Came at around 5 pm. Had 3 for £8 & £15 meal deals…read more Chose the £15 -2 mains & 2 sides meal deal. Bought £3.25 Scottish mussels in creamy white wine. Desserts were all under £5. Selection of ready-made meals is fantastic compared to Toronto's Metro meal selection. Prices are unbelievably cheaper, too.

Very nice upscale grocery store. Lots of prepared meals and fruits were very fresh. Some good sales…read moreas well.

Two red onions, a chilli, a few new potatoes and a few sprigs of rosemary. Guess how much? Wrong!…read more78 pence for all that! I kid you not, this is one of the cheapest places to get your fruit and veg in the whole of Edinburgh. They also stock a small range of local delicacies, cheese, cakes and they make sandwiches at lunch time. The staff are incredibly friendly too. They will, as Anne C. said, greet you on the street. They're always happy to have a conversation when you go in too. And they'll even knock a few pence off if you're short or you've no change. Brilliant. There is another thing - they, like Fruit-A-Licious in Morningside, sell ripe bananas! Just when they're perfect, they sell them off cheap. This place was a godsend when I was living on Strathern Road, but it's worth a trip even if you live a little further away.

I'm a big fan of this fruit and veg shop, not only because it is an independent grocers making a…read morestand against all the corporate supermarkets, but also because it offers good value and high quality. Take a trip to Sainsbury's or any other supermarket chain to buy your fruit and veg and the quality in general falls wide of the mark - here that simply isn't the case. You can't even argue that supermarkets have an advantage over these independent grocers in their deals and special offers - out front there's always a deal to be had from here and I should know because I pass here every day. Even today as I headed down to find out the opening hours (just a note these should be taken with a pinch of salt as they are by no means set in stone) I picked up a bag of 8 of the largest and tastiest oranges I've had in a long time and all for just a pound. A marvellous fruit and veg shop.

Anster Connage Crowdie…read moreCriffel Cromarty Dunsyre Blue Grimbister Farm Lanark Blue Loch Arthur Cheddar Lochnagar St Duthus & Strathdon Blue If you're looking to take home some Scottish cheese, this I.J. Mellis is a great starting place. The staff are friendly and knowledgable and happy to recommend cheeses to suit each customer's palette and tastebuds. More importantly, they're happy to dish out free samples! Based in Morningside, this branch also stocks a cracking selection of fresh bread, fruit and veg, ham, fish, salami, oat crackers, olives, chutneys, olive oil, vinegar, honey, jam and coffee. In fact, if I lived in the area and had a bigger disposable income, I'd probably do most of my shopping here!

I was very impressed by Clark's, another cheese store located in Bruntsfield. However, Mellis,…read morewhich is just a few minutes away in Morningside is probably the cheeselovers heaven. It's one of many Mellis stores in Edinburgh, the most famous one being located in Old Town, but certainly doesn't disappoint. Dutch, Italian, Spanish, French and of course Scottish cheese can be bought here, but it's more than just a cheese shop; all sorts of bread, antipasto and olives can be bought as well as eggs, ham and even baking ingredients of the more wholesome variety. Naturally, it isn't cheap, but definitely a fair price for good cheese, and fresh food. If I keep discovering places like this in addition to Valvona and Crolla, I may just stop going to the supermarkets altogether.. or at least until I can't afford to anymore.

At last! A place that sells bananas after they've turned ripe! You know, I can't stand under-ripe…read morebananas. They taste like cardboard. In fact, an under-ripe banana ruins my day. Not only do fruit-a-licious sell ripe bananas, but they sell them cheaper than under-ripe ones. Imagine that! I got one today for 7p. Amazing. Enough about bananas, this place is brilliant for all veg. They have about 7 different types of potato, loads of different mushrooms, chillis, various herbs, loads of fruit (including bananas). They also sell specialist Indian spices and delicacies (and who doesn't love a good samosa). This place has been a real find. The produce is good quality and so so cheap. I'll not be venturing into Tesco again to get my fruit and veg. I've found my new veg shop, even if the name is a bit dodgy. Did I mention they sell ripe bananas?

