This blog is a bit different from the usual - I was sitting on the train home on Friday trying to figure out how to fit all these photos and places into one post! We had a great week in Edinburgh and found so many new favourite places, I mostly photographed the foodie ones so thought it made sense to put these into a nice little run down of which we'll be missing most. I think I might just do a separate one for shopping once the presents I bought have been opened by their recipients though...
19 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2HS
This adorable milk bar serves the best milkshakes in the perfect vintage setting and was just around the corner from where we stayed. The ice cream and chocolates are made by the lovely Mary who went to Carpigiani Gelato University. Mary's Milk Bar also offers gelato tasting evenings and truffle making workshops - yum! Unfortunately we couldn't make either of these but we did manage to squeeze a second visit before catching our train home - yay!
103-105 West Bow, Edinburgh, EH1 2JP
The perfect place for a tasty (and healthy) breakfast! I'd imagine lunches would be great too but we got into the habit of grabbing a smoothie on our way past Hula in the mornings. A bright and cheery atmosphere to start the day, art on the walls and friendly staff. David tried a chicken pesto bagel too which looked tasty but I liked the 'Special H' breakfast shake best which was a mix of granola, frozen yogurt and berries.
41 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1EP
This was a bit of a rushed visit because I'd seen Eteaket online and thought it looked nice and we only just managed to squeeze it in. I really love the branding, from the bold doilies outside and the more subtle ones inside to the tea packaging and gift bags. We chose a pot of tea each; tutti fruitti for me and gunpowder green for David. They are quite big pots of tea! They sell lots of tea related accessories there too so I couldn't resist a polka dot tea infuser pot to add to my collection.
184 Rose Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4BA
I'm so glad one of you lovely Facebook likers recommended this place - thanks Emma Robb! It is such a cosy and colourful little Mexican restaurant and they honestly do the best nachos. A few years ago I didn't actually like nachos (I'm a fussy eater but getting better) and this was the kind that would have intimidated me with it's abundance of toppings; chunky guacamole, sour cream, cheese, refried beans, salsa, parsley, jalepenos, all layered generously with seasoned tortilla chips. David had a large with added beef chilli and faced a man vs. food moment, I had a small with a sweet potato, honey and chilli soup although I still didn't manage to eat it all as there was so much!
250 Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8AA
We came across this place by accident, after lunch when completely stuffed but still had to go in and see what they had to offer because it was too pretty to resist. This is another place where I love the branding; quirky details with a classy mint, pink and black palette. We managed a sticky toffee cupcake between us, but only because it was so good! The birds in the lamps and sprinlkes jars in the windows were really sweet touches.
52 West Port, Edinburgh, EH1 2LD
This place was literally across the road from our apartment. It was really busy the when we arrived since it was the weekend so we waited until a quieter evening for a more chilled out drink. As soon as I read the menu and saw the word sprinkles I knew I was having a raspberry ripple cocktail! It tasted like raspberry milkshake and is probably the cutest cocktail I've had. David's drink was really yummy too, it tasted a bit like a spiced apple pie. The bar itself is really dark so it's hard to tell what it actually looked like in there - this statue behind our table gave us a bit of a scare!
So there you go, I hope this might be useful to anyone visiting Edinburgh. There were lots of other places we would have loved to visit but simply not enough time (or money) in one week. There's always next time though!
