Filmhouse

Home to the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Filmhouse sits on busy Lothian Road within hailing distance of some of the city’s bestloved venues. Just a hop, skip and jump over the road will take you to the Traverse, devoted to new writing; the Lyceum, with a packed Fringe and International Festival programme; and the Usher Hall, a stunning concert venue with near-perfect acoustics. The EICC is also nearby (it’s gearing up for a circus and comedy-themed August) while Central Hall is getting in on the action with a family-focused Fringe as well as some big Book Festival events.

When it comes to food and drink here, you could do a lot worse than Filmhouse’s own café-bar; a comfortable casual hang-out with a straightforward menu and equally straightforward prices. If you’re after a quick fill-up, the usual chains are on Lothian Road, including Byron and Wagamama, while local fave Ting Thai Caravan is great for a speedy noodle stop. Landmark hotels like the Sheraton and Waldorf Astoria are also at hand. The latter is home to Mark Greenaway’s fine dining restaurant Grazing if you’ve a notion for a long, lazy lunch, while the new flagship Johnnie Walker visitor centre is across the junction.

At the top of Lothian Road you’ll find Tollcross, home to one of the city’s most vibrant food and drink micro-districts. Try Ong Gie for excellent Korean, while Dumplings of China does exactly what it says on the tin. If real ale is your thing, the laid-back Cloisters bar has been pulling pints of excellence since 1995, and The Blackbird is worth the slightly longer walk for its excellent beer garden.

This isn’t the greenest part of town, so if al fresco dining is on your mind, head to Princes Street Gardens, where you’ll find takeaway options plus the excellent Scottish Café & Restaurant at the Scottish National Galleries.

RESTAURANTS

Baba 130 George Street, 0131 527 4999, baba.restaurant A contemporary take on classic Levantine dining in a shabby-chic restaurant, where the menu is a pick and mix of flavours, textures and price tags. Order abundantly from the snacks, side and mezze sections; and don’t forget to throw in a couple of dips with accompanying flat breads.

Bread Meats Bread 92 Lothian Road, 0131 225 3000, breadmeatsbread.com Bread Meats Bread’s mini-chain of burger joints keep the fast in fast food, with enough details to make it well worth paying more than the standard chains. There is a comprehensive vegan menu, meat is carefully sourced, service is brisk; all in, it’s a fun place for a fast fillup with pals.

Chizuru Tei 278 Morrison Street, 0131 228 1688, chizurutei.com There are more refined competitors out there, but Chizuru Tei is a great bet for quick, tasty and affordable food. The substantial menu offers a wide choice of sushi and main course rice and noodle dishes, as

MY PICKS

RAYMAH TARIQ

PROGRAMME OFFICER, FILMHOUSE

Filmhouse finds itself in prime position for food and drink no matter which direction you head. Gooseneck Café serve up excellent coffee and have an array of savoury and sweet pastries that will get your day started right. If you’re short on time, look no further than Bánh Mì Brothers, where cheery staff, quick service and a filling Vietnamese baguette is a guarantee: add extra chilli at your peril. If you have a little longer to indulge, Taco Libre is a joyful restaurant where you get some of the best, affordable Mexican fare. For drinks, Hanging Bat has you covered on beer and gin needs, while Hey Palu makes an ideal spot for a pre-show cocktail. And of course, our very own Filmhouse Café Bar takes care of the whole lot from breakfast till dinner.

well as several set menu and bento combos. Brisk, buzzy and bustling.

Contini George Street 103 George Street, 0131 225 1550, contini.com Gorgeous setting for a leisurely lunch between shows, though you’ll need sharp elbows to grab that pavement seat. Mains include plenty of pasta, as well as dishes like rump of Highland lamb that show off their thoughtful approach to sourcing. Service is warm and breakfast is the perfect way to ease into your day.