I really like the concept of of shopping at a green grocer's, but unfortunately not many of these…read morestill exist, and those that do are often nowhere near my daily wanderings. Enter Fruit-A-Licious which I'm sure I'd seen before but didn't really properly clock until The Man and I passed it the other day and I realised that I didn't have any broccoli for our pizza (it's amazing, try it). So, I popped in, had a gander at what was on offer, and hunted down the broccoli. Apparently this broccoli is dipped in invisible gold, as a medium head cost me £1.50. £1.50 for a head of broccoli?? It's not even organic or locally grown! That's what broccoli costs from the farmer's market, NOT what it should cost at a green grocer's. I realise it's going to be more than Tesco, and as we're in Morningside it'll be even more expensive than a normal green grocer's, but that's insanity. Unfortunately, I won't be switching my shopping habits to support the little guy in this situation.

Let's get one thing straight, when it comes to cooking: I'm a lazy sod…read more Whether it's my particularly chaotic schedule or that living solo, I can rarely justify the time to plan, buy and make a meal, it's just something I've never really enjoyed (except baking. Banana bread is therapeutic friends.) But I've also learned, that daily take out meals are the fastest way to an empty bank account. So consider COOK my happy medium. I found these folks via Vino originally. Though exceptionally tasty, I learned very quickly that a diet of mac & cheese and steak & red wine pies, does not a healthy human make. So I popped on their website and put together a more reasonable order. Here's what I've learned: 1. They have delivery. Which, in the name of lazy sods everywhere, is fantastic. 2. The mac & cheese and steak & red wine pies ARE delicious and you should try them. Maybe not every day, but they both make a great rainy day, lazy lunch or dinner. 3. The OMG pots look tempting. They are healthier options all under 400 cal. Which I thought, well, if i'm being lazy, I might as well be lazy AND healthy. Wrong decision. First off, they're almost all microwavable - which might seem like a plus but there's something sad about microwaving dinner. I much prefer things that can be popped in the oven. Plus, they're not great. Of the six OMG pots I ordered, I didn't fancy one of them. Pass! 4. BUT, if you're looking for a healthier option under 400 cal, their classic low cal dishes are quite good. The Beef Bourginon and Chickpea Tangine are two personal favourites. 5. Each meal will run you about £3-4. Which yes, would be much cheaper if you made it yourself, but for an extra £1 a meal, i'll take the easy route, thank you very much. 6. Pass on their pasta unless it's the roasted vegetable lasagna (which is delightful). All in all, after some trial and error, this has become a decent option for a quick meal during the week. I order on Fridays and have back up meals in the freezer for the remainder of the week. Plus, because they're frozen, they don't go bad and you can stock up. It's definitely not home made delicious - but it is the next best option.

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars because I like the idea but... well... read on I guesss…read more Last night The Man decided to go out for a couple of beers and thought that a ready meal would suit us nicely. I remembered walking by a frozen food store in Morningside and suggested we check it out. The Man said "it isn't Iceland, is it?" I assured him that no, it's wasn't Iceland. And so we visited the Morningside branch of Cook, which has some kind of slogan like "good food for busy people." The shop assistant explained that they do a food delivery service and showed us which foods are for one person, for two people, and which are sides. To be honest, we didn't venture too far into the store because the "meals for 2" are right at the front, so we didn't see all they had to offer. In short, Cook serves up a nicer (and healthier, I suspect) version of the kind of ready meals you get in the supermarket. For this, though, you pay a premium. We decided on a Moroccan lamb tagine because it was so unlike anything we would make ourselves. I had my eye on an Indonesian veggie curry but The Man's need for meat won out. The curry was reasonably priced at something like £5 or £6, but the lamb tagine was £9. Keep in mind these prices are only mains, they don't include any sides. We liked our tagine, we agreed that the lamb was heavenly and tender (a result of stewing for a long time), but the sauce which included dates and apricots was too sweet for our taste. I've never had a tagine before but actually think this is pretty standard. The portions were fine as I made rice to go with it and it was late when we ate anyway, but to be honest it definitely wouldn't be enough food without a side. I was also pleasantly surprised by the nutrition facts - 10g fat per person for a meaty meal is surprisingly low. I guess lamb is lean? I'm used to ready meals being astronomically fat filled and overall really quite bad for you, so this was pretty good. So, I liked Cook and I would definitely get a ready meal from here again (their veggie options are reasonably priced and a few sound pretty tempting), but I found the price just a bit too steep to make it a regular date.

