards, stationery, gifts, mugs with pin ups on them, clocks made out of recycled glass drinks bottles - a very eclectic and classy selection. Its inspiration is clearly from bygone era's, and I was very impressed with their postcard range. They also have some cracking cards and original prints with cats on them. These cats are wearing kilts and rugby shifrts, quoting Burns and other Scottish poets within the print. It's a very odd idea but entirely up my alley. Overall a very enjoyable shop for the family. It's difficult to walk out of here without buying anything.

I am glad that my 200th review is on this hidden gem... actually it isn't that hidden, but I have a…read morefeeling that lots of people just walk right on by. In a very different and almost vintage way, it is a souvenir shop. I say that because there were lots of prints, cards, coffee mugs of the city and various British 'things', but they are not the types of souvenirs that you would find in the every single store on the Royal Mile... yeah, you know what I mean. I loved the different prints of the city, my favourite was a very art deco-ish print highlighting the castle in a yellowy-orangish hue against a dark background. They had it as a large print, a card, and a coffee mug. I am now kicking myself that I did not buy it. If you love globes or tin signs, they have loads of them! If you are looking for a different kind of souvenir for someone... or just something for yourself, stop in here because they have some really wonderful items.

It's 5 stars all the way! It's just a great spot that connects you to many different parts of Old…read moreTown. The views of the castle from here are also incredible. Especially if you want to see the volcanic plug under the castle. The best views of it are from here. It's also where you can make your way up the Vennel Steps to see the old defensive walls of the city. There are even two or three different ways that you can get to the castle from here. The Granny Green Steps are located on the west side of the square. It will take you up to Johnston Terrace where you can take another set of stairs called Castle Wynd North up to the castle. The second option is to take the Castle Wynd South path in the middle of the square which will lead into the Patrick Geddes Steps and directly to the North Steps. Another way is to walk up West Bow from the square to Victoria Street (also in Grassmarket). Take the stairway up to Victoria Terrace and then make your way up to the steps at Castle Wynd North or to the Royal Mile. You'll get a different perspective of the Grassmarket area and the castle from all angles. We visited it daily. We even passed through it on our way to Greyfriars Kirkyard via Candlemaker Row. The National Museum of Scotland is also easily accessible from here. The square in Grassmarket is the perfect meet up location. There's a lot of dark history here as well. It was one of the public execution sites that included the unsuccessful one of "Half-Hangit Maggie Dickson" in 1724. There's a bar at the square named after her. You'll also see a memorial written on the stones of the square for the last person (James Andrews) to be hanged at the gallows there on 4 February 1784. All creepiness aside, it's a very lively and active place that you'll pass through at some point. I mean, how could you not? It's an area full of beauty and history. *Updated on 5/5/2026 to correct a name.

Grassmarket is located in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, just behind Edinburgh Castle. It's one…read moreof the oldest parts of the city, dating back to the 14th century. it is a popular area of the city today, just as it has been for many years. The Grassmarket is one of the most vibrant and charming neighbourhoods in Edinburgh and it's not a place you want to miss. However, one of the best parts about visiting this area are the views you'll get of the castle! Lined with buzzing bars, restaurants with worldwide flavours, delicious coffee shops and eclectic shops, the area's winding streets are a delight to explore at your leisure. Take a historic walking tour. Free historic walking tour maps are available from the local pubs and shops in the area. You can read or listen to the audio history of the area here. OR Visit the Greyfriars Bobby monument and grave site of a devoted little dog.

I have to admit I'd never heard of this market before today. We stumbled across it quite by chance…read moreone saturday as we were wandering through Morningside looking for somewhere to go for lunch. On the one hand, it's always great to see local retailers and designers being supported locally. And although I'm no art conoisseur there was some gorgeous stuff on display - mainly paintings and sketches of Scottish scenery - and I was surprised at how reasonably-priced some of it was. However, I did get the impression that in the huge big room of stalls and stands there were only about 3 or 4 different categories of things being sold. If you're the kind of person who loves browsing stall after stall of almost identical-looking glass jewellery or silver-plated chokers with semi-precious stones on them then you'll be in heaven here. Otherwise, you probably won't need to spend mor than 15 minutes or so here. That said, if you're in the area on the first saturday of every month then you should pop in for a browse.

I have been to this market about 3 times now and I love the idea of local crafters being able to…read moresell their wares without necessarily having a shop to do so. However, some of the sellers are well established and also sell elsewhere in town. There are some lovely homeware and gift items such as art prints, lots of jewellery, knitted crafts, clever wooden items and ttweed purses, cafetieres etc. This market is not well advertised, as like others, I came across it by chance one day. The hall location is good for all weathers and for picking up Morningside foot traffic when the sign is out. However, the downside is that there are so many good home and giftware shops in the Morningside and Bruntsfield area, that they have a lot of competition.

