UK Food Guide: Scotland

If you’ve been reading the blogs since I started traveling abroad, you’re aware that I’m truly obsessed with Scotland. I’ve literally only been to two cities and haven’t even visited the country for more than a week, but I was sold on Scotland from the minute I stepped off the tram in Edinburgh.

One of the best parts of visiting the country was the incredible food you could find pretty much anywhere (at least in the cities we went to). Edinburgh in particular had such a variety of cuisines for every craving imaginable, and I might have said it before, but I truly didn’t have a bad meal there (except one). So, in true food blogger fashion, I’ve rounded up every meal I ate while I was in Scotland to share with you.

1. The Newsroom Bar & Eatery

We stopped into this pub after a long day of traveling from Leicester, hungry and needing a spot to wait out the rain. It turned out to be a lovely first dinner in Scotland (and a great birthday dinner), complete with cocktails, traditional UK dishes and a boozy dessert. It was an interesting mix between modern and old-school, and the photos I took give off Red Dead Redemption vibes–that cocktail menu? Come on.

What We Ordered:

• Pornstar Martini
• Rhubarb Crumble Martini
• The ‘Ale’ Fashioned
• Breaded mushrooms
• Steak n’ Guinness Pie
• Bacon Mac & Cheese
• Affogato with Baileys

3. Deacon Brodie's Tavern

This was a quick stop for us after we’d ridden around the city in a double-decker bus, toured the castles and palaces, and were in dire need of drinks and desserts. Turns out, the desserts we saw on the menu outside were sold out, but we still got some cocktails and tried a Cranachan, which in all honestly, wasn’t great. If it was baked together instead of just layered on top of a pile of oats, I think I would have really enjoyed it! The Pornstars always hit the spot, though.

What We Ordered:

• Long Island Iced Tea
• Pornstar Martini
• Bulmers Original Cider
• Cranachan (traditional Scottish dessert of smooth whipped cream, sweet honey, a dash of whisky, raspberries and golden toasted oats)

4. Secret Garden at Festival Village

We had seen this outdoor restaurant quite a few times just walking and riding around the city, so when we were hungry for dinner, we decided to check it out. It was more of a bar with appetizers, which was still a cool vibe to enjoy while we got some more drinks and light bites. There was a super talented guitarist and singer who played the whole time we were there, and it was a really cool atmosphere–the appetizers were pretty unique and tasted great, too. I’m also a sucker for arancini, but I promise my enjoyment was unbiased!

What We Ordered:

• Wild mushroom & parmesan arancini with parmesan dip
• Salt, pepper & chilli calamari with garlic mayo
• French gin martinis
• Elderflower & grapefruit highball

5. Amarone

Oh man. This place is the restaurant of my dreams. The bar, the decor, the food, the ambiance–it was all amazing. Amarone is right in the center of St. Andrew Square so the location was unbeatable, especially considering the prices were super affordable. Up until I traveled to Italy, this pasta was the best I’d ever had (and it’s still super high on the list). It was my first time trying ‘Nduja, and it was truly life changing. The spice, the heat, the creaminess of the sauce, the orecchiette (super underrated pasta shape, btw)–it was all just exactly what I love about food and restaurants and dining out in general. Don’t skip this place if you find yourself looking for a great meal in Scotland.

What We Ordered:

• Negroni
• Flirtini
• Old Fashioned
• Orecchiette ‘Nduja e salsiccia
• Tortelloni al funghi

6. Red Kite Cafe

We stopped at Red Kite on our second morning in Edinburgh before we began our hike up Arthur’s Seat, and it was very average. The food was good, the atmosphere was very chill, and it really just felt like your typical cafe. The brioche rolls were fantastic, but I’ll never understand why breakfast sandwiches aren’t served with syrup. Gotta have that sweet factor in there, guys. It was nice to have this spot closer to our Airbnb as well, since we were a little ways outside of the city (Edinburgh isn’t cheap, y'all).

What We Ordered:

• Sausage and egg brioche sandwich
• Roast pear & whipped feta toast
• Eggs and salmon with sourdough
• Chai lattes

7. Portobello Beach Bistro

Ah, my first official fish and chips. I’ll be honest, when we got here, my initial thought was “oooh, I kinda wish were going to the place next door.” We had walked in the opposite direction of the city one night for dinner because we wanted to see the ocean, but you know when you walk up to a beachside restaurant and it looks a little dingy and small and the picnic tables are a little wonky and you’re not sure about how good the food is gonna be? We had that situation, plus a gorgeous outdoor restaurant next door with twinkly lights, crowds of happy people, and a much nicer view of the ocean. Despite that scene, we stuck to our guns and took a table in the empty beachside “patio” and ordered our food. I’m glad we did, because it was phenomenal (and probably way cheaper than the food would have been next door). Just your typical, classic fish and chips. Not much else I can say about it, but I’m glad I tried it for the first time in the UK!