Kyloe Restaurant & Grill The Rutland Hotel, 1–3 Rutland Street, 0131 229 3402, kyloerestaurant.com Know nothing about steak? No problem: your waiter will talk you through every step of your dinner’s journey in this luxurious restaurant. There’s plenty of choice when it comes to sides: beef dripping chips are terrific. Wine lovers will be spoilt for choice, particularly when it comes to steak-loving reds.

The Palmerston 1 Palmerston Place, 0131 220 1794, thepalmerstonedinburgh.co.uk Easy breezy hospitality abounds in The Palmerston, where the gorgeous bones of a former bank building meet a modern British menu with careful sourcing at its core. Warm service and confident cooking abound and, if you’re staying around Haymarket, their morning pastries and coffee are well worth exploring.

Taxidi 6 Brougham Street, 0131 228 1030, taxidi.uk Cosy and authentic, Taxidi’s plentiful mezze options include squeaky sheep's milk talagani cheese and pitta bread seasoned with lashings of olive oil and oregano. If you're not in the mood for sharing, mains are all packed with character and flavour, and there are daily specials too.

Yamato 11 Lochrin Terrace, 0131 466 5964, yamatosushiedinburgh.co.uk Quality and attention to detail rule the day at this high-end, intimate Japanese spot. A huge amount of thought has clearly gone into every element of the experience. Plating is picture-perfect and underlines Yamato’s focus on subtle, yet exquisite, tastes and textures, while rarer dishes like wagyu beef and o-toro tuna belly elevate the menu.

CAFES

Cairngorm Coffee Co 1 Melville Place, cairngorm.coffee A distinctive, bright and airy café where featured roasters change regularly; they batch brew too. All-day breakfast, brunch and lunch options are available, like granola with seasonal fruit, fresh pastries, avocado toast and soup, as well as coffee beans to take home.

Holy Cow

PLANT-BASED

It’s rare to find a menu with no decent vegan or veggie options in Edinburgh, but these cafés, bars, restaurants and delis are the pick of the bunch for trailblazing plant-based food

BLACK RABBIT

33 Brougham Street, 0131 241 8504, blackrabbitedinburgh.co.uk

A super-useful fully vegan deli and coffee shop offering sandwiches, rolls, cakes and savoury bakes, plus vegan ingredients if you’re cooking.

CONSIDERIT

3–5a Sciennes, 0131 667 4064, consideritchocolate.com

Flagging? On your way to Summerhall? One of Considerit’s indulgent doughnuts or ice-creams will see you right. Their chocolate is exquisite and everything is vegan.

DAVID BANN

56–58 St Mary’s Street, 0131 556 5888, davidbann.co.uk

Flying the flag for veggie cooking for two decades now, this is somewhere to kick back and linger over precise flavours and warm service.

FACEPLANT

37 Duke Street, faceplantfoods.com

Cute wee vegan spot specialising in grilled ‘cheeze’, it’s also close to Leith Links if you fancy grabbing and going on a sunny day.

HARMONIUM

7–11 East London Street, 0131 558 3536, harmoniumbar.co.uk

Punchy flavours, 100% vegan: this recommended bright and airy laidback café/restaurant/bar is working hard to be all things to all people.

HENDERSONS

7–13 Barclay Place, 0131 202 1635, hendersonsrestaurant. com

The Hendersons more or less introduced veggie cooking to the city; their new incarnation promises to carry on the family tradition of accessible veggie food.

HOLY COW

34 Elder Street, 0131 629 7057, holycow.cafe

Tucked into a basement near the St James Quarter and open well into the evening, this is a very useful vegan option to have up your sleeve. Great burgers.

PARADISE PALMS

41 Lothian Street, 0131 225 4186, theparadisepalms.com

Lively, kitsch bar with a primarily vegan soul-food menu that’s waiting to become your festival HQ. Great fun. Get the frickles.

SORA LELLA

13a Brougham Street, soralella.co.uk

Fully vegan Roman restaurant with a great line in simple but delicious pastas and pizzas, with plenty of gluten-free options.

Fortuna Coffee Bar 77 Queen Street, 0131 467 0179, instagram.com/fortunacoffeebar Dog-friendly modern eatery with simple, yet creative, food and a rollcall of dependable local suppliers, like Machina coffee. Decent deals, colourful garnishes and a laid-back vibe make this a happy, bright spot for lunch or brunch and the cakes are good too. Walk-ins only.

Milk 232 Morrison Street, 0131 629 6022, cafemilk.co.uk Moments away from Haymarket station, Milk is the perfect mix of trendy and homely. Inside, industrial stools and subway-tiled walls sit comfortably alongside an open counter of baked goods, and simple dishes have a modern vibe while remaining resolutely homemade. Decent coffee, even better brownies.

Social Bite 89 Shandwick Place, social-bite.co.uk Social Bite has been donating its profits to help tackle homelessness since 2011 and many staff have experienced life on the streets. The simple menu offers sandwiches, salads, soup and hot lunches as well as breakfast rolls and cakes. There’s also a branch on Rose Street, plus Vesta, their social enterprise restaurant.

BARS

Bennets Bar 8 Leven Street, 0131 229 5143, bennetsbaredinburgh.co.uk Super handy for the Cameo cinema, Bennets is a stunning traditional Victorian bar offering a wide range of cask ales, whiskies, gins and cocktails. It’s full of gorgeous original features, like cute brass water taps on the bar and the ladies’ snug (a set-apart wee room with its own serving hatch).

The Hanging Bat 133 Lothian Road, 0131 229 0759, thehangingbat.com Busy Lothian Road is now a bit of a beer destination, but the Hanging Bat was there first. Deceptively cavernous, there are six cask and fourteen keg lines on draught and, in total, they sell around 150 mainly British beers (and lots of gins). Take advice from the bar staff: beer gurus, every one.

Heads&Tales 1a Rutland Place, 0131 656 2811, headsandtalesbar.com Find the prohibition-style door hidden at the foot of a discreet staircase, pass the cosy vaulted booths and you’ll spot a working gin still; a major clue that gin is indeed the thing here. Choose from around 80 varieties or just ask the knowledgeable team for a recommendation.

The Innis & Gunn Brewery Taproom 81–83 Lothian Road, 0131 228 6392, innisandgunn.com With 26 beers on tap and enthusiastic, well-informed staff, this is a great place to try a new beer or two. Naturally, beers from the home brewery star but they also feature local contemporaries. If beer’s not your thing, there’s a surprisingly good choice of cocktails, gin and whisky.

Social Bite

Le Di-Vin Wine Bar 9 Randolph Place, 0131 538 1815, ledivin.co.uk Set in a former church, Le Di-Vin’s door opens into a vast, high space, lined floor to ceiling with wine. The menu is small and rustically French, but the main focus here is the wine,

Bennets Bar and you can easily spend a very happy evening sipping your way through their compact list.

Panda & Sons 79 Queen Street, 0131 220 0443, pandaandsons.co.uk Behind a barber shop façade and through the bookshelf door, one of the vanguards of Edinburgh’s cocktail revolution is still going strong. Clued-up bartenders guide you through a boundary-pushing cocktail list and, while there’s a little bit of theatre, mixologists who really know their stuff keep it all on the right side of authentic.

RedSquirrel 21 Lothian Road, 0131 229 9933, redsquirreledinburgh.co.uk Great beers and a bite to eat is the ethos at the Red Squirrel; it’s hard to argue with the simplicity of their approach when it’s done so well. House taps and rotationals showcase interesting choices, all available from a third of a pint measure upwards. It’s worth knowing that breakfast runs until 3pm.

Teuchters 26 William Street, 0131 225 2973, teuchtersbar.co.uk First-rate traditional bar, with around 90 single malt whiskies and 20 blends lining the shelves plus a notable collection of Scottish gins, cask and keg beers. Burgers, hot dogs and pies provide good company to a well-pulled pint, or order from the mug menu and tuck into creamy mac and cheese or traditional stovies.