Amazing! We found everything we needed! It was a bit of a hike getting there fromwbere we were,…read morebut they had everything we were looking for and we were able to bypass Big Pharma! A win for the little guys!

I was really apprehensive about going into Good Food. It's a 'health food' store, and I hate…read more'health food'. Fat means flavour and all that. How wrong I was. It's a tiny little room, with a counter running to one side and shelves down the other. I've never seen so many types of honey in my life. They're well aware this - there's a sign next to it telling you to ask for help about honey, which amused me a little bit. They also sell dried pulses, tinned pulses, oats, flour (gluten free), loads of different teas and some really nice drinks. In fact, I was so charmed with the place I ended up leaving with a box of Jasmine tea (oooh errr). The lady who runs Good Food is extremely pleasant and helpful. It's a great little shop. Not sure why they sell moisturiser though, but I'm willing to overlook.

FINALLY! A grocer in Bruntsfield! The one thing that has been missing from this area from a very…read morelong time has finally arrived and trust me it was worth the wait. This community greengrocer had the financial backing of members of the public, offering them the chance to buy shares in Dig-In as well as helping in the financial set up of the shop. Inside the shop it looks like a traditional greengrocer, fitting in perfectly to the Bruntsfield area, and it sells loads of locally sourced and organic vegetables and fruits (dependent on season) as well as usual things like satsumas and celery that aren't grown here. In their back shop they have a dried good section with packets of lentils and rice available as well as oils, vinegars and a few Gluten Free products. If you are ever on your way to a supermarket to get some fruit and veg, do yourself a favour and pop in here first, an excellent addition to the area and I hope it has a very successful business.

Walk down nearly any street in one of Edinburgh's many neighbourhoods and you're bound to see at…read moreleast one shop with carboard boxes of veg out on the pavement. But have a closer look and the veg may not be so fresh, or local and once you get into the shop - you find it's really just a newsagent/convenience store with no other healthy food in sight. I suppose that was what inspired the people of Bruntsfield to rally support and start their own community grocer where fruit and vegetables and access to healthy food (fresh and packaged) is a priority. Even before they had secured a premise, they got together, formulated a plan and started to drum up support. They decided to run the shop as a community co-operative with members owning shares in the business and volunteering in the shop. I've been following their progress with great interest on facebook, twitter and all the wonderful media attention but I only just made it into the shop last week. From the feedback received so far it seems like they are doing a pretty good job!! The first impression is made even before I walk in the door. The traditional deep green shop front, with the friendly, curly writing was inviting me to 'Dig-in' and locals of all ages were pressing their noses against the glass windows wanting to find out what's inside. The store is clean, inviting, small but well stocked and attended by super friendly and well informed staff who were happy to chat about unusual ingredients, recipes, and even my juicing adventures (I think I convinced one to go home and dust off her juicer). Whether you chat to them instore or on-line, the feeling is the same; Dig-in are friendly, easy to talk to and really want the community's input, feedback and recommendations. The impression I got from visiting and from their involvement with their facebook/twitter followers is that they are very intent on finding the right balance between: * providing fresh, local, seasonal fruit and veg and supplying the community with the goods they want when they want it * providing quality produce at a fair price for both the producer and customer * stocking basic packaged goods while at the same time trying to support the local farmers, bakers, producers * and of course trying to keep things as healthy as possible. And that's where we can help! You can't please all the people all the time, but letting the folk at Dig-in know how they're doing will help make that balancing act so much easier! Personally, I liked what I saw but would really love to see some more of the local market traders represented. There are some great bakers, jam and preserve makers and cheese producers who trade at the many Edinburgh weekend markets or attend the food fairs but I'm not always around at the weekends so it would be nice to be able to go to a shop during the week and pick up some of my foodie favourites and Dig-in Bruntsfield would be an ideal showcase for these products. So if you're in the area, so stop in, have a look around, say hello and of course fill your basket with foodie treasure; olde-worlde bicycle not required.