They do just about everything right here. For one; they focus on the food and what you as a…read morecustomer would like to eat and how you'd like to eat it. Secondly: No, actually, that is it. Alcohol license? They have a 12 seater restaurant, barely space for a cash register. So... Nah.. people will eventually complain about the coldness of their beer, or the off-ness of their wine. Nope, they'll stick with the green Jasmine / Lotus tea and to the food and concentrate on that. You bring in what you like at the temperature you'd like to drink it. Delivery? They will not have a driver on standby for you to eventually complain about the lateness and missing items. No no no. If you like the food that is cooked; you will come over and get it yourself. And trust me you will. I now understand those people that drive for miles to get their perfect hot chocolate served at some obscure farmers' coffee shack. I would be happy to order, jump on a bus and get food from here, if I feel flush I may even pay a taxi to collect and deliver... Heck, I may even visit people I know in the area a bit more to persuade them to do a takeout. You just swing by or phone up your order. They'll prepare and pack it in front to you so you'll know what you got. Ordering complicated dishes that take a long time to prepare? Sure you can, just order 24-48 hrs in advance - advice for how many people - and they'll have it ready for your the evening you visit. The lady that served us knew all about the dishes that were available, supplied recommendations and was in general very friendly, accommodating and extremely helpful. As they are popular they do turn the tables around. We had 2.5 hours on our table, which is more than ample. Be prepared to get stuck in, eat with your hands and get pretty messy with your meal... (Oh was that just me...?) But they provide napkins, wet towelettes, fingerbowls, etc... As it is such a small place I don't recommend this for families with young children. You cannot run around, highchairs, trolleys, car seats etc.. will be in the way and most possibly restrict movement of servers and guests. They have one toilet and it is down a very(!) steep flight of stairs. If you do insist I'd say book the whole restaurant. I recommend this place for couples and close group of friends around 6-8 We had a wonderful time and I'd like to thank the B&D Kitchen for having us!

Small establishment with one of the best authentic Cantonese cuisine in Edinburgh. One and only…read moreand probably the best in Edinburgh. It is really hard to get authentic cuisine here in Edinburgh as the Chinese population here is not as high as London. Definitely give this place a try and try what the Cantonese community has to offer. Staff are really nice and helpful as well.

Gift shops are my Achilles' heel, and Edinburgh has a wonderful selection of them…read more Curiouser and Curiouser is full of lovely artwork and prints, gifts and other things you never knew you needed until you walked in here. They also offer a fantastic bespoke framing service. A few years ago I was looking for a very specific size and design of mirror. I asked for help on Twitter and Curiouser and Curiouser saw this and replied offering their services. I went into the shop, they made a framed mirror exactly as I wanted and of fantastic quality. If you are ever around Broughton Street area then I definitely recommend you popping in here. And maybe go to Treacle for some food after :)

Why am I only just discovering this little gem today?!…read more A stop off in Edinburgh is always great fun, and a wander along Broughton St is always great. Today the highlight of the wander was coming across this place. Filled with lots of cute and wonderful things - from books on how to knit zoo animals, greetings cards, ceramics and prints and artwork with price tags that won't break the bank. It appears to be a small family business and the staff are pretty relaxed and more than happy to chat; but the dog didn't seem all that interested in what was going on. I bought some prints for my living room, a book on print-making and a ceramic bowl for my coffee table. I could easily have purchased most of this shop. So if you're in search of a special card or gift, I can't recumbent this place any higher!

If you're looking for a little shop to find any of your souvenirs at, Gleneagles of Scotland is one…read moreyou can walk into and find -ANYTHING- you might be looking for. From tartan plaid to cashmere to shortbreads to whisky it's here in this shop. There are post cards and jewelry, and dog toys and kids things. If you want it.. they have it.

Some of the touristy-souvenir shops can be awful. Gleneagles, in Edinburgh's Princes Street Mall…read moreis not one of them, and comes off rather well to the first time visitor like myself. Like all of the shops of this type, it has the normal range of gifts of every type, kind and colour. The general feel of the shop is a lot less tacky than many of the others in the city. I was drawn by the large range of shortbread - larger than I think I've seen in any other shop in the city. I love a good bit of shortbread, but managed to restrain myself this time. Apart from the shortbread, and though the shop is well presented, the rest of the content is the same as you will find in all of the shops on the Royal Mile - I wonder if all of the shops just do a bulk order from one company that sells that sort of tacky things that fill these places. On the whole, it's the same old story as every other shop of this type, though this place is redeemed by good presentation.

One of the highlights to our trip to Edinburgh, this small, hole-in-the-wall place did not…read moredisappoint. I loved the hospitality and the personal touch of the hostess who was exuding a positive attitude (I barely use superlatives like this, so I must have really felt it). After our hike on Arthur's seat, we ordered fried mixed vegetable dumplings, chai latte and a vegetarian coconut curry. It was made fresh and it was delightful. They make the food freshly as you order, and they have a very personalized way to talk to each customer. The music is also very soothing. I would recommend this place. Rating is 50% food, 30% service, and 20% everything else, I'm giving a 5 for each category that results in a rating of 5.0.

I definitely consider Himalaya Shop/Cafe a hidden gem in Edinburgh. The dining area is small and…read moredoes not accommodate too large a group, but the food is wonderful. The vegetation momo is absolutely fantastic, and I am certain I inadvertently smiled with each bite. The dough is delicate yet chewy and the ratio of filling is perfectly executed. With a nice hot cup of tea, excellent meal!