Overview
Edinburgh is a city designed to be walked slowly. This particular combination. Victoria Street, the Grassmarket, a picnic in Princes Street Gardens, and a quiet village that appears out of nowhere 15 minutes from the castle, is the version of Edinburgh that people who live there know. None of this requires a tour, a car, or prior knowledge of the city. It requires only a good pair of shoes and a willingness to take the slower turn.
The evening, at Dishoom and then Panda & Sons, is the city at its most sociable. Dishoom Edinburgh is exceptional, as good as the London originals, arguably better for having more space, and Panda & Sons is the kind of cocktail bar that rewards the people who go looking for it. Edinburgh rewards people who go slowly and eat properly. This day is built for exactly that.
Morning
Start at Milkman Café, tucked inside one of the arches on Victoria Street itself, this is Edinburgh's best coffee shop and also one of its most beautiful rooms. The flat white is the order; the pastries rotate. Take your time. The arch means you're sitting inside the building that lines the curved street, which gives a different perspective on Victoria Street than standing at the end taking photographs. Both are worth doing.
Step out onto Victoria Street properly at about quarter to ten. The curved cobblestone road with its stacked levels, shops and cafés at street level, a terrace walkway above, photographs best at eye level and from halfway along rather than from the bottom looking up. Walk slowly along both levels. Below on the Grassmarket, turn left and spend an hour in the independent shops and stalls along the main stretch and the closes that lead off it. Avoid the tourist-facing shops at the castle end. The best browsing, vintage books, handmade goods, independent clothing, is toward the West Port end and the side streets. Budget roughly £18 for the morning including coffee and any optional browsing.
Afternoon
For lunch, walk to the M&S Foodhall on Princes Street (five minutes from the Grassmarket) and pick up proper picnic supplies, their rotisserie chicken, good bread, and cheese are the reliable option; the nearby deli on Cockburn Street is a more interesting alternative if you have time. Carry everything to Princes Street Gardens and eat on the grass with the castle directly above you. This is Edinburgh's best free lunch. The gardens are busy on sunny days but always find space; the Ross Bandstand end is quieter.
After the picnic, walk west through the New Town toward Dean Village, follow Queensferry Street down from the West End, and after about 12 minutes of walking you descend suddenly into a medieval mill village on the Water of Leith that sits entirely below the city and feels completely separate from it. Most visitors never find it. Walk the bridge, photograph the weir and the stone cottages, and follow the Water of Leith Walkway south for 20 minutes before heading back up. This is one of Edinburgh's best surprises and it costs nothing.
Return to the New Town for the afternoon coffee at Cairngorm Coffee, the New Town branch on Frederick Street is the right stop here. One of Edinburgh's best specialty roasters, consistently good on filter and espresso, and exactly the caffeine needed before an evening at Dishoom.
Evening
Dishoom Edinburgh is at St Andrew Square, in the New Town's eastern edge, a 15-minute walk from Cairngorm, or a short taxi. The Edinburgh branch has all the signatures: black daal (order it, it matters), Irani chai, keema pau, the bacon naan roll if you arrive earlier in the evening. The room is as considered as the London originals and the service is warm. Book two weeks ahead minimum for Friday or Saturday evening; weekday reservations are easier.
After dinner, walk the ten minutes to Panda & Sons. The address is 79a Queen Street. There is no obvious sign, the shopfront is a barbershop. The door takes you downstairs to one of Edinburgh's best basement cocktail bars, with a menu that rotates seasonally and bartenders who take it seriously. Arrive promptly after dinner; it fills up after 9:30pm.
Budget Breakdown
| Stop | Cost per person |
|---|---|
| Milkman Café | £8 |
| Grassmarket browsing | £0–10 |
| Picnic supplies | £8–12 |
| Dean Village | Free |
| Cairngorm Coffee | £6 |
| Dishoom Edinburgh | £35–50 |
| Panda & Sons | £12–18 |
| Total | £69–104 |
The picnic keeps lunch costs low, that's the structural saving in this day. Dishoom is the main spend; order the black daal, one sharing starter, and the naan and you'll eat very well for around £35 per person. The Grassmarket browse is optional spend, the best of it is free.
What to Know
- Dishoom Edinburgh books out fast for weekend evenings, reserve as soon as your dates are confirmed, and at least 2 weeks ahead.
- Panda & Sons is at 79a Queen Street. The entrance is a barbershop front. No sign. Go downstairs.
- Milkman opens at 8am on weekends, arrive before 9:30am to guarantee a table in the arch.
- Dean Village is accessible via Queensferry Street (walk downhill from the West End) or via the Water of Leith Walkway from Stockbridge.
- The picnic works best from the M&S Foodhall on Princes Street, the entrance is on the street level, below the main store.
- Bring a layer. Edinburgh is cold even in summer, and the evening walk back from Panda & Sons after 10pm will be cold.
- This itinerary works best Thursday through Sunday. Weekday evenings, Dishoom has shorter queues and Panda & Sons is quieter.