I was walking past the Merlin the other day and noticed a banner for the Morningside Farmers…read moreMarket. Having just moved here, I was excited to find that there is a monthly farmers market close to my new place. The market is almost hidden in the car park behind the Merlin, except for some banners and a couple of stalls by the side of the building. This market seems to keep things simple, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. There was a fruit and veg stall ( a very good one). The Secret Herb Garden was greeting us at the entry with lavender, herbs and beers. Pie Not was selling fresh made pies. We were able to buy some absolutely tasty brownies. And one of the highlights was Flat Out. They make their own flat bread and meatballs. We had the thai green curry chicken meatballs. I could've eaten a whole bowl of those. Isle of Arran cheeses was on the list of venders, but wasn't there. Here's hoping to pick up some cheese next month.

Love our little famers market! Cute little market. Great local companies and suppliers…read more *There is a great produce and veggie stand that I always get great stuff at. *The brownies man , yes BROWNIES , are AMAZING! Fudgy and delicious! * A great salsa guy whose recipes are from Tanzania ! * A fresh fish monger truck, who has amazing smoked salmon, with different spices! * The Secret Garden always has a stand with candles and their beer! * A game monger has some tasty game sausages. *There is this cute couple that have a food truck that make tasty meatball, always one veggie, one chicken and one other meat. DELICIOUS!

Coco of Bruntsfield is one of two specialist shops in Bruntsfield, and I'm afraid to report this is…read morethe poorer of the two. The chocolate is delicious - but when is chocolate not delicious - and the price is a little steep but totally worth it. Word of warning, this is not the place you should go daily to get your 'fix' (I hear ya) as it is proper chocolate, very rich and very intense. They do really great hot chocolates and experiment with different flavours, but if you want to sit down then bring your own seat, It is a shame that the second chocolatier over-shadows Coco, as it tastes just as good! Unfortunately it comes down to the small things - seats! And to be honest the shop was quite cold! But that's just being picky.

We went on a chocolate tour of Edinburgh. It was one of those tours you buy on groupon and such. I…read moregot it for my husband as a bday gift because he loves chocolate so much. This place had the most amazing chocolates. So rich, but not bitter, creamy but bold flavours. A great selection of different delicate flavours. The people that worked there were so nice and really had a great knowledge of their chocolates! I would love to get chocolate from there all the time... but it was just a wee bit too expensive for me. I know one shouldn't put a cap price on hand made chocolates, but I do .. I have too otherwise our rent money would all go to chocolate! haha BUT if you are wanting to buy someone a lovely gift of chocolates and they are a huge chocolate fan then look no further! Wonderful place. Also super cute decor and lay out... just a wee shop though.

Have passed by this unassuming cafe so many times and finally got around to popping in. Great…read moreselection of organic teas and some groceries too. Friend had their organic earl grey and we both have freshly made fruit smoothies. I'd definitely go back for another. Didn't have food but whatever they were cooking smelled great. Sadly though the open kitchen meant I came away smelling of food too though for the rest of the day.

I have to knock one star of this wonderful cafe simply because it isn't as cheap as I'd first…read morethought. The guy who served me on my first visit must have been feeling particularly generous or he was new. - He gave me more salad for a much cheaper price. I've now learnt that the salad prices are similar to anywhere else in the area. - I'll still visit just not as often as I'd like!