What We Ordered:

• Fish & chips
• Seafood pasta
• Pornstar Martini
• Ciders

8. Foresters Guild

If you ever find yourself near Portobello Beach outside of Edinburgh, please do yourself the service of visiting this cute little pub. We went specifically for drinks and dessert, and it was the perfect stop. I didn’t look too much at the website before we went, so I was expecting more of an old-timey tavern with an older crowd, but it was just the opposite. We walked into a super cool little bar area with lots of tables and cozy chairs, and a great mix of people from our ages, to those much older, to families in the next room over. Overall, it was one of my favorite stops during our trip, if not for the incredible dark chocolate cremeux (pictured to the left) and the martinis. Espresso martinis are great, but salted caramel espresso martinis? To die for.

What We Ordered:

• Salted Caramel Espresso Martinis
• Pinot Grigio
• Very sticky toffee pudding
• Dark chocolate cremeux
• Rhubarb and custard creme brûlée

9. Tollbooth Tavern (not pictured)

Okay, this was the one bad meal I’m sure you’re all curious about. If you know me, you know I’m the furthest thing from a picky eater, and I usually go all “rose-colored glasses” when I’m excited about a dish or restaurant so everything tastes better to me than it might to someone else. However, that was not the case at Tollbooth Tavern. While it was a super cute little pub that felt very on-brand for a typical Edinburgh barroom (dark, lots of booths, older crowd), the food just wasn’t great. Granted, I did get a salad instead of something more substantial that would have been more popular, but it was still disappointing. Essentially a handful of wet lettuce in a puddle of water on a super shallow bowl topped with dry chicken and bacon. The bacon was actually good, but when is it not?

What We Ordered:

• Wild mushrooms on toasted sourdough
• Chicken, avocado and bacon salad
• Goat’s cheese, avocado and roasted pepper salad

10. Revolution

After three days in Edinburgh, we headed up to Aberdeen. We took a long walk around the city, and then hopped on Google Maps to find a spot to eat. I’ve gotten pretty damn good at deciding where to go based on menus alone, and I’m so glad I recommended we stop at Revolution. It was one of the most fun lunches we’ve had during our travels, and the restaurant itself had such an energetic, fun atmosphere that was great to experience amidst your typical UK pub vibe. We enjoyed our lunch so much that we went back for drinks later in the night, and were met with strobe lights, loud music, larger crowds, and a much more intense vibe than earlier–it made for a great night out.

What We Ordered:

• Pornstar Martini flight
• Margherita pizza
• Blue cheese & truffle fries
• Grain bowl
• Blue cheese & truffle burger
• Strawberry Woo Woo - cocktail
• Free the Nipple - cocktail
• Long Island Iced Tea - cocktail
• Revolution Zombie - cocktail

11. The Highlander Cafe Bus

Our last morning in Aberdeen consisted of trekking to the ocean once more to grab a bite at a beachside bus cafe. We had a nice break from the city sitting by the beach, drinking coffee and eating breakfast burritos on the top level of a two-story bus that was converted into a tiny little breakfast spot. It took a very long time for our food to be ready, but once it did, it was a delicious, hearty meal to fill us up for our three hour bus ride back to Edinburgh.

What We Ordered:

• Oat milk latte
• Green tea
• Breakfast burritos
• Vegetarian Full English

13. Slain's Castle (not pictured)

I’ll be honest, I forgot about this meal when I mentioned the “one bad meal” I had in Edinburgh. This place was all around just an odd experience–it’s a Dracula-themed restaurant that seems like it’s trying to give off cool, spooky vibes, but it was more uncomfortable than anything else. The staff wasn’t super friendly, and we definitely went at an earlier time than normal for dinner, but it still just felt weird being there. They had super average bar food, not many drinks other than beer (that’s fair), and the whole place felt a little grimy. We got a couple appetizers, ate our dry chicken tenders and overcooked cauliflower, and hightailed it out of there to head back to Revolution. I think this place would be pretty cool on Halloween, but that’s about it.

What We Ordered:

• Southern Fried Chicken Goujons (chicken tenders)
• Cauliflower Wings
• Mac and Cheese

14. Books and Beans

This small bookstore and coffee shop was a nice spot to grab breakfast after our first long bus ride to Aberdeen. There was indoor and outdoor seating, and inside there were quite a few rooms with seating areas and bookshelves lining the walls. You could buy the books which was really cool, but it also just made for a nice, quiet atmosphere to have a quick breakfast. I loved that the whole menu was literature-themed, and all the items were named after different books and characters.

What We Ordered:

• The Hatter (pancakes with Nutella and fruit)
• Bronte’s cheese & tomato croissant
• Brookmyre (Sausage, bacon, and egg in a